User input for access to television services

• US 20050044577A1
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schlarb, John M., Jerding, Dean F., Van Orden, Robert T., Crandall, Bindu, Banker, Robert O., Rodriguez, Arturo A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,255,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/135
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• 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

The present invention provides a method and system for accessing services in a television system. In one implementation, a DHCT presents a user a menu containing a plurality of selectable link representations corresponding to separate services or applications offered by the cable television system. The user navigates the menu with a remote device and selects a desired service by choosing the selectable link representation corresponding to the desired service or application. The DHCT receives the user input, translates the selectable link command into an executable call, and activates the service or application corresponding to the selected link representation from the menu chosen by the user.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a plurality of services by a client device coupled to a server device, comprising the steps of:

presenting a user a menu containing a first plurality of selectable link representations corresponding to a first plurality of services;

including in the menu a second plurality of selectable link representations each corresponding to a popular service of a second plurality of services;

receiving user input denoting a selection of a selected link representation from the first or second plurality of selectable link representations; and

activating a service that corresponds to the selected link representation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device configures the second plurality of selectable link representations based on identifying one or more popular services from the second plurality of services.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the popular services are identified based on a tabulation by the client device of services most frequently accessed by the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the popular services are identified by a system operator of a server device coupled to the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of selectable link representations corresponding to one or more popular services of the second plurality of services are designated by the user.