Interactive television program guide system that serves as a portal

a technology of interactive television and program guide, applied in the direction of television system, color television details, instruments, etc., can solve the problems of user confusion, overlap between applications that cannot be exploited, and the user interfaces provided by program guide applications are not common, so as to reduce the amount of code and data required by each application, and eliminate resource contention

Inactive Publication Date: 2011-08-25
UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]An application program interface (API) for the program guide is provided. The application program interface may allow non-program-guide applications to access program guide functions. The API may also coordinate access to platform resources (e.g., set-top box resources and / or server resources) such as on-screen display resources, remote control key resources, set-top box front-panel resources, communications channel resources, memory function resources, etc. by the program guide and the non-program-guide applications. The API may allow non-program-guide applications to make use of program guide functions such as tuning, parental control, favorites, user profiles, drawing, highlighting and on-screen navigation, database access, and purchasing. This approach ensures that a common user interface is used, resource contention is eliminated, and the amount of code and data required by each application is reduced.

Problems solved by technology

However, there would be no commonality between the user interfaces provided by the program guide application and non-program guide applications.
This could lead to user confusion, particularly with users who are not necessarily computer literate.
Overlap between applications might not be exploited and code and data might be duplicated among the applications.

Method used

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  • Interactive television program guide system that serves as a portal
  • Interactive television program guide system that serves as a portal
  • Interactive television program guide system that serves as a portal

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0060]An illustrative program guide system 30 in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Program guide data such as program listings, program descriptions, pay-per-view ordering information and the like may be stored in program guide database 32 of main facility 34. Main facility 34 distributes the program guide data to multiple television distribution facilities 36 via communications paths such as communications path 38. Television distribution facilities 36 may be broadcast television facilities, cable system headends, satellite distribution facilities, or other suitable television distribution facilities. Only one television distribution facility 36 is illustrated in FIG. 1 to avoid over-complicating the drawings. For clarity, the invention will be primarily discussed in connection with the use of one such television distribution facility. Communications path 38 may be any suitable communications path, such as a satellite link, cable, fiber-optic link, telephone...

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Abstract

A system is provided in which an interactive television program guide application and non-program-guide applications are at least partially implemented on user television equipment. A program guide program application interface is provided that is used to maintain a consistent user interface between the program guide application and the non-program-guide applications. Non-program-guide applications may be launched by the program guide application. The user may select certain non-program-guide applications as favorites and may set parental controls for certain non-program-guide applications. The program guide application may run in the background while a non-program-guide application operates. While the non-program-guide application operates, the program guide may check for events that require immediate attention. When such an event is detected, operation of the non-program-guide application may be suspended and the user may be asked whether the detected event should take place or whether operation of the non-program-guide application should be resumed. The applications may be located at a remote location such as on a server at a cable system headend or on a server on the Internet. The program application interface may perform authentication and access rights determination functions. Reminders may be set for the content of non-program-guide applications.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60 / 093,865, filed Jul. 23, 1998.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to interactive television program guide systems. More particularly, this invention relates to interactive television program guide systems having a program guide application that serves as a portal for other applications.[0003]Interactive television program guides are well known. Such guides, which are typically implemented on set-top boxes, allow users to view television program listings on their home televisions. Typical program guides allow users to view information for television programs and channels and audio programs and channels. For example, a program guide may provide information on regular television channels, premium television channels, pay-per-view television channels, and music channels. A variety of display formats are typically supported. For example, program listings may be organized by time, by channe...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H04N5/445G06F3/00G06F13/00H04N5/60H04N21/443H04N21/462H04N21/472H04N21/4725H04N21/478H04N21/4782H04N21/482H04N21/81
CPCH04N5/44543H04N5/60H04N21/4431H04N21/4622H04N21/8173H04N21/4725H04N21/47815H04N21/4782H04N21/4821H04N21/47202H04N21/47H04N21/812
Inventor ELLIS, MICHAEL D.THOMAS, WILLIAM L.KNUDSON, EDWARD B.HASSELL, JOEL G.EASTERBROOK, KEVIN B.
Owner UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES
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