Using the electronic program guide to synchronize interactivity with broadcast programs
DCFirst Claim
1. A computer implemented method of controlling a broadcast and reception of an interactive application, comprising:
- determining, using an electronic program guide, an interactive application associated with a broadcast program;
controlling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with a display of the broadcast program;
determining timing offsets associated with the broadcast program; and
wherecontrolling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with the display of the broadcast program is done in accordance with the timing offsets,wherein determining timing offsets associated with the broadcast program comprises receiving the timing offsets associated with the broadcast program from an external source.wherein the external source is a remote server, and receiving the timing offsets comprises;
receiving an email containing the timing offsets via network connection from the remote server.
2 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
In a broadcasting system, an electronic program guide (EPG) is used to determine what broadcast program is on a given channel at a given time in a given location. With the particular determined broadcast program as an input, timing offset objects defining interactive content related to the determined broadcast program can be retrieved from a timing offsets database. Each timing offset object specifies a time from the beginning of the program, an act to perform at the time, and a reference to interactive content on which to perform the act at the time. With the reference to the interactive content as an input, an interactive application or other interactive content can be retrieved from an interactive content database. The EPG, the timing offsets database, and the interactive content database may be located logically or physically together or separately, and they may be cached locally or referenced from an external source.
496 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method of controlling a broadcast and reception of an interactive application, comprising:
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determining, using an electronic program guide, an interactive application associated with a broadcast program; controlling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with a display of the broadcast program; determining timing offsets associated with the broadcast program; and
wherecontrolling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with the display of the broadcast program is done in accordance with the timing offsets, wherein determining timing offsets associated with the broadcast program comprises receiving the timing offsets associated with the broadcast program from an external source. wherein the external source is a remote server, and receiving the timing offsets comprises;
receiving an email containing the timing offsets via network connection from the remote server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A computer implemented method of controlling a broadcast and reception of an interactive application, comprising:
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determining, using an electronic program guide, an interactive application associated with a broadcast program; controlling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with a display of the broadcast program; determining timing offsets associated with the broadcast program; and
wherecontrolling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with the display of the broadcast program is done in accordance with the timing offsets, wherein the broadcast program is a television show, and wherein controlling the interactive application further comprises; responsive to determining from the timing offsets that there is a break in the television show, generating a command to suspend execution of the interactive application associated with the television show; and responsive to determining from the timing offsets that the break in the television show has ended, generating a command to resume execution of the interactive application associated with the television show. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36)
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35. A computer implemented method of controlling a broadcast and reception of an interactive application, comprising:
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determining, using an electronic program guide, an interactive application associated with a broadcast program; controlling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with a display of the broadcast program; determining timing offsets associated with the broadcast program; and
wherecontrolling the interactive application to maintain synchrony with the display of the broadcast program is done in accordance with the timing offsets, wherein the broadcast program is a first television show, and wherein controlling the interactive application further comprises; responsive to determining from the timing offsets that there is a break in the first television show, generating a command to suspend execution of a first interactive application associated with the first television show; responsive to determining from the timing offsets that the first television shown is being broadcast after the break has ended, generating a command to restart execution of the first interactive application; and responsive to determining from the timing offsets that a second television show is being broadcast, generating commands to terminate the first interactive application and to begin execution of a second interactive application associated with the second television show.
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Specification