Television system

• US 20020133819A1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pace Micro Technology PLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jackson, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,199,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• 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

The invention relates to the provision of data to a viewer of a television system. In particular the information is provided in a visual and/or audible indication to the viewer of a selected program as to when the next program in that program series is scheduled to be shown. The identity and schedule data is retrieved from data received relating to the generation of an EPG or alternatively from the data broadcast along with the selected program being viewed.

Claims

1. A television system including a broadcast data receiver (BDR) for receiving broadcast digital data in the form of audio, video and/or auxiliary data from a remote broadcaster and processing said data to allow video and/or text to be selectively viewed on a display screen connected to the BDR, said video and text which can be selected, including details of programmes available for selection by a viewer and characterised in that when a programme which is selected for viewing is part of a series of programmes, at a pre-determined time point during or at the end of the selected programme, an indication is generated by the BDR to inform the viewer of the details of the scheduled display of the next episode of the said series of programmes.

2. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication of when the next episode is being shown is based on information provided in a text display in the display screen.

3. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication is generated when the BDR detects the end of the selected programme and the BDR searches, or has already searched, through EPG data in the BDR to identify the scheduled showing of the next episode of the programme series.

4. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the data relating to the scheduled showing of the next episode of the programme series is broadcast by the broadcaster in conjunction with the data for the selected programme whereupon an indication is generated in response to the received data.

5. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication is typically generated from auxiliary data broadcast from a broadcaster and used for the generation of the EPG.

6. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication can include any, or any combination, of;

the date when the next episode is to be shown;

the time at which the next episode is to be shown;

the channel on which the next episode is to be shown; and

/or a description of the content of the next episode.

7. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that if the next episode is to be repeated a number of times over a time period, the indication includes details of all showings of the next episode, in that period.

8. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication includes details of the showing of the next episode of the programme which does not overlap with any other bookmarked programmes previously selected by the viewer.

9. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication is in the form of a text message displayed on the display screen, and overlaid on video data displayed at that time.

10. A television system according to claim 9 characterised in that the displayed text is provided on a semi-transparent background

11. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that display of the indication on the display screen, the viewer has the option of hiding the indication by using an appropriate control key on control means provided.

12. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication is in the form of an audio message generated by the BDR via speakers connected thereto.

13. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the viewer can set a reminder function so that the BDR informs them when the next episode is to be shown at a time nearer the scheduled showing of the next episode.

14. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the viewer can recall the indication prior to the scheduled showing of the episode by depression of a pre-selected key on control means for the television system.

15. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication which is generated is displayed for a period of time determined by the user and/or broadcaster.

16. A television system according to claim 1 characterised in that the indication includes information relating to when a repeat of the selected programme is to be shown.

17. A method of indicating to a viewer of the television programme when the scheduled showing of the next episode or episodes in a series of television programmes is/are to occur on a television system, said television system including a BDR for receiving broadcast digital data in the form of audio, video and/or auxiliary data from a remote broadcaster and processing said data for viewing on a display screen and/or listening via speakers connected to the BDR, characterised in that said method includes the steps of the BDR identifying whether a series of programmes exist for a programme selected for viewing on the system, the BDR searching received data for the next episode in the selected programme series and, if an episode is identified the BDR then generates an indication to inform the viewer of when the next episode of the programme is to be shown.