Interactive entertainment network system and method for providing program listings during non-peak times
First Claim
1. An interactive entertainment network system comprising:
- multiple user interface units in individual homes, each user interface unit having a record cache;
a program provider which is connected to provide programs to the multiple user interface units;
a distribution network interconnecting the program provider and the multiple user interface units;
a storage medium at the program provider containing a plurality of program data records, the program data records containing programming information about the programs provided by the program provider;
an electronic program guide which executes on individual user interface units, the electronic program guide requesting the program data records from the storage medium at the program provider and displaying the programming information contained in the program data records;
the program provider sending at least some of the program data records to a plurality of the user interface units prior to a peak time when a plurality of the electronic program guides are likely to concurrently request the program data records; and
the user interface units storing the program data records in its record cache for use by the electronic program guide during the ensuing peak time.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive entertainment network system has a program provider, multiple user interface units in individual homes, and a distribution network interconnecting the program provider and the user interface units. The program provider has a storage medium containing a plurality of program data records which contain programming information about the programs provided by the program provider. An electronic program guide (EPG) executes on each user interface unit. The EPG requests the program data records from the storage medium at the program provider and displays the programming information contained in the program data records. To prevent burdensome demand during certain high activity peak time when a plurality of the electronic program guides are likely to concurrently request the program data records, the program provider transmits at least some of the program data records to a plurality of the user interface units prior to a peak time. The program provider initiates this transmission on its own, and not in response to a request from any EPG. The user interface units store the program data records in a record cache for use by the EPG during the ensuing peak time. In this manner, the EPG can display the programming information contained in the stored program data records during the peak time, rather than requesting the information from the program provider.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An interactive entertainment network system comprising:
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multiple user interface units in individual homes, each user interface unit having a record cache; a program provider which is connected to provide programs to the multiple user interface units; a distribution network interconnecting the program provider and the multiple user interface units; a storage medium at the program provider containing a plurality of program data records, the program data records containing programming information about the programs provided by the program provider; an electronic program guide which executes on individual user interface units, the electronic program guide requesting the program data records from the storage medium at the program provider and displaying the programming information contained in the program data records; the program provider sending at least some of the program data records to a plurality of the user interface units prior to a peak time when a plurality of the electronic program guides are likely to concurrently request the program data records; and the user interface units storing the program data records in its record cache for use by the electronic program guide during the ensuing peak time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A user interface unit for use in an interactive entertainment network system having a program provider, the program provider providing programs to the user interface unit, the user interface unit comprising:
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a processor; an electronic program guide which executes on the processor to display programming information in a format categorized by discrete time slots; an I/O port responsive to the processor for communicating with the program provider to send requests for program data records from the electronic program guide to the program provider and to receive the program data records from the program provider, the program data records containing programming information about the programs provided by the program provider; a record cache which temporarily stores a set of the program data records which are likely to be requested by the electronic program guide during a peak time when the program provider is likely to receive numerous concurrent requests from a plurality of user interface units connected to the interactive entertainment network system; and prior to the peak time, the electronic program guide updates the record cache with the program data records received from the program provider to avoid requesting the program data records from the program provider during the peak time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for operating an interactive entertainment network system having a program provider which is connected to provide programs to a plurality of user interface units, the program provider having a storage medium which stores a plurality of program data records containing programming information about the programs provided by the program provider, individual user interface units having an electronic program guide capable of independently requesting the program data records from the program provider and displaying the programming information contained in the program data records in a format categorized by discrete time slots, the method comprising the following steps:
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identifying a peak time when a plurality of the electronic program guides are likely to concurrently request the program data records from the program provider; sending at least some of the program data records from the program provider to multiple user interface units prior to the peak time without being requested by the electronic program guides associated with the multiple user interface units; and storing at the user interface units the programming information contained in the data records received from the program provider for use during the peak time. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification