Retrieving content using batch mode and real-time logical addresses

• US 7,543,323 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2002
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zigmond, Daniel J., Blackketter, Dean, Goldman, Phillip, Gillon, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris; Joseph G
• Application Number:
  US10/133,554
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 725/51, 725/136, 725/109, 725/110, 348/468, 348/478, 348/553, 348/569, 348/564
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/8586 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 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence

Abstract

Displaying content associated with a television program using logical addresses identifying the content. Content associated with the television program is automatically displayed by a set top box. Before the broadcast of a program, television listing information, such as EPG data, is stored at the set top box. The listing information includes batch mode logical addresses or links. During the program, a viewer is notified about the link, enabling the content to be accessed and displayed concurrently with the program. In addition, real-time logical addresses or links, which are embedded in the program, may be extracted and displayed to the viewer. If both the real-time and batch mode links are available, a determination is made according to pre-defined rules regarding which link is brought to the attention of the viewer. In this manner, real-time links can be supplied with the broadcast to supplement or replace the batch mode links.

Claims

1. A method of processing logical addresses specifying content associated with a television program, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a batch mode logical address associated with a program in advance of the program being broadcast, wherein the batch mode logical address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL);

receiving a video signal by which the program is broadcast;

retrieving a real-time logical address and associated data by extracting a sequence of data having a predetermined syntax from a data service channel of the video signal, wherein the associated data comprises a priority attribute, and wherein the real-time logical address comprises a URL;

selecting one or both logical addresses from among the real-time logical address and the batch mode logical address using, at least in part, the priority attribute; and

enabling the selected one or both logical addresses to be used to retrieve content specified by the selected one or both logical addresses.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of decoding the real-time logical address by translating predetermined patterns of one or more Electronic Industries Association 608 standard character set characters within the real-time logical address into a single character in a set of characters from which URLs are comprised.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data service channel is one of T1, T2, T3, T4, CC1 CC2, CC3, or CC4 of a vertical blanking interval of the video program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the batch mode logical address comprises the act of receiving the batch mode logical address from a Web server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving the batch mode logical address comprises the act of receiving the batch mode logical address as part of an electronic program guide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting also uses predefined rules, wherein the predefined rules specify that:

the real-time logical address is valid for a predetermined amount of time after receipt; and

the batch mode logical address is valid for a defined time interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority attribute indicates one of three possible priority conditions, the method further comprising:

if the priority attribute indicates a first priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, only the batch mode logical address;

if the priority attribute indicates a second priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, only the real-time logical address; and

if the priority attribute indicates a third priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, both the batch mode logical address and the real-time logical address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority attribute indicates one of three possible priority conditions, and wherein the three possible priority conditions are a defer condition, an override condition, and a coexist condition.

9. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for causing a processing device to perform a method of processing logical addresses specifying content associated with a television program, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a batch mode logical address associated with a program in advance of the program being broadcast, wherein the batch mode logical address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL);

receiving a video signal by which the program is broadcast;

retrieving a real-time logical address and associated data by extracting a sequence of data having a predetermined syntax from a data service channel of the video signal, wherein the associated data comprises a priority attribute, and wherein the real-time logical address comprises a URL;

selecting one or both logical addresses from among the real-time logical address and the batch mode logical address using, at least in part, the priority attribute; and

enabling the selected one or both logical addresses to be used to retrieve content specified by the selected one or both logical addresses.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising the act of decoding the real-time logical address by translating predetermined patterns of one or more Electronic Industries Association 608 standard character set characters within the real-time logical address into a single character in a set of characters from which URLs are comprised.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the data service channel is one of T1, T2, T3, T4, CC1 CC2, CC3, or CC4 of a vertical blanking interval of the video program.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the act of receiving the batch mode logical address comprises the act of receiving the batch mode logical address from a Web server.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the act of receiving the batch mode logical address comprises the act of receiving the batch mode logical address as part of an electronic program guide.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the selecting also uses predefined rules, wherein the predefined rules specify that:

the real-time logical address is valid for a predetermined amount of time after receipt; and

the batch mode logical address is valid for a defined time interval.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the priority attribute indicates one of three possible priority conditions, the method further comprising:

if the priority attribute indicates a first priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, only the batch mode logical address;

if the priority attribute indicates a second priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, only the real-time logical address; and

if the priority attribute indicates a third priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, both the batch mode logical address and the real-time logical address.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the priority attribute indicates one of three possible priority conditions, and wherein the three possible priority conditions are a defer condition, an override condition, and a coexist condition.

17. A system for processing logical addresses specifying content associated with a television program, the system comprising:

a processing unit, wherein the processing unit executes software configured for;

receiving a batch mode logical address associated with a program in advance of the program being broadcast, wherein the batch mode logical address comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL);

receiving a video signal by which the program is broadcast;

retrieving a real-time logical address and associated data by extracting a sequence of data having a predetermined syntax from a data service channel of the video signal, wherein the associated data comprises a priority attribute, and wherein the real-time logical address comprises a URL;

selecting one or both logical addresses from among the real-time logical address and the batch mode logical address using, at least in part, the priority attribute; and

enabling the selected one or both logical addresses to be used to retrieve content specified by the selected one or both logical addresses.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the software is further configured for decoding the real-time logical address by translating predetermined patterns of one or more Electronic Industries Association 608 standard character set characters within the real-time logical address into a single character in a set of characters from which URLs are comprised.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the data service channel is one of T1, T2, T3, T4, CC1 CC2, CC3, or CC4 of a vertical blanking interval of the video program.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the receiving the batch mode logical address comprises the act of receiving the batch mode logical address from a Web server.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the receiving the batch mode logical address comprises the act of receiving the batch mode logical address as part of an electronic program guide.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the selecting also uses predefined rules, wherein the predefined rules specify that:

the real-time logical address is valid for a predetermined amount of time after receipt; and

the batch mode logical address is valid for a defined time interval.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the priority attribute indicates one of three possible priority conditions, wherein the software is further configured for:

if the priority attribute indicates a first priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, only the batch mode logical address;

if the priority attribute indicates a second priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, only the real-time logical address; and

if the priority attribute indicates a third priority condition, of the three possible priority conditions, selecting, as the one or both selected logical addresses, both the batch mode logical address and the real-time logical address.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the priority attribute indicates one of three possible priority conditions, and wherein the three possible priority conditions are a defer condition, an override condition, and a coexist condition.