Carousel bit mask system and method

• US 6,658,661 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arsenault, Robert G., Leminh, Tam T., Finseth, Craig A., Seibert, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/515,184
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 725/90, 725/35, 725/138, 725/140, 725/142, 725/37-61, 725/132, 725/152
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

In a broadcast system such as a direct-to-home satellite system, program guide information for different time periods is transmitted on different carousels (e.g., one for 0-6 hours from current time, one for 6-24 hours, one for 24-72 hours, etc.) and broadcast on all transponders. Guide information for time periods in the near future is transmitted more frequently (i.e., less information per carousel) than guide information for later time periods. The receiving IRD sets a bit mask to indicate which carousel or carousels it requires and downloads them in serial or parallel. Updated information is never missed because it is given a bit pattern that is never screened by the mask. Further, the IRD can download the program guide information in the background (i.e., while displaying video) because it does not need to tune to a different transponder.

Claims

1. A method for selectively storing an electronic program guide object in a satellite broadcast system, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a bit in a local mask indicative of a first carousel of electronic program guide information that is repeatedly broadcast with a first periodicity, wherein the local mask further includes a clear bit indicative of a second carousel of electronic program guide information that is repeatedly broadcast with a second periodicity different than the first periodicity;

acquiring an object mask associated with the electronic program guide object;

comparing the object mask to the local mask; and

storing the electronic program guide object if the electronic program guide object is associated with the first carousel of electronic program guide information.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising;

comparing the object mask to a predefined constant; and

storing the program guide object if the object mask is equal to the predefined constant.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the predefined constant is equal to a binary number comprising all ones.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising;

receiving a marker;

comparing the received marker to a predefined marker; and

clearing the bit in the local mask if the received marker is equal to the predefined marker.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining if a received object is an update object.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein setting the bit in the local mask is performed in response to determining that the received object is an update object.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining if a predefined time period has elapsed since last receiving an update object.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein setting the bit in the local mask is performed in response to determining that the predefined time period has elapsed.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the broadcast system comprises a direct-to-home satellite system.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein comparing the object mask to the local mask comprises a logical AND operation.

11. An apparatus for selectively storing an electronic program guide object in a satellite television system comprising:

a satellite signal receiver for receiving the electronic program guide object from one of a first carousel of electronic program guide information that repeatedly broadcasts a first set of electronic program guide information with a first periodicity and a second carousel of electronic program guide information that repeatedly broadcasts a second set of electronic program guide information with a second periodicity;

a memory for storing the electronic program guide object; and

a control circuit operatively coupled to the receiver and the memory for determining if an object mask associated with the electronic program guide object is indicative of one of the first and second carousels of electronic program guide information, the control circuit causing the memory to store the electronic program guide object if the object mask is indicative of one of the first and second carousels of electronic program guide information.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further adapted to compare the object mask to a predefined constant, the control circuit causing the memory to store the electronic program guide object if the object mask is equal to the predefined constant.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further adapted to compare a marker received by the satellite signal receiver to a predefined marker, wherein the marker is indicative of a particular point in time associated with the carousel of electronic program guide information.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the control circuit is further adapted to determine if an update object is received by the satellite signal receiver.

15. A method of transmitting electronic program guide information comprising;

providing a first carousel of electronic program guide information corresponding to a first section of time relative to a reference time, wherein the first carousel of electronic program guide information comprises first program data;

providing a second carousel of electronic program guide information corresponding to a second section of time relative to the reference time, wherein the second carousel of electronic program guide information comprises second program data;

cycling the first carousel at a first rate, wherein the first program data is repeatedly broadcast at a first periodicity; and

cycling the second carousel at a second rate different from the first rate, wherein the second program data is repeatedly broadcast at a second periodicity different from the first periodicity.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the referenced time is substantially equal to the current time.