Apparatus, systems and methods for a video thumbnail electronic program guide

A system for a thumbnail electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

• a first tuner configured to receive a first one of a plurality of media content streams;
• a second tuner configured to receive a second one of the plurality of media content streams,
• wherein the media content streams comprise a first type of still image video frames that have information that is sufficient to construct the first type of still image video frames, wherein the media content streams comprise a second type of still image video frames that do not have information that is sufficient to construct the second type of still image video frames, and wherein the second type of still image video frames are configured to be constructed using their respective information and information from at least one of the first type of still image video frames;
• a processor system communicatively coupled to the first tuner and the second tuner, and configured to:
• pick a series of a plurality of first still image video frames from the first type of still image video frames in the received first media content stream, wherein the second type of still image video frames that are between the picked first type of still image video frames are not picked;
• pick a series of a plurality of second still image video frames from the first type of still image video frames in the received second media content stream, wherein the second type of still image video frames that are between the picked first type of still image video frames are not picked;
• generate a plurality of first still image video frame thumbnails, wherein each of the first still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the picked first type of still image video frames;
• generate a plurality of second still image video frame thumbnails, wherein each of the second still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the picked second type of still image video frames;
• generate a first video thumbnail from the plurality of first still image video frame thumbnails;
• generate a second video thumbnail from the plurality of second still image video frame thumbnails;
• incorporate the first video thumbnail with at least one first program descriptor and a first channel identifier associated with the first media content stream into the video thumbnail EPG;
• and
• incorporate the second video thumbnail with at least one second program descriptor and a second channel identifier associated with the second media content stream into the video thumbnail EPG;
• and
• a presentation device interface communicatively coupled to the processor system, and configured to communicate the video thumbnail EPG to a presentation device with a display, wherein the video thumbnail EPG is presented to a user,
• wherein after communication of the video thumbnail EPG to the presentation device, the processor system is further configured to:
• determine a direction of channel surfing by the user viewing the video thumbnail EPG;
• identify an adjacent channel identifier of a media content stream, wherein the adjacent channel identifier is adjacent to a channel identifier presented in the video thumbnail EPG, and wherein the adjacent channel identifier is currently omitted from the video thumbnail EPG;
• generate an additional video thumbnail from a series of the first type of still image video frames in the media content stream associated with the adjacent channel identifier;
• incorporate the additional video thumbnail into a new video thumbnail EPG;
• and
• communicate the new video thumbnail EPG to the display in response to further channel surfing by the user, wherein the new video thumbnail EPG with the video thumbnail is presented to the user.

A system that generates a video thumbnail electronic program guide (EPG), comprising:

• a first tuner configured to receive a first one of a plurality of media content streams;
• a second tuner configured to receive a second one of the plurality of media content streams,
• wherein the media content streams comprise a first type of still image video frames that have information that is sufficient to construct the first type of still image video frames, wherein the media content streams comprise a second type of still image video frames that do not have information that is sufficient to construct the second type of still image video frames, and wherein the second type of still image video frames are configured to be constructed using their respective information and information from at least one of the first type of still image video frames;
• a processor system communicatively coupled to the first tuner and the second tuner, and configured to:
• pick a series of a plurality of first still image video frames from the first type of still image video frames in the received first media content stream, wherein the second type of still image video frames that are between the picked first type of still image video frames are not picked;
• pick a series of a plurality of second still image video frames from the first type of still image video frames in the received second media content stream, wherein the second type of still image video frames that are between the picked first type of still image video frames are not picked;
• generate a plurality of first still image video frame thumbnails, wherein each of the first still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the first still image video frames;
• generate a plurality of second still image video frame thumbnails, wherein each of the second still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the second still image video frames;
• generate a first video thumbnail from the plurality of first still image video frame thumbnails;
• generate a second video thumbnail from the plurality of second still image video frame thumbnails;
• incorporate the first video thumbnail with at least one first program descriptor and a first channel identifier associated with the first media content stream into the video thumbnail EPG;
• and
• incorporate the second video thumbnail with at least one second program descriptor and a second channel identifier associated with the second media content stream into the video thumbnail EPG;
• and
• a portable media device interface communicatively coupled to the processor system and configured to communicatively couple to a communication network,
• wherein the processor system is further configured to communicate the video thumbnail EPG, through the portable media device interface and over the communication network, to a portable media device for presentation on a display of the portable media device.

A method for a video thumbnail electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of media content streams at a media device, wherein the media content streams comprise a first type of still image video frames that have information that is sufficient to construct the first type of still image video frames, wherein the media content streams comprise a second type of still image video frames that do not have information that is sufficient to construct the second type of still image video frames, and wherein the second type of still image video frames are configured to be constructed using their respective information and information from at least one of the first type of still image video frames;
• receiving a request to present an EPG, wherein the EPG is initially configured to present information for a plurality of channels;
• selecting ones of the received media content streams that correspond to the plurality of channels of the EPG;
• picking a series of a plurality of still image video frames from the first type of still image video frames in the selected ones of the received media content streams, wherein the second type of still image video frames that are between the picked first type of still image video frames are not picked;
• generating a plurality of still image video frame thumbnails associated with the selected media content streams, wherein each of the still image video frame thumbnails correspond to one of the first type of still image video frames;
• generating a video thumbnail associated with each of the selected media content streams from the plurality of still image video frame thumbnails;
• incorporating into the video thumbnail EPG selected ones of the video thumbnails with at least one corresponding program descriptor and a corresponding channel identifier associated with the selected media content stream;
• communicating the video thumbnail EPG to a display, wherein the video thumbnail EPG with the video thumbnail is presented to a user,
• wherein after presentation of the video thumbnail EPG, the method further comprising:
• determining a direction of channel surfing by the user viewing the video thumbnail EPG;
• identifying an adjacent channel identifier of a media content stream, wherein the adjacent channel identifier is adjacent to one of the channel identifiers presented in the video thumbnail EPG, and wherein the adjacent channel identifier is currently omitted from the video thumbnail EPG;
• generating an additional video thumbnail from the media content stream associated with the adjacent channel identifier;
• incorporating the additional video thumbnail into a new video thumbnail EPG;
• and
• communicating the new video thumbnail EPG to the display in response to further channel surfing by the user, wherein the new video thumbnail EPG with the video thumbnail is presented to the user.