Multiple interactive electronic program guide system and methods

• US 6,505,348 B1
• Filed: 07/29/1999
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Gordon, Johnson, Kenneth David, Knowles, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Application Number:
  US09/363,575
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.716, H04/N.7173, H04/N.5445, 725/49, 725/48, 725/50, 725/54, 725/55, 725/39, 725/44, 725/47, 725/52, 725/53, 725/56, 725/78, 725/74, 725/120, 725/28, 725/29, 725/30
• US Class Current: 725/49
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

A multiple Interactive Program Guide (IPG) system provides different television programming and different IPGs to several different users respectively. A single set-top box is capable of providing programming and scheduling data to several different television sets. Each of the different IPGs share a common database. Therefore, a first IPG being viewed by a first user can display data added or modified via a second IPG by a second user of the system. Furthermore, the data added or modified by the second user can influence the viewing rights of the first user. Also, all the competing and conflicting requests for limited resources, such as VCR scheduled recordings, will be brought to the users'"'"' attention and will be displayed by the system.

Claims

1. A system for managing a plurality of interactive electronic program guides (IPGs) each including television channel identifications, program titles, and starting times, comprising:

an IPG data extractor for receiving telecast data and extracting IPG data from the telecast data for the plurality of IPGs;

a first database for storing information specific to each of the plurality of IPGs;

a second database for storing information common to the plurality of IPGs;

a memory for storing the first database and the second database;

a microprocessor coupled to the memory for processing the information for the plurality of IPGs, wherein the IPG data extractor, the first database, the second database, the memory, and the microprocessor reside in a single electronic device;

a plurality of tuners coupled to the microprocessor for receiving the telecast data and tuning to a plurality of television channels respectively; and

a plurality of displays for displaying the telecast data for the plurality of television channels respectively.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of displays simultaneously display the telecast data of different television channels respectively.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising an on-screen cheduled events list shared by the plurality of IPGs and including an aggregate list for individual recordings, future PPV purchases, and scheduled tunes.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for customizing each of the plurality of IPGs.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for customizing includes means for displaying a sorted list of the television channel identifications based on favorite channels.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for customizing includes means for displaying only selected television channel identifications.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the customization data for each of the plurality of IPGs is stored in a plurality of user profiles respectively.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one VChip coupled to the microprocessor for parental blocking of television programs based on a user-defined criterion.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the VChip blocks the television programs based on a plurality of ratings, the channel identifications, the program titles, or the starting times.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for supporting a hierarchy of multiple user passwords.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the hierarchy of multiple user passwords includes a master password for allowing a user with the master password to block television programs, make changes to the plurality of IPGs, or override changes to the plurality of IPGs.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the IPG data extractor, the memory, the microprocessor, and the plurality of tuners are embodied in a single package.

13. A method for displaying a plurality of interactive electronic program guides (IPGs) in a guide format comprising the steps of:

receiving television programming data including IPG data by an electronic device;

extracting IPG data for the plurality of IPGs from the television programming data by the electronic device;

storing in a memory data specific to each of the plurality of IPGs;

storing in the memory data common to the plurality of IPGs;

processing the data for the plurality of IPGs by the electronic device; and

displaying the plurality of IPGs on a plurality of displays respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the displaying step includes simultaneously displaying the television programming data for different television channels respectively.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a scheduled events list shared by the plurality of IPGs and including an aggregate list for individual recordings, future PPV purchases, and scheduled tunes.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising customizing each of the plurality of IPGs.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of customizing includes displaying a sorted list of television channel identifications based on favorite channels.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the customizing step includes displaying only selected television channel identifications.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the customizing step includes storing in a plurality of user profiles data for each of the plurality of IPGs respectively.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of blocking television programs based on a user-defined criterion using at least one VChip coupled to the microprocessor.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the blocking step includes blocking television programs specific to one of the plurality of IPGs.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the blocking step includes blocking television programs specific to a user.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising supporting a hierarchy of multiple user passwords.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the step of supporting a hierarchy of multiple user passwords includes allowing a user with a master password to block television programs, make changes to the plurality of IPGs, or override changes to the plurality of IPGs.

25. A television set-top box for generating a plurality of interactive electronic program guides (IPGs) each including television channel identifications, program titles, and starting times, comprising:

an IPG data extractor for receiving telecast data and extracting IPG data from the telecast data for the plurality of IPGs;

a first database for storing information specific to each of the plurality of IPGs;

a second database for storing information common to the plurality of IPGs;

a memory for storing the first database and the second database;

a single microprocessor coupled to the memory for processing the information for the plurality of IPGs; and

a plurality of tuners coupled to the microprocessor for receiving the telecast data and tuning to a plurality of television channels respectively.

26. A system for managing a plurality of interactive electronic program guides (IPGs) each including television channel identifications, program titles, and starting times, comprising:

an IPG data extractor for receiving telecast data and extracting IPG data from the telecast data for the plurality of IPGs;

a first database for storing information specific to each of the plurality of IPGs;

a second database for storing information common to the plurality of IPGs;

a memory means for storing the first database and the second database;

a microprocessor means coupled to the memory means for processing the information for the plurality of IPGs, wherein the IPG data extractor, the first database, the second database, the memory, and the microprocessor reside in a single electronic device;

a plurality of tuners coupled to the microprocessor for receiving the telecast data and tuning to a plurality of television channels respectively; and

an on-screen scheduled events list shared by the plurality of IPGs including an aggregate list for at least one of individual recordings, future PPV purchases, or scheduled tunes.