Systems and methods for contextually linking television program information

• US 6,732,369 B1
• Filed: 04/11/1997
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Leftwich, James Jay, Broughton, Susan, OʼBrien, Sean A., Schein, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US08/837,298
• Time in Patent Office: 2,580 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, 348/906, 348/552, 348/563, 348/569, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 345/327, 345/717, 345/719, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/3.04, 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 725/39, 725/40, 725/43, 725/45, 725/46, 725/82, 725/139, 725/151
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• 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 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• 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 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 : specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• 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 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 : Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 : for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule information may be stored on the viewer'"'"'s computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer'"'"'s computer, television or PCTV.

Claims

1. An intelligent electronic program guide system including a display screen comprising:

a database local to a viewer for storing television schedule information including information about television programs and a plurality of subject matters associated with each television program;

means local to a viewer for displaying on the display screen some of the schedule information in guide format;

means local to the viewer for automatically generating a user preference file including a favorite subject matter about the television programs that a viewer would likely be interested in;

means local to a viewer for automatically searching the database for matching a television program that includes the identified favorite subject matter;

means local to a viewer for tagging the matched television program stored in the local database that includes the generated favorite subject matter; and

means local to the viewer for automatically activating a function of the local program guide system responsive to the tagged television program.

2. The program guide system of claim 1 wherein the favorite subject matter includes one or more of actor'"'"'s name, actress'"'"'s name, director'"'"'s name, and type of program.

3. The program guide system of claim 1 wherein means for automatically generating a favorite subject matter comprises means for monitoring and storing the viewer'"'"'s selections of television programs, and means for heuristically learning the viewer'"'"'s favorite subject matter according to the viewer'"'"'s selections of television programs.

4. The program guide system of claim 1 wherein means for automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises means for automatically tuning to the tagged television program at the scheduled telecast time.

5. The program guide system of claim 1 wherein means for automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises means for automatically programming a recording device to record a portion of the tagged television program at the scheduled telecast time.

6. The program guide system of claim 1 wherein means for automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises means for automatically reminding the viewer to view the tagged television program.

7. The program guide system of claim 1 wherein means for automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises means for automatically downloading a copy of the tagged television program to a digital storage medium at the scheduled telecast time.

8. A method for displaying and managing information in an interactive television guide system having a display screen comprising the steps of:

storing television schedule information in a database local to a viewer including information about television programs and a plurality of subject matters associated with each television program;

locally to a viewer, displaying on the display screen some of the schedule information in guide format;

locally to the viewer, automatically generating a user preference file including a favorite subject matter that a viewer would likely be interested in;

locally to the viewer, automatically searching the database for matching a television program that includes the identified favorite subject matter;

locally to the viewer, tagging the matched television program stored in the local database that includes the generated favorite subject matter; and

locally to the viewer, automatically activating a function of the local program guide system responsive to the tagged television program.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the favorite subject matter includes one or more of actor'"'"'s name, actress'"'"'s name, director'"'"'s name, and type of program.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of automatically generating a favorite subject matter comprises monitoring and storing the viewer'"'"'s selections of television programs, and heuristically learning the viewer'"'"'s favorite subject matter according to the viewer'"'"'s selections of television programs.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises automatically tuning to the tagged television program at the scheduled telecast time.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises automatically programming a recording device to record a portion of the tagged television program at the scheduled telecast time.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises automatically reminding the viewer to view the tagged television program.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of automatically activating a function of the program guide system comprises automatically downloading a copy of the tagged television program to a digital storage medium at the scheduled telecast time.