Method and apparatus for launching applications based upon electronic program guide data

• US 6,883,176 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spotware Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grooters, Brandon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US09/461,822
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/40, 725/48, 725/49, 725/58, 718/100, 718/102
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Information stored in a database of an electronic program guide is utilized to launch or terminate execution of one or more applications based upon the electronic program guide information. An application to be controlled is associated with an event and registered in a registry database. The event is determined in one embodiment by the electronic program guide. As information is received by an information handling system, the event information is monitored to determine whether the event has occurred. Upon the occurrence of the event, such as when the present time is a predetermined time, the associated application is launched or terminated according to the determined event.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining an electronic program guide with a registry for applications to be linked with occurrence of an event in information received by the electronic program guide;

registering an application with the electronic program guide;

associating the registered application with an event;

while receiving information from a selected information source, monitoring event related information by the electronic program guide for an occurrence of the event; and

upon an occurrence of the event, causing an operation of the application to be executed.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, the event being a predetermined time relative to a program and said monitoring step including the monitoring time to determine when the predetermined time occurs.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, said causing step including launching the application upon an occurrence of the event.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, said causing step including stopping the application upon an occurrence of the event.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of determining event related information based upon electronic program guide data for the received information.

6. A program of instruction storable on an information storage medium for causing an information handling system to execute steps for causing the operation of an application to occur, the steps comprising:

maintaining an electronic program guide with a registry for applications to be linked with occurrence of an event in information received by the electronic program guide;

registering an application with the electronic program guide;

associating the registered application with an event;

while receiving information from a selected information source, monitoring event related information by the electronic program guide for an occurrence of the event; and

upon an occurrence of the event, causing an operation of the application to be executed.

7. A program of instruction as claimed in claim 6, the event being a predetermined time relative to a program and said monitoring step including the monitoring time to determine when the predetermined time occurs.

8. A program of instruction as claimed in claim 6, said causing step including launching the application upon an occurrence of the event.

9. A program of instruction as claimed in claim 6, said causing step including stopping the application upon an occurrence of the event.

10. A program of instruction as claimed in claim 6, the steps further including the step of determining event related information based upon electronic program guide data for the received information.

11. An apparatus providing an electronic program guide, comprising:

means for maintaining an electronic program guide with a registry for applications to be linked with occurrence of an event in information received by the electronic program guide;

means for registering an application with an the electronic program guide;

means for receiving information from one or more information sources, the one or more information sources consisting of air transmitted television, cable television, satellite television, world-wide network, and internal storage medium, the means for receiving selecting one of the one or more information sources;

means for storing programming information related to information capable of being received from the one or more information sources;

means for monitoring for the occurrence of a predetermined event related to information received from the selected one of the one or more information sources; and

means for, responsive to the occurrence of the predetermined event, for implementing an operation of the application registered with the electronic program guide.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising means for providing a timing reference to said monitoring means.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, said receiving means being an information handling system capable of receiving the information and displaying the information on a display.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, said storing means being an electronic program guide database.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, said monitoring means being the electronic program guide resident as a program on an information handling system.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, said implementing means being the electronic program guide resident as a program on an information handling system.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a timer circuit for providing a timing reference to said monitoring means.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein information is monitored.