Automated control of interactive application execution using defined time periods

• US 6,530,084 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Wink Communications Incorporated (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Del Sesto, Eric E., McCullough, Charlie, Ransil, Pat, Azarm, Houman
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/431,001
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 725/142, 725/134, 725/110, 725/116, 725/136, 709/217, 709/201, 709/245, 345/327, 455/5.1, 340/825.51, 380/231, 380/251, 463/29
• US Class Current: 725/61
• 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 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• 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 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A method and apparatus facilitate control of interactive application execution through use of defined time periods. A broadcaster transmits a broadcast program, an associated interactive application, and at least one definition of a time period from a set including: a first time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer; a second time period, during which execution of the application may be started; and a third time period, during which the application may be executed. A viewer tunes to a channel associated with the broadcast program and interactive application. A broadcast receiver offers the viewer the option to execute the interactive application, if within the first defined time period. If the user elects to so execute, the broadcast receiver starts said execution, if within the second defined time period. If the interactive application continues to execute at the end of the third defined time period, the broadcast receiver retires the interactive application.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for controlling execution of interactive applications by a broadcast receiver, the method comprising:

tuning, by the broadcast receiver, to a channel on which a broadcast program is being transmitted;

receiving by the broadcast receiver an interactive application associated with the broadcast program, a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null; and

controlling execution timing of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver according to the defined time periods.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

offering to the viewer, by the broadcast receiver, the option to execute the interactive application during at least some of the first time period, during which the option to execute the application may be offered.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

waiting by the broadcast receiver until the first time period, during which the option to execute the interactive application may be offered, has at least started prior to offering the option to execute the interactive application to the viewer.

4. The method of claim 1 the method further comprising:

determining by the broadcast receiver that a present time is within the first time period, during which an option to execute the interactive application may be offered to a viewer; and

offering to the viewer, by the broadcast receiver, the option to execute the interactive application.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

starting execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver in response to a control signal from the viewer during the second time period, during which the execution of the interactive application may be started.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

waiting until the second time period, during which execution of the interactive application may be started, has at least begun prior to executing the interactive application.

7. The method of claim 1 the method further comprising:

determining by the broadcast receiver that a present time is within the second time period, during which execution of the interactive application may be started; and

starting execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver in response to a control signal from the viewer.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

executing the interactive application by the broadcast receiver during at least some of the third time period, during which the interactive application may be executed.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

detecting by the broadcast receiver the expiration of the third time period, during which the interactive application may be executed; and

retiring the interactive application by the broadcast receiver.

10. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving by the broadcast receiver a reference time base to which at least one received defined time period is relative;

maintaining an internal timer by the broadcast receiver relative to the reference time base; and

determining by the broadcast receiver occurrences of at least one beginning and at least one ending of at least one received defined time period relative to the internal timer.

11. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

receiving by the broadcast receiver, after receipt of an initial reference time base, a new reference time base associated with the interactive application;

maintaining an internal timer by the broadcast receiver relative to the new reference time base; and

determining by the broadcast receiver occurrences of at least one beginning and at least one ending of at least one received defined time period relative to the internal timer.

12. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving by the broadcast receiver, after receipt of the defined time periods, at least one updated defined time period; and

replacing an associated earlier defined time period with the updated defined time period.

13. A method in a computer system for offering to a viewer, by a broadcast receiver, an option to execute an interactive application associated with a broadcast program, the method comprising:

tuning, by the broadcast receiver, to a channel on which a broadcast program is being transmitted;

receiving by the broadcast receiver, an interactive application associated with the broadcast program a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null;

determining by the broadcast receiver whether a present time is within the first defined time period, during which the interactive application may be offered to a viewer;

in response to the present time being within the first defined time period, offering to the viewer, by the broadcast receiver, an option to execute the interactive application; and

in response to the present time not being within the first defined time period, not offering the viewer an option to execute the interactive application.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving a reference time base by the broadcast receiver; and

making the determination by the broadcast receiver of whether a present time is within the first received time period during which the interactive application may be offered to a viewer based upon the reference time base.

15. A method in a computer system for starting, by a broadcast receiver, execution of interactive applications associated with broadcast programs, the method comprising:

tuning by the broadcast receiver, to a channel on which a broadcast program is being transmitted;

receiving by the broadcast receiver, an interactive application associated with the broadcast program a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null;

determining by the broadcast receiver whether a present time is within the second defined time period, during which execution of the interactive application may be started;

in response to the present time being within the second defined time period, starting the execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver; and

in response to the present time not being within the second defined time period, not starting the execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a reference time base by the broadcast receiver; and

making the determination by the broadcast receiver of whether a present time is within the second received time period during which execution of the interactive application may be started based upon the reference time base.

17. A broadcast receiver for controlling execution of interactive applications, the broadcast receiver comprising:

a tuner for receiving a broadcast signal including broadcast programs and interactive applications;

a computer memory storing an interactive application associated with a broadcast program, a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null; and

a microprocessor coupled to the computer memory and to the tuner, for decoding the interactive application from a received broadcast signal, and programmed to offer to a viewer an option to execute the interactive application during the first defined time period, to execute the interactive application in response to a control signal from the viewer during the second defined time period, and to terminate the application after the expiration of the third defined time period.

18. A computer program product for controlling an interactive application, the computer program product comprising:

program code defining an interactive application which is to be executed by a broadcast receiver concurrently with the receipt and display of an associated television broadcast program;

program code defining a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null; and

a computer readable medium on which the program codes are stored.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising:

program code defining a reference time base to which at least one received defined time period is relative.

20. A computer program product for controlling execution of interactive applications by a broadcast receiver, the computer program product comprising:

program code for receiving by the broadcast receiver a broadcast program, an interactive application associated with the broadcast program, a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null;

program code for controlling execution timing of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver according to the defined time periods; and

a computer readable medium on which the program codes are stored.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for offering to the viewer, by the broadcast receiver, the option to execute the interactive application during at least some of the first time period, during which the option to execute the application may be offered.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for waiting until the first time period, during which the option to execute the interactive application may be offered has at least started prior to offering the option to execute the interactive application to the viewer.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for determining that a present time is within the first time period, during which an option to execute the interactive application may be offered to a viewer; and

program code for offering to the viewer the option to execute the interactive application.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for starting execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver in response to a control signal from the viewer during the second time period, during which the execution of the interactive application may be started.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for waiting until the second time period, during which execution of the interactive application may be started, has at least begun prior to executing the interactive application.

26. The computer program product of claim 20 further comprising:

program code for determining that a present time is within the second time period, during which execution of the interactive application may be started; and

program code for starting execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver in response to a control signal from the viewer.

27. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for executing the interactive application by the broadcast receiver during at least some of the third time period, during which the interactive application may be executed.

28. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for detecting by the broadcast receiver the expiration of the third time period, during which the interactive application may be executed; and

program code for retiring the interactive application by the broadcast receiver.

29. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for receiving by the broadcast receiver a reference time base to which at least one received defined time period is relative;

program code for maintaining an internal timer by the broadcast receiver relative to the reference time base; and

program code for determining by the broadcast receiver occurrences of at least one beginning and at least one ending of at least one received defined time period relative to the internal timer.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for receiving by the broadcast receiver, after receipt of an initial reference time base, a new reference time base associated with the interactive application;

program code for maintaining an internal timer by the broadcast receiver relative to the new reference time base; and

program code for determining by the broadcast receiver occurrences of at least one beginning and at least one ending of at least one received defined time period relative to the internal timer.

31. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer program product further comprising:

program code for receiving by the broadcast receiver, after receipt of the defined time periods, at least one updated defined time period; and

program code for replacing an associated earlier defined time period with the updated defined time period.

32. A computer program product for offering to a viewer, by a broadcast receiver, an option to execute an interactive application associated with a broadcast program, the computer program product comprising:

program code for tuning, by the broadcast receiver, to a channel on which a broadcast program is being transmitted;

program code for receiving by the broadcast receiver, an interactive application associated with the broadcast program, a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null;

program determining by the broadcast receiver whether a present time is within the first defined time period, during which the interactive application may be offered to a viewer;

program code for, in response to the present time being within the first defined time period, offering to the viewer, by the broadcast receiver, an option to execute the interactive application;

program code for, in response to the present time not being within the first defined time period, not offering the viewer an option to execute the interactive application; and

a computer readable medium on which the program codes are stored.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 further comprising:

program code for receiving a reference time base by the broadcast receiver;

program code for making the determination by the broadcast receiver of whether a present time is within the first received time period during which the interactive application may be offered to a viewer based upon the reference time base.

34. A computer program product for starting, by a broadcast receiver, execution of interactive applications associated with broadcast programs, the computer program product comprising:

program code for tuning, by the broadcast receiver, to a channel on which a broadcast program is being transmitted;

program code for receiving by the broadcast receiver, an interactive application associated with the broadcast program, a first defined time period, during which an option to execute the application may be offered to a viewer, a second defined time period, during which execution of the application may be started, and a third defined time period, during which the application may be executed, wherein the third defined time period begins and ends during the transmission of the broadcast program, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period do not begin prior to the third defined time period, wherein the first defined time period and the second defined time period end prior to the third defined time period, and wherein all three defined time periods are not null;

program code for determining by the broadcast receiver whether a present time is within the second defined time period, during which execution of the interactive application may be started;

program code for, in response to the present time being within the second defined time period, starring the execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver;

program code for, in response to the present time not being within the second defined time period, not starting the execution of the interactive application by the broadcast receiver; and

a computer readable medium on which the program codes are stored.

35. The computer program product of claim 34 further comprising:

program code for receiving a reference time base by the broadcast receiver; and

program code for making the determination by the broadcast receiver of whether a present time is within the second received time period during which execution of the application may be started based upon the reference time base.