INTERNET TELEVISION PROGRAM GUIDE SYSTEM WITH EMBEDDED REAL-TIME DATA

• US 20160192002A1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Boyer, Franklin E., Demers, Timothy B.
• Application Number:
  US15/066,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20160192002A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/4782 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An Internet television program guide system is provided that allows a user at a multimedia system to access television program listings containing embedded real-time data over an Internet communications link. The television program listing may be for a sporting event that is currently being broadcast and the real-time data may be the current score of the event, the current weather where the event is taking place, or any other suitable real-time information on the event. The real-time data may be presented in the form of video stills, video clips, textual information, audio clips, or suitable combinations of such media. The user can perform database searches on the program guide listings to search for a desired program. If desired, the user can obtain additional information on a selected program by accessing an associated web page.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A system for providing program listings and data that is associated with a live event, the system comprising:

a server comprising;

communications circuitry configured to;

receive data that is associated with a live event,

receive a plurality of program listings, and

transmit, to a user equipment device, the data and a program listing of the plurality of program listings that is for the live event; and

control circuitry configured to;

determine that the data is associated with the live event,

identify the program listing of the plurality of program listings that is for the live event, and

generate the data and the program listing that is for the live event for simultaneous display by the user equipment device based on the identifying.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is on a web page, and the communications circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the user equipment device, the web page for display by the user equipment device.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the communications circuitry is further configured to receive the data that is associated with the live event from a first source and receive the plurality of program listings from a second source.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first source is a real-time data processing facility and the second source is a media library or a data server.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the server is at a location remote to the user equipment device.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is at least one of real-time sports scores and real-time weather data.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to store the program listing that is for the live event in a relational database format.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to store the program listing that is for the live event in an object-oriented database format.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the data and the program listing that is for the live event are generated for simultaneous display in a cell.

11. A method for providing program listings and data that is associated with a live event, the method comprising:

receiving, using communications circuitry at a server, data that is associated with a live event;

receiving, using the communications circuitry, a plurality of program listings;

determining, using control circuitry at the server, that the data is associated with the live event;

identifying, using the control circuitry, a program listing of the plurality of program listings that is for the live event;

generating, using the control circuitry, the data and the program listing that is for the live event for simultaneous display by a user equipment device based on the identifying; and

transmitting, using the communications circuitry, to the user equipment device, the data and the program listing that is for the live event.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is on a web page, and further comprising transmitting, using the communications circuitry, to the user equipment device, the web page for display by the user equipment device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is received from a first source and the plurality of program listings is received from a second source.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first source is a real-time data processing facility and the second source is a media library or a data server.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the server is at a location remote to the user equipment device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is at least one of real-time sports scores and real-time weather data.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing, using the control circuitry, the program listing that is for the live event in a relational database format.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing, using the control circuitry, the program listing that is for the live event in an object-oriented database format.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the data and the program listing that is for the live event are generated for simultaneous display in a cell.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable media for providing program listings and data that is associated with a live event, the computer-readable media comprising computer-readable instructions encoded thereon for:

receiving, using communications circuitry at a server, data that is associated with a live event;

receiving, using the communications circuitry, a plurality of program listings;

determining, using control circuitry at the server, that the data is associated with the live event;

identifying, using the control circuitry, a program listing of the plurality of program listings that is for the live event;

generating, using the control circuitry, the data and the program listing that is for the live event for simultaneous display by a user equipment device based on the identifying; and

transmitting, using the communications circuitry, to the user equipment device, the data and the program listing that is for the live event.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is on a web page, and further comprising computer-readable instructions encoded thereon for transmitting, using the communications circuitry, to the user equipment device, the web page for display by the user equipment device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is received from a first source and the plurality of program listings is received from a second source.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the first source is a real-time data processing facility and the second source is a media library or a data server.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the server is at a location remote to the user equipment device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, further comprising computer-readable instructions encoded thereon for storing, using the control circuitry, the program listing that is for the live event in a relational database format.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, further comprising computer-readable instructions encoded thereon for storing, using the control circuitry, the program listing that is for the live event in an object-oriented database format.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the data and the program listing that is for the live event are generated for simultaneous display in a cell.

28. A system for providing program listings and data that is associated with a live event, the system comprising:

means for receiving, using communications circuitry at a server, data that is associated with a live event;

means for receiving, using the communications circuitry, a plurality of program listings;

means for determining, using control circuitry at the server, that the data is associated with the live event;

means for identifying, using the control circuitry, a program listing of the plurality of program listings that is for the live event;

means for generating the data and the program listing that is for the live event for simultaneous display by a user equipment device based on the identifying; and

means for transmitting, using the communications circuitry, to the user equipment device, the data and the program listing that is for the live event.

29. The system claim 28, wherein the server is at a location remote to the user equipment device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the data that is associated with the live event is on a web page, and further comprising means for transmitting over an Internet communications link, using the communications circuitry, to the user equipment device, the web page for display by the user equipment device.

31. The system of claim 28, further comprising means for storing, using the control circuitry, the program listing that is for the live event in a relational database format or in an object-oriented database format.