Server-centric customized interactive program guide in an interactive television environment

• US 8,578,419 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Bayrakeri, Sadik, Gordon, Donald F., Comito, John P., Ludvig, Edward A., Yocom, Harold P., Edmonds, Jeremy S., Gershtein, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): Goddarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAY, MARY ANNE
• Application Number:
  US11/059,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20050155063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,184 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/40, 725/43, 725/46, 725/47, 725/49, 725/52, 725/61, 725/82, 725/91, 725/103, 725/138, 725/144
• US Class Current: 725/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/577 Motion compensation with bidirectional frame interpolation, i.e. using B-pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 : comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 : involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• 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 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

Abstract

Techniques to create, generate, and deliver customized interactive program guide (custom-IPG). In one embodiment, selections indicative of a set of channels to be included in the custom-IPG are received. In response, one or more custom-IPG screens including the set of selected channels are rendered at a headend. Custom-IPG screens can be formed as subsets of the regular IPG screens, or as new screens. The rendered custom-IPG screens are provided from the head end to a set top terminal upon receiving a viewer request for the custom-IPG. Commands indicative of a particular location at which to overlay the custom-IPG screens may also be received, and the custom-IPG screens are re-rendered at the indicated location. Custom-IPG screens can be overlaid on a video sequence provided on a particular channel being viewed, used to carry regular program guide, or a channel independent of the channel used to carry regular programming and program guide.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a video session manager located at a server and configured to receive selections comprising;

a set of channels to be identified in a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG), and

a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout;

one or more encoders configured to encode the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

a modulator configured to generate an output signal comprising the custom-IPG for transmission on a communication channel, wherein;

the video session manager is configured to receive a request for controlling which of the custom-IPG or a regular IPG is provided on the communication channel; and

the modulator is configured to alternate between providing the custom-IPG and the regular IPG on the communication channel each time the request is received.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the video session manager is configured to receive a command indicative of x-y coordinates for a particular location at which to overlay the custom-IPG;

the one or more encoders are configured to re-render the custom-IPG at the particular location indicated by the received command; and

the modulator is configured to generate a second output signal comprising the re-rendered custom-IPG.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the custom-IPG is transmitted concurrently on the communication channel with at least a portion of a video sequence.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication channel also transports video content.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the video session manager is configured to receive a second request to turn off the custom-IPG; and

the one or more encoders are configured to provide a video sequence on the communication channel without the custom-IPG responsive to the second request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modulator is configured to provide the custom-IPG on the communication channel, wherein the communication channel is independent of channels used to carry video content and program guides.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the custom-IPG is formed as a subset of the regular IPG.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory configured for storing the custom-IPG.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the custom-IPG is stored as part of a viewer profile.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transport multiplexer configured to generate add-on content from a third party, wherein the add-on content comprises a real-time advertisement or HTML pages for electronic commerce.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

activate a program guide customization process;

present a menu comprising functions provided to assist in the customization process and a set of objects that can be manipulated to create and modify a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receive a first selection of a set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG;

receive a second selection for a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout; and

dynamically transmit the first selection of the set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG to a server;

receive, on a communication channel, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

communicate a request for controlling the server to alternate between the custom-IPG or a regular IPG being provided on the communication channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the custom-IPG has the set of channels in the customized layout.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein activating the program guide customization process is achieved by detecting highlighting of a particular object provided on the regular IPG.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein activating the program guide customization process is achieved based on receiving a command from a remote control unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the menu is generated at the server.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the menu is an overlay.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein receiving the first selection of the set of channels is achieved based on detecting highlighting of objects rendered in the menu.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the menu is generated in response to the highlighting of the particular object.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a first selection indicative of a set of channels to be identified in a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receiving, by the server, a second selection of a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout;

generating, by the server, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels;

subsequent to receiving a first request for the custom-IPG, dynamically overlaying, by the server, the custom-IPG on a video sequence to generate a dynamically modified video sequence;

providing the dynamically modified video sequence on a communication channel; and

receiving a second request for alternating between which of the custom-IPG or a regular IPG is provided on the communication channel.

18. A memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus at least to:

activate a program guide customization process;

receive a menu comprising functions provided to assist in the customization process, and a set of objects that can be manipulated to create and modify a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receive a first selection of a set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG;

receive a second selection of a customized layout of the custom-IPG;

dynamically transmit the second selection of the customized layout of the custom-IPG and the first selection of the set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG to a server;

dynamically receive, on a communication channel, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

communicate a request for controlling the server to alternate between the custom-IPG or a regular IPG being provided on the communication channel.

21. A method comprising:

receiving selections at a video session manager located at one or more servers, the selections comprising;

a set of channels to be identified in a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG), and

a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout;

encoding, at the one or more servers, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

generating, at the one or more servers, an output signal comprising the custom-IPG for transmission on a communication channel;

receiving, at the one or more servers, a request for controlling which of the custom-IPG or a regular IPG is provided on the communication channel; and

alternating between providing, from the one or more servers, the custom-IPG and the regular IPG on the communication channel each time the request is received.

22. A method comprising:

activating, at a computing device, a program guide customization process;

presenting, by the computing device, a menu comprising functions provided to assist in the customization process and a set of objects that can be manipulated to create and modify a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receiving, at the computing device, a first selection of a set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG;

receiving, at the computing device, a second selection for a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout; and

transmitting, dynamically from the computing device, the first selection of the set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG to a server;

receiving, at the computing device over a communication channel, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

communicating, from the computing device, a request for controlling the server to alternate between the custom-IPG or a regular IPG being provided on the communication channel.