Interactive special events video signal navigation system

• US 20040003407A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Connie T. Marshall, Michael T. Hanafee, Timothy S. Fulton
• Original Assignee: Connie T. Marshall, Michael T. Hanafee, Timothy S. Fulton
• Inventors: Fulton, Timothy S., Marshall, Connie T., Hanafee, Michael T.
• Application Number:
  US10/610,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003407A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• 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 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• 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 7/17345 : Control of the passage of the selected programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17363 : at or near the user terminal

Abstract

A system interactively controlled by a TV viewer remote control transmitter displays current or future programming information superimposed over the normal programming displayed on any channel accessible to the viewer'"'"'s display screen. Identification signal data are accessed and generated by the computer for durations defined in the identification signal data either automatically or in response to the TV viewer remote. Information signal data are accessed and generated by the computer in response to the TV viewer remote. A signal combiner superimposes the identification signal or the information signal over the viewer usable signal of any selected channel from the tuner. The identification signal may include data defining an icon or textual matter alerting a viewer to the availability of information data. The information signal may include program descriptive data, schedule data, pricing data and/or payment authorization and recording prompt data and the like sequenced for interactive control of the computer by the viewer. The identification signal may be specially dedicated to a normal programming information channel so that the viewer can interact with respect to specific programs identified without changing from the programming information channel. Thus, the viewer is able to receive an automatic alert to availability of current and future programming and to elect to interactively exercise a variety of options with respect to such current and future programming without interruption of presently viewed programming.

Claims

1. A method for providing a television viewer with ordering opportunities when watching television programming on a display, comprising:

automatically displaying an icon on the display over the television programming, wherein the icon is shaped to be specifically correlated to the nature of what would be ordered; and

displaying the information over the television programming to prompt the television viewer to place the order when the television viewer responds to the icon.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising enabling the television viewer to place the order.

3. The method defined in claim 2 wherein displaying the information over the television programming to prompt the television viewer to place the order comprises displaying the information over the television programming to prompt the television viewer to place an order that requires authorization

4. The method defined in claim 3 further comprising enabling the user to enter a personal identification number to provide authorization.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the icon further comprises displaying the icon over the television program for a specified duration.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the icon comprises displaying a football-shaped icon.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the information comprises displaying order price information.

8. A method for recording a television event, comprising:

automatically displaying an icon that indicates the availability of the television event, wherein the icon is overlaid over television programming currently displayed on a television;

receiving user input in response to the icon displayed; and

recording the television event on user equipment in response to receipt of the user input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user input comprises pressing a key on a remote control device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the icon is automatically removed from display after a given period of time.

11. The user input of claim 8 comprising a first type and a second type, wherein the icon is removed from display in response to receipt of the first type of user input and the television event is recorded on user equipment in response to receipt of the second type of user input.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the icon indicates a genre of television event to which the television event belongs.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the television event is related to the television programming currently displayed on the television.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the television event is a future television event.

15. A system for providing a television viewer with ordering opportunities when watching television programming on a display, the system comprising:

means for automatically displaying an icon on the display over the television programming, wherein the icon is shaped to be specifically correlated to the nature of what would be ordered; and

means for displaying the information over the television programming to prompt the television viewer to place the order when the television viewer responds to the icon.

16. The system defined in claim 15 further comprising means for enabling the television viewer to place the order.

17. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the means for displaying the information over the television programming to prompt the television viewer to place the order comprises means for displaying the information over the television programming to prompt the television viewer to place an order that requires authorization

18. The system defined in claim 17 further comprising means for enabling the user to enter a personal identification number to provide authorization.

19. The system defined in claim 15 wherein the means for displaying the icon further comprises means for displaying the icon over the television program for a specified duration.

20. The system defined in claim 15 wherein means for displaying the icon comprises means for displaying a football-shaped icon.

21. The system defined in claim 15 wherein means for displaying the information comprises means for displaying order price information.

22. A system for recording a television event, the system comprising:

means for automatically displaying an icon that indicates the availability of the television event, wherein the icon is overlaid over television programming currently displayed on a television;

means for receiving user input in response to the icon displayed; and

means for recording the television event on user equipment in response to receipt of the user input.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the user input comprises pressing a key on a remote control device.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the icon is automatically removed from display after a given period of time.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the user input comprises first type and a second type, wherein the icon is removed from display in response to receipt of the first type of user input and the television event is recorded on user equipment in response to receipt of the second type of user input.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the icon indicates a genre of television event to which the television event belongs.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the television event is related to the television programming currently displayed on the television.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the television event is a future television event.