User input for access to television services

• US 8,255,951 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2004
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jerding, Dean F., Rodriguez, Arturo A., Banker, Robert O., Schlarb, John M., Van Orden, Robert T., Crandall, Bindu
• Primary Examiner(s): Corbo, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/957,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,885 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/40, 725/61, 725/47, 725/51, 725/28, 725/37, 725/135
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for accessing services in a television system. In one implementation, a DHCT presents a user a menu containing a plurality of selectable link representations corresponding to separate services or applications offered by the cable television system. The user navigates the menu with a remote device and selects a desired service by choosing the selectable link representation corresponding to the desired service or application. The DHCT receives the user input, translates the selectable link command into an executable call, and activates the service or application corresponding to the selected link representation from the menu chosen by the user.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a computer readable medium encoded with a markup language (ML) display engine and parser; and

a processor configured with the ML display engine to render an ML-based service guide on display device, the service guide comprising a first selectable link representation corresponding to a first service and a second selectable link representation corresponding to a second service, the first selectable link representation configured by an operator independent of user designated preferences, the second selectable link representation based on user preference.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the markup language comprises an extensible markup language (XML).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the markup language comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with the parser to receive and parse an ML file provided by a remote server, the ML file enabling the customization of the service guide based on operator input.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with the ML display engine to render each of the first and second selectable link representations based upon a respective hyperlink ML definition, the respective hyperlink ML definition comprising ML link destination information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer readable medium is further encoded with a service activation application, wherein responsive to user selection of the first or second selectable link representation, the processor is further configured with the ML display engine to translate associated ML link destination information for the selected one of the first or second link representation to an executable call for a service activation application.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured with the service activation application to activate a service that corresponds to the selected one of the first or second link representation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with the ML display engine to render plural selectable link representations based on user preferences, the plural selectable link representations constrained in quantity by a system operator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with the ML display engine to render content on a display device based on selection of one of the first selectable link representation and the second selectable link representation, the content corresponding to the first or second service, respectively.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured with the ML display engine to tabulate a frequency of activation for service channels or applications and include additional selectable links based on most frequently activated services.