Television with set top internet terminal with user interface wherein auxiliary content is received that is associated with current television programming

• US 7,849,226 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zigmond, Daniel J., Anderson, David R., White, Christopher M., Yaksick, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEYTON, TAMMARA R
• Application Number:
  US11/004,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 725109-113, 725/35, 725 37- 61, 725/32, 725/135, 725/218, 725/224, 209/218, 209/224, 709219-222, 701/1, 701/5, 715/500.1, 710/1
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A viewer of television programming is alerted to the availability of content related to the programming (e.g. an associated Internet web page) by an icon momentarily displayed on the screen. Using a remote control, the viewer can select the icon. A control panel then appears, superimposed over the television image, and provides additional detail about the related content. By further operating the remote control, the viewer can select the associated content for viewing, or return to watching the television. Various other features and variations are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating a screen used to display both television programming and auxiliary content using a client device, the client device comprising a processing unit and memory, the method comprising:

causing display of television programming;

receiving, by the client device, link data conveyed in a signal with the television programming, the link data associated with first auxiliary content, wherein the link data is received during the display of the television programming, to which the first auxiliary content is related;

logging, by the client device, the received link data, including a number of times the link data has been received, wherein calculating the number of times the link data has been received comprises comparing the received link data against one or more previously received, and logged, link data;

deciding, by the client device, whether or not to cause display of an alert indication with the displayed television programming, the alert indication indicating the availability of the first auxiliary content, wherein the decision is based at least in part upon the number of times the link data representing the availability of the first auxiliary content has been received by the client device;

wherein the alert indication is an icon selected from a plurality of different icons each related to a different kind of auxiliary content; and

if the decision indicates the alert indication is to be displayed, causing display of the alert indication and, otherwise, skipping the causing display of the alert indication;

wherein the link data associated with the first auxiliary content is received by the client device during the displayed television programming at M times, the alert indication is displayed N times, and N is less than M; and

wherein, when the decision indicates the alert indication is to be displayed, the method further comprises;

displaying the alert indication with the displayed television programming;

receiving a selection of the displayed alert indication from a viewer;

responsive to receiving the selection of the displayed alert indication, displaying a graphical control panel;

that presents to the viewer a plurality of options selectable by the viewer, an option including a selection by the viewer to indicate desire to return to the displaying televised programming and ending the displaying the graphical control panel; and

an option further including a selection by the viewer to receiving, from the viewer, a selection to view the first auxiliary content;

and responsive to receiving the selection to view the first auxiliary content;

ending the displaying the graphical control panel; and

displaying the first auxiliary content; and

further responsive to a request from the viewer, displaying at least a portion of the previously logged link data to the viewer;

receiving a selection, from the viewer, from the displayed previously logged link data;

and responsive to receiving the selection from the displayed previously logged link data, displaying, to the viewer, auxiliary content associated with the selection from the previously displayed logged link data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein M is greater than one and N equals one.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device causes display of the alert indication if the link data associated with the first auxiliary content is received one time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device causes display of the alert indication the first time the link data associated with the first auxiliary content is received.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the client device skips the causing display of the alert indication in response to subsequently receiving the link data associated with the first auxiliary content.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising, with the client device, causing removal of the alert indication when the viewer indicates interest in the first auxiliary content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert indication is displayed for a predetermined period of time and then removed from the screen.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the link data comprises a logical address link and the first auxiliary content is located on the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the link data comprises a URL and the first auxiliary content comprises a Web page.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, with the client device, causing removal of the alert indication in response to receiving second link data conveyed in the signal with the television programming, the second link data associated with second auxiliary content.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the client device is a set-top box.

12. A client device comprising:

a television interface for receiving a signal for television programming and processing the signal to extract link data embedded within the signal, the link data associated with first auxiliary content;

a user input device interface for receiving user input signals sent from a user with a user input device;

memory for storing computer-executable instructions for controlling display of the television programming and alert indications; and

a processing unit for executing the computer-executable instructions to;

log the received link data, including a number of times the link data has been received, wherein calculating the number of times the link data has been received comprises comparing the received link data against one or more previously received, and logged, link data;

cause display of the television programming;

decide whether or not to cause display of an alert indication with the displayed television programming, the alert indication indicating the availability of the first auxiliary content, wherein the decision is based at least in part upon the number of times the link data representing the availability of the first auxiliary content has been received by the client device, wherein the alert indication is an icon selected from a plurality of different icons each related to a different kind of auxiliary content, and

if the decision indicates the alert indication is to be displayed, cause display of the alert indication and, otherwise, skip the causing display of the alert indication, wherein the link data associated with the first auxiliary content is received by the client device during the displayed television programming at M times, the alert indication is displayed N times, and N is less than M;

wherein, when the decision indicates the alert indication is to be displayed;

cause display of the alert indication with the displayed television programming;

receive a selection of the displayed alert indication from a viewer;

responsive to receiving the selection of the displayed alert indication,

cause display of a graphical control panel, wherein the graphical control panel includes a first graphical control for returning to the displayed television programming and ending the displaying the graphical control panel, and a second graphical control for viewing the first auxiliary content;

receive, from the viewer, a selection to view the first auxiliary content, wherein the selection to view the first auxiliary content is received from the viewer via the second graphical control; and

responsive to receiving the selection to view the first auxiliary content;

ending the displaying the graphical control panel; and

causing display of the first auxiliary content; and

the processing unit further adapted for executing the computer-executable instructions to;

responsive to a request from the viewer, display at least a portion of the previously logged link data to the viewer;

receive a selection, from the viewer, from the displayed previously logged link data; and

responsive to receiving the selection from the displayed previously logged link data, display, to the viewer, auxiliary content associated with the selection from the displayed previously logged link data.