Method and apparatus for transmitting and downloading setup information

• US 8,296,807 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Index Systems Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C., Kwoh, Daniel S., Chang, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): RABOVIANSKI, JIVKA A
• Application Number:
  US13/033,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20110141375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 725/50, 725/35
• US Class Current: 725/50
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0884 for the transmission of additional display-information, e.g. menu for programme or channel selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Multiple channel maps are embedded in a television transmission and the appropriate channel corresponding to the particular television service used by the viewer is downloaded for use with the television receiver. Each channel map is accompanied by a channel map identifier which identifies the source of the television transmission and a geographic identifier. The source of a television transmission is automatically detected by monitoring the radio-frequency spectrum allocations of telecast stations. The geographic area identifier is determined by comparison with a user inputted geographic area identifier. The channel map having a channel map identifier corresponding to the detected television transmission source and the user inputted geographic area identifier is downloaded and stored for future use.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment for determining a mapping of channels to stations at a specific geographic location, the method comprising:

receiving signals of a plurality of channels;

receiving a geographic area identifier;

scanning the signals of the plurality of channels to generate channel map information, the channel map information including respective information corresponding to a plurality of geographic area identifiers;

determining the information of the channel map information corresponding to the geographic area identifier;

determining a channel map identifier based on the determined information; and

determining a channel map corresponding to the channel map identifier, the channel map mapping each of the plurality of channels to a corresponding station of the plurality of stations for the geographic area corresponding to the geographic area identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the channel map corresponding to the channel map identifier comprises:

searching the signals of the plurality of channels to find a data block having the channel map identifier; and

extracting from the data block the channel map.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the channel map into a memory.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising waiting until the user equipment is not in use to store the channel map into the memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the signals contain data packets that are divided into data blocks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a channel map corresponding to the channel map identifier comprises receiving a user input of one of the plurality of channels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic area identifier is a postal directory code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel map is used to schedule a recording of programming.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a channel map packet is used to determine the channel map identifier based on the determined information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of stations comprises a call letter.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signals are television signals and wherein the plurality of stations are a plurality of television stations.

12. A user equipment for determining a mapping of channels to stations at a specific geographic location, the user equipment comprising:

means for receiving signals of a plurality of channels;

means for receiving a geographic area identifier;

means for scanning the signals of the plurality of channels to generate channel map information, the channel map information including respective information corresponding to a plurality of geographic area identifiers;

means for determining information of the channel map information corresponding to the geographic area identifier;

means for determining a channel map identifier based on the determined information; and

means for determining a channel map corresponding to the channel map identifier, the channel map mapping each of the plurality of channels to a corresponding station of the plurality of stations for the geographic area corresponding to the geographic area identifier.

13. The user equipment of claim 12, further comprising:

means for searching the signals of the plurality of channels to find a data block having the channel map identifier; and

means for extracting from the data block the channel map.

14. The user equipment of claim 12, further comprising means for storing the channel map into a memory.

15. The user equipment of claim 14, further comprising means for waiting until the user equipment is not in use to store the channel map into the memory.

16. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein at least one of the signals contain data packets that are divided into data blocks.

17. The user equipment of claim 12, further comprising means for receiving a user input of one of the plurality of channels.

18. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the geographic area identifier is a postal directory code.

19. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the channel map is used to schedule a recording of programming.

20. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein a channel map packet is used to determine the channel map identifier based on the determined information.

21. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein at least one of the plurality of stations comprises a call letter.

22. The user equipment of claim 12, wherein the signals are television signals and wherein the plurality of stations are a plurality of television stations.