SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING REAL-TIME SERVICES IN AN INTERACTIVE TELEVISION PROGRAM GUIDE APPLICATION

• US 20100154000A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Thomas E., Macrae, Douglas B., Westberg, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US12/556,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20100154000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/41
• 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 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4755 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 21/482 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 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• 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 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

An interactive television program guide application is provided that displays real-time information to a user. The interactive television program guide application may display alerts for indicating to the user the availability of real-time information. The interactive television program guide application may also display program listings with real-time information. In response to the user selecting a program listing, the interactive television program guide application may provide the user with an indication that real-time content related to the selected listing is available. In some embodiments, the real-time content is not the program corresponding to the selected program listing.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method for providing users with information using an interactive television program guide application, the method comprising:

accessing information from at least one real-time data feed, wherein the at least one real-time data feed provides information associated with at least one real-time event updated in response to changes in the at least one real-time event;

displaying at least one program listing comprising at least some of the information, wherein the at least one program listing corresponds to a program;

providing the user with an indication that content related to the information is available, wherein the indication is selectable and wherein the content is not the program that corresponds to the at least one program listing; and

in response to selecting the indication, displaying the content.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the indication is a video clip.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the indication is an icon.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the indication is an alert.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising allowing the user to remove the indication.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein displaying the content further comprises providing the user with a program that is currently being broadcast, and wherein the program that is currently being broadcast is discussing the information.

101. The method of claim 14, further comprising buffering the accessed information by storing the information in a database.

20-88. -88. (canceled)

89. A system for providing users with information, the system comprising:

a user input interface;

a display device; and

an interactive television program guide application implemented at least partially on control circuitry configured to;

accessing information from at least one real-time data feed, wherein the at least one real-time data feed provides information associated with at least one real-time event updated in response to changes in the at least one real-time event;

display at least one program listing comprising at least some of the information, wherein the at least one program listing corresponds to a program;

provide the user with an indication that content related to the information is available, wherein the indication is selectable and wherein the content is not the program that corresponds to the at least one program listing; and

display the content in response to selecting the indication.

90. The system of claim 89 wherein the indication is a video clip.

91. The system of claim 89 wherein the indication is an icon.

92. The system of claim 89 wherein the indication is an alert.

93. The system of claim 89 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to allow the user to remove the indication.

94. The system of claim 89 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the user with a program that is currently being broadcast, and wherein the program that is currently being broadcast is discussing the information.

102. The system of claim 89, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to buffer the accessed information by storing the information in a database.

95-100. -100. (canceled)