Using web based information to select television programs

• US 8,776,118 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rashkovskiy, Oleg B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US09/584,508
• Time in Patent Office: 5,151 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/51, 725/58, 725/110, 725/112, 725/36, 715/500.1, 715/51, 715/513, 715/516
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Variables incorporated into a hypertext markup language program guide enable location of hypertext elements. Once the variable is located, the information contained within the identified hypertext element may be used to tune to a particular channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in response to user selection on a computer of a television program entry displayed in a web page, and separately from execution of the markup language itself, automatically locating non-command data within markup language, for said web page, that identifies a television channel to said television program;

parsing said data from said markup language; and

using a software program on said computer to automatically tune to said channel using said data without any user action after selection of said entry displayed in a web page, all without executing the markup language itself.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein automatically locating includes identifying a variable associated with a particular type of hypertext element.

3. The method of claim 2 including automatically locating the hypertext element in response to an indication provided on a screen display of the hypertext document.

4. The method of claim 3 including automatically locating the hypertext element in response to a mouse click.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein automatically locating the hypertext element includes searching for a variable associated with a particular type of hypertext element.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein automatically locating a hypertext element includes automatically locating a variable within a hypertext document associated with an application.

7. The method of claim 1 including causing a first application to automatically register with a browser to enable said first application to extract hypertext elements from web pages displayed by said browser.

8. The method of claim 1 further including automatically providing a user selectable icon in response to locating said data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein automatically providing an icon includes providing a pop-up menu screen.

10. The method of claim 9 including providing a pop-up menu which indicates at least one application that may be initiated using said element.

11. The method of claim 1 including automatically recording said channel using said data.

30. The method of claim 2 wherein the non-command data.

31. The method of claim 2 further comprising automatically turning to said channel without using hyperlinking.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions that when executed cause the machine to:

in response to user selection on a computer of a television program entry displayed in a web page, and separately from execution of the markup language itself, automatically locating non-command data within markup language, for said web page, that identifies a television channel to said television program;

parsing said data from said markup language; and

using a software program on said computer to automatically tune to said channel using said data, all without executing the markup language itself.

13. The medium of claim 12 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to identify a variable associated with a particular type of hypertext element.

14. The medium of claim 13 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to automatically locate said hypertext element in response to an indication provided on a screen display of a hypertext document.

15. The medium of claim 14 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to automatically locate the hypertext element in response to a mouse click.

16. The medium of claim 14 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to identify a variable associated with a particular type of hypertext element.

17. The medium of claim 16 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to automatically locate a variable within a hypertext document associated with an application.

18. The medium of claim 12 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to automatically register a first application with a browser to enable said first application to extract hypertext elements from web pages displayed by said browser.

19. The medium of claim 12 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to automatically provide a user selectable icon in response to the location of said element in said document.

20. The medium of claim 19 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to provide a pop-up menu.

21. The medium of claim 20 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to provide a pop-up menu which indicates at least one application may be started using said element.

22. The medium of claim 12 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to tune a television receiver to a particular channel.

23. The medium of claim 22 further having instructions that when executed cause the machine to record said channel.

24. A system comprising:

a processor-based device having a memory, said processor-based device to, in response to user selection on a computer of a television program entry displayed in a web page, and separately from execution of the markup language itself, automatically locate non-command data within markup language, for said web page, that identifies a television channel to said television program, parse said data from said markup language, and use a software program on said computer to automatically tune to said channel using said data, all without executing the markup language itself; and

an interface to connect said device to the Internet.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said software identifies a variable associated with a particular type of hypertext element.

26. The system of claim 24 including a display coupled to said processor-based device.

27. The system of claim 26 including a mouse coupled to said processor-based device, said software automatically locating a hypertext element in response to a mouse click.

28. The system of claim 27 further including a user selectable icon displayed in response to locating said element in said document.

29. The system of claim 24 including a television tuner/capture card coupled to said processor-based device.