Messaging protocol for interactive delivery system

• US 7,146,628 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sedna Patent Services LLC
• Inventors: Edmonds, Jeremy S., Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Comito, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/708,809
• Time in Patent Office: 2,218 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/40, 725/50, 725/121, 725/43, 725/52, 725/54, 725/98, 725/114, 348/461, 348/563, 348/731, 348/564, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 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 21/435 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Efficient messaging techniques that facilitate interactive program guide (IPG) delivery and allow a terminal to specifically designate requested items of information from a server. The IPG can be provided via a number of IPG pages, with each page including a number of defined regions. In one method, selection for a particular region of a particular page is received at a terminal and a determination is made whether the selected region is currently received. If the answer is no, a request for the selected region is generated and sent to a server. The request can conform to a particular message format that includes a number of fields, e.g., a region ID field that identifies the selected region, a subtype field that identifies a particular type, a time slot field that identifies a specific time slot, and a page offset field that identifies a specific page from among many.

Claims

1. A method of communications for an interactive program guide (IPG), comprising:

receiving, by a session manager from a terminal, a demand-cast request message for a particular region of a particular interactive program guide (IPG) page, the particular region being one of a plurality of regions, the regions including a guide region, a video region, an icon region, and a program description region, the particular IPG page being one of a plurality of IPG pages;

sending, by the terminal to the session manager, a stream acquired message, when it is determined at the terminal that the particular region is currently received at the terminal;

sending, by the session manager to a transport stream generator, a stream requested message, when the particular region is not currently received at the terminal;

sending, by the session manager, to the transport stream generator, a stream acquired message, when the particular region is currently received at the terminal;

generating, by the transport stream generator, a stream for the particular region, upon receiving the stream requested message from the session manager.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein demand-cast request message includes a plurality of fields and has a hierarchical structure, the fields including a first field that determines a particular format of remaining fields in the message format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the demand-cast request message includes a first field identifying the particular region in the particular IPG page.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the particular region is the guide region and the demand-cast request message includes a second field identifying a particular filter selected from among a plurality of filters.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of filters include one or more filters selected from the group consisting of pay per view (PPV), favorites, movies, kids, and sports filters.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the demand-cast request message further includes a third field identifying the particular IPG page.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third field includes a fourth field indicative of a particular time slot selected from among a plurality of time slots, wherein the selected time slot corresponds to a time period covered by the particular IPG page.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third field further includes a fifth field indicative of the particular IPG page selected from the IPG pages available for the selected time slot.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the region is the video region and the demand-cast request message further includes a second field indicative of a particular type of video selected from among a plurality of video types.