Smart channel entry system

• US 6,766,526 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1999
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUYNH, AN SON PHI
• Application Number:
  US09/454,315
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/56, 725/57, 725/52, 725/37, 725/39, 725/61, 725/54, 725/51, 725/40, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/57
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• 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

Abstract

An interactive system is provided in which information is displayed in response to the entry of the digits of a channel number. The interactive system may be implemented on a television, a computer, or a radio system. The displayed information may be program listings information such as the channel designator or the program currently airing on the channel. The displayed information may also be a list of channels. The list of channels may be associated with the entered digits, may be component channels, or channels of the same type and may be sorted by various techniques such as numerically, by favorite channels, by type, etc. The interactive system may allow a user to specify a source identifier to channels from different sources and display the channels with the source identifier when they are entered.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the selection of a desired channel in a system that has a display device, wherein the desired channel is defined by a multiple-digit number, comprising:

enabling a user to enter a first digit with a user input device;

displaying program listings information associated with a first channel corresponding to the first digit;

enabling the user to enter a second digit with the user input device; and

displaying program listings information associated with a second channel corresponding to a second channel number formed by combining the first digit followed by the second digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the second channel is displayed in place of the program listings information associated with the first channel.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a channel designator.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a title of a program.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the program listings information is displayed on the user input device.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the desired channel is a television channel.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the desired channel is a Web page.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the desired channel is a radio station.

8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the user to tune to the desired channel.

9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the user to numerically navigate from the channel represented by the entered first digit or the entered first and second digits to available channels on the system; and

displaying program listings information in response to each navigation.

10. The method defined in claim 9 wherein the user may navigate through the available channels with up and down keys.

31. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

enabling the user to delete the entry of the second digit with the user input device; and

displaying program listings information associated with the first channel corresponding to the first digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the first channel is displayed in place of the program listing information associated with the second channel.

11. A machine-readable medium encoded with machine-readable instructions for facilitating the selection of a desired channel in a system that has a display device, wherein the desired channel is defined by a multiple-digit number, the machine-readable instructions configured to:

enabling a user to enter a first digit with a user input device;

display program listings information associated with a first channel corresponding to the first digit;

enable the user to enter a second digit with the user input device; and

display program listings information associated with a second channel corresponding to a second channel number formed by combining the first digit followed by the second digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the second channel is displayed in place of the program listings information associated with the first channel.

12. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a channel designator.

13. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a title of a program.

14. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11 wherein the program listings information is displayed on the user input device.

15. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11 wherein the desired channel is a television channel.

16. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11 wherein the desired channel is a Web page.

17. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11 wherein the desired channel is a radio station.

18. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11, the machine-readable instructions further configured to:

allow the user to tune to the desired channel.

19. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11, the machine-readable instructions further configured to:

allow the user to numerically navigate from the channel represented by the entered first digit or the entered first and second digits to available channels on the system; and

display program listings information in response to each navigation.

20. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 19 wherein the user is allowed to navigate through the available channels with up and down keys.

32. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 11, the machine-readable instructions further configured to:

enable the user to delete the entry of the second digit with the user input device; and

display program listings information associated with the first channel corresponding to the first digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the first channel is displayed in place of the program listing information associated with the second channel.

21. A system that facilitates the selection of a desired channel in a system that has a display device, wherein the desired channel is defined by a multiple-digit number, the system comprising:

means for enabling a user to enter a first digit with a user input device;

means for displaying program listings information associated with a first channel corresponding to the first digit;

means for enabling the user to enter a second digit with the user input device; and

means for displaying program listings information associated with a second channel corresponding to a second channel number formed by combining the first digit followed by the second digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the second channel is displayed in place of the program listings information associated with the first channel.

22. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a channel designator.

23. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a title of a program.

24. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the program listings information is displayed on the user input device.

25. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the desired channel is a television channel.

26. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the desired channel is a Web page.

27. The system defined in claim 21 wherein the desired channel is a radio station.

28. The system defined in claim 21 further comprising:

means for allowing the user to tune to the desired channel.

29. The system defined in claim 21 further comprising:

means for allowing the user to numerically navigate from the channel represented by the entered first digit or the entered first and second digits to available channels on the system; and

means for displaying program listings information in response to each navigation.

30. The system defined in claim 29 wherein the user is allowed to navigate through the available channels with up and down keys.

33. The system defined in claim 21 further comprising:

means for enabling the user to delete the entry of the second digit with the user input device; and

means for displaying program listings information associated with the first channel corresponding to the first digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the first channel is displayed in place of the program listing information associated with the second channel.

34. A system comprising user equipment that has a display device and facilitates the selection of a desired channel, wherein the desired channel is defined by a multiple-digit number, the user equipment configured to:

enable a user to enter a first digit with a user input device;

display program listings information associated with a first channel corresponding to the first digit;

enable the user to enter a second digit with the user input device; and

display program listings information associated with a second channel corresponding to a second channel number formed by combining the first digit followed by the second digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the second channel is displayed in place of the program listings information associated with the first channel.

35. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a channel designator.

36. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the displayed program listings information includes a title of a program.

37. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the program listings information is displayed on the user input device.

38. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the desired channel is a television channel.

39. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the desired channel is a Web page.

40. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the desired channel is a radio station.

41. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

allow the user to tune to the desired channel.

42. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

allow the user to numerically navigate from the channel represented by the entered first digit or the entered first and second digits to available channels on the system; and

display program listings information in response to each navigation.

43. The system as defined in claim 42 wherein the user is allowed to navigate through the available channels with up and down keys.

44. The system as defined in claim 34 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

enable the user to delete the entry of the second digit with the user input device; and

display program listings information associated with the first channel corresponding to the first digit, wherein the program listings information associated with the first channel is displayed in place of the program listing information associated with the second channel.