Integration of internet sources into an electronic program database list

• US 7,152,236 B1
• Filed: 01/05/1998
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Amiga Development LLC
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kim C., Wugofski, Theodore D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/002,944
• Time in Patent Office: 3,270 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7, 348/9, 348/10, 348/906, 348/552, 348/564, 348/731, 345/327, 345/328, 725/39, 725/40, 725/51, 725/52, 725/112, 725/110
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A computerized system for integrating internet sources and television sources in a convergence system is disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, the system integrates both television channels and internet channels in a single list of channels available on the system. The lists of channels are stored in an electronic program database. The system solves the problem of managing multiple channels from multiple sources by seamlessly integrating channels from the television with channels from the internet in a single channel list.

Claims

1. An information handling system, comprising:

a graphical user interface;

wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display a channel list including at least one television channel and at least one scheduled internet channel concurrently, and is further configured to provide at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding the television channel, adding the internet channel, removing the television channel, and removing the internet channel, wherein the at least one scheduled internet channel has at least one event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time, and wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time.

2. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the channel list is a favorite channels list.

3. The information handling system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface includes an electronic program guide configured to display the channel list.

4. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic program database for storing the channel list.

5. The information handling system of claim 1, further comprising a convergence system which includes the information handling system.

6. A computerized system for integrating internet sources into an electronic program database comprising:

one or more television channels;

one or more scheduled internet channels having at least one event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time;

one or more channel lists integrating the television channels and the internet channels;

a means for storing each one of the channel lists; and

one or more user interfaces providing at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding the television channel, adding the internet channel, removing the television channel, and removing the internet channel, and wherein the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time are displayed in the one or more user interfaces.

7. The computerized system of claim 6, further comprising a means for displaying a selected one of the channel lists wherein each one of the channel lists contains one or more stored properties for the means for displaying.

8. The computerized system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the stored properties relates to a graphical attribute of the means for displaying.

9. The computerized system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the stored properties relates to a behavioral attribute of the means for displaying.

10. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the user interfaces provide a management function of selecting the channel list.

11. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface is a channel banner graphical user interface.

12. The computerized system of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface is a favorite channel list graphical user interface.

13. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components comprising:

a database component for storing one or more channel lists, at least one of the channel lists integrating one or more television channels and one or more scheduled internet channels, wherein the one or more scheduled internet channels has at least one event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time; and

a user interface component for displaying the channel lists and providing at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding the television channel, adding the internet channel, removing the television channel, and removing the internet channel, and wherein the user interface component is further for displaying the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a memory.

15. A computer comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium;

a display device; and

at least one application program, each application program executed by the processor from the computer readable medium to provide one or more channel lists for viewing on the display device wherein the channel lists integrate one or more television channels and one or more scheduled internet channels, and further to provide a graphical user interface for providing at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding the television channel, adding the internet channel, removing the television channel, and removing the internet channel, wherein the one or more scheduled internet channels have at least one event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time, and wherein the at least one application program is further to display the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time.

16. The computer of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises a memory.

17. A method of integrating sources in a convergence system, the method comprising the steps of:

including at least one television channel having an event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time and at least one scheduled internet channel concurrently in a channel list, wherein the at least one scheduled internet channel has at least one different event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time;

storing the channel list in a database;

displaying on a display device the channel list; and

displaying a graphical user interface on the display device wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding the television channel, adding the internet channel, removing the television channel, and removing the internet channel, and wherein the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time are displayed in the graphical user interface.

18. An information handling system, comprising:

a graphical user interface;

wherein the graphical user interface is configured to display a channel list including at least one television channel and at least one scheduled internet channel concurrently, wherein the channel list includes graphical and behavioral attributes to determine the graphical user interface for the channel list when displayed in an electronic program guide, and is further configured to provide at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding the television channel, adding the internet channel, removing the television channel, and removing the internet channel, wherein the at least one scheduled internet channel has at least one event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time, and wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to display the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time.

19. A method of integrating sources in a convergence system, the method comprising the steps of:

including at least one television channel and at least one internet channel concurrently in a channel list, wherein both the at least one television channel and the at least one internet channel each have at least one different event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time;

storing the channel list in a database;

displaying on a display device the channel list while graphically showing the events for both the at least one internet channel and the at least one television channel with scheduled start times and scheduled end times; and

displaying a secondary graphical user interface on the display device wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding a television channel, adding an internet channel, removing a television channel, and removing an internet channel.

20. A computer comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium;

a display device;

means for including at least one television channel and at least one internet channel concurrently in a channel list, wherein both the at least one television channel and the at least one internet channel have at least one event with a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time;

means for storing the channel list in a database;

means for displaying on a display device the channel list while graphically showing the events for both the at least one internet channel and the at least one television channel with scheduled start times and scheduled end times; and

means for displaying a secondary graphical user interface on the display device wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide at least one management function selected from a group consisting of;

adding a television channel, adding an internet channel, removing a television channel, and removing an internet channel.