Method, system, and software for creating and utilizing broadcast electronic program guide templates

• US 7,134,133 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spotware Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wugofski, Theodore David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu-Oanh
• Application Number:
  US09/435,744
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/40, 725/49, 725/54, 725/82, 725/91, 725/92, 725/93, 725/98
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

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.

Claims

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.

2. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of accessing information.

3. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of registering said template with a receiver.

4. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of maintaining a user interface for said electronic program guide.

5. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template further comprises event handling instructions capable of selecting an event from a plurality of events.

6. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of calling at least one application programming interface.

7. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said system further comprises a receiver configured to receive said at least one template.

8. The system, as claimed in claim 7, wherein said receiver is further capable of maintaining information.

9. The system, as claimed in claim 7, wherein said receiver is further capable of receiving at least one template from one network of a plurality of networks and at least a second template from a second network of the plurality of networks.

10. The system, as claimed in claim 7, wherein said receiver is further capable of receiving user interface information independent of said at least one template.

11. The system, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a server comprising;

at least one processor;

memory operably associated with said processor; and

at least one insertion module operably associated with said processor and said memory and capable of inserting said at least one template comprising one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide into at least one information stream.

12. The system, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said server further comprises at least one selection module operably associated with said processor and said memory and capable of selecting said at least one template.

13. The system, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said insertion module is further capable of inserting at least one graphical user interface asset into said at least one information stream.

14. The system, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising at least one storing module capable of storing said at least one template and said at least one graphical user interface asset prior to insertion of said at least one template and said at least one graphical user interface asset into said at least one information stream.

15. The system, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said server further comprises at least one generation module operably associated with said processor and said memory and capable of generating an electronic program guide based upon said at least one template and said at least one graphical user interface asset.

16. The system, as claimed in claim 13, wherein said server further comprises at least one selection module operably associated with said processor and said memory and capable of selecting said at least one graphical user interface asset.

17. The system, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said insertion module is further capable of inserting said at least one template into one of a plurality of channels contained in at least one signal corresponding to one of a plurality of broadcasters.

18. The system, as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one splitting module capable of splitting at least one information signal into at least one elementary information stream.

19. The system, as claimed in claim 18, further comprising at least one replacing module capable of replacing said at least one elementary information stream with at least one locally generated elementary information stream.

20. The system, as claimed in claim 18, further comprising at least one encoding module capable of encoding said at least one elementary information stream into at least one information stream for output.

21. The system, as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one introducing module capable of introducing at least one locally generated data service into said at least one information stream.

22. The system, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one creation module capable of creating said at least one template.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the template includes an electronic program guide template application.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a local program insertion unit, a transport decoder and demultiplexer, and a transport encoder and multiplexer, the transport decoder and demultiplexer splits a national feed into real time audio, real time video, and information streams, the local program insert unit replaces national feed video and audio with locally originated audio and video elementary streams and provides the information streams to the broadcast electronic program guide server and the data carousel server, and the transport encode and multiplexer receiving audio and video streams from the local program insertion unit and information streams from the data carousel server.

25. The system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first broadcaster is a national broadcaster and the second broadcaster is a local affiliate.

26. The system, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

transport encoder means for encoding the electronic program guide information and the private electronic guide information into a television signal suitable for transmission to a television receiver.

27. The system, as claimed in claim 26, wherein the television signal encoded with the electronic program guide information and the private electronic guide information is transmitted via a satellite or via a cable television system.

28. A method comprising:

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.

29. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising selecting said at least one template.

30. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising creating said at least one template.

31. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising inserting at least one graphical user interface asset into said at least one information stream.

32. The method, as claimed in claim 31, further comprising selecting said at least one graphical user interface asset.

33. The method, as claimed in claim 31, further comprising generating an electronic program guide based upon said at least one graphical user interface asset and said at least one template.

34. The method, as claimed in claim 31, further comprising storing said at least one template and said at least one graphical user interface asset prior to inserting said at least one template and said at least one graphical user interface asset into said at least one information stream.

35. The method, as claimed in claim 28, wherein inserting further comprises inserting said at least one template into one of a plurality of channels of at least one signal corresponding to one of a plurality of broadcasters.

36. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising receiving, on a receiver, said at least one template.

37. The method, as claimed in claim 36, further comprising maintaining at least one item of information in said receiver.

38. The method, as claimed in claim 37, further comprising accessing said at least one item of information.

39. The method, as claimed in claim 36, wherein receiving further comprises at least one instruction capable of registering said at least one template with said receiver.

40. The method, as claimed in claim 36, wherein receiving further comprises at least one instruction capable of calling at least one application programming interface.

41. The method, as claimed in claim 36, wherein receiving further comprises at least one instruction capable of maintaining a user interface for said electronic program guide.

42. The method, as claimed in claim 36, wherein receiving further comprises event handling instructions capable of selecting an event from a plurality of events.

43. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising receiving at least one item of information independent of said at least one template.

44. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising splitting at least one information signal into at least one elementary information stream.

45. The method, as claimed in claim 44, further comprising replacing said at least one elementary information stream with at least one locally generated elementary information stream.

46. The method, as claimed in claim 44, further comprising encoding said at least one elementary information stream into at least one information stream for output.

47. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising introducing at least one locally generated data service into said at least one information stream.

48. The method of claim 28, wherein the template includes an electronic program guide template application.

49. The method of claim 28, wherein the template is a broadcast template received by a receiver.

50. The method, as claimed in claim 28, further comprising encoding the electronic program guide information and private electronic guide information into a television signal suitable for transmission to a television receiver.

51. The method, as claimed in claim 50, further comprising transmitting the television signal encoded with the electronic program guide information and the private electronic guide information via a satellite or via a cable television system.

52. A method comprising:

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.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the information stream passes from a decoder and demultiplexer to a local program insertion unit.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the video, audio, and information streams aforementioned are nationally originated video, audio, and information streams.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising replacing a portion of the nationally originated video, audio, and information streams with local video, audio, and information streams to form local program insertion unit video, audio, and information streams.

56. The method of claim 52, wherein the electronic program guide information stream is controlled by a first television network and is not able to be accessed by a second television network.

57. The method of claim 55, further comprising passing the local program insertion unit information stream to a data carousel server and a broadcast electronic program guide server.

58. The method of claim 52, further comprising splitting the information stream into an applications stream, a service and tuning stream, and an electronic program guide information stream by a decoder/demultiplexer, the electronic program guide information stream including the broadcast template having one or more instructions capable of configuring an electronic program guide.

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:

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.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the broadcast template is controlled by a television network.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the broadcast template is access limited.

62. 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; 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.

63. The system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of accessing information.

64. The system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of registering said template with a receiver.

65. The system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of maintaining a user interface for said electronic program guide.

66. The system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said template further comprises event handling instructions capable of selecting an event from a plurality of events.

67. The system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said template further comprises at least one instruction capable of calling at least one application programming interface.

68. The system, as claimed in claim 62, wherein said system further comprises a receiver configured to receive said at least one template.

69. The system, as claimed in claim 68, wherein said receiver is further capable of maintaining information and private electronic program guide information.