Interactive television program guide with selectable languages

• US 7,487,527 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Williamson, Steven C, Rosenthol, Joshua A, Easterbrook, Kevin B, Herrington, W. Benjamin, Ellis, Michael D, Rudnick, David M
• Primary Examiner(s): Shang; Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US11/353,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 725137-139, 348/461, 348/462, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Abstract

An interactive television program guide is provided. The interactive television program guide provides a user with the opportunity to select a language for playing television programming and displaying program guide text. Television program audio in the desired language may be obtained from a SAP or digital audio track and played in the selected language. Television related information in the desired language may be obtained from a digital track. If television program audio or related information is not provided in the selected language, the program guide may use a default language. The program guide may coordinate program guide display screen text with languages available for television programs when the programs are broadcast to users.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to media programs with content distributed by a server in multiple languages using an interactive program guide, the method comprising:

providing a user with a first selection opportunity to select a language for interacting with the interactive program guide;

communicating to the server the language selected by the user;

providing the user with a second selection opportunity to select a program for viewing using the interactive program guide, wherein the program has a plurality of associated tracks having content in at least two different languages, wherein each track is associated with a single language, and wherein the first and the second selection opportunities are separate selection opportunities; and

in response to the second selection opportunity, receiving from the server a transmission including only a track associated with the selected program having content in a language selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first selection opportunity occurs before the second selection opportunity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the language selected by the user is stored in a memory of user equipment.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the language selected by the user is stored in a memory of the server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein program guide display screen text is displayed on user television equipment in the language selected by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a television distribution facility.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the program is a video-on-demand program with a plurality of associated tracks having content in at least two different languages.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein tracks in languages other than the language selected by the user are not transmitted to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein tracks in languages other than the language selected by the user have been removed prior to transmission.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a selection opportunity to select an alternate language for interacting with the interactive program guide; and

wherein the receiving from the server a transmission comprises receiving from the server a transmission including only a track associated with the selected program having content in the alternate language when a track associated with the selected program having content in the language selected by the user is unavailable.

11. A system for providing access to media programs with content distributed by a server in multiple languages, the system comprising:

interactive program guide equipment having user television equipment;

an interactive program guide implemented on the interactive program guide equipment, wherein the interactive program guide equipment is configured to;

provide a user with a first selection opportunity to select a language for interacting with the interactive program guide;

communicate to the server the language selected by the user;

provide the user with a second selection opportunity to select a program for viewing using the interactive program guide, wherein the program has a plurality of associated tracks having content in at least two different languages, wherein each track is associated with a single language, and wherein the first and the second selection opportunities are separate selection opportunities; and

in response to the second selection opportunity, receive from the server a transmission including only a track associated with the selected program having content in a language selected by the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first selection opportunity occurs before the second selection opportunity.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the language selected by the user is stored in a memory of the interactive program guide equipment.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the language selected by the user is stored in a memory of the server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein program guide display screen text is displayed on user television equipment in the language selected by the user.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the server is a television distribution facility.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the program is a video-on-demand program with a plurality of associated tracks having content in at least two different languages.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein tracks in languages other than the language selected by the user are not transmitted to the user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein tracks in languages other than the language selected by the user have been removed prior to transmission.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the interactive program guide equipment is further configured to:

provide the user with a selection opportunity to select an alternate language for interacting with the interactive program guide; and

receive from the server a transmission including only a track associated with the selected program having content in the alternate language when a track associated with the selected program having content in the language selected by the user is unavailable.