Method and apparatus for generating multiple dynamic user-interactive displays

Abstract

The present invention teaches a method of creating and presenting a user interface comprising a Dynamic Mosaic Extended Electronic Programming Guide (DMXEPG) using video, audio, special applications, and service dynamic metadata. The system enables television or digital radio service subscribers to select and display of various programs including video, interactive TV applications, or any combination of audio or visual components grouped and presented in accordance with the dynamic program/show metadata, business rules and objectives of service providers, broadcasters, and/or personal subscriber choices, collectively referred to as mosaic element presentation criteria

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of generating a user interface (UI), the method comprising:
 receiving, via a plurality of receivers, at a client device, a plurality of content streams, each content stream comprising:
 video content, provided by one of a plurality of different service providers via a plurality of channels; and 
 channel map data comprising:
 a plurality of source identifiers each identifying one of the plurality of channels in the content stream; and 
 a plurality of descriptors, each descriptor associated with one of the source identifiers and each descriptor associated with a portion of the video content corresponding to a channel identified by the one source identifier; 
 
   extracting, via a processor at the client device, the channel map data from each of the content streams provided by the plurality of different service providers;   generating, via the processor at the client device, merged channel map data which associates each of the received plurality of source identifiers with (i) one of a plurality of receiver identifiers each identifying one of the plurality of receivers and (ii) the one of the plurality of descriptors;   displaying, on the UI, a first merged channel map comprising each of the plurality of channels of the merged channel map data, extracted from each of the content streams,   receiving one of: (i) a first user input selection to perform channel auto merge; and (ii) a second user input selection to perform manual auto merge;   resolving one or more channel conflicts, for the plurality of channels displayed on the UI, by:
 when the first user input selection to perform channel auto merge is received, automatically merging one or more of the plurality of channels for display on the UI as a second merged channel map; and 
 when the second user input to perform manual channel merge is received, receiving user input selections to manually merge the one or more channels on the UI for display and, in response to the user input selections, merging the one or more channels for display on the UI as the second merged channel map; 
 displaying, on the UI, the second merged channel map, comprising the one or more merged channels, in at least one of a numerical order of channel numbers and an alphabetical order of channel identifiers; and 
 receiving a third user input to reassign the channel numbers for the channel numbers displayed on the second merged channel map, 
 displaying, simultaneously with the second merged channel map:
 a virtual channel map which displays a list of selectable channel elements, each comprising one of the channel identifiers and a reassigned channel number, in at least one of a numerical order of the reassigned channel numbers and an alphabetical order of the channel identifier; 
 
 a first alphabetic sorting selectable element for sorting the second merged channel map in the alphabetical order of the channel identifiers and a first numerical sorting selectable element for sorting the second merged channel map in the numerical order of the channel numbers; and 
 a second alphabetic sorting selectable element, separate from the first alphabetic sorting selectable element, for sorting the virtual channel map in the alphabetical order of the channel identifiers and a second numerical sorting selectable element, separate from the first numerical sorting selectable element, for sorting the second merged channel map in the numerical order of the reassigned channel numbers; 
   wherein selection of one of the selectable channel elements, comprising a channel identifier and a reassigned channel number, on the virtual channel map displayed on the UI causes presentation of the portion of the video content, currently available for display, by tuning the client device for the portion of the content.   
     
     
         2 . A processing apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of receivers, each receiver configured to receive one of a plurality of different content streams, each content stream comprising:
 video content provided by one of a plurality of different service providers via a plurality of channels; and 
 channel map data comprising:
 a plurality of source identifiers each identifying one of the plurality of channels in the content stream; and 
 a plurality of descriptors, each descriptor associated with one of the source identifiers and each descriptor associated with a portion of the video content corresponding to a channel identified by the one source identifier; 
 
   memory configured to store each of the plurality of source identifiers; and   a processor in communication with the memory and the plurality of receivers, the processor configured to:
 cause each receiver to extract the channel map data from each of the plurality of different content streams using the stored plurality of source identifiers; and 
 generate merged channel map data by associating each of the stored plurality of source identifiers with (i) one of a plurality of receiver identifiers each identifying one of the plurality of receivers and (ii) one of the plurality of descriptors; and 
   wherein,   each of the plurality of channels of the merged channel map data, which is extracted from each of the content streams, are displayed as a first merged channel map on the UI,   one of: (i) a first user input selection to perform channel auto merge; and (ii) a second user input selection to perform manual auto merge is received;   one or more channel conflicts, for the plurality of channels displayed on the UI, are resolved by:
 when the first user input selection to perform channel auto merge is received, automatically merging one or more of the plurality of channels of the displayed first merged channel map for display as a second merged channel map on the UI; and 
 when the second user input to perform manual channel merge is received, receiving user input selections to manually merge the one or more channels of the displayed first merged channel map and, in response to the user input selections, merging the one or more channels for display as a second merged channel map on the UI; 
   the one or more merged channels are displayed on the UI as a second merged channel map in at least one of a numerical order of channel numbers and an alphabetical order of channel identifiers,   a third user input, is received, to reassign the channel numbers for the channel numbers displayed on the second merged channel map,   the second merged channel map is displayed simultaneously with:
 a virtual channel map which displays a list of selectable channel elements, each comprising one of the channel identifiers and a reassigned channel number, in at least one of a numerical order of the reassigned channel numbers and an alphabetical order of the channel identifier; 
 a first alphabetic sorting selectable element for sorting the second merged channel map in the alphabetical order of the channel identifiers and a first numerical sorting selectable element for sorting the second merged channel map in the numerical order of the channel numbers; 
   a second alphabetic sorting selectable element, separate from the first alphabetic sorting selectable element, for sorting the virtual channel map in the alphabetical order of the channel identifiers and a second numerical sorting selectable element, separate from the first numerical sorting selectable element, for sorting the second merged channel map in the numerical order of the reassigned channel numbers; and   selection of one of the selectable channel elements, comprising a channel identifier and a reassigned channel number, on the virtual channel map displayed on the UI causes presentation of the portion of the video content, currently available for display, by tuning the client device for the portion of the content.