User configurable electronic program guide drawing upon disparate content sources

• US 20050278737A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ma, Yue, Kaplan, Alan, Chang, Chieh-Chung
• Application Number:
  US10/509,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method is provided for enhancing current electronic program guide technology by drawing upon information from at least two disparate content sources (20 and 13). Electronic program guide information is displayed to the viewer using a portable handheld device (14), such as a remote control, PDA, or cellular phone. This approach enables electronic program guide information to be provided to the viewer at different depth levels, as well as allows content providers to incorporate their own display format for the electronic program guide information. Lastly, the portable handheld device allows the viewer to easily manipulate the electronic program guide information, thereby enhancing their interactive TV experience.

Claims

1. A handheld device employing disparate sources to provide an electronic programming guide, comprising:

an input adapted to receive a program identification extracted from a broadcast signal, wherein the program identification is adapted to identify available media content;

a synchronization engine adapted to create multilevel links associating the program identification with multiple levels of additional information relating to the available media content, wherein at least one level of the additional information is acquired from a disparate content source, and the multilevel links are synchronized to successively lead to progressively more detailed levels of the additional information; and

a user interface adapted to communicate the multiple levels of additional information in association with the program identification to a consumer based on the multilevel links.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising a data request module adapted to identify the additional information at a remote location on a communications network.

3. The device of claim 1, comprising a data request module adapted to request the additional information from a remote location over a communications network based on the program identification.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising a portal input adapted top receive the additional information from a remote location over a communications network.

5. The device of claim 1, comprising a web browser adapted to store the additional information in a memory of the handheld device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said user interface is adapted to communicate the program identification to the consumer.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said user interface is adapted to detect a selection of the program identification by the consumer.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted, upon detecting the selection, to retrieve the additional information from a location in memory of the handheld device via a link between the program identification and the location.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted, upon detecting the selection, to retrieve the additional information from a remote location over a communications system via a link between the program identification and the remote location.

10. The device of claim 7, comprising:

retrieving the additional information from a location via a link between the program identification and the location, wherein said retrieving occurs in response to said detecting; and

communicating the additional information to the consumer in response to said detecting.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted to create an electronic program guide data structure and source data structure.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted to build the electronic program guide data structure by scanning available source devices in the source data structure.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein said synchronization engine is a adapted to parse content of the source devices and construct the electronic program guide data structure based on the content.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted to locate a program list view providing a first level of programming guide information including channels and programs of the electronic program guide data structure.

15. The device of claim 14, scans available sources to determine if multiple sources exist, to select a source with a most recent date and time stamp, and to retrieve content from a selected source.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted to construct an electronic program guide view on a display of the device, and to provide a hyperlink on the display to a second level of electronic program guide information.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted to create a subsequent hyperlink directing the user to a third level of electronic program guide information.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein said synchronization engine is adapted to download electronic program guide contents to the device prior to a user request for electronic program guide contents.

24. The method of claim 11, comprising communicating the program identification to the consumer.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising detecting a selection of the program identification by the consumer.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising retrieving the additional information from a location in memory of the handheld device via a link between the program identification and the location, wherein said retrieving occurs in response to said detecting.

27. The method of claim 25, comprising retrieving the additional information from a remote location over a communications system via a link between the program identification and the remote location, wherein said retrieving occurs in response to said detecting.

28. The method of claim 25, comprising:

retrieving the additional information from a location via a link between the program identification and the location, wherein said retrieving occurs in response to said detecting; and

communicating the additional information to the consumer in response to said detecting.

19. A method of operation for a handheld device employing disparate sources to provide an electronic programming guide, comprising:

receiving a program identification extracted from a broadcast signal, wherein the program identification is adapted to identify available media content;

creating multilevel links associating the program identification with multiple levels of additional information relating to the available media content, wherein at least one level of the additional information is acquired from a disparate content source, and the multilevel links are synchronized to successively lead to progressively more detailed levels of the additional information; and

communicating the multiple levels of additional information in association with the program identification to a consumer based on the multilevel links.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising identifying the additional information at a remote location on a communications network.

21. The method of claim 19, comprising requesting the additional information from a remote location over a communications network based on the program identification.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising receiving the additional information from a remote location over a communications network.

23. The method of claim 19, comprising storing the additional information in a memory of the handheld device.