Enhanced video programming system and method utilizing a web page staging area

• US 7,120,871 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: ACTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Harrington, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US09/397,298
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/523, 715/530, 725/110
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A web page staging area for construction of web pages hidden from view of the user. Once the web page is constructed, it is displayed to the user based upon timer event information or receipt of a particular command instructing that it be displayed. Use of the staging area provides the user with a more television-like experience in viewing content from the Internet or other source in that the user need not view a web page being constructed on a display device. Use of timer event information for displaying the constructed web page permits synchronization of the web page with associated programming.

Claims

1. A method of constructing a web page and presenting the constructed web page on a display device comprising:

displaying an audio-visual program;

receiving a pre-fetch push command to retrieve the web page, including an address for use in retrieving information to construct the web page;

retrieving the information using the address;

constructing the web page in a hidden staging frame prior to display on the display device in order to produce the constructed web page;

and commanding the constructed web page be displayed on the display device based upon timer event information transmitted with the pre-fetch push command or a show command,

and wherein the web page is related to the audio-visual program.

2. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the receiving step comprises receiving timer event information providing an indication of when to command the web page be displayed on the display device, and the commanding step comprises commanding the constructed web page be displayed based upon the timer event information.

3. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 2 wherein the timer event information comprises a particular amount of time after receiving the pre-fetch push command at the expiration of which a trigger is generated to actuate the commanding step.

4. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 2 wherein the constructed timer event information comprises a particular time at which a trigger is generated to actuate the commanding step.

5. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the step of commanding further comprises the step of receiving a show command instructing that the constructed web page be displayed.

6. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 5 wherein the step of receiving a command comprises receiving a program concurrent with receipt of the command instructing that the constructed web page be displayed.

7. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 6 wherein the program comprises a video program, audio program, or multimedia program.

8. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 6 wherein the commanding step further comprises the step of transmitting the program and the constructed web page to the display device for simultaneous display.

9. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 8 wherein the display device is a television.

10. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 8 wherein the transmitting step transmits the constructed web page for display to be overlaid on at least a portion of the display of the program.

11. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 6 wherein the commanding step further comprises the step of transmitting the program for display on a television and transmitting the constructed web page for display on the display device.

12. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the address comprises a uniform resource identifier.

13. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the constructing step comprises constructing the web page in a memory module.

14. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the retrieving step comprises using a web browser to retrieve the information.

15. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the receiving, retrieving, constructing, and commanding steps are performed by a personal computer, a television, a cable box, a satellite box, a radio, a telephone, a telephone answering device, a wireless telephone device, a wireless Internet device, a telephone device for the deaf, or a personal digital assistant.

16. A method of constructing a web page as described in claim 1 wherein the retrieving step comprises retrieving advertising, sports, or music content.

17. An apparatus for constructing a web page and presenting the constructed web page on a display device comprising:

a display for displaying an audio-visual program;

a receiver module for receiving a pre-fetch push command to retrieve the web page, including an address for use in retrieving information to construct the web page;

a retrieving module for retrieving the information using the address;

a construction module for constructing the web page in a hidden staging frame prior to its display on the display device in order to produce the constructed web page; and

a display generation module for displaying the constructed web page on the display device based upon timer event information transmitted with the pre-fetch push command or a show command,

and wherein the web page is related to the audio-visual program.

18. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 17 further comprising a timer event module for receiving timer event information and providing an indication of when to trigger the release of the constructed web page for display on the display device, and wherein the display generation module displays the constructed web page based upon the trigger.

19. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 18 wherein the timer event information comprises a particular amount of time after receiving the pre-fetch push command at the expiration of which the timer event module triggers the display generation module to display the constructed web page.

20. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 17 wherein the receiver receives a show command instructing the apparatus to display the constructed web page.

21. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 20 wherein the receiver module receives a program concurrent with receipt of the command that the constructed web page be displayed.

22. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 21 wherein the program comprises a video program, audio program, or multimedia program.

23. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 21 wherein the display generation module displays the program and the constructed web page simultaneously on the display device.

24. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 23 wherein the display device is a television.

25. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 23 wherein the display generation module displays the constructed web page by overlaying it on at least a portion of the display of the program.

26. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 21 wherein the display generation module displays the program on a television and displays the constructed web page on the display device.

27. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 17 wherein the address comprises a uniform resource identifier.

28. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 17 further comprising a memory for storing the constructed web page prior to its display on the display device.

29. An apparatus for constructing a web page as described in claim 17 wherein the retrieving module further comprises a computer readable program code means comprising a web browser program to retrieve the information.