Selection and tuning of a broadcast channel based on interactive service information

• US 20040203338A1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Zilliacus, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.04
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatus for tuning a broadcast processing system by using channel data from an interactive information source. The broadcast processing system interfaces with a broadcast medium and may include an interfacing apparatus that interfaces to the broadcast medium for extracting an appropriate broadcast signal and for tuning the broadcast processing system. The viewer uses a mobile terminal that communicates with the interactive information source over a first wireless communications path. The viewer may interact with the web site by navigating through the associated web pages in order to obtain broadcast information about the selected program, in which the broadcast information may be sent to the mobile terminal over the first wireless communications path. The broadcast information is processed by the wireless terminal in order to obtain the channel data. Consequently, the channel data may be sent to the broadcast processing system in order to tune the broadcast processing system to the selected program.

Claims

1. A method for selecting and tuning a broadcast processing system to a broadcast channel, comprising:

(a) accessing a first type service, the first type service being associated with a selectable broadcasting program scheduling information of a second type service,

(b) receiving the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information from an interactive information source when accessing the first type service over a first wireless communications path;

(c) processing the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information to obtain channel data; and

(d) sending the channel data to the broadcast processing system to initiate tuning the broadcast processing system to the broadcast channel, the broadcast processing system being interfaced to a broadcast transmission network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) utilizes a second wireless communications path to send the channel data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first wireless communications path and the second wireless communications path are common.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information is dynamically updated on the first type service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information is embedded in the first type service based on a program change.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one wireless communications path is supported by a mobile network, and wherein the mobile network provides communications connectivity to the broadcast processing system.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(e) connecting to the interactive information source over the first wireless communications path;

(f) selecting a broadcast selection from at least one selection provided by the interactive information source to obtain the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information; and

(g) connecting to the broadcast processing system over the second wireless communications path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast processing system supports the broadcast transmission network selected from the group consisting of a terrestrial network, a cable network, and a satellite network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the terrestrial network is selected from the group consisting of a packet switched data network and a circuit switched network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel data is selected from the group consisting of a program date, a programming starting time, a programming ending time, and a program time duration.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast processing system comprises a television.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises:

(i) extracting the channel data from the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein (c) further comprises:

(ii) storing the channel data; and

(iii) if at least one viewing condition is satisfied, retrieving the channel data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one viewing condition is selected from the group consisting of a beginning time of a selected program, and an initiation by an external source.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein (c) further comprises:

(iv) providing a reminder to a user about a selected program in accordance with the channel data.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) transmitting a request for updated channel data; and

(f) receiving the updated channel data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

(g) modifying the channel data in accordance with the updated channel data.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving a notification about a broadcast selection.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable broadcasting program scheduling information comprises an application, and wherein (c) comprises:

(i) executing the application;

(ii) in response to (i), receiving input data about a viewing environment; and

(iii) forming the channel data in accordance with the input data.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the first wireless communications path utilizes a cellular communications link and the second wireless communications path utilizes a short-range radio link.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the short-range radio link is a Bluetooth link.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) recording a broadcast program, the broadcast program being sent on the broadcast channel.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) interacting with a third type service, the third type service providing a billing capability to charge a user for viewing a broadcast program on the broadcast channel; and

(f) receiving viewing information from the third type service.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

(g) sending at least a portion of the viewing information to the broadcast processing system.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the channel data comprises an unlock code.

26. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method as recited in claim 1.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method as recited in claim 18.

28. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method as recited in claim 19.

29. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing:

(a) a first communications module that communicates with an interactive information source;

(b) a second communications module that communicates with a broadcast processing system; and

(c) a control module that interacts with the interactive information source through the first communications module to obtain broadcast information about a selected program, that processes the broadcast information to obtain channel data, and that sends the channel data to the broadcast processing system through the second communications module to tune the broadcast processing system for the selected program in accordance with the channel data.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

(d) a user input/output module that receives a first input from a viewer about the selected program, that receives a second input from the viewer whether to view the selected program, and that displays interactive data from the interactive information source to the viewer in response to the first input.

31. A signal for transmitting computer information comprising:

(a) a first communications component that enables a mobile terminal to communicate with an interactive information source through a first wireless interface;

(b) a second communications component that enables the mobile terminal to communicate with a broadcast processing system through a second wireless interface; and

(c) a control component that enables the mobile terminal to interact with the interactive information source through the first wireless interface to obtain broadcast information about a selected program, to process the broadcast information to obtain channel data, and to send the channel data to the broadcast processing system through the second wireless interface to tune the broadcast processing system for the selected program in accordance with the channel data, the broadcast processing system being interfaced to a broadcast transmission network.

32. The signal of claim 31 further comprising:

(d) a user input/output (I/O) component that enables the mobile terminal to obtain a first input from a viewer about the selected program, to receive a second input from the viewer about whether to view the selected program, and to display interactive data from the interactive information source to the viewer in response to the first input.

33. A wireless terminal that supports tuning of a broadcast processing system, comprising:

a first wireless interface that communicates with an interactive information source;

a second wireless interface that communicates with a broadcast processing system;

a user interface that inputs user data; and

a processor that connects to the first wireless interface, the second wireless interface, and the user interface, the processor configured to perform;

(a) connecting to the interactive information source through the first wireless interface over a first wireless communications path;

(b) selecting, by a user through the user interface, a broadcast selection from at least one selection provided by the interactive information source;

(c) in response to (b), receiving broadcast information from the interactive information source;

(d) processing the broadcast information to obtain channel data;

(e) connecting to the broadcast processing system through the second wireless interface over a second wireless communications path, the broadcast processing system being interfaced to a broadcast transmission network; and

(f) sending the channel data to the broadcast processing system over the second wireless communications path to initiate tuning the broadcast processing system to a broadcast channel.

34. The wireless terminal of claim 33, wherein the broadcast processing system comprises a set top box (STB).

35. The wireless terminal of claim 33, wherein the broadcast processing system comprises a digital video broadcast (DVB) tuner.

36. The wireless terminal of claim 33, wherein the first wireless communications path is compatible with a wireless application protocol (WAP).

37. The wireless terminal of claim 33, wherein the second wireless communications path is compatible with a specification selected from the group consisting of a Bluetooth specification, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, and an Infrared Data Association standard.