Media system with internet content

• US 9,173,003 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US14/060,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20140047476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 725/48, 725/49, 725/51, 725/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• 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 21/478 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 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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 21/84 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 21/8586 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 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

An interactive television system is provided that supports newsgroup features. An interactive television application, such as an interactive television program guide, may be used to allow a user to view and post newsgroup messages to one or more newsgroup servers. The newsgroup servers may be located at a television distribution facility. The newsgroup servers may be Usenet servers accessed via the Internet. The user may use the newsgroup feature while watching television programming or while otherwise viewing other content provided by the interactive television application. Cross-referencing may be used to allow the user to access content related to a particular subject matter. Parental control features may be used to limit access to certain newsgroups. Newsgroup messages may contain links to other content made available through the interactive television application.

Claims

1. A method for providing Internet content related to a media listing, the method comprising:

cross-referencing a plurality of media listings stored in a listings database with Internet content stored in an Internet database, the cross-referencing comprising;

searching the Internet database for Internet content related to one or more of the plurality of media listings stored in the listings database;

identifying first Internet content related to a first media listing of the plurality of media listings based on the searching; and

generating an association between the first media listing and the identified first Internet content related to the first media listing; and

storing the association in a cross-reference database, wherein the cross-reference database is distinct from the Internet database and the listings database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first Internet content related to the first media listing comprises determining that the first Internet content is related in subject matter to the first media listing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the subject matter is determined based on at least one of:

a media asset, a media asset source, a media asset category, an actor, and a director.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically modifying the cross-reference database based on second Internet content that becomes available after storing the association between the first media listing and the identified first Internet content, wherein the modifying comprises storing an association in the cross-reference database between the first media listing and the second Internet content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet content stored in the Internet database comprises at least one of Internet listings, Internet message listings, and Internet messages.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the first Internet content from the Internet database, wherein the first Internet content is retrieved based on an association stored in the cross-reference database between the retrieved Internet content and a media asset that is currently displayed on a display device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating a display of the media asset in a first section of the display device and the retrieved Internet content in a second section of the display device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating a display of an interactive advertisement in a third section of the display device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a display of other content in a third section of the display, wherein the other content and the retrieved Internet content are related in subject matter.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the other content comprises at least one of:

text, graphics, images, video, and media.

11. A system for providing Internet content related to a media listing, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:

cross-reference a plurality of media listings stored in a listings database with Internet content stored in an Internet database, the cross-referencing comprising;

searching the Internet database for Internet content related to one or more of the plurality of media listings stored in the listings database;

identifying first Internet content related to a first media listing of the plurality of media listings based on the searching; and

generating an association between the first media listing and the identified first Internet content related to the first media listing; and

store the association in a cross-reference database, wherein the cross-reference database is distinct from the Internet database and the listings database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying the first Internet content related to the first media listing comprises determining that the first Internet content is related in subject matter to the first media listing.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the subject matter is determined based on at least one of:

a media asset, a media asset source, a media asset category, an actor, and a director.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

automatically modify the cross-reference database based on second Internet content that becomes available after the association between the first media listing and the identified first Internet content is stored, wherein the modifying comprises storing an association in the cross-reference database between the first media listing and the second Internet content.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the Internet content stored in the Internet database comprises at least one of Internet listings, Internet message listings, and Internet messages.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

retrieve the first Internet content from the Internet database, wherein the first Internet content is retrieved based on an association stored in the cross-reference database between the retrieved Internet content and a media asset that is currently displayed on a display device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a display of the media asset in a first section of the display device and the retrieved Internet content in a second section of the display device.

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

generate a display of an interactive advertisement in a third section of the display device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

generate a display of other content in a third section of the display, wherein the other content and the retrieved Internet content are related in subject matter.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the other content comprises at least one of:

text, graphics, images, video, and media.