Interactive program guide system and method

• US 8,001,563 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TV Guide Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Hagenbuch, Daniel C., Carpenter, Kenneth F. Jr., Ross, Jeffrey, Ellis, Michael D., Rudnick, David M., Reynolds, Steven J., McKissick, Pamela L., Berezowski, David M., Herrington, W. Benjamin, Thomas, William L., Knudson, Edward B., Williamson, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig; Andrew Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone; Carmine
• Application Number:
  US12/632,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 725 38- 59, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• 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 21/472 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 : with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system and method is provided. Time separators are displayed within lists of program listings to allow users to more easily view the program listings. On-screen arrows have their display characteristics changed according to user actions. Similar program listings are displayed only once when using search program listings. Users are provided with an opportunity to view channel information before setting channels as favorites. Information from local information services is provided in program guide display screens that are configurable by a main facility. Users are provided with an opportunity to centrally lock and unlock programs, and to bypass locks when desired.

Claims

1. An interactive program guide system comprising:

a program guide data source for providing program guide data comprising program listings; and

an interactive program guide implemented on interactive program guide equipment having user equipment, the interactive program guide is configured to

provide a user with an opportunity to configure the program guide to auto-tune channels when the user indicates a desire to change channels, and to configure the program guide to not change channels when the user enters channel numbers using less than a predefined number of digits; and

display at least a portion of the program listings with the interactive program guide on the user equipment in a program guide display screen.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to:

provide the user with an opportunity to enter a predefined number of digits corresponding to desired channel numbers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to:

provide the user with an opportunity to configure the program guide not to auto-tune channels when the user indicates a desire to change channels.

4. A method for use in an interactive program guide system comprising the steps of:

providing program guide data comprising program listings;

providing a user with an opportunity to configure an interactive program guide implemented on interactive program guide equipment having user equipment to auto-tune channels when the user indicates a desire to change channels, and to configure the program guide to not change channels when the user enters channel numbers using less than a predefined number of digits; and

displaying at least a portion of the program listings with the interactive program guide on the user equipment in a program guide display screen.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the user with an opportunity includes:

providing the user with an opportunity to enter a predefined number of digits corresponding to desired channel numbers.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing the user with an opportunity to configure the program guide not to auto-tune channels when the user indicates a desire to change channels.