Identification of programming having supplementary content

• US 20030154481A1
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Iyengar, Sridhar, Smiley, Mary D., Andersen, David B., Pilat, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/074,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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

Abstract

A method is described for associating a predefined unique symbol with a type of supplementary content for a program, creating a program schedule that includes a listing for the program, and providing the predefined unique symbol in association with the listing in the program schedule.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a program schedule that includes a listing for a program that has supplementary content;

associating a predefined unique symbol with a type of the supplementary content; and

providing the predefined unique symbol in association with the listing in the program schedule.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the program is a television program.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplementary content is provided on the World Wide Web.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined unique symbol is a text string.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined unique symbol is the text string “

WWW”

.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined unique symbol is a graphic symbol.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined unique symbol is an image.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising distributing the program schedule.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

printing the program schedule in a publication; and

printing the predefined unique symbol in the publication.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting the program schedule; and

transmitting the predefined unique symbol.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising transmitting data which when accessed by a machine causes the machine to display an animated version of the predefined unique symbol.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

making the program schedule available on the World Wide Web; and

providing the predefined unique symbol in association with the listing in the program schedule on the World Wide Web.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing a selectable element in association with the predefined unique symbol on the World Wide Web; and

enabling provision of the supplementary content in response to selection of the selectable element by a user.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a program schedule, the program schedule further comprising;

a listing for a program that has supplementary content; and

a predefined unique symbol in association with the listing, where the predefined unique symbol is associated with a type of the supplementary content; and

sending the program schedule to a display.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving a signal corresponding to selection of the predefined unique symbol by a user; and

communicating with a device, causing it to present the supplementary content in response to the signal.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving an animated version of the predefined unique symbol; and

sending the animated version of the predefined unique symbol to the display.

26. A machine accessible medium comprising data that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to perform actions according to the method of claim 14.

27. A machine accessible medium comprising data that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to perform actions according to the method of claim 15.

28. A machine accessible medium comprising data that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to perform actions according to the method of claim 16.

17. A method comprising:

distributing a program to an audience, where the program has supplementary content;

distributing the supplementary content to the audience, where a type of the supplementary content is associated with a predefined unique symbol; and

providing listing information for the program.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the program is a television program.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the supplementary content is made available on the World Wide Web.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the predefined unique symbol is a text string.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the predefined unique symbol is the text string “

WWW”

.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the predefined unique symbol is a graphic symbol.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the predefined unique symbol is an image.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver to receive a transmission comprising a program schedule, the program schedule further comprising;

a listing for a program that has supplementary content; and

a predefined unique symbol in association with the listing, where the predefined unique symbol is associated with a type of the supplementary content;

a display component coupled to the receiver to display the program schedule on a display device and to display the predefined unique symbol on the display device.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:

an input device to receive a signal corresponding to selection of the predefined unique symbol on the display device by a user; and

a content delivery component to provide the supplementary content in response to the signal.