System and methods for subscribers to view, select and otherwise customize delivery of programming over a communication system

• US 7,600,245 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stefanik, John, Steading, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, HSIUNGFEI
• Application Number:
  US09/748,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20020047894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,205 Days
• Field of Search: 725/44, 725/45, 725/61, 725/87, 725/101, 725/104, 725/52
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A program source is linked to event information, which is coupled via a broadcast programming communication system to a number of subscribers. Each of the subscribers to the broadcast communication system has a device for displaying programming information. The subscriber is able to perform a variety of functions to select a program of interest. Subscribers can select, view, and purchase packages or events therein. The subscriber can scroll from event wrapper to event wrapper, within the same product or between products. Furthermore, while in the product scrolling mode the subscriber may interactively purchase a multi-event PPV product by using command buttons on a remote control.

Claims

1. A method for allowing programming providers to offer subscribers programming events, the method comprising:

a. associating events spanning multiple channels over non-contiguous time slots to create packages of programming;

b. generating an electronic programming guide, the electronic programming guide having a programming grid of cells that simultaneously lists a wrapper associated with each package and each package'"'"'s associated events, the wrapper surrounding all the cells in the programming grid that are associated with the events for each package, the programming grid also simultaneously listing a start time and a stop time of each event associated with each package;

the electronic programming guide having a first mode in which inputs to a navigator scroll from one wrapper to another wrapper of different packages of programming, and

the electronic programming guide having a second mode in which inputs to the navigator scroll from a cell associated with an event in a package to another cell associated with another event within the same package;

c. recognizing the non-contiguous events;

d. in response to recognizing the non-contiguous events, prompting to switch from the first mode to the second mode;

e. detecting a keystroke input to a control device;

f. if the keystroke input is a cursor key to the navigator, then determining whether the electronic programming guide is in the first mode or the second mode; and

g. if the keystroke input is not the cursor key to the navigator, then determining whether the keystroke input is a zoom key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the events comprises combining the events that are related by content, time, channel or source.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising relating the wrapper to each package'"'"'s associated events, such that the electronic programming guide simultaneously lists each package'"'"'s wrapper and each package'"'"'s associated events.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting each wrapper as the navigator scrolls from one package to another package.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising expanding the electronic programming guide to include channel information concerning at least one event associated with a package.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising collapsing the electronic programming guide such that only time information concerning the package is displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising expanding the electronic programming guide such that time and channel information concerning the events is displayed.

8. A method for offering users additional programming information concerning events of interest, comprising:

receiving an electronic programming guide having events spanning multiple channels over non-contiguous time slots associated with packages of programming, the electronic programming guide having a programming grid of cells that simultaneously lists a wrapper associated with each package and each package'"'"'s associated events, the wrapper surrounding all the cells in the programming grid that are associated with the events for each package, the programming grid also simultaneously listing a start time and a stop time of each event associated with each package;

receiving an input to a navigator that selects a first mode in which the navigator scrolls from one wrapper to another wrapper of different packages of programming within the electronic programming guide;

receiving another input to the navigator that selects a second mode in which the navigator scrolls from a cell associated with an event in a package to another cell associated with another event within the same package;

recognizing the non-contiguous events;

in response to recognizing the non-contiguous events, prompting to switch from the first mode to the second mode;

detecting a keystroke input to a control device;

if the keystroke input is a cursor key to the navigator, then determining whether the electronic programming guide is in the first mode or the second mode;

if the keystroke input is not the cursor key to the navigator, then determining whether the keystroke input is a zoom key;

if the electronic programming guide is in the second mode, then determining whether an adjoining event cell to be selected is part of a same package or part of a different package; and

if the adjoining event cell is part of the same package, then highlighting the adjoining event cell within the same package in a direction represented by the cursor key.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the electronic programming guide comprises receiving information selected from the group consisting of pricing, content and scheduling information.

10. A system processing an electronic programming guide (“

EPG”

), comprising;

means for receiving events spanning multiple channels over non-contiguous time slots associated with packages of programming;

means for storing the electronic programming guide in the memory, the electronic programming guide having a programming grid of cells that simultaneously lists a wrapper associated with each package and each package'"'"'s associated events, the wrapper surrounding all the cells in the programming grid that are associated with the events for each package, the programming grid also simultaneously listing a start time and a stop time of each event associated with each package;

means for producing a first mode of the electronic programming guide in which inputs to a navigator scroll from one wrapper to another wrapper of different packages of programming;

means for producing a second mode of the electronic programming guide in which inputs to the navigator scroll from a cell associated with an event in a package to another cell associated with another event within the same package;

means for recognizing the non-contiguous events;

in response to recognizing the non-contiguous events, means for prompting a user to switch from the first mode to the second mode;

means for detecting a keystroke input to a control device;

if the keystroke input is a cursor key to the navigator, then means for determining whether the electronic programming guide is in the first mode or the second mode;

if the keystroke input is not the cursor key to the navigator, then means for determining whether the keystroke input is a zoom key;

if the electronic programming guide is in the second mode, then means for determining whether an adjoining event cell to be selected is part of a same package or part of a different package; and

if the adjoining event cell is part of the same package, then means for highlighting the adjoining event cell within the same package in a direction represented by the cursor key.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control device is a remote control.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for receiving a command to cause a display to show package information in a collapsed mode in which only limited scheduling information concerning a package'"'"'s events are displayed.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for implementing a zoom mode in which additional information is accessed, the additional information describing an event within a package.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein when a package comprises non-contiguous events, then means for implementing commands to the navigator that scrolls to a next time and a next channel of an associated event within a package.

15. A method for organizing and presenting program information within an electronic programming guide, the method comprising:

receiving events spanning multiple channels over non-contiguous time slots associated with packages of programming;

receiving the electronic programming guide, the electronic programming guide having a programming grid of cells that simultaneously lists a wrapper associated with each package and each package'"'"'s associated events, the wrapper surrounding all the cells in the programming grid that are associated with the events for each package, the programming grid also simultaneously listing a start time and a stop time of each event associated with each package;

receiving an input that causes a navigator to scroll from one wrapper to another wrapper of different packages of programming;

receiving another input that causes the navigator to scroll from a cell associated with an event in a package to another cell associated with another event within the same package;

recognizing the non-contiguous events;

in response to recognizing the non-contiguous events, prompting to switch from a first mode to a second mode;

detecting a keystroke input to a control device;

if the keystroke input is a cursor key to the navigator, then determining whether the electronic programming guide is in the first mode or the second mode;

if the keystroke input is not the cursor key to the navigator, then determining whether the keystroke input is a zoom key;

if the electronic programming guide is in the second mode, then determining whether an adjoining event cell to be selected is part of a same package or part of a different package;

if the adjoining event cell is part of the same package, then highlighting the adjoining event cell within the same package in a direction represented by the cursor key; and

if the adjoining event cell is not part of the same package, then highlighting an adjoining package wrapper in the direction of the cursor key.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising relating the wrapper to the package'"'"'s associated events, such that the electronic programming guide simultaneously lists the package'"'"'s wrapper and the package'"'"'s associated events.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein when a package comprises non-contiguous events, then causing the navigator to scroll to a next time and a next channel of an associated event within a package.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising causing each package to be highlighted as the navigator scrolls between packages.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising expanding a package, causing an event within the package to be highlighted, and communicating that the event is being purchased.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving the keystroke input from a remote control.