Interactive computer system for providing television schedule information

• US 20040210935A1
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., Klosterman, Brian L., Milnes, Kenneth A., OʼBrien, Sean A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,205,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4753 : 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 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule and/or listing information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule and/or listing information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule and/or listing information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule and/or listing information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. An interactive program guide (IPG) comprising:

a database electrically coupled to a first network for storing television schedule information;

a television tuner electrically coupled to a second network, wherein the second network is in communication with the first network;

a display monitor electrically coupled to the second network;

a storage device electrically coupled to the second network for storing television programs;

an input device electrically coupled to the second network for receiving user inputs; and

a processor electrically coupled to the second network programmed for accessing the database to display a portion of the television schedule information on the display monitor in a guide format and for controlling the storage device to store a television program selected from the displayed television schedule information.

2. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the first network is the Internet.

3. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the second network is a home network.

4. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the first network and the second network are both parts of the Internet.

5. The IPG of claim 2, wherein the database is accessible via a web site.

6. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a VCR.

7. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the storage device is a digital storage device.

8. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the selected television program is a future television program.

9. The IPG of claim 1, wherein the selected television program is a current television program.

10. The IPG of claim 1, further comprising means for controlling the television tuner to tune to the selected television program.

11. The IPG of claim 10, wherein the selected television program is a future television program.

12. The IPG of claim 10, wherein the selected television program is a current television program.

13. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising a second database electrically coupled to the second network and accessible from the IPG for providing previews of upcoming programs.

14. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising an icon displayed on the display for establishing a link to a product database for purchasing a product.

15. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising an icon displayed within the IPG for establishing a link to a service provider database for information independent of the user'"'"'s program choice.

16. The IPG of claim 15 wherein, the service provider database includes one or more of news, whether, sports, scores, financial data, and local traffic.

17. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising a virtual agent for automatically searching the first network and providing pointers to locations in the first network based on preferences of the user.

18. The IPG of claim 17 wherein, the virtual agent learns from previous user choices for customizing the IPG for each particular user.

19. The IPG of claim 2 further comprising a chatroom Internet site related to a selected program.

20. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising a section for providing information about a particular future program.

21. The IPG of claim 20 wherein, the information about a particular future program includes one or more of a picture, video, and descriptive text.

22. The IPG of claim 20 wherein, the section for providing information about a particular future program is interactive in response to the user input.

23. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising a second database electrically coupled to the second network and accessible from the IPG for providing advertisements.

24. The IPG of claim 1 further comprising a second database electrically coupled to the second network and accessible from the IPG for storing television programs;

means for retrieving a stored television program; and

means for storing the retrieved television program in the storage device.

25. A method for displaying an interactive program guide (IPG) comprising the steps of:

storing television schedule information in a database electrically coupled to a first network;

accessing the database to display a portion of the television schedule information in a guide on a display monitor electrically coupled to a second network, wherein the second network is in communication with the first network;

receiving user inputs via an input device electrically coupled to the second network;

tuning a television tuner electrically coupled to the second network to a television program selected from the displayed television schedule information; and

controlling a storage device electrically coupled to the second network for storing a television program selected from the displayed television schedule information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first network is the Internet.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the second network is a home network.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the first network and the second network are both parts of the Internet.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the accessing step comprises accessing the database via a web site.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the storage device is a VCR.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the storage device is a digital storage device.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected television program is a future television program.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the selected television program is a current television program.

34. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of displaying previews of upcoming programs from a second database electrically coupled to the second network and accessible from the IPG.

35. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of displaying an icon for establishing a link to a product database for purchasing a product.

36. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of displaying an icon within the schedule guide for establishing a link to a service provider database for information independent of the user'"'"'s program choice.

37. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of automatically searching the first network and providing pointers to locations in the first network based on preferences of the user.

38. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of learning from previous user choices and customizing the display of the schedule guide for each particular user.

39. The method of claim 26 further comprising the steps of establishing a link to a chatroom Internet site related to a selected program and entering the chatroom.

40. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of providing information about a particular future program wherein, the information includes one or more of a picture, video, and descriptive text.

41. The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

storing television programs in a second database electrically coupled to the second network and accessible from the IPG;

retrieving a stored television program; and

storing the retrieved television program in the storage device.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the network is a home network.

44. The System of claim 41, wherein the network is a part of the Internet.

45. The System of claim 41, wherein the database is accessible via a web site.

46. The System of claim 41, wherein the storage device is a digital storage device.

47. The System of claim 41, wherein the selected television program is a future television program.

42. A networked television schedule system comprising:

a database accessible via the Internet for storing television schedule information;

a television tuner electrically coupled to a network, wherein the network is in communication with the Internet;

a storage device electrically coupled to the network for storing television programs received from the network; and

a processor electrically coupled to the network programmed for accessing the database to display a portion of the television schedule information on a display monitor and for controlling the storage device to store via the network a television program selected from the displayed television schedule information.