Set top to internet device communication and use

• US 7,197,708 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 03/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Graham, Philip R., Frendo, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ke; Peng
• Application Number:
  US09/742,551
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: 345/700, 345/769, 345/768, 345/717, 345/718, 345/731, 345/720, 715721- 26, 715/749, 715/750
• US Class Current: 715/718
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for providing Web-based information that is relevant to a program being viewed on a television. A data stream providing a set of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) is provided along with the program content. The URLs identify Web sites that are relevant to the program content. Based on user preferences specified in a user profile, URLs for Web sites that are likely to be of particular interest to the user can be culled from the overall set of URLs. These URLs are sent to a device connected to the Internet (e.g., a personal computer system), allowing the user to access Web-based information relevant to the program content. The program content continues to be displayed on the television and the Web-based information is displayed on the personal computer system. Accordingly, the user can view targeted information that is of interest without interrupting the display on the television.

Claims

1. In a server computer system communicatively coupled to the Internet, a method for providing a user with Web-based information associated with program content viewable on a television, said method comprising:

a) receiving information at said server computer system via the Internet, said information comprising a channel number for a channel on which program content is being received by a television from a broadcaster wherein said broadcaster does not provide Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) corresponding to said program content, said channel number identified by a set top box coupled to said television and to the Internet, said channel number sent to said server computer system from said set top box;

b) said server computer system identifying a set of URLs for Web sites associated with said program content using said channel number; and

c) communicating a first subset of one or more of said URLs in said set of URLs from said server computer system to a first computer system that is communicatively coupled to said server computer system via the Internet and communicating a second subset of one or more of said URLs in said set of URLs from said server computer system to a second computer system that is communicatively coupled to said server computer system via the Internet, wherein said server computer system uses information in a first user profile and information in a second user profile to screen said set of URLs and to select from said set of URLs said first subset and said second subset, respectively;

wherein said first and second subsets are respectively stored at said first and second computer systems separately from said program content such that said first and second subsets are retrievable from said first and second computer systems without accessing said program content, wherein said receiving, identifying and communicating are performed automatically without user intervention; and

wherein said program content is displayed on said television, Web-based information associated with said first subset of URLs is retrieved and displayed separately on said first computer system, and Web-based information associated with said second subset of URLs is retrieved and displayed separately on said second computer system such that different users can view different Web pages while viewing the same said program content on said television.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

comparing characteristics describing each URL in said set of URLs with user-specified characteristics in said first user profile;

identifying said first subset of said set of URLs, said first subset satisfying said user-specified characteristics; and

storing said first subset of URLs but not the entire said set of URLs.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

monitoring URLs selected by a user associated with said first user profile; and

adding characteristics describing said URLs selected by said user to said first user profile.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second subsets are communicated from said server computer system to said first and second computer systems via said set top box.

5. A server computer system communicatively coupled to the Internet, said server computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory unit coupled to said processor, said memory unit containing instructions that when executed implement a computer-implemented method providing a user with Web-based information associated with program content viewable on a television, said method comprising;

a) receiving information at said server computer system via the Internet, said information comprising a channel number for a channel on which program content is being received by a television from a broadcaster wherein said broadcaster does not provide Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) corresponding to said program content, said channel number identified by a set top box coupled to said television and to the Internet, said channel number sent to said server computer system from said set top box;

b) said server computer system identifying a set of URLs for Web sites associated with said program content using said channel number; and

c) communicating a first subset of one or more of said URLs in said set of URLs from said server computer system to a first computer system that is communicatively coupled to said server computer system via the Internet and communicating a second subset of one or more of said URLs in said set of URLs from said server computer system to a second computer system that is communicatively coupled to said server computer system via the Internet, wherein said server computer system uses information in a first user profile and information in a second user profile to screen said set of URLs and to select from said set of URLs said first subset and said second subset, respectively;

wherein said first and second subsets are respectively stored at said first and second computer systems separately from said program content such that said first and second subsets are retrievable from said first and second computer systems without accessing said program content, wherein said receiving, identifying and communicating are performed automatically without user intervention; and

wherein said program content is displayed on said television, Web-based information associated with said first subset of URLs is retrieved and displayed separately on said first computer system, and Web-based information associated with said second subset of URLs is retrieved and displayed separately on said second computer system such that different users can view different Web pages while viewing the same said program content on said television.

6. The server computer system of claim 5 wherein said method further comprises:

comparing characteristics describing each URL in said set of URLs with user-specified characteristics in said first user profile;

identifying said first subset of said set of URLs, said first subset satisfying said user-specified characteristics; and

storing said first subset of URLs but not the entire said set of URLs.

7. The server computer system of claim 6 wherein said method further comprises:

monitoring URLs selected by a user associated with said first user profile; and

adding characteristics describing said URLs selected by said user to said first user profile.

8. The server computer system of claim 5 wherein said first and second subsets are communicated from said server computer system to said first and second computer systems via said set top box.

9. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a server computer system communicatively coupled to the Internet to perform a method for providing a user with Web-based information associated with program content viewable on a television, said method comprising:

a) receiving information at said server computer system via the Internet, said information comprising a channel number for a channel on which program content is being received by a television from a broadcaster wherein said broadcaster does not provide Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) corresponding to said program content, said channel number identified by a set top box coupled to said television and to the Internet, said channel number sent to said server computer system from said set top box;

b) said server computer system identifying a set of URLs for Web sites associated with said program content using said channel number; and

c) communicating a first subset of one or more of said URLs in said set of URLs from said server computer system to a first computer system that is communicatively coupled to said server computer system via the Internet and communicating a second subset of one or more of said URLs in said set of URLs from said server computer system to a second computer system that is communicatively coupled to said server computer system via the Internet, wherein said server computer system uses information in a first user profile and information in a second user profile to screen said set of URLs and to select from said set of URLs said first subset and said second subset, respectively;

wherein said first and second subsets are respectively stored at said first and second computer systems separately from said program content such that said first and second subsets are retrievable from said first and second computer systems without accessing said program content, wherein said receiving, identifying and communicating are performed automatically without user intervention; and

wherein said program content is displayed on said television, Web-based information associated with said first subset of URLs is retrieved and displayed separately on said first computer system, and Web-based information associated with said second subset of URLs is retrieved and displayed separately on said second computer system such that different users can view different Web pages while viewing the same said program content on said television.

10. The computer-usable medium of claim 9 wherein said method further comprises:

comparing characteristics describing each URL in said set of URLs with user-specified characteristics in said first user profile;

identifying said first subset of said set of URLs, said first subset satisfying said user-specified characteristics; and

storing said first subset of URLs but not the entire said set of URLs.

11. The computer-usable medium of claim 10 wherein said method further comprises:

monitoring URLs selected by a user associated with said first user profile; and

adding characteristics describing said URLs selected by said user to said first user profile.

12. The computer-usable medium of claim 9 wherein said first and second subsets are communicated from said server computer system to said first and second computer systems via said set top box.