Delivery of interactive program guide data

• US 6,625,810 B1
• Filed: 02/16/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Patrick Joseph, Holborow, Clive Eric, Khodabakhsh, Elizabeth Ann, Berger, David Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/250,699
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 725/38-62, 725/1, 370/321, 370/337, 370/347, 370/442
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

Interactive program guide (IPG) data is delivered to a receiver from which a program guide can be retrieved. The IPG data includes schedule-data for each of a plurality of time slots, description-data for each of the plurality of time slots, and non-time-sensitive foundation data. The IPG data is delivered by the steps of: (a) delivering a plurality of segments of foundation data having a predetermined closed-loop order; (b) delivering the schedule-data segments for a first time slot; (c) delivering the description-data segments for a first time slot; (d) delivering the schedule-data segments and the description-data segments for each of the remaining time slots; (e) subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the schedule-data segments for the time slot, delivering the next non-time-sensitive foundation-data segments in the predetermined order for use by the receiver; and (f) subsequent to the delivery of the first description-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the description-data segments for the time slot, delivering the next non-time-sensitive foundation-data segments in the predetermined order for use by the receiver. Subsequent to step (f), the next given number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order are delivered until all of the foundation-data segments have been delivered at least twice.

Claims

1. A method of delivering interactive program guide (IPG) data and non-time-sensitive data to a receiver from which a program guide can be retrieved, said IPG data including one or more schedule-data segments for each of a plurality of time slots and one or more description-data segments for each of the plurality of time slots, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) delivering the schedule-data segments for a first time slot;

(b) delivering the description-data segments for the first time slot;

(c) delivering the schedule-data segments and the description-data segments for each of the remaining time slots;

(d) subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the schedule-data segments for the time slot, delivering non-time-sensitive data for use by the receiver; and

(e) subsequent to the delivery of the first description-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the description-data segments for the time slot, delivering non-time-sensitive data for use by the receiver.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the non-time-sensitive data delivered during steps (d) and (e) includes further IPG data, to wit:

a plurality of foundation-data segments having a predetermined closed-loop order;

wherein during the gap according to step (d) that is subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for the first time slot, the delivered non-time-sensitive data includes an initial number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order;

wherein during each of the next remaining respective gaps of steps (d) and (e), the delivered non-time-sensitive data includes the next number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order; and

wherein the respective number of foundation-data segments delivered during each gap are of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing the respective schedule-data segments or description-data segments for the time slot.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

(f) subsequent to step (e), determining whether or not all of the foundation-data segments have been delivered at least twice; and

(g) when it is determined pursuant to step (f) that all of the foundation-data segments have not been delivered at least twice, delivering the next foundation-data segments in the predetermined order until all of the foundation-data segments have been delivered at least twice.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

(h) prior to steps (a) and (b), delivering all of the foundation data segments once.

5. A method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of:

(f) prior to steps (a) and (b), delivering all of the foundation data segments once.

6. A system for accessing interactive program guide (IPG) data and non-time-sensitive data for delivery to a receiver from which a program guide can be retrieved, said IPG data including one or more schedule-data segments for each of a plurality of time slots and one or more description-data segments for each of the plurality of time slots, the system comprising:

means for accessing the IPG data and the non-time-sensitive data for delivery such that the IPG data and the non-time-sensitive data can be delivered by the steps of;

(a) delivering the schedule-data segments for a first time slot;

(b) delivering the description-data segments for the first time slot;

(c) delivering the schedule-data segments and the description-data segments for each of the remaining time slots;

(d) subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the schedule-data segments for the time slot, delivering non-time-sensitive data for use by the receiver; and

(e) subsequent to the delivery of the first description-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the description-data segments for the time slot, delivering non-time-sensitive data for use by the receiver.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein the non-time-sensitive data delivered during steps (d) and (e) includes further IPG data, to wit:

a plurality of foundation-data segments having a predetermined closed-loop order;

wherein during the gap according to step (d) that is subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for the first time slot, the delivered non-time-sensitive data includes an initial number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order;

wherein during each of the next remaining respective gaps of steps (d) and (e), the delivered non-time-sensitive data includes the next number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order; and

wherein the respective number of foundation-data segments delivered during each gap are of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing the respective schedule-data segments or description-data segments for the time slot.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining, subsequent to accessing all of the schedule-data segments and description-data segments for all of the time slots, whether or not all of the foundation-data segments have been accessed at least twice;

wherein the accessing means are adapted for responding to a said determination that all of the foundation-data segments have not been accessed at least twice by accessing the next foundation-data segments in the predetermined order for said delivery until all of the foundation-data segments have been accessed at least twice for said delivery.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the accessing means are adapted for accessing all of the foundation data segments for delivery once prior to steps (a) and (b).

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein the accessing means are adapted for accessing all of the foundation data segments for delivery once prior to steps (a) and (b).

11. A computer readable storage medium for use in a system;

for accessing interactive program guide (IPG) data and non-time-sensitive data for delivery to a receiver from which a program guide can be retrieved, said IPG data including one or more schedule-data segments for each of a plurality of time slots and one or more description-data segments for each of the plurality of time slots,

wherein the storage medium is configured so as to cause the IPG data and the non-time-sensitive data to be accessed for delivery such that the IPG data and the non-time-sensitive data can be delivered by the steps of;

(a) delivering the schedule-data segments for a first time slot;

(b) delivering the description-data segments for the first time slot;

(c) delivering the schedule-data segments and the description-data segments for each of the remaining time slots;

(d) subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the schedule-data segments for the time slot, delivering non-time-sensitive data for use by the receiver; and

(e) subsequent to the delivery of the first description-data segment for each time slot, during a gap of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing all of the description-data segments for the time slot, delivering non-time-sensitive data for use by the receiver.

12. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the non-time-sensitive data delivered during steps (d) and (e) includes further IPG data, to wit:

a plurality of foundation-data segments having a predetermined closed-loop order;

wherein during the gap according to step (d) that is subsequent to the delivery of the first schedule-data segment for the first time slot, the delivered non-time-sensitive data includes an initial number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order;

wherein during each of the next remaining respective gaps of steps (d) and (e), the delivered non-time-sensitive data includes the next number of foundation-data segments in the predetermined order; and

wherein the respective number of foundation-data segments delivered during each gap are of sufficient duration to enable the receiver to allocate memory space for storing the respective schedule-data segments or description-data segments for the time slot.

13. A storage medium according to claim 12, further configured for causing a computer to determine, subsequent to said accessing of all of the schedule-data segments and description-data segments for all of the time slots, whether or not all of the foundation-data segments have been accessed at least twice, and for responding to a said, determination that all of the foundation-data segments have not been accessed at least twice by causing the next foundation-data segments in the predetermined order to be accessed for said delivery until all of the foundation-data segments have been accessed at least twice for said delivery.

14. A storage medium according to claim 13, further configured for causing all of the foundation data segments to be accessed for deliver once prior to steps (a) and (b).

15. A storage medium according to claim 12, further configured for causing all of the foundation data segments to be accessed for delivery once prior to steps (a) and (b).