Program guide system with real-time data sources

• US 9,344,768 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (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:
  US14/049,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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, etc. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide. 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.

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 first data source and first keys generated at the first data source;

storing the program listings data for the program and the first keys in memory;

receiving real-time non-program listings data from a second data source and second keys generated at the second data source;

matching the real-time non-program listings data from the second data source with the program listings data stored in the memory by comparing the first keys with the second keys;

updating the program listings data stored in the memory based on the real-time non-program listings data; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated program listings data comprises a score for a sporting event and an on-screen graphic associated with the sporting event, and wherein the on-screen graphic describes current events in the sporting event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second data source comprises a database remote to the first data source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating for display the updated program listings data comprises:

generating for display a selectable option associated with the updated program listings data.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the selectable option; and

generating for display a media item based upon the user selection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating for display the media item comprises generating for display a program associated with the updated program listings data, while the updated program listings data is generated for display to the user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating for display the media item comprises generating for display a media listing for a program associated with the updated program listings data, while the updated program listings data is generated for display to the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated program listings data is generated for display in an on-screen menu overlaid on a program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time non-program listings data is associated with a live sporting event, and wherein the program listings data is updated in response to a change in a score of the live sporting event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the program listings data is updated as the real-time non-program listings data is received.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated program listings data comprises an indicator for the real-time non-program listings data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time non-program listings data is a real-time media feed.

13. The method of clam 1, wherein the second keys are generated at the second data source using a same algorithm as the first keys generated at the first data source.

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

receive program listings data for the program from a first data source and first keys generated at the first data source;

store the program listings data for the program and the first keys in memory;

receive real-time non-program listings data from a second data source and second keys generated at the second data source;

match the real-time non-program listings data from the second data source with the program listings data stored in the memory by comparing the first keys with the second keys;

update the program listings data stored in the memory based on the real-time non-program listings data; and

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

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the updated program listings data comprises a score for a sporting event and an on-screen graphic associated with the sporting event, and wherein the on-screen graphic describes current events in the sporting event.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second data source comprises a database remote to the first data source.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor configured to generate for display the updated program listings data is further configured to:

generate for display a selectable option associated with the updated program listings data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a user selection of the selectable option; and

generate for display a media item based upon the user selection.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor configured to generate for display the media item is further configured to generating for display a program associated with the updated program listings data, while the updated program listings data is generated for display to the user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor configured to generate for display the media item is further configured to generating for display a media listing for a program associated with the updated program listings data, while the updated program listings data is generated for display to the user.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor configured to update the program listings data is further configured to generate for display the updated program listings data in an on-screen menu overlaid on a program.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the real-time non-program listings data is associated with a live sporting event, and wherein the program listings data is updated in response to a change in a score of the live sporting event.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the program listings data is updated as the real-time non-program listings data is received.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the updated program listings data comprises an indicator for the real-time non-program listings data.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the real-time non-program listings data is a real-time media feed.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the second keys are generated at the second data source using a same algorithm as the first keys generated at the first data source.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions thereon for display updated program listings data for a program, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving program listings data for the program from a first data source and first keys generated at the first data source;

instructions for storing the program listings data for the program and the first keys in memory;

instructions for receiving real-time non-program listings data from a second data source and second keys generated at the second data source;

instructions for matching the real-time non-program listings data from the second data source with the program listings data stored in the memory by comparing the first keys with the second keys;

instructions for updating the program listings data stored in the memory based on the real-time non-program listings data; and

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

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the updated program listings data comprises a score for a sporting event and an on-screen graphic associated with the sporting event, and wherein the on-screen graphic describes current events in the sporting event.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the second data source comprises a database remote to the first data source.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions for generating for display the updated program listings data comprises:

instructions for generating for display a selectable option associated with the updated program listings data.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the instructions further comprising:

instructions for receiving a user selection of the selectable option; and

instructions for generating for display a media item based upon the user selection.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions for generating for display the media item comprises instructions for generating for display a program associated with the updated program listings data, while the updated program listings data is generated for display to the user.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions for generating for display the media item comprises instructions for generating for display a media listing for a program associated with the updated program listings data, while the updated program listings data is generated for display to the user.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the updated program listings data is generated for display in an on-screen menu overlaid on a program.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the real-time non-program listings data is associated with a live sporting event, and wherein the program listings data is updated in response to a change in a score of the live sporting event.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the program listings data is updated as the real-time non-program listings data is received.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the updated program listings data comprises an indicator for the real-time non-program listings data.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the real-time non-program listings data is a real-time media feed.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the second keys are generated at the second data source using a same algorithm as the first keys generated at the first data source.