User interface for interactive television systems

• US 7,305,693 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blackketter, Dean J., Park, Timothy F., White, Christopher, Yaksick, Jeffrey D
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US11/083,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20050166256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 21, 725/41, 725/61
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising means for displaying a television program, wherein the means for displaying a television program displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode, the means for displaying a television program activates the interactive television mode in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode, wherein the means for displaying a television program includes means for updating a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode, wherein the means for displaying a television program includes a plurality of means for tuning to maintain the interactive television status for each channel, wherein the plurality of means for tuning include video tuning means for tuning a current television program and a plurality of data tuning means for tuning a television programs previously activated in the interactive television mode;

and wherein there are a greater number of data tuning means than video tuning means.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the means for updating a channel status list records a time that the interactive television mode was activated.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the channel status list identifies all channels for which the interactive television mode has been activated.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of means for tuning include means for tuning a current television program and means for tuning a television program previously activated in the interactive television mode.

5. A method comprising:

displaying a video program;

displaying an interactive video mode indicator if the displayed video program supports an interactive video mode, wherein a video tuning devices and multiple data tuning devices maintain the interactive video status for each video channel, and wherein there are a greater number of data tuning devices than video tuning devices;

activating the interactive video mode in response to a request from a viewer of the video program to activate the interactive video mode; and

updating a channel status list to indicate that the video program is being viewed in the interactive video mode.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the channel status list identifies all video channels for which the interactive video mode has been activated.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the channel status list maintains a list of television channels for which an online mode has been activated.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a request to display a different channel;

determining whether the different channel was previously viewed in interactive video mode; and

displaying the requested channel in interactive video mode if the channel was previously viewed in interactive video mode.

9. A method comprising:

displaying a video program;

displaying an interactive video mode indicator if the displayed video program supports an interactive video mode, wherein a video tuning devices and multiple data tuning devices maintain the interactive video status for each video channel, and wherein there are a greater number of data tuning devices than video tuning devices;

receiving a viewer request to activate the interactive video mode;

activating the interactive video mode in response to the viewer request; and

updating a status list to indicate that the video program is being viewed in the interactive video mode, wherein the status list is updated to include a time that the interactive mode was activated.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the video tuner tunes a current video program and at least one data tuner tunes a data program previously activated in the interactive video mode.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the separate tuning devices include a first tuner to tune a first video program and a second tuner to tune a second video program simultaneously.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the separate tuning devices include a first tuning device to tune the current video program, a second tuning device to tune a first video program previously activated in the interactive video mode, and a third tuning device to tune a second video program previously activated in the interactive video mode.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the video program is a television program.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the status list identifies all channels for which the interactive video mode has been activated.

15. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the status list maintains a list of all video programs for which an online mode has been activated.