Television system

• US 20020059608A1
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pace Micro Technology PLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pace Micro Technology PLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Turner, William
• Application Number:
  US09/903,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059608A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A television system includes a display screen (2) and a broadcast data receiver (4) for receiving digital data via terrestrial, cable or digital means from a broadcaster (6) and generating visual/audio and/or auxiliary data therefrom. The broadcaster (6) and/or broadcast data receiver (4) is provided with memory for storing program information, which can include subtitle and/or closed caption data. The television system is provided with a search tool/facility to allow a user to search the memory by generating a user request for program information. The television system is capable of matching the user request with any corresponding program information in the memory for display on the display screen (2).

Claims

1. A television system including a display screen (2), a broadcast data receiver (4) for receiving digital data via terrestrial, cable or digital means from a broadcaster (6) and generating visual/audio and/or auxiliary data therefrom, said television system including memory means for storing data relating to programme information characterised in that said television system is provided with a search facility to allow a user to search said memory means by generating a user request for programme information, and said television system is capable of matching the request with any corresponding programme information in said memory for display on said display screen (2).

2. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the memory means contains subtitle and/or closed caption data (14) relating to programme information.

3. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that said memory means contains descriptions of programmes.

4. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that a user query box is provided on the display screen (2) for a user to type in their search request.

5. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that said user request includes any or any combination of key words, phrases or codes defined by the broadcaster (6).

6. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that said memory means is located at the broadcaster (6).

7. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that said memory means forms part of the broadcast data receiver (4).

8. A television system according to claim 6 or 7 characterised in that said broadcaster (6) updates said memory means with future and/or real time programme information.

9. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the programme information identified corresponding to the user'"'"'s request includes any or any combination of the time and/or date of showing the identified programme, the length of the programme, the channel the programme is to be shown or a summary or the programme shown.

10. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the programme information identified corresponding to a user'"'"'s request includes electronic programme guide (12) information.

11. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the format of the programme information identified in response to said user'"'"'s query is determined by the broadcaster (6).

12. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the format of the programme information identified in response to said user'"'"'s query is determined by the user and is selectable via an options menu.

13. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that frequently requested information is stored in said memory means in a saved format.

15. A television system according to claim 14 characterised in that all or selective data contained in said memory means at said broadcaster (6) is sent to memory means in said broadcast data receiver (4) for searching by a user.

17. A method according to claim 16 characterised in that said stored programme information includes subtitle and/or closed caption data (14).

18. A method according to claim 16 characterised in that the memory means searched is located at the broadcaster (6).

19. A method according to claim 16 characterised in that the memory searched is located at the broadcast data receiver.

14. A television system including a display screen (2), a broadcast data receiver (4) for receiving digital data via terrestrial, cable or digital means from a broadcaster (6) and generating visual/audio and/or auxiliary data therefrom, said broadcaster (6) including memory means for storing subtitle and/or closed caption data (14) relating to programme information characterised in that said television system is provided with a search facility to allow a user to search said memory means by generating a user request for programme information, and said television system is capable of matching the request with any corresponding programme information in said memory for display on said display screen (2).

16. A method of obtaining programme information in a television system in response to a user'"'"'s query, said television system including a display screen (2), a broadcast data receiver (4) for receiving digital data via terrestrial, cable or digital means from a broadcaster (6) and generating visual/audio and/or auxiliary data therefrom, said television system including memory means for storing data relating to programme information characterised in that said method includes the steps of inputting a query into said television system, searching said memory means for programme information relating to said query, displaying on said display screen (2) identified programme information corresponding to said query.