Program guide system with real-time data sources
First Claim
1. An interactive television program guide system in which program listings data for live events is provided by a main facility for use in an interactive television program guide implemented at least partially on user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide maintains a database and wherein real-time data for the live events is provided by a source of real-time data that is separate from the main facility, comprising:
- means for generating first keys at the main facility that are each associated with the program listings data for a particular live event;
means for distributing the program listings data for the live events and the associated first keys from the main facility to the interactive television program guide;
means for creating second keys at the source of the real-time data which are each associated with the real-time data for a particular live event;
means for distributing the real-time data for the live events and the associated second keys from the source of real-time data to the interactive television program guide; and
means at the interactive television program guide for comparing the first keys and the second keys to determine which of the real-time data received from the source of real-time data is associated with which program listings data.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, and the like. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. A controllable ticker may be displayed on top of a television program on the user television equipment. The controllable ticker may be sponsored. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. An interactive television program guide system in which program listings data for live events is provided by a main facility for use in an interactive television program guide implemented at least partially on user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide maintains a database and wherein real-time data for the live events is provided by a source of real-time data that is separate from the main facility, comprising:
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means for generating first keys at the main facility that are each associated with the program listings data for a particular live event;
means for distributing the program listings data for the live events and the associated first keys from the main facility to the interactive television program guide;
means for creating second keys at the source of the real-time data which are each associated with the real-time data for a particular live event;
means for distributing the real-time data for the live events and the associated second keys from the source of real-time data to the interactive television program guide; and
means at the interactive television program guide for comparing the first keys and the second keys to determine which of the real-time data received from the source of real-time data is associated with which program listings data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for using an interactive television program guide system in which program listings data for live events is provided by a main facility for use in an interactive television program guide implemented at least partially on user television equipment, wherein the interactive television program guide maintains a database and wherein real-time data for the live events is provided by a source of real-time data that is separate from the main facility, comprising the steps of:
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generating first keys at the main facility that are each associated with the program listings data for a particular live event;
distributing the program listings data for the live events and the associated first keys from the main facility to the interactive television program guide;
creating second keys at the source of the real-time data which are each associated with the real-time data for a particular live event;
distributing the real-time data for the live events and the associated second keys from the source of real-time data to the interactive television program guide; and
comparing the first keys and the second keys at the interactive television program guide to determine which of the real-time data received from the source of real-time data is associated with which program listings data. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An interactive television program guide system in which an interactive television program guide is implemented at least partially on user television equipment and in which at least one source of real-time data provides real-time data to the interactive television program guide for storage in a database maintained by the interactive television program guide, the system comprising:
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means for receiving the real-time data with the interactive television program guide;
means for storing the real-time data in the database maintained by the interactive television program guide;
means for using the stored real-time data in the interactive television program guide;
means for establishing expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data; and
means for removing the different types of the stored real-time data from the database depending on their expiration times. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
means for establishing a rollover time; and
means for removing real-time data from the database relating to games that have ended at the rollover time.
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31. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing game preview information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the game preview information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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32. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing game recap information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the game recap information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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33. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing score update information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the score update information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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34. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing event update information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the event update information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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35. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing league scores information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the league scores information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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36. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing league schedules information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the league schedules information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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37. The system defined in claim 27 further comprising:
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means for providing team notes information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
means for storing the team notes information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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38. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises means for establishing expiration times based on game start time for game preview data.
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39. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises means for establishing an expiration time based on a rollover time for game recap data.
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40. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises means for establishing expiration times for score updates that are based on when the score updates are provided as part of the real-time data.
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41. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises means for establishing expiration times for event updates that are based on when the event updates are provided as part of the real-time data.
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42. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises means for establishing an expiration time based on a rollover time for league scores data.
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43. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the real-time data comprises real-time data for different sports, the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprising means for establishing different expiration times for the real-time data associated with the different sports.
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44. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the real-time data comprises real-time data for different sports, the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprising means for establishing different expiration times for league schedules data associated with the different sports.
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45. The system defined in claim 27 wherein the means for establishing the expiration times for different types of data further comprises means for establishing an expiration time of multiple days for team notes data.
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46. A method for using an interactive television program guide system in which an interactive television program guide is at least partially implemented on user television equipment and in which at least one source of real-time data provides real-time data to the interactive television program guide for storage in a database maintained by the interactive television program guide, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the real-time data with the interactive television program guide;
storing the real-time data in the database maintained by the interactive television program guide;
using the stored real-time data in the interactive television program guide;
establishing expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data; and
removing the different types of the stored real-time data from the database depending on their expiration times. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
establishing a rollover time; and
removing real-time data from the database relating to games that have ended at the rollover time.
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50. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing game preview information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the game preview information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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51. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing game recap information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the game recap information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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52. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing score update information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the score update information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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53. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing event update information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the event update information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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54. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing league scores information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the league scores information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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55. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing league schedules information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the league schedules information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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56. The method defined in claim 46 further comprising the steps of:
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providing team notes information to the interactive television program guide as part of the real-time data that is provided to the interactive television program guide; and
storing the team notes information in the database for use by the interactive television program guide.
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57. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises the step of establishing expiration times based on game start time for game preview data.
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58. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises the step of establishing expiration time based on a rollover time for game recap data.
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59. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises the step of establishing expiration times for score updates that are based on when the score updates are provided as part of the real-time data.
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60. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises the step of establishing expiration times for event updates that are based on when the event updates are provided as part of the real-time data.
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61. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprises the step of establishing an expiration time based on a rollover time for league scores data.
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62. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the real-time data comprises real-time data for different sports, the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprising the step of establishing different expiration times for the real-time data associated with the different sports.
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63. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the real-time data comprises real-time data for different sports, the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of the stored real-time data further comprising the step of establishing different expiration times for league schedules data associated with the different sports.
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64. The method defined in claim 46 wherein the step of establishing the expiration times for different types of data further comprises the step of establishing an expiration time of multiple days for team notes data.
Specification