Method, system, and software for creating and utilizing broadcast electronic program guide templates
First Claim
1. A system for providing additional electronic program guide information comprising:
- a first input configured to receive electronic program guide information from a first broadcaster;
a second input configured to receive private electronic guide information from a second broadcaster;
at least one template comprising one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide to include the electronic program guide information, the private electronic program guide information and the additional electronic program guide information; and
a broadcast electronic program guide server and a data carousel server, the broadcast electronic program guide server transmitting the template to the data carousel server;
wherein the private electronic program guide information includes at least one of event descriptions, local affiliate information or user selectable information and is intended for use exclusively by one or more select electronic program guides.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system and software for broadcasting, receiving, providing and/or configuring an electronic program guide (EPG). A broadcast station broadcasts a template to a system where program information is inserted into the broadcasted template, thereby creating a station specific EPG. The template accesses program information, service information, event information, user interface information, etc., for configuration and presentation of the EPG to the user. User interface assets and other associated information such as program information, tuning information, etc., may be accessed through a local data base or even through a broadcast signal containing the desired information. Event handling instructions are provided for selecting programs and events and accessing service information, tuning information, etc., for selected programs and events. Additionally, application program interfaces are accessible for execution, tuning, program, and scheduling information, etc. Templates are provided through a propagated signal wherein the signal may contain further information relating to channel information, user preference information, application information, return channel information, etc.
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Citations
69 Claims
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1. A system for providing additional electronic program guide information comprising:
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a first input configured to receive electronic program guide information from a first broadcaster; a second input configured to receive private electronic guide information from a second broadcaster; at least one template comprising one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide to include the electronic program guide information, the private electronic program guide information and the additional electronic program guide information; and a broadcast electronic program guide server and a data carousel server, the broadcast electronic program guide server transmitting the template to the data carousel server; wherein the private electronic program guide information includes at least one of event descriptions, local affiliate information or user selectable information and is intended for use exclusively by one or more select electronic program guides. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method comprising:
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receiving electronic program guide information from a first broadcaster via a first input; receiving private electronic guide information from a second broadcaster via a second input; maintaining at least one template in a broadcast electronic program guide server, the at least one template comprising one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide; and inserting said at least one template into at least one information stream and transmitting the information stream including the template to a data carousel server; wherein the electronic program guide includes the private electronic program guide information that is intended for use exclusively by one or more select electronic program guides, the private electronic program guide information including at least one of event descriptions, local affiliate information or user selectable information. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method comprising:
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receiving input from a broadcast server including a broadcast template by a receiver including a data carousel server, the broadcast template having one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide; and splitting the input into video, audio, and information streams by the receiver, the information stream including the broadcast template having one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide; wherein the electronic program guide information stream includes private electronic program guide information that is intended for use exclusively by one or more select electronic program guides, the private electronic program guide information including at least one of event descriptions, local affiliate information or user selectable information. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A system for providing additional electronic program guide information and private electronic program guide information to an electronic program guide including electronic program guide information, comprising:
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a broadcast electronic program guide server; a data carousel server that receives a broadcast template including an electronic program guide template application from the broadcast electronic program guide server, the broadcast template permitting a corresponding broadcaster to control how programs are presented to customers; a transport decoder and demultiplexer that splits a national feed into real time audio, real time video, and information streams, the information stream including broadcast template; a local program insertion unit that replaces national information streams with locally originated information streams and provides the locally originated information streams to the broadcast electronic program guide server and the data carousel server, the locally originated information streams comprising the private electronic program guide information; and a transport encoder and multiplexer that receives audio and video streams from the local program insertion unit and information streams from the data carousel server and encodes said audio and video streams and said locally originated information streams into a television signal suitable for transmission to a television receiver; wherein the private electronic program guide information includes at least one of event descriptions, local affiliate information or user selectable information and is intended for use exclusively by one or more select electronic program guides. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61)
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62. A system for providing additional electronic program guide information comprising:
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a first input configured to receive electronic program guide information from a first broadcaster; a second input configured to receive private electronic guide information from a second broadcaster; and at least one template comprising one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide to include the electronic program guide information, the private electronic program guide information, and the additional electronic program guide information; wherein the private electronic program guide information includes at least one of event descriptions, local affiliate information or user selectable information and is intended for use exclusively by one or more select electronic program guides. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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Specification