Simulcast web page delivery

• US 20020073219A1
• Filed: 11/21/2000
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/51 specially adapted for satellite broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/95 characterised by a specific format, e.g. an encoded audio stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/84 which are fixed telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 : involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 : by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A multimedia broadcast system provides program schedule information simulcast as a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) data stream including commands and displayable, selectable indicia associated with the commands, along with programs for display. A set top box is adapted to separate the HTML data stream and to store that data in a cache as WEB pages retrievable by a WEB browser in the set top box, whereupon the program schedule information is displayed including the displayable, selectable indicia. Selecting the indicia directs the set top box via the associated command to tune to a program associated with the displayable indicia. The indicia may be any text, icon, dynamic figurine, and the like. In a preferred embodiment program schedule WEB pages, including the commands and displayable indicia, are stored especially marked on a WEB server coupled to the Internet and to a scanner adapted to scan the WEB server for marked pages, and to upload the marked pages to a satellite broadcast system.

Claims

1. A set top box, comprising;

a broadband receiver for receiving multimedia information including a data stream constituting a command and a displayable indicia associated with the command;

tuner/demultiplexer circuitry for separating a displayable data stream from the multimedia information, and for sending the displayable data stream including the displayable indicia to a display monitor, forming a display with the displayable indicia thereon; and

user-operable apparatus adapted for selecting the displayable indicia;

wherein, in response to the user selecting the displayable indicia, the display is altered.

2. The set top box of claim 1 wherein the alteration of the display comprises switching the display to a channel associated with the selected indicia.

3. The set top box of claim 1 wherein a portion of the multimedia information received comprises WEB pages in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

4. The set top box of claim 1 wherein the broadband receiver comprises a satellite data link adapted to download a satellite-broadcast data stream, and the multimedia information including a data stream constituting a command and a displayable indicia associated with the command is received via the satellite data link.

5. The set top box of claim 4 wherein a portion of the multimedia information received by satellite data link comprises Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

6. The set top box of claim 1 wherein a first portion of the multimedia information comprises television programming, and a second portion comprises program schedule information associated with the television programming, the program schedule information including the command and displayable indicia associated with the command.

7. The set top box of claim 6 further comprising a cache memory system wherein the program schedule information including the command and displayable indicia associated with the command are stored, and a driver adapted to coordinate the cache and the second portion of the multimedia information.

8. The set top box of claim 1 wherein the broadband receiver comprises a satellite data link adapted to download a satellite-broadcast data stream, and further comprising a land-based modem, and the multimedia information including a data stream constituting a command and a displayable indicia associated with the command is received by one of the satellite data link and the land modem.

9. The set top box of claim 1 further comprising a user-operable WEB browser for browsing for HTML-based WEB pages.

10. The set top box of claim 7 further comprising a user-operable WEB browser, wherein the WEB browser is adapted to scan the cache for selected pages, and to display pages from the cache wherein selected pages are stored therein.

11. A WEB server comprising:

a scanner for periodically scanning HTML-based WEB pages stored on the server; and

a satellite uplink system coupled to the scanner;

wherein the scanner is adapted for selecting especially-marked WEB pages, and uploading those pages via the satellite uplink system.

12. The WEB server of claim 11 further comprising a land-based Internet connection.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the commands include commands that cause the receiver to select specific programs from the multimedia broadcasts.

13. A system for controlling presentation of multimedia broadcasts, comprising:

a WEB server upon which program schedule information is stored in one or more especially-marked WEB pages, wherein the content of the WEB pages includes commands and displayable indicia associated with the commands;

a satellite uplink system coupled to the WEB server;

a scanner adapted for periodically scanning content of the WEB server and uploading the especially-marked pages to the satellite uplink system;

a receiver adapted for receiving both the mutimedia broadcasts and the especially-marked WEB pages including commands and displayable indicia associated with the commands, and further adapted for displaying the program schedule information on a display monitor in a manner that the displayable indicia become user-selectable interfaces for initiating the commands at the receiver.

15. A method for controlling a tuner box connected to a satellite receiver and to a display for multimedia presentation, comprising steps of:

(a) broadcasting a broadband data stream to the tuner box, the broadband data stream comprising one or more programs for display;

(b) simultaneously broadcasting program schedule information in Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) including a command and a displayable, selectable indicia associated with the command;

(c) displaying the program schedule information including the displayable, selectable indicia;

(d) causing the tuner box, upon the displayable indicia being selected in the display, to tune to a program associated with the displayable, selectable indicia.