Electronic program guide using markup language

• US 7,073,188 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2002
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TV Guide Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Zaring, Jon C, Lemmons, Thomas R
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US10/171,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 725/40, 725/41, 725/47, 725/44, 725/48, 725/50, 725/51, 725/118
• US Class Current: 725/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• 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 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

An interactive television program guide is provided. Program guide display elements are arranged and styled using markup language documents. These markup language documents may also indicate and select program guide functions. The program guide interprets the markup language documents and generates the display screens and program guide functionality without user intervention. The program guide may also be updated by supplying new markup language documents that modify display screens and program guide functionality. The markup language documents may be supplied by a main facility or a television distribution facility.

Claims

1. A method for allowing an operator to update aspects of an interactive television program guide implemented on a user'"'"'s user television equipment, the method comprising:

allowing the operator to remotely supply a markup language document to the interactive television program guide implemented on the user'"'"'s user television equipment without intervention by the user;

updating aspects of the interactive television program guide based on the markup language document using the interactive television program guide; and

generating and displaying a program guide display screen on the user television equipment having aspects of the interactive television program guide as updated based on the markup language document.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the markup language document is a Hyper Text Markup Language document.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the markup language document is a Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language document.

4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the markup language document is an Extensible Markup Language document.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the aspects of the program guide comprise display characteristics of the program guide.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the aspects of the program guide comprise functionality characteristics of the program guide.

7. A system for allowing an operator to update aspects of an interactive television program guide on a user'"'"'s user television equipment, the system comprising:

means for allowing the operator to remotely supply a markup language document to the interactive television program guide on the user'"'"'s user television equipment without intervention by the user;

means for updating aspects of the interactive television program guide based on the markup language document using the interactive television program guide; and

means for generating and displaying a program guide display screen on the user television equipment having aspects of the interactive television program guide as updated based on the markup language document.

8. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the markup language document is a Hyper Text Markup Language document.

9. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the markup language document is a Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language document.

10. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the markup language document is an Extensible Markup Language document.

11. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the aspects of the program guide comprise display characteristics of the program guide.

12. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the aspects of the program guide comprise functionality characteristics of the program guide.

13. A machine readable medium comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

allowing an operator to update aspects of an interactive television program guide on a user'"'"'s user television equipment, the method comprising;

allowing the operator to remotely supply a markup language document to the interactive television program guide on the user'"'"'s user television equipment without intervention by the user;

updating aspects of the interactive television program guide based on the markup language document using the interactive television program guide; and

generating and displaying a program guide display screen on the user television equipment having aspects of the interactive television program guide as updated based on the markup language document.

14. The machine readable medium defined in claim 13 wherein the markup language document is a Hyper Text Markup Language document.

15. The machine readable medium defined in claim 13 wherein the markup language document is a Dynamic Hyper Text Markup Language document.

16. The machine readable medium defined in claim 13 wherein the markup language document is an Extensible Markup Language document.

17. The machine readable medium defined in claim 13 wherein the aspects of the program guide comprise display characteristics of the program guide.

18. The machine readable medium defined in claim 13 wherein the aspects of the program guide comprise functionality characteristics of the program guide.