Method and apparatus for providing interactive program guide (IPG) and video-on-demand (VOD) user interfaces

• US 8,191,104 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2006
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Edmonds, Jeremy S., Ludvig, Edward A., Son, Yong Ho, Colligan, Mike R
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, AN V
• Application Number:
  US11/542,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments

Abstract

An apparatus for providing multiple session-based services at a terminal, an exemplary apparatus includes a memory configured to support a plurality of software layers including a service layer communicating with terminal resources via a root layer disposed therebetween; and a processor, for executing instructions associated with a plurality of service layer applications, a root layer application and a control mechanism; each of the service layer applications communicating with terminal resources to provide thereby a respective user interface; wherein the control mechanism selectively causing at least one of the service layer applications to enter an active state, the user interface associated with a service layer application being adapted in response to the service layer application entering the active state.

Claims

1. A terminal for providing a user interface for supporting interactive media services, comprising:

a memory configured to store data; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, the processor operating on data in the memory;

wherein the processor is configured to provide;

a first application, operating at a first layer, for supporting a first type of service and for communicating with a first server at a headend supporting the first type of service;

a second application, operating at the same first layer as the first application, for supporting a second type of service and for communicating with a second server at a headend supporting the second type of service, wherein the first application and the second application communicate, but execute independently;

a first application message queue, coupled to the first and second application and operating at the same first layer as the first and second application, for receiving messages from the second application and for receiving and forwarding messages to the first application,

a second application message queue, coupled to the first and second application and operating at the same first layer as the first and second application, for receiving messages from the first application and for receiving messages from and forwarding messages to the second application the first and second application message queue passing control between the first application and the second application using messages;

a root application, coordinating communication between the first and second applications and lower layer resources, the first and second application executing on top of the root application;

wherein the first application and the second application each implement a wait state and an active state set by triggering events, and wherein the processor presents a user interface on a display for the first application and the second application, wherein the first application and the second application transition from an active state to a wait state in response to an exit triggering event and when the first and second application do not properly respond to a message polling a status of the first and second application, state status being communicated between the first and second application using the first and second application message queues, and wherein the first application executes in a foreground mode when in an active state and the second application executes in a background mode when in a wait state, the first application in the active state assuming control of a user interface and the second application in the wait state defers responding to events to the first application in the active state; and

wherein the processor receives user input for controlling the first and second applications via the user interface and for transitioning the first and second applications between active and wait states; and

wherein the first and second applications consist of applications selected from an interactive program guide (IPG) application and a video-on-demand (VOD) application.

2. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the overlay delivery is selected by causing both the first and second applications to be active.

3. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism causes a first application to enter an active state in response to a signal associated with the first application.

4. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism causes a first application to enter an active state in response to a signal indicative of an activation of a remote control key associated with the first application.

5. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the root application comprises a common platform adapted to enable the execution of the first and second applications.

6. The terminal of claim 1, wherein imagery associated with an active application is emphasized with respect to imagery associated with an inactive application in the wait state.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method, comprising:

configuring a memory to store data; and

processing data in the memory by a processor to implement;

a first application, operating at a first layer, for supporting a first type of service and for communicating with a first server at a headend supporting the first type of service;

a second application, operating at the same first layer as the first application, for supporting a second type of service and for communicating with a second server at a headend supporting the second type of service, wherein the first application and the second application communicate, but execute independently;

a first application message queue, coupled to the first and second application and operating at the same first layer as the first and second application, for receiving messages from the second application and for receiving and forwarding messages to the first application,

a second application message queue, coupled to the first and second application and operating at the same first layer as the first and second application, for receiving messages from the first application and for receiving messages from and forwarding messages to the second application, the first and second application message queue passing control between the first application and the second application using messages;

a root application, coordinating communication between the first and second applications and lower layer resources, the first and second application executing on top of the root application;

wherein the first application and the second application each implement a wait state and an active state set by triggering events, and wherein the processor presents a user interface on a display for the first application and the second application, wherein the first application and the second application transition from an active state to a wait state in response to an exit triggering event and when the first and second application do not properly respond to a message polling a status of the first and second application, state status being communicated between the first and second application using the first and second application message queues, and wherein the first application executes in a foreground mode when in an active state and the second application executes in a background mode when in a wait state, the first application in the active state assuming control of a user interface and the second application in the wait state defers responding to events to the first application in the active state; and

receiving user input at the processor for controlling the first and second applications via the user interface and for transitioning the first and second applications between active and wait states;

wherein the first and second applications consist of applications selected from an interactive program guide (IPG) application and a video-on-demand (VOD) application.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising selecting the overlay delivery by causing both the first and second applications to be active.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising causing the first application to enter an active state in response to a signal associated with the first application.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising causing the first application to enter an active state in response to a signal indicative of an activation of a remote control key associated with the first application.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising executing the first and second applications via the root application using a common platform.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising emphasizing imagery associated with an active application with respect to imagery associated with an application in the wait state.

13. A method for providing multiple session-based services at a terminal, comprising:

configuring a memory to store data; and

processing data in the memory by a processor to implement;

a first application, operating at a first layer, for supporting a first type of service and for communicating with a first server at a headend supporting the first type of service;

a second application, operating at the same first layer as the first application, for supporting a second type of service and for communicating with a second server at a headend supporting the second type of service, wherein the first application and the second application communicate, but execute independently;

a first application message queue, coupled to the first and second application and operating at the same first layer as the first and second application, for receiving messages from the second application and for receiving and forwarding messages to the first application,

a second application message queue, coupled to the first and second application and operating at the same first layer as the first and second application, for receiving messages from the first application and for receiving messages from and forwarding messages to the second application, the first and second application message queue passing control between the first application and the second application using messages;

a root application, coordinating communication between the first and second applications and lower layer resources, the first and second application executing on top of the root application;

wherein the first application and the second application each implement a wait state and an active state set by triggering events, and wherein the processor presents a user interface on a display for the first application and the second application, wherein the first application and the second application transition from an active state to a wait state in response to an exit triggering event and when the first and second application do not properly respond to a message polling a status of the first and second application, state status being communicated between the first and second application using the first and second application message queues, and wherein the first application executes in a foreground mode when in an active state and the second application executes in a background mode when in a wait state, the first application in the active state assuming control of a user interface and the second application in the wait state defers responding to events to the first application in the active state; and

receiving user input at the processor for controlling the first and second applications via the user interface and for transitioning the first and second applications between active and wait states;

wherein the first and second applications consist of applications selected from an interactive program guide (IPG) application and a video-on-demand (VOD) application.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising selecting the overlay delivery by causing both the first and second applications to be active.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising causing the first application to enter an active state in response to a signal associated with the first application.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising causing the first application to enter an active state in response to a signal indicative of an activation of a remote control key associated with the first application.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising executing the first and second applications via the root application using a common platform.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising emphasizing imagery associated with an active application with respect to imagery associated with an application in the wait state.