Methods and techniques for adaptive search

Abstract

A user may establish a reservation for content that is not currently available to the user via a group of sources, including broadcast, streaming, and/or download sources. For example the a user may establish a reservation to record a broadcast of specific content that is currently not scheduled for broadcast. As another example, the user may establish a reservation for the purpose of alerting the user once a new movie becomes available through a subscription streaming service. Based on a reservation, the service provider and/or the user's media playback device may monitor content availability data for one or more sources. When the content is indicated as available, the user may be so informed. The content may then be streamed or downloaded, or a recording of the content may be scheduled. Additionally, or alternatively, the content may be automatically scheduled for recording or download.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a server, a selection of selected metadata;   receiving, by the server, an instruction to ignore availability of content from sources that require a fee;   determining, by the server, that a content item with metadata that matches the selected metadata will be available from a source; and   based on the receiving of the instruction to ignore availability of content from sources that require a fee:
 determining whether the source requires a fee to transmit the content item; and 
 in response to determining that the source does not require the fee to transmit the content item, generating a notification for a client device that content item will be available from the source. 
   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein generating a notification comprises:
 generating an identifier comprising: (a) a source-identifier code uniquely identifying the source, and (b) an item-identifier code uniquely identifying the particular item of media content wherein the particular item is currently not yet known to be available at any specific time via the source.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the source includes at least one of a broadcast source or an Internet Protocol source. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the source comprises an indication of one or more of: a plurality of sources available to a device operated by the user, a plurality of sources to which one or more users is subscribed, a selection of preferred source features, one or more global preferences, a request to view in the particular item in high-definition, a preference that specifically selects the one or more approved sources as approved for the particular item, or a request that a first source of the plurality of sources from which the particular item is already available be ignored. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining that the content item will be available at a particular time; and   in response to the determination that the content item will be available at the particular time, automatically downloading or recording the content item.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 determining that the content item will be available at least at a second particular time via at least a second source; and   generating a prompt for user input selecting which of the source and the second source a particular device is to obtain the content item.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 generating an identifier for the content item in a content database, the content database describing, at any given time, at least certain media contents that are not yet available.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 displaying at least the metadata for the content item in association with a preview of the content item or a list of movies showing in local theaters; and   receiving an input selecting the metadata via the interface.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the notification is a reservation object. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the reservation object comprises an identifier of a source-identifier code uniquely identifying the source. 
     
     
         32 . A system comprising:
 control circuitry configured to:
 receive, by a server, a selection of selected metadata; 
 receive, by the server, an instruction to ignore availability of content from sources that require a fee; 
 determine, by the server, that a content item with metadata that matches the selected metadata will be available from a source; and 
 based on the receiving of the instruction to ignore availability of content from sources that require a fee:
 determine whether the source requires a fee to transmit the content item; and 
 in response to determining that the source does not require the fee to transmit the content item, generate a notification for a client device that content item will be available from the source. 
 
   
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is configured, when generating a notification, to:
 generate an identifier comprising: (a) a source-identifier code uniquely identifying the source, and (b) an item-identifier code uniquely identifying the particular item of media content wherein the particular item is currently not yet known to be available at any specific time via the source.   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the source includes at least one of a broadcast source or an Internet Protocol source. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the source comprises an indication of one or more of: a plurality of sources available to a device operated by the user, a plurality of sources to which one or more users is subscribed, a selection of preferred source features, one or more global preferences, a request to view in the particular item in high-definition, a preference that specifically selects the one or more approved sources as approved for the particular item, or a request that a first source of the plurality of sources from which the particular item is already available be ignored. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine that the content item will be available at a particular time; and   in response to the determination that the content item will be available at the particular time, automatically download or recording the content item.   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 determine that the content item will be available at least at a second particular time via at least a second source; and   generate a prompt for user input selecting which of the source and the second source a particular device is to obtain the content item.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 generate an identifier for the content item in a content database, the content database describing, at any given time, at least certain media contents that are not yet available.   
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
 display at least the metadata for the content item in association with a preview of the content item or a list of movies showing in local theaters; and   receive an input selecting the metadata via the interface.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the notification is a reservation object. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the reservation object comprises an identifier of a source-identifier code uniquely identifying the source.