System and method for delivering rerun video programming on non-HDTV digital side channels
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system of providing rerun programming to consumers comprising:
- means for providing a plurality of consumers with a list of live television programs which are available to said plurality of consumers;
means for monitoring which programs in said list of live television programs are being watched by said plurality of consumers, said means for monitoring further for generating a ranking of programs on said list of live television programs based upon a popularity characteristic of said programs on said list;
means for recording at least a portion of said programs on said list of live television programs;
means for electronic delivery of rerun programs to said plurality of consumers in a manner of program delivery which is other than real time delivery of programming which is capable of being viewed by a television set in real time; and
, wherein at least one of said means for recording and said means for electronic delivery is operationally responsive to said ranking of programs.
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Abstract
A system for delivering rerun digital programming via digital side channels and the Internet to consumers, which system includes a video recorder which provides the rerun programming in other than real time.
69 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A system of providing rerun programming to consumers comprising:
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means for providing a plurality of consumers with a list of live television programs which are available to said plurality of consumers;
means for monitoring which programs in said list of live television programs are being watched by said plurality of consumers, said means for monitoring further for generating a ranking of programs on said list of live television programs based upon a popularity characteristic of said programs on said list;
means for recording at least a portion of said programs on said list of live television programs;
means for electronic delivery of rerun programs to said plurality of consumers in a manner of program delivery which is other than real time delivery of programming which is capable of being viewed by a television set in real time; and
,wherein at least one of said means for recording and said means for electronic delivery is operationally responsive to said ranking of programs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for providing rerun programming to consumers comprising:
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a source of digital television programming signals;
said source of digital television programming signals simultaneously transmitting a plurality of distinct signals for different television programs, including a first signal which is a real time digital video signal and a second signal which is an other than real time digital video signal;
a personal computer (PC), being configured to tune digital television programming signals;
said PC being configured to record digital television programs as digital data files;
said PC further being configured to capture said digital television programming signals, at a transmission rate which is at a transmission rate other than a transmission rate for real time viewing of television programming;
said transmission rate is at a higher than real time rate when said source of digital television programming is broadcasting other programming in a non-high definition television format and said transmission rate is lower than real time when said source of digital television programming is broadcasting other programming in a high definition television format;
said PC further being configured to record said digital television programming signals which have been captured at rates other than a rate for real time viewing of television programming; and
,said PC further being configured to visually present to a viewer for viewing at a real time viewing rate, recorded digital programs which have been previously received by said PC as digital television programming signals at transmission rates other than a transmission rate for real time viewing of television programming. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of transmitting rerun digital television programming comprising the steps of:
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providing a live digital television signal, in a frequency spectrum range allocated to a station by a governmental agency, which regulates television broadcasting;
storing programming content broadcast by said live digital television signal; and
,re-transmitting said programming content, on an unused segment of said frequency spectrum, which is not used by a live digital television signal simultaneously broadcast from said station. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A system for over-the-air broadcasting of rerun programming comprising:
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an over-the-air broadcasting station, at a first location, configured for transmission of live digital television signals, including high definition television (HDTV) signals and non-HDTV digital television signals;
an electronic program guide server, at a second location, configured to provide, via an Internet connection, an interactive television programming guide to a plurality of geographically dispersed and independently owned and operated personal computers;
said electronic program guide server providing a matrix of programming available to a particular user based upon a location characteristic of said particular user;
said matrix of programming comprising a web page having a plurality of cells therein wherein individual programs are associated with cells in said matrix and links in said plurality of cells are configured to send information to said electronic program guide server regarding users”
selections of rerun programming;
said electronic program guide server being configured to provide viewer ratings based upon said users”
selections;
said over-the-air broadcasting station, having a storage means, for storing programming content from said transmission of live digital television signals;
said over-the-air broadcasting station further being configured to selectively retain programming in said storage means based upon said viewer ratings; and
,said over-the-air broadcasting station further being configured to simultaneously provide rerun programming from said storage means, based upon said viewer ratings, where said rerun programming is broadcast over the air on an otherwise open side channel, simultaneous with live digital television signals; and
wherein said rerun programming is provided at less than real time when said live digital television signals are HDTV signals and at real time or faster than real time when said live digital television signals are non-HDTV signals.
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Specification