Channel Family Surf Control

Abstract

An interface for an interactive television application includes a graphical representation of a channel changing apparatus and is configured such that in response to a channel change request a channel change event limited to a channel change within a designated family of television channels is initiated. The graphical element may be labeled so as to indicate the presently viewed family of television channels. In various embodiment, the channel content may be scaled to fit within a window or may be full screen, in which latter case the interface may be overlaid on top of the full screen video. In one example, the graphical representation of the channel changing apparatus resembles a pair of channel up/down buttons.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to: 
       display identifiers for a plurality of channel families, wherein each of the plurality of channel families is assigned one or more channels and corresponds to at least one a plurality of branded content creators;
 responsive to receiving a selection of a first channel family of the plurality of channel families, display video of a first channel assigned to the first channel family and display advertisement content that identifies a first branded content creator of the plurality of branded content creators; and 
 responsive to one or more channel change requests received after selection of the first channel family, display video of a different channel assigned to the first channel family while continuing to display the advertisement content that identifies the first branded content creator. 
 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to present a label for a graphical element indicating the first channel family has been selected. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein video of a selected channel assigned to the first channel family is scaled to fit within a video display window, and wherein the advertisement content that identifies the first branded content creator surrounds the video display window. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to cause presentation of an overlay on top of full screen video. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to cause presentation of a pair of channel up/down buttons. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 receive a selection of a second channel family of the plurality of channel families, wherein the second channel family corresponds to content provided by a second branded content creator; and   responsive to receiving the selection of the second channel family, display video of a channel assigned to the second channel family and display advertisement content that identifies the second branded content creator.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 process channel identifiers that indicate a relationship between individual ones of a plurality of channels and the plurality of channel families, and wherein each channel family of the plurality of channel families corresponds to content provided by a respective one of the plurality of branded content creators.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the first channel family corresponds to content provided by the first branded content creator. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
 receive a second channel change request;   in response responsive to determining that the first channel family has been selected and responsive to the second channel change request, limit channel change to only channels assigned to the first channel family and display the first channel; and   
       responsive to determining that a channel family has not been selected and responsive to the second channel change request, display a new channel different than the first channel. 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 displaying identifiers for a plurality of channel families, wherein each of the plurality of channel families is assigned one or more channels and corresponds to at least one a plurality of branded content creators;   responsive to receiving a selection of a first channel family of the plurality of channel families, displaying video of a first channel assigned to the first channel family and displaying advertisement content that identifies a first branded content creator of the plurality of branded content creators; and   responsive to one or more channel change requests received after selection of the first channel family, displaying video of a different channel assigned to the first channel family while continuing to display the advertisement content that identifies the first branded content creator.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising causing presentation of a pair of channel up/down buttons. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein video of a selected channel assigned to the first channel family is scaled to fit within a video display window, and wherein the advertisement content that identifies the first branded content creator surrounds the video display window. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 receiving a selection of a second channel family of the plurality of channel families, wherein the second channel family corresponds to content provided by a second branded content creator; and   responsive to receiving the selection of the second channel family, displaying video of a channel assigned to the second channel family and displaying advertisement content that identifies the second branded content creator.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 processing channel identifiers that indicate a relationship between individual ones of a plurality of channels and the plurality of channel families, and wherein each channel family of the plurality of channel families corresponds to content provided by a respective one of the plurality of branded content creators.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first channel family corresponds to content provided by the first branded content creator. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 receiving a second channel change request;   responsive to determining that the first channel family has been selected and responsive to the second channel change request, limiting channel change to only channels assigned to the first channel family and displaying the first channel; and   responsive to determining that a channel family has not been selected and responsive to the second channel change request, displaying a new channel different than the first channel.   
     
     
         32 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   memory storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
 display identifiers for a plurality of channel families, wherein each of the plurality of channel families is assigned one or more channels and corresponds to at least one a plurality of branded content creators; 
 responsive to receiving a selection of a first channel family of the plurality of channel families, display video of a first channel assigned to the first channel family and display advertisement content that identifies a first branded content creator of the plurality of branded content creators; and 
 responsive to one or more channel change requests received after selection of the first channel family, display video of a different channel assigned to the first channel family while continuing to display the advertisement content that identifies the first branded content creator. 
   
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the memory further stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
 receive a selection of a second channel family of the plurality of channel families, wherein the second channel family corresponds to content provided by a second branded content creator; and   responsive to receiving the selection of the second channel family, display video of a channel assigned to the second channel family and display advertisement content that identifies the second branded content creator.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the memory further stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
 process channel identifiers that indicate a relationship between individual ones of a plurality of channels and the plurality of channel families, wherein each channel family of the plurality of channel families corresponds to content provided by a respective one of the plurality of branded content creators, and wherein the first channel family corresponds to content provided by the first branded content creator.   
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the memory further stores executable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
 receive a second channel change request;   responsive to determining that the first channel family has been selected and responsive to the second channel change request, limit channel change to only channels assigned to the first channel family and display the first channel; and   responsive to determining that a channel family has not been selected and responsive to the second channel change request, display a new channel different than the first channel.