Program guide application interface system

• US 20040139464A1
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Knee, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A program guide system is provided that supports a program guide application and multiple non-guide applications. The program guide system has a program guide application interface that allows the non-guide applications to use both device resources and program guide resources. The application interface maintains a list of registered applications and directs control requests from various applications to the current primary application. The application interface also has a user interface input director that directs keystrokes and other user input commands to the appropriate application. If a keystroke for the program guide application is detected while a non-guide application is running, the program guide application is invoked.

Claims

1. A system in which an interactive television program guide and non-guide applications are implemented on user television equipment, comprising:

a plurality of device resources within the user television equipment;

a plurality of program guide resources associated with the interactive television program guide; and

program guide application interface means for allowing the non-guide applications to use both the program guide resources and the device resources.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the program guide application interface means further comprises means for receiving and processing requests to use resources from the non-guide applications.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the program guide application interface means further comprises means for directing requests to use resources that are received from the non-guide applications to the device resources.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the program guide application interface means further comprises means for directing requests to use resources that are received from the non-guide applications to the program guide resources.

5. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the device resources further comprise at least one device resource selected from the group consisting of:

an on-screen display resource, a front-panel display resource, a user input interface resource, a tuner resource, a communications circuitry resource, and a memory resource.

6. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a tuning resource.

7. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a parental control resource.

8. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a graphics library resource.

9. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a pay program purchasing resource.

10. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a program guide database access resource.

11. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a scheduling resource.

12. The system defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the program guide resources comprises a program guide menu resource.

13. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for maintaining a registered application list.

14. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for processing control requests from the program guide application and non-guide applications.

15. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for directing user input to the program guide application and non-guide applications.

16. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of device resources comprise set-top box device resources.

17. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for coordinating multiple requests to utilize the device resources.

18. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for coordinating multiple requests to utilize the program guide resources.

19. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for suspending the operation of one of the applications.

20. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a user input device; and

means for resolving conflicts between applications that desire access to the user input device at the same time.

21. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

remote control keys for controlling the user television equipment; and

means for resolving conflicts between applications that request access to the same remote control keys.

22. A method for using a system in which an interactive television program guide and non-guide applications are implemented on user television equipment, comprising:

providing a plurality of device resources within the user television equipment;

providing a plurality of program guide resources associated with the interactive television program guide; and

allowing the non-guide applications to use both the program guide resources and the device resources.

23. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the program guide application interface further comprises the step of receiving and processing requests to use resources from the non-guide applications.

24. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the program guide application interface further comprises the step of directing requests to use resources that are received from the non-guide applications to the device resources.

25. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the program guide application interface further comprises the step of directing requests to use resources that are received from the non-guide applications to the program guide resources.

26. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the device resources further comprises the step of providing at least one device resource selected from the group consisting of:

an on-screen display resource, a front panel display resource, a user input interface resource, a tuner resource, a communications circuitry resource, and a memory resource.

27. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a tuning resource.

28. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a parental control resource.

29. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a graphics library resource.

30. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a pay program purchasing resource.

31. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a program guide database access resource.

32. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a scheduling resource.

33. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing the interactive program guide further comprises the step of providing a program guide menu resource.

34. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of maintaining a registered application list.

35. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of processing control requests from the program guide application and non-guide applications.

36. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of directing user input to the program guide application and non-guide applications.

37. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the step of providing device resources comprises the step of providing set-top box resources.

38. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of coordinating multiple requests to utilize the device resources.

39. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of coordinating multiple requests to utilize the program guide resources.

40. The method defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of suspending the operation of one of the applications.

41. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the system includes a user input device, the method further comprising resolving conflicts between applications that desire access to the user input device at the same time.

42. The method defined in claim 22 wherein the system includes remote control keys for controlling the user television equipment, the method further comprising resolving conflicts between applications that request access to the same remote control keys.