Program guide application interface system

• US 7,624,410 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D, Knee, Robert A
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIUNGFEI, PENG
• Application Number:
  US10/684,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A program guide system is provided that supports a program guide application and multiple non-guide applications. The program guide system has a program guide application interface that allows the non-guide applications to use both device resources and program guide resources. The application interface maintains a list of registered applications and directs control requests from various applications to the current primary application. The application interface also has a user interface input director that directs keystrokes and other user input commands to the appropriate application. If a keystroke for the program guide application is detected while a non-guide application is running, the program guide application is invoked.

Claims

1. A method for allowing non-guide applications implemented on user television equipment to use device resources within the user television equipment and program guide resources associated with an interactive television program guide implemented on the user television equipment, the method comprising:

receiving, with a program guide application interface, a request directly from a requesting non-guide application to use one of a device resource and a program guide resource; and

directing the request to the one of the device resource and the program guide resource using the program guide application interface.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the device resource is selected from the group consisting of an on-screen display resource, a front-panel display resource, a user input interface resource, a tuner resource, a communications circuitry resource, a set-top box resource, and a memory resource.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the program guide resource is selected from the group consisting of a tuning resource, a parental control resource, a graphics library resource, a pay program purchasing resource, a program guide database access resource, a scheduling resource, and a program guide menu resource.

4. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising maintaining a registered application list.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising processing control requests from the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

6. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising directing user input to the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising coordinating multiple requests to utilize the device resource.

8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising coordinating multiple requests to utilize the program guide resource.

9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising suspending the operation of one of the applications.

10. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising resolving conflicts between applications that desire access to a user input device at the same time.

11. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising resolving conflicts between applications that request access to the same remote control keys of a remote control at the same time.

12. A system for allowing non-guide applications implemented on user television equipment to use device resources within the user television equipment and program guide resources associated with an interactive television program guide implemented on the user television equipment, the system comprising:

means for receiving, with a program guide application interface, a request directly from a requesting non-guide application to use one of a device resource and a program guide resource; and

means for directing the request to the one of the device resource and the program guide resource using the program guide application interface.

13. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the device resource is selected from the group consisting of an on-screen display resource, a front-panel display resource, a user input interface resource, a tuner resource, a communications circuitry resource, a set-top box resource, and a memory resource.

14. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the program guide resource is selected from the group consisting of a tuning resource, a parental control resource, a graphics library resource, a pay program purchasing resource, a program guide database access resource, a scheduling resource, and a program guide menu resource.

15. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for maintaining a registered application list.

16. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for processing control requests from the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

17. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for directing user input to the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

18. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for coordinating multiple requests to utilize the device resource.

19. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for coordinating multiple requests to utilize the program guide resource.

20. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for suspending the operation of one of the applications.

21. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for resolving conflicts between applications that desire access to a user input device at the same time.

22. The system defined in claim 12 further comprising means for resolving conflicts between applications that request access to the same remote control keys of a remote control at the same time.

23. A system for allowing non-guide applications to use device resources and program guide resources, the system comprising:

user television equipment on which a plurality of device resources, an interactive television program guide having a plurality of program guide resources, and a program guide application interface are implemented; and

wherein the program guide application interface is configured to;

receive a request directly from a requesting non-guide application to use one of a device resource and a program guide resource; and

directing the request to the one of the device resource and the program guide resource.

24. The system defined in claim 23 wherein the device resource is selected from the group consisting of an on-screen display resource, a front-panel display resource, a user input interface resource, a tuner resource, a communications circuitry resource, a set-top box resource, and a memory resource.

25. The system defined in claim 23 wherein the program guide resource is selected from the group consisting of a tuning resource, a parental control resource, a graphics library resource, a pay program purchasing resource, a program guide database access resource, a scheduling resource, and a program guide menu resource.

26. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to maintain a registered application list.

27. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to process control requests from the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

28. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to direct user input to the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

29. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to coordinate multiple requests to utilize the device resource.

30. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to coordinate multiple requests to utilize the program guide resource.

31. The system defined in claim 23, wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to suspend the operation of one of the applications.

32. The system defined in claim 23 further comprising:

a user input device; and

wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to resolve conflicts between applications that desire access to the user input device at the same time.

33. The system defined in claim 23 further comprising:

a remote control; and

wherein the program guide application interface is further configured to resolve conflicts between applications that request access to the same remote control keys of the remote control at the same time.

34. Computer-readable media for allowing non-guide applications implemented on user television equipment to use device resources within the user television equipment and program guide resources associated with an interactive television program guide implemented on the user television equipment, wherein the computer-readable media is encoded with a computer program thereon for:

receiving, with a program guide application interface, a request directly from a requesting non-guide application to use one of a device resource and a program guide resource; and

directing the request to the one of the device resource and the program guide resource using the program guide application interface.

35. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34 wherein the device resource is selected from the group consisting of an on-screen display resource, a front-panel display resource, a user input interface resource, a tuner resource, a communications circuitry resource, a set-top box resource, and a memory resource.

36. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34 wherein the program guide resource is selected from the group consisting of a tuning resource, a parental control resource, a graphics library resource, a pay program purchasing resource, a program guide database access resource, a scheduling resource, and a program guide menu resource.

37. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for maintaining a registered application list.

38. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for processing control requests from the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

39. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for directing user input to the interactive television program guide and non-guide applications.

40. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for coordinating multiple requests to utilize the device resource.

41. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for coordinating multiple requests to utilize the program guide resource.

42. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for suspending the operation of one of the applications.

43. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for resolving conflicts between applications that desire access to a user input device at the same time.

44. The computer-readable media defined in claim 34, wherein the computer-readable media is further encoded with a computer program thereon for resolving conflicts between applications that request access to the same remote control keys of a remote control at the same time.