Program guide system with real-time data sources

• US 8,589,976 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Knudson, Edward B., Rudnick, David M., Ellis, Michael D., Hagenbuch, Daniel C., Hassell, Joel G., Knee, Robert A., Reynolds, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US12/115,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,024 Days
• Field of Search: 725/49, 725/52, 725/55, 725/87, 725/88, 725/89
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program

Abstract

A program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, and the like. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. A controllable ticker may be displayed on top of a television program on the user television equipment. The controllable ticker may be sponsored. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database.

Claims

1. A method of generating for display updated program listings data for a program, the method comprising:

receiving program listings data for the program from a main facility;

storing the program listings data for the program in a database;

receiving real-time program listings data for the program from a source of real-time data, wherein the source of real-time data is separate from the main facility, and wherein the real-time program listings data is not received from the main facility;

matching the real-time program listings data from the source of real-time data with the program listings data stored in the database;

updating the program listings data stored in the database to include the real-time program listings data; and

generating for display the updated program listings data to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the real-time program listings data comprises schedule information for the program, and wherein updating the program listings data comprises updating the database with a different scheduled start time for the program using the schedule information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating for display the updated program listings comprises generating for display a program guide having a program listing for the program, the program listing reflecting the different scheduled start time for the program.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a user request to schedule the program for recording; and

recording the program from substantially the different scheduled start time.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a user request to set a reminder for the program; and

providing the reminder at substantially the different scheduled start time.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the program is a pay-per-view program, the method further comprising:

receiving a user request to order the pay-per-view program; and

providing the pay-per-view program at substantially the different start time.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the real-time program listings data comprises black-out information indicating whether the program will be broadcast to the user, and wherein generating for display the updated program listings data is performed in response to determining, from the black-out information, that the program will not be blacked out.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving real-time non-program listings data from the source of real-time data; and

simultaneously generating for display the updated program listings data and the real-time non-program listings data.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

storing the real-time non-program listings data in the database with the program listings data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the real-time non-program listings data comprises a score update for a sports game and the real-time program listings data comprises updated schedule information for the sports game.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining the database on a remote server; and

providing the updated program listings data to user equipment for display.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising maintaining the database on user equipment.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a program listing from the program listing data that is related to the real-time data.

14. A system for generating for display updated program listings data for a program, the system comprising a database and a display device and configured to:

receive program listings data for the program from a main facility;

store the program listings data for the program in the database;

receive real-time program listings data for the program from a source of real-time data, wherein the source of real-time data is separate from the main facility, and wherein the real-time program listings data is not received from the main facility;

match the real-time program listings data from the source of real-time data with the program listings data stored in the database;

update the program listings data stored in the database to include the real-time program listings data; and

generate for display, on the display device, the updated program listings data to the user.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the real-time program listings data comprises schedule information for the program, and wherein the system is further configured to update the database with a different scheduled start time for the program using the schedule information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system is configured to generate for display, on the display device, a program guide having a program listing for the program, the program listing reflecting the different scheduled start time for the program.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to:

receive a user request to schedule the program for recording; and

record the program from substantially the different scheduled start time.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the system is further configured to:

receive a user request to set a reminder for the program; and

provide the reminder at substantially the different scheduled start time.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the program is a pay-per-view program, the system further comprising:

receive a user request to order the pay-per-view program; and

provide the pay-per-view program at substantially the different start time.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the real-time program listings data comprises black-out information indicating whether the program will be broadcast to the user, and wherein the system is further configured to generate for display the updated program listings data in response to determining, from the black-out information, that the program will not be blacked out.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is further configured to:

receive real-time non-program listings data from the source of real-time data; and

simultaneously generate for display the updated program listings data and the real-time non-program listings data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the real-time non-program listings data comprises a score update for a sports game and the real-time program listings data comprises updated schedule information for the sports game.

23. The system of claim 14 wherein the system is further configured to:

store the real-time non-program listings data in the database with the program listings data.

24. The system of claim 14 wherein the database is implemented on a remote server, and wherein the system is further configured to:

provide the updated program listings data to user equipment for display.

25. The system of claim 14 wherein the system the database is implemented on user equipment.