Interactive computer system for providing television schedule information

• US 6,388,714 B1
• Filed: 04/11/1997
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.), Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Klosterman, Brian L., Schein, Steven M., Milnes, Kenneth A., OʼBrien, Sean A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lo, Linus H.
• Application Number:
  US08/837,025
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, H04/N.714, 348/552, 348/563, 348/564, 348/10, 348/906, 348/13, 725/39, 725/114, 725/115, 725/131, 725/132, 725/56, 725/38
• US Class Current: 348/563
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 : for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/4753 : 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 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• 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 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule and/or listing information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule and/or listing information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule and/or listing information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule and/or listing information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. A web based interactive television schedule guide accessible by a television user comprising:

a first database accessible through Internet for storing television schedule guide information;

a first memory for storing the first database;

a second database accessible through the Internet for providing downloadable computer software to the television user for searching and displaying information from the Internet directly on-line;

a second memory for storing the second database;

a processor remote from the first memory and the second memory for accessing the first and second databases and executing the downloadable computer software to search the Internet responsive to selections of the television user and display directly on-line from the Internet the television schedule guide responsive to information about a preferred geographical region;

an input device for receiving the user selections; and

a display remote from the first memory and the second memory for displaying directly on-line the television schedule guide related to the preferred geographical region.

2. The schedule guide of claim 1 wherein, the television schedule information includes program title, date, channel, time, and duration.

3. The schedule guide of claim 2 further comprising means for automatically tuning to and automatically recording a selected program title or channel.

4. The schedule guide of claim 2 further comprising:

a third database accessible from the schedule guide for providing previews of upcoming programs; and

a third memory for storing the third database.

5. The schedule guide of claim 1 further comprising a guide icon displayed on the display for establishing a link to the first database and displaying the schedule information on the display.

6. The schedule guide of claim 1 further comprising an icon displayed on the display for establishing a link to a product database for purchasing a product.

7. The schedule guide of claim 1 further comprising an icon displayed within the schedule guide for establishing a link to a service provider database for information independent of the user'"'"'s program choice.

8. The schedule guide of claim 7 wherein, the service provider database includes news, whether, sports, scores, financial data, or local traffic.

9. The schedule guide of claim 1 further comprising a virtual agent for automatically searching the Internet and providing pointers to locations in the Internet based on preferences of the user.

10. The schedule guide of claim 9 wherein, the virtual agent learns from previous user choices for customizing the schedule guide for each particular user.

11. The schedule guide of claim 1 further comprising a chatroom Internet site related to a selected program.

12. The schedule guide of claim 1 further comprising a section for providing information about a particular future program.

13. The schedule guide of claim 12 wherein, the information about a particular future program includes at least one of a picture, video, and descriptive text.

14. The schedule guide of claim 12 wherein, the section for providing information about a particular future program is interactive in response to the user input.

15. The schedule guide of claim 1 wherein, the processor is located in at least one of a television, a set-top box, and a VCR.

16. The schedule guide of claim 1 wherein, the user input includes at least one of a remote control device, a keyboard, and a voice input.

56. The schedule guide of claim 1 wherein the processor displays the television schedule information using a TCP/IP data transmission protocol.

17. A method for displaying a television schedule guide stored on a web site comprising the steps of:

storing television schedule guide information for a plurality of geographical regions in a first database accessible through Internet;

storing in a second database a computer software for searching and displaying information from the Internet directly on-line;

downloading the computer software to a remote user;

executing the downloaded computer software for searching, and displaying directly on-line from the Internet the television schedule guide; and

displaying directly on-line the television schedule guide in a display remote from the first and second databases responsive to a preferred geographical region selected from the plurality of geographical regions.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a program title or a channel from the schedule guide for automatic tuning or automatic recording; and

automatically tuning to or recording the selected program title or the selected channel.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein, the step of storing television schedule information comprises storing program title, date, channel, time, and duration.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of displaying within the schedule guide previews of upcoming programs.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of displaying a schedule guide icon for establishing a link to the first database and displaying the schedule information on the displayin a specific format.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of displaying an icon for establishing a link to a product database for purchasing a product.

23. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of displaying an icon within the schedule guide for establishing a link to a service provider database for information independent of the user'"'"'s program choice.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of automatically searching the Internet and providing pointers to locations in the Internet based on preferences of the user.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the steps of learning from previous user choices and customizing the display of the schedule guide for each particular user.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of establishing a link to a chatroom Internet site related to a selected program and entering the chatroom.

27. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of providing information about a particular future program wherein, the information includes at least one of a picture, video, and descriptive text.

34. The schedule guide of claim 23 wherein, the service provider database includes news, whether, sports, scores, financial data, or local traffic.

28. A web based interactive television schedule guide accessible by a remote user comprising:

an on-line first database accessible through Internet for storing a television schedule data structure including television schedule guide information for a plurality of geographical regions;

a first memory for storing the first database;

an on-line second database accessible through the Internet for providing downloadable computer software to the user for searching, and displaying information from the first database;

a second memory for storing the second database;

a processor remote from the first and second databases for accessing the first and second databases and executing the downloadable computer software for searching, and displaying the television schedule guide from the first database responsive to selections of the user without storing locally the television schedule data structure;

an input device for receiving the user selections; and

a display remote from the first and second databases for displaying the television schedule guide from the first database responsive to a preferred geographical region selected from the plurality of geographical regions without storing locally the television schedule data structure.

29. The schedule guide of claim 28 wherein, the computer software provides automatic tuning to and automatic recording of a selected program title or channel.

30. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising:

a third database accessible within the schedule guide for providing previews of upcoming programs; and

a third memory for storing the third database.

31. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising a guide icon displayed on the display for establishing a link to the first database and displaying the schedule information on the display.

32. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising an icon displayed within the guide for establishing a link to a product database for purchasing a product.

33. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising an icon displayed within the schedule guide for establishing a link to a service provider database for information independent of the user'"'"'s program choice.

35. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising a virtual agent for automatically searching the Internet and providing pointers to locations in the Internet based on preferences of the user.

36. The schedule guide of claim 35 wherein, the virtual agent learns from previous user choices for customizing the schedule guide for each particular user.

37. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising a chatroom Internet site related to a selected program and accessible within the guide.

38. The schedule guide of claim 28 further comprising a section for providing information about a particular future program.

39. The schedule guide of claim 38 wherein, the information about a particular future program includes at least one of a picture, video, and descriptive text.

40. The schedule guide of claim 38 wherein, the section for providing information about a particular future program is interactive in response to the user input.

41. The schedule guide of claim 28 wherein, the processor is located in at least one of a television, a set-top box, and a VCR.

42. The schedule guide of claim 28 wherein, the user input includes at least one of a remote control device, a keyboard, and a voice input.

43. The schedule guide of claim 28 wherein, the television schedule information includes program title, date, channel, time, and duration.

44. A method for displaying a television schedule guide stored on a web site comprising the steps of:

storing television schedule guide information for a plurality of geographical regions in a first database accessible through Internet;

storing in a second database accessible through the Internet a computer software for searching, and displaying on-line television schedule guide from the first database;

downloading the computer software through the Internet to a remote television user;

executing the downloaded computer software for searching, and displaying information from the first database without storing locally the television schedule guide;

selecting by a television viewer, a preferred geographical region; and

displaying the television schedule guide in a display remote from the first database and the second database responsive to the selected preferred geographical region without storing locally the television schedule guide.

45. The method of claim 44 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a program title or a channel from the schedule guide for automatic tuning or automatic recording; and

executing the computer software to automatically tune to or record the selected program title or the selected channel.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein, the step of storing television schedule information comprises storing program title, date, channel, time, and duration.

47. The method of claim 44 further comprising the step of displaying within the schedule guide previews of upcoming programs.

48. The method of claim 44 further comprising the step of displaying a schedule guide icon for establishing a link to the first database and displaying the schedule information on the display in a specific format.

49. The method of claim 44 further comprising the step of displaying an icon withing the schedule guide for establishing a link to a product database for purchasing a product.

50. The method or claim 44 further comprising the step of displaying an icon within the schedule guide for establishing a link to a service provider database for information independent of the user'"'"'s program choice.

51. The method of claim 44 further comprising the step of automatically searching the Internet and providing pointers to locations in the Internet based on preferences of the user.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising the steps of learning from previous user choices and customizing the schedule guide for each particular user.

53. The method of claim 44 further comprising the steps of storing a user profile responsive to information provided by the user and customizing the display of the schedule guide the user based on the user profile.

54. The method of claim 44 further comprising the steps of establishing a link to a chatroom Internet site related to a selected program and entering the chatroom.

55. The method of claim 44 further comprising the step of providing information about a particular future program wherein, the information includes at least one of a picture, video, and descriptive text.

57. A web based interactive television schedule guide accessible by a user comprising:

an on-line database accessible through Internet for storing television schedule guide information for a plurality of geographical regions;

a memory for storing the on-line database;

a processor remote from the database for accessing the database over the Internet and executing a computer software to display the television schedule guide directly on-line responsive to selections of the user;

an input device for receiving the user selections including a preferred geographical region; and

a display remote from the database for displaying directly on-line the television schedule guide responsive to the selected preferred geographical region.

58. A method for displaying a television schedule guide stored on a web site accessible through Internet comprising the steps of:

storing television schedule guide for a plurality of geographical regions in a database accessible via the web site;

establishing a communication link to the web site via the Internet;

receiving input about a preferred geographical region;

executing a computer software for searching, and displaying the television schedule guide information directly on-line; and

responsive to the preferred geographical region, displaying directly on-line the television schedule guide information in a display remote from the database.