Internet television program guide system with embedded real-time data

• US 6,268,849 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Demers, Timothy B., Boyer, Franklin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John W.
• Application Number:
  US09/107,012
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.7173, 345/327, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/906, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 455/4.2, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 709/217-219
• US Class Current: 725/40
• 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. An Internet television program guide system for providing television program listings with embedded real-time data to a user at a multimedia system over an Internet communications link, comprising:

a computer system for providing television program listings with embedded real-time data, said real-time data corresponding to events being televised live; and

a web server for receiving the television program listings with embedded real-time data from the computer system and for providing the television program listings with embedded real-time data corresponding to events being televised live to the multimedia system over the Internet communications link when the user accesses the television program listings with embedded real-time data using the multimedia system.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises a media library containing video clips.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises a data server on which at least part of the television program listings are stored.

4. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises means for receiving the real-time data from a real-time data processing facility.

5. The system defined in claim 4 wherein the real-time data processing facility supplies real-time sports scores.

6. The system defined in claim 4 wherein the real-time data processing facility supplies real-time weather data.

7. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises means for providing real-time data containing textual information.

8. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises means for providing real-time data containing video images.

9. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises means for providing real-time data containing video clips.

10. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises means for providing real-time data containing audio clips.

11. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system comprises means for providing real-time data containing combinations of textual information, video clips, video images, and audio clips.

12. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for accessing the embedded real-time data by displaying corresponding television program listings.

13. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a go national option which the user selects to receive real-time data embedded within national television program listings.

14. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a go satellite option which the user selects to receive real-time data embedded within satellite television program listings.

15. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a go local option which the user selects to receive real-time data embedded within local television program listings.

16. The system defined in claim 15 further comprising means for selecting a locality for the local television program listings.

17. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the means for selecting a locality comprises means for accepting a zip code from which the locality is determined.

18. The system defined in claim 16 wherein the means for selecting a locality comprises means for selecting a local region from a map.

19. The system defined in claim 15 further comprising means for presenting a pick again web page when television program listings are not available for the selected locality.

20. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for providing a program guide option; and

means for presenting a program guide menu web page when the user selects the program guide option.

21. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a selectable option to arrange the television program listings by time.

22. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a selectable option to arrange the television program listings by channel.

23. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for providing a selectable option to arrange the television program listings by category.

24. The system defined in claim 23 wherein one of the categories is sports.

25. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for searching the television program listings.

26. The system defined in claim 25 further comprising means for searching the television program listings by title.

27. The system defined in claim 25 further comprising means for searching the television program listings by category.

28. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising means for allowing a user to select a given one of the television program listings with embedded real-time data.

29. The system defined in claim 28 further comprising means for providing supplemental information on the selected television program listing with embedded real-time data.

30. The system defined in claim 29 wherein the supplemental information is real-time information on same display screen.

31. The system defined in claim 29 wherein the supplemental information is real-time and non-real-time information on a web page.

32. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the computer system further comprises means for providing multimedia material associated with a television program selected by the user to a web server.

33. The system defined in claim 32 wherein the means for providing multimedia material comprises means for providing interview video segments.

34. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising a satellite transmission link between the computer system and the web server.

35. The system defined in claim 1 wherein:

the Internet communications link comprises a telephone line; and

the web server provides web pages to the multimedia system over the telephone line.

36. A method for providing television program listings with embedded real-time data to a user at a multimedia system over an Internet communications link using an Internet television program guide system having a computer system and a web server, the method comprising the steps of:

providing television program listings with embedded real-time data with the computer system, said real-time data corresponding to events being televised live;

receiving the television program listings with embedded real-time data from the computer system with the web server; and

providing the television program listings with embedded real-time data corresponding to events being televised live to the multimedia system over the Internet communications link with the web server, so that the user can access the television program listings with embedded real-time data.

37. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of receiving real-time data supplied by a real-time data processing facility with the web server.

38. The method defined in claim 37 further comprising the step of embedding the real-time data received from the real-time data processing facility within corresponding television program listings.

39. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing multimedia material associated with the television program listings to the web server with the computer system.

40. The method defined in claim 36 wherein the step of providing real-time data further comprises the step of providing real-time data containing textual information to the web server with the computer system.

41. The method defined in claim 36 wherein the step of providing real-time data further comprises the step of providing real-time data containing video images to the web server with the computer system.

42. The method defined in claim 36 wherein the step of providing real-time data further comprises the step of providing real-time data containing video clips to the web server with the computer system.

43. The method defined in claim 36 wherein the step of providing real-time data further comprises the step of providing real-time data containing audio clips to the web server with the computer system.

44. The method defined in claim 36 wherein the step of providing real-time data further comprises the step of providing real-time data containing combinations of textual information, video clips, video images, and audio clips to the web server with the computer system.

45. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing a go national option which the user selects to receive real-time data embedded within national television program listings.

46. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing a go satellite option which the user selects to receive real-time data embedded within satellite television program listings.

47. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing a go local option which the user selects to receive real-time data embedded within local television program listings.

48. The method defined in claim 47 further comprising the step of selecting a locality for the local television program listings.

49. The method defined in claim 48 wherein the step of selecting a locality comprises the step of accepting a zip code from which the locality is determined.

50. The method defined in claim 48 wherein the step of selecting a locality comprises the step of selecting a local region from a map.

51. The method defined in claim 48 further comprising the step of presenting a pick again web page when television program listings are not available for the selected locality.

52. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the steps of:

providing a program guide option; and

presenting a program guide menu web page when the user selects the program guide option.

53. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing a selectable option to arrange the television program listings by time.

54. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing a selectable option to arrange the television program listings by channel.

55. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing a selectable option to arrange the television program listings by category.

56. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of searching the television program listings.

57. The method defined in claim 56 further comprising the step of searching the television program listings by title.

58. The method defined in claim 56 further comprising the step of searching the television program listings by category.

59. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of allowing a user to select a given one of the television program listings with embedded real-time data.

60. The method defined in claim 59 further comprising the step of providing supplemental information on the selected television program listing with embedded real-time data.

61. The method defined in claim 60 further comprising the step of providing supplemental real-time information on same display screen.

62. The method defined in claim 60 further comprising the step of providing supplemental real-time and non-real-time information on a web page.

63. The method defined in claim 36 further comprising the step of providing the television program listings to the web server with a satellite transmission link between the computer system and the web server.

64. The method defined in claim 36 wherein the Internet communications link comprises a telephone line, the method further comprising the step of providing web pages to the multimedia system over the telephone line.