ACCESS TO INTERNET DATA THROUGH A TELEVISION SYSTEM

• US 20100310238A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Kwoh, Daniel S., Mankovitz, Roy J., Macrae, Douglas B., Westberg, Thomas E., Yuen, Henry C., Leung, Elsie Y.
• Application Number:
  US12/820,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20100310238A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/296
• 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 21/42653 for processing graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• 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 21/4622 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• 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 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A television system provides access to Internet data simultaneously with a displayed television program. Data units including data address sites available through a networked computer system such as the Internet are embedded in a television signal along with a television program. Information representing the data address site, such as an icon or descriptive text, is displayed simultaneously with the television program on the television. If the user selects the data address site, a data retrieval terminal in two-way communication with the network and associated with the television establishes a connection with the network and requests the data corresponding to the selected data address site. The retrieved information is then formatted for display.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method for recording multiple programs, the method comprising:

receiving a user request to record multiple programs of a series of programs with a user apparatus;

generating recording data in response to receiving the user request, wherein the recording data includes an address associated with the user apparatus and a recording sequence command;

transmitting the recording data to the user apparatus associated with the address, wherein the user apparatus is configured to record the multiple programs in response to receiving the recording sequence command.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the recording data is transmitted to the user apparatus in the VBI of a broadcast television signal.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the user apparatus includes different first and second devices for receiving recording data and the multiple programs, respectively.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the user apparatus receives the recording data and the multiple programs with a same device.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the recording sequence command includes data representative of at least one of channel, date, time and length, for at least one of the multiple programs.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the multiple programs are television programs broadcast at different times.

43. The method of claim 37, wherein the user request comprises an electronic mail message.

44. The method of claim 37, wherein the user request is issued by a user remote from the user apparatus.

45. The method of claim 37, wherein the user request is transmitted through an ISP.

46. The method of claim 37, wherein at least a portion of the transmitted recording data is stored in a memory of the user apparatus.

47. A system for recording multiple programs, the system comprising:

a processor, communicably coupled to a user input terminal and a user apparatus, and configured to;

receive a user request, from the user input terminal, to record multiple programs of a series of programs with the user apparatus;

generate recording data in response to receiving the user request, wherein the recording data includes an address associated with the user apparatus and a recording sequence command;

transmit, to the user recording apparatus, the recording data to the user apparatus associated with the address, wherein the user apparatus is configured to record the multiple programs in response to receiving the recording sequence command.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the recording data is transmitted to the user apparatus in the VBI of a broadcast television signal.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the user apparatus includes different first and second devices for receiving recording data and the multiple programs, respectively.

50. The system of claim 47, wherein the user apparatus receives the recording data and the multiple programs with a same device.

51. The system of claim 47, wherein the recording sequence command includes data representative of at least one of channel, date, time and length, for at least one of the multiple programs.

52. The system of claim 47, wherein the multiple programs are television programs broadcast at different times.

53. The system of claim 47, wherein the user request comprises an electronic mail message.

54. The system of claim 47, wherein the user input terminal is remote from the user apparatus.

55. The system of claim 47, wherein the processor is included in an ISP.

56. The system of claim 47, wherein at least a portion of the transmitted recording data is stored in a memory of the user apparatus.