Interactive Television Program Guide System Having Multiple Devices Within A Household

• US 20090044226A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Lemmons, Thomas R., Thomas, William L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,706,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. The system coordinates the operation of the interactive television program guides so that the program guide settings that were adjusted with the given interactive television program guide are used by the other interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc. The operation of applications such as web browser applications, home shopping applications, home banking applications, game applications, etc. may also be coordinated.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive program guide system having a plurality of user television equipment devices located in a household from which a plurality of interactive program guides are accessible comprising:

adjusting interactive program guide settings on at least one of the interactive program guides; and

coordinating operation of the interactive program guides so that the program guide settings that are adjusted are effective on at least one of the interactive program guides other than the interactive program guide on which program guide settings are adjusted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating operation comprises receiving a user selection of the at least one interactive program guide on which the adjusted program guide settings will be effective.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating operation comprises:

receiving a password from a user;

verifying the password; and

allowing the user to adjust the interactive program guide settings for other interactive program guides in response to verifying the password.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting interactive program guide settings on at least one of the interactive program guides comprises adjusting the interactive program guide settings from a remote location not in the household.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the program guide settings comprise one or more of favorite channels, parental control settings, recording settings, pay-per-view settings, message settings, reminders, and user profiles.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an assign location screen.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of user television equipment devices is a set-top box on which the plurality of interactive program guides reside.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the settings adjusted comprise pay-per-view settings and the method further comprises:

displaying information on the user television equipment device on which the interactive television program guide that is used to adjust settings is implemented, wherein the information relates to a cost associated with each extra program guide location within the household that is authorized to view the pay-per-view television program purchased by the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the television viewing of users at interactive television program guides other than the interactive television program guide used to adjust settings.

10. An interactive program guide system comprising:

a plurality of user television equipment devices located in a household from which a plurality of interactive program guides are accessible;

at least one of the interactive program guides is configured to adjust program guide settings; and

at least one of the interactive program guides is configured to coordinate operation of the interactive program guides so that the program guide settings that are adjusted are effective on at least one of the interactive program guides other than the interactive program guide from which the program guide settings are adjusted.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the interactive program guides is further configured to receive a user selection of the at least one interactive program guide on which the adjusted program guide settings will be effective.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the interactive program guides is further configured to:

receive a password from a user;

verify the password; and

allow the user to adjust the interactive program guide settings for other interactive program guides in response to verifying the password.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the interactive program guides is further configured to adjusting the interactive program guide settings from a remote location not in the household.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the program guide settings comprise one or more of favorite channels, parental control settings, recording settings, pay-per-view settings, message settings, reminders, and user profiles.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the interactive program guides is further configured to display an assign location screen.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of user television equipment devices is a set-top box on which the plurality of interactive program guides reside.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the settings adjusted comprise pay-per-view setting and at least one of the interactive program guides is further configured to:

display information to the user on the user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide that is used to adjust settings is implemented, wherein the information is related to a cost associated with each extra program guide location within the household that is authorized to view the pay-per-view television program purchased by the user.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the interactive program guides is further configured to allow monitoring of the television viewing of users at interactive television program guides other than the interactive television program guide used to adjust settings.

19. A computer-readable medium for use with an interactive program guide system having a plurality of user television equipment devices located in a household from which a plurality of interactive program guides are accessible, comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for:

adjusting interactive program guide settings on at least one of the interactive program guides; and

coordinating operation of the interactive program guides so that the program guide settings that are adjusted are effective on at least one of the interactive program guides other than the interactive program guide on which program guide settings are adjusted.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for receiving a user selection of the at least one interactive program guide on which the adjusted program guide settings will be effective.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for:

receiving a password from a user;

verifying the password; and

allowing the user to adjust the interactive program guide settings for other interactive program guides in response to verifying the password.

22. computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for adjusting the interactive program guide settings from a remote location not in the household.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the program guide settings comprise one or more of favorite channels, parental control settings, recording settings, pay-per-view settings, message settings, reminders, and user profiles.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for displaying an assign location screen.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein one of the plurality of user television equipment devices is a set-top box on which the plurality of interactive program guides reside.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the settings adjusted comprise pay-per-view setting, further comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for:

displaying information to the user on the user television equipment on which the interactive television program guide that is used to adjust settings is implemented, wherein the information relates to a cost associated with each extra program guide location within the household that is authorized to view the pay-per-view television program purchased by the user.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising computer program logic recorded thereon for monitoring the television viewing of users at interactive television program guides other than the interactive television program guide used to adjust settings.