Electronic television program guide schedule system and method

• US 6,728,967 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TV Guide Incorporated (Adeia Inc.), United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.), TCI-TVGOS INC
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Bruce, Morris, Michael, Backer, George, Cooper, Bill, Green, Shawn, Spell, Dave, Rogers, Rosetta, Bennington, Gerald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/346,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5455, 348/569, 348/563, 348/564, 348/565, 725/39-43
• US Class Current: 725/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/43 Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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 21/4753 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 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 : in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for using an interactive television program guide to display video for a user on a display on which program listings information is displayed. Program listings information is displayed using the interactive television program guide. A complete video is simultaneously displayed in a reduced size video window using the interactive television program guide. In some embodiments, the complete video may be associated with a television program that is currently available for viewing by the user. In some embodiments, the complete video may be associated with a television program that will be available for viewing by the user at a future time. In some embodiments, the program listings information and the complete video may be displayed simultaneously with video for a given television program. In some embodiments, the program listings information and the complete video may be displayed simultaneously with promotional information.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive television program guide to display video and program listings information on a display on which video for a given television program is displayed, the method comprising:

displaying simultaneously with the video for the given television program;

program listings information using the interactive television program guide, wherein a user can use a remote control to navigate to and select the program listings information; and

a complete video in a reduced size video window using the interactive television program guide.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that is currently available for viewing by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that will be available for viewing by the user at a future time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with the program listings information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the program listings information comprises a title of a program.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning to a television program corresponding to the program listings information in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising scheduling a television program corresponding to the program listings information for recording in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the program listings information and the complete video are displayed in an overlay on top of the video for the given television channel.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the overlay is a BROWSE overlay.

37. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying promotional information simultaneously with the video for the given television program, the program listings information and the complete video in the reduced size video window.

10. An interactive television program guide system for displaying video and program listings information on a display on which video for a given television program is displayed, the system comprising:

means for displaying simultaneously with the video for the given television program;

program listings information using the interactive television program guide, wherein a user can use a remote control to navigate to and select the program listings information; and

a complete video in a reduced size video window using the interactive television program guide.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that is currently available for viewing by the user.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that will be available for viewing by the user at a future time.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with the program listings information.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the program listings information comprises a title of a program.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising means for tuning to a television program corresponding to the program listings information in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

16. The system of claim 10 further comprising means for scheduling a television program corresponding to the program listings information for recording in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the program listings information and the complete video are displayed in an overlay on top of the video for the given television channel.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the overlay is a BROWSE overlay.

38. The system of claim 10 further comprising means for displaying promotional information simultaneously with the video for the given television program, the program listings information and the complete video in the reduced size video window.

19. An interactive television program guide system for displaying video and program listings information on a display on which video for a given television program is displayed, the system comprising:

a remote control;

a display device; and

control circuitry configured to direct the display device to display simultaneously with the video for the given television program;

program listings information using the interactive television program guide, wherein a user can use the remote control to navigate to and select the program listings information; and

a complete video in a reduced size video window using the interactive television program guide.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that is currently available for viewing by the user.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that will be available for viewing by the user at a future time.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with the program listings information.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the program listings information comprises a title of a program.

24. The system of claim 19 further comprising a tuner, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the tuner to tune to a television program corresponding to the program listings information in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to schedule a television program corresponding to the program listings information for recording in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the program listings information and the complete video are displayed in an overlay on top of the video for the given television channel.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the overlay is a BROWSE overlay.

39. The system of claim 19 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the display device to display promotional information simultaneously with the video for the given television program, the program listings information and the complete video in the reduced size video window.

28. Data storage medium for a system that uses an interactive television program guide to display video and program listings information on a display on which video for a given television program is displayed, the data storage medium comprising program logic recorded thereon for:

displaying simultaneously with the video for the given television program;

program listings information using the interactive television program guide, wherein a user can use a remote control to navigate to and select the program listings information; and

a complete video in a reduced size video window using the interactive television program guide.

29. The data storage medium of claim 28 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that is currently available for viewing by the user.

30. The data storage medium of claim 28 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with a television program that will be available for viewing by the user at a future time.

31. The data storage medium of claim 28 wherein the complete video comprises a complete video that is associated with the program listings information.

32. The data storage medium of claim 28 wherein the program listings information comprises a title of a program.

33. The data storage medium of claim 28 comprising additional program logic recorded thereon for tuning to a television program corresponding to the program listings information in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

34. The data storage medium of claim 28 comprising additional program logic recorded thereon for scheduling a television program corresponding to the program listings information for recording in response to the user navigating to and selecting the program listings information.

35. The data storage medium of claim 28 wherein the program listings information and the complete video are displayed in an overlay on top of the video for the given television channel.

36. The data storage medium of claim 35 wherein the overlay is a BROWSE overlay.

40. The data storage medium of claim 28 comprising additional program logic recorded thereon for displaying promotional information simultaneously with the video for the given television program, the program listings information and the complete video in the reduced size video window.