802 results about "Interactive television" patented technology

An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. The system coordinates the operation of the interactive television program guides so that the program guide settings that were adjusted with the given interactive television program guide are used by the other interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc. The operation of applications such as web browser applications, home shopping applications, home banking applications, game applications, etc. may also be coordinated.

An interactive television application is used to provide search results to a user. The user is provided with an opportunity to indicate a desire to search for programs. In response, the interactive television application generates search criteria and searches for programs. The search results that are displayed to the user include mosaic listings associated with programs that match the search criteria. In some embodiments, the interactive television application displays the mosaic listings in a manner that accentuates the different levels of relevance of the search results to the search criteria.

A television chat system is provided that allows television viewers to engage in real-time communications in chat groups with other television viewers while watching television. Users of the television chat system may engage in real-time communications with other users who are currently watching the same television program or channel. The system allows real-time communications in a chat group to be transmitted between users at user television equipment devices via a television distribution facility. The television chat system of the present invention permits users to join chat groups related to television programs, channels, or categories of programs that the user may be interested in. Real-time communications may be textual messages, audio communications, or video communications. The television chat system may also allow users to send chat requests to ask other users to enter a chat group. The system also permits users to establish chat groups that television viewers are permitted to join. The television chat system may be based on an interactive television program guide or set-top box application implemented on a set-top box.

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which a user may inform a program guide of the user's interests. Information on the user's interests may be stored in a preference profile. There may be more than one preference profile, each for a different user. Each preference profile contains a number of preference attributes (program titles, genres, viewing times, channels, broadcast characteristics, etc.). A preference level (e.g., strong or weak like, strong or weak dislike, illegal, mandatory, don't care, etc.) that is indicative of the user's level of interest is associated with each preference attribute. Preference profiles may be used to restrict the programs that are listed in various program listings display screens and may be used to limit the channels to which the program guide allows the user to tune.

An interactive television system that renders on-demand interactive multimedia services for a community of users. The interactive multimedia is delivered to each user on a TV or on a LAN-node (Local-Area-Network) computer through an "interactive TV channel" created and controlled by a Channel-processor, which can be implemented as either a PC or a high-end workstation. The system employs a direct-access on-demand workgroup server. It is equipped with the primary on-demand multimedia data base stored on a hard disk subsystem that is connected directly to the Channel-processors through an internal workgroup link. Using a no-overhead server technology, the connected workgrouped Channel-processors can all concurrently retrieve and process the data directly from the hard disk subsystem without resorting to a stand-alone server system for data retrieving and downloading. The system also employs peer-to-peer workgroup connectivity, so that all of the workgrouped Channel-processors that are connected to the workgroup server through the internal workgroup link, can communicate with one another.

A method and system for providing targeted advertisements over a networked media delivery system, especially interactive television networks, the system comprising tracking and storing viewer selections, analyzing the selections, and delivering targeted advertisements that appeal to the particular subscriber making the selections, the system including a merge processor, a file server, a profile processor, and a broadcast server contained in a head end in communication with a plurality of set-top boxes through a distribution network. Based on a subscriber's viewing habits and account information, the present invention delivers different, customized advertisements to different viewers watching the same program or channel. The present invention delivers the advertisements as either still frame bit maps or as video streams advertisement insertion in a playlist or a broadcast media program.

An interactive television system is provided in which a user can use an interactive television application to access and request media-on-demand programming. The interactive television application may display customized interface display screens that include video-on-demand programs and categories that may be of particular interest to the user. These programs and categories of interest may be based on the user's personal profile. Once a list of programs and categories based on a user's personal profile is generated, one or more of these programs may be incorporated in a menu interface template to generate a video-on-demand menu customized for the user.

A system and method for a highly interactive style of speech-to-speech translation is provided. The interactive procedures enable a user to recognize, and if necessary correct, errors in both speech recognition and translation, thus providing robust translation output than would otherwise be possible. The interactive techniques for monitoring and correcting word ambiguity errors during automatic translation, search, or other natural language processing tasks depend upon the correlation of Meaning Cues and their alignment with, or mapping into, the word senses of third party lexical resources, such as those of a machine translation or search lexicon. This correlation and mapping can be carried out through the creation and use of a database of Meaning Cues, i.e., SELECT. Embodiments described above permit the intelligent building and application of this database, which can be viewed as an interlingua, or language-neutral set of meaning symbols, applicable for many purposes. Innovative techniques for interactive correction of server-based speech recognition are also described.

A system and method for interaction with television programming uses either existing analog television programming with interactive content transmitted via separate communications channel or digital television with embedded interactive content in conjunction with a powerful viewer interface to provide a fully interactive television experience that is dynamic and personalized to each viewer.

Systems and methods for determining cross-platform predictive popularity ratings information are provided. An interactive television application operating on at least one predetermined platform, such as an online interactive application platform, may monitor user interactions with the interactive television application to obtain cross-platform data, which may be used to determine predictive popularity ratings information. The predictive popularity ratings information may then be distributed for use in at least one platform of a type different than the type of the predetermined platform, such as a user television equipment platform.

A method and system for providing flexible subscriber VCR control of an interactive media system that limits the consumption of bandwidth capacity, the method comprising establishing a viewing time window during which a subscriber can watch an ordered program, enabling the subscriber to freely pause, rewind, and fast-forward the program so long as the end of the program does not exceed the end of the window, automatically tracking the remaining program running time against the time remaining in the window, deactivating the pause and rewind features if the remaining program running time equals the time remaining in the window, and reactivating the pause and rewind features if the program is fast-forwarded such that the time remaining in the window exceeds the remaining program running time. The system of the present invention is any interactive media system that delivers video streams such as an interactive television system that supports services such as pay-per-view and video-on-demand, or an internet-based interactive media system that downloads video streams through the internet to be played on a subscriber's personal computer or other viewing device.

A television message system is provided that allows users at user television equipment devices that are connected to a television distribution facility to transmit messages to each other relating to a television program or other suitable subject. The television message system permits users to participate in evaluations, contests, promotions, and surveys related to a television program while watching that television program. The television message system also permits users to compose and send a message to a television program entity. Users can send messages through the television message system to users at personal computers who are connected to the user's television distribution facility through a communications network. The television message system also allows a user to purchase a gift related to television programming for a recipient. The gift may be an electronic gift certificate for pay-per-view programming. The television message system may be based on an interactive television program guide or a set-top box application implemented on a set-top box.

The invention refers to digital interactive games operable from specific terminals, video game consoles, personal computers, cell phones, digital interactive television, even when they include an initial bit of chance for their usual development, in order to incorporate the possibility to get a prize (including cash payments), besides of simply diversion. It comprises the incorporation of at least one random resource capable of sustaining a mathematical balance between winners and losers equivalent to that governing games of pure chance, keeping the condition that, for the resolution of each game, it requires the participation of the person, his / her with and his / her visual, motor, spatial, and linguistic skills, besides to his / her knowledge. The incorporated random resource is managed by a probabilistic balance system that ensures the proper ratio between winners and losers in terms of the predetermined “payout”. The incorporated random resource could be either a lottery of maximum results including the previous draw of the maximum result the player can reach (although he / she plays it perfectly), or a lottery of levels of difficulty that draws the level of difficulty set for each game between a maximum level (virtually impossible to overcome) and a minimum level (very easy to overcome), or a combination of both of them.

A client-server interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide client is implemented on user television equipment. The interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to define expressions that are processed by the program guide server. The program guide server may provide program guide data, schedules reminders, schedules program recordings, and parentally locks programs based on the expressions. Users' viewing histories may be tracked. The program guide server may analyze the viewing histories and generates viewing recommendations, targets advertising, and collects program ratings information based on the viewing histories.

A full service cable television system and method are provided. The system comprises a cable headend, at least one fiber transport, at least one distribution hub, at least one hybrid fiber coax plant, and a plurality of set-top terminals. The system delivers television programs, advanced cable services, and online services. Programs and services are transmitted to the set-top terminals in both digital and analog formats to maintain downward compatibility with existing systems. The set-top terminal includes a central processing unit, a unified memory architecture, a memory management unit, communications circuitry, I / O control circuitry, and audio and video output circuitry. Through these components, the set-top terminal provides advanced cable services such as a comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive program guide, impulse Pay-Per-View, Near-Video-On-Demand and Video-On-Demand programming, and advanced configuration controls. The set-top terminal also provides online services such as World Wide Web browsing, Internet e-mail, and home shopping.

A system for providing interactive television program guide features and other features and information related to a specific user interest or programming category in niche hubs is provided. All of the television programming features provided by user television equipment that relate to a specific user interest or programming category may be accessed from the niche hub. For example, a movie lovers niche hub may provide programming features such as television program listings for movies, video-on-demand listings for movies, pay-per-view listings for movies, web site links related to movies, movie-related merchandise, movie news groups, movie chat groups, movie e-mail clubs, movie contests, movie trivia questions, movie actor interviews, movie reviews, movie channel package ordering, etc. The programming features of the niche hubs may be transmitted from a server, database, or other storage facility via a television distribution facility. User television equipment may be connected via two-way communications paths to transmit messages to each other.

Advanced features for interactive television applications are described, including a back feature, a forward feature, a history feature, a go to feature, an extras feature, a reminder feature, a favorites feature, a parental control feature, and a search feature. Features may be inter-resource. Support for multiple data paths, Internet access, interactive services, and user profiles are also described.

A method and mechanism for enabling the creation and / or control of interactive television content using declarative-like directives such as HTML, scripting languages, or other languages. A a centrally located proxy server is configured to receive, transcode and convey transcoded web based content to client devices. Upon detecting directives which indicate particular resources required for a presentation are prerequisites, the proxy server conveys signals to a client device that these particular resources are prerequisites. In response to receiving the conveyed signals, the client device may take actions to prefetch these resources. The client device is further configured to prohibit initiation of the presentation until the prerequisite resources are acquired.

In one embodiment, the present invention is an improved interactive television system and method for t-commerce. In this embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for facilitating transactions by a user through a television system including a playback device. The method includes providing a first storage medium with pre-recorded content stored on the recording medium; storing an interactive advertisement on the first storage medium; generating a trigger for the interactive advertisement; displaying the interactive advertisement on the television system in response to the trigger when the first storage medium is played by the playback device; prompting the user to respond to the interactive advertisement; generating a transaction request from the user response; and transmitting the transaction request through the television system.This embodiment of the invention further includes storing a user identification within the television system and generating a transaction request from the user response and the user identification. The user identification may be stored in a second storage medium distinct from the first storage medium. Additionally, an electronic wallet including personal information of the user may be stored.

Methods and systems that provide enhanced personal video recorder (“PVR”) and interactive television program guide (“IPG”) functionality are provided. An interactive television application (“application”) may be implemented to provide such functionality. The application may be used to display a list of PVR recordings, to schedule recordings to a PVR, to configure recordings, to view a list of scheduled recordings, to configure recording settings, or to select delete priority settings for recordings. The application may integrate pay-per-view and PVR functionality. The application may send user notifications for changes that are to be made to the recording content of a PVR. Live programming may be buffered by the application using a straight buffers that are created for each new program. Parallel buffers for concurrent programs may be implemented using multiple tuners. Straight buffers may be used in managing or controlling the flow of programming. Television content may be automatically paused when a user is engaged in using the application. Multiple IPGs for different users of a PVR may be implemented. Other PVR related features are also provided.

An interactive television system is provided in which a program listings grid is displayed for the user. The user can scroll in the backwards direction to view information on programs that have been recorded and certain video-on-demand content. Icons or other visual indicators may be provided on program listings screens to indicate the status of the programs. The status information may include an indication of whether programs are available for recording, have been recorded, are being recorded, or will be recorded, or whether a given program is available for advance viewing through the interactive television system's video-on-demand service. Programs can be recorded automatically on user equipment or on network-based equipment. A program may be automatically recorded when a user sets a reminder for the program but fails to watch the program or when a given program is determined to satisfy the user's television viewing preferences.

A system and method for displaying still video images related to video content in an interactive broadcast television system. The system and method of the present invention may also be used for simulating an Internet home page on an interactive television system. The present invention thus supports hyperlinked web-like navigational capabilities in an interactive television system. According to the method of the present invention, the video delivery system provides or broadcasts one or more audio / video channels each comprising video content and also provides or broadcasts at least one still image channel comprising a plurality of still video images, preferably MPEG-2 compressed still images. The user or viewer can select options displayed on the television screen to view desired information. When the set top box receives user input selecting an option to view one of the linked still images, the set top box captures the requested image from the still image broadcast channel, stores the image in memory, and displays the captured still video image corresponding to the selection. The still image being displayed may have associated interactive program content for displaying further selections, wherein these selections may be for viewing other images or content, for ordering information, or purchasing products. The user can thus selectively navigate between the video content and stills in a web-like hyperlinked fashion. In one embodiment, when a user is navigating through still images, the television program or video content which was being viewed is displayed in a small window overlaid on the still image being displayed. Also, when the set top box captures a requested image from the still image broadcast channel, the set top box preferably also pre-caches or pre-loads other related still images based on the probabilty that these related images will be subsequently requested by the user. The invention also includes an embodiment which provides user requested still images "on demand" on a dedicated "search" channel.

A transport control interface may be provided by an interactive television program guide application to provide information, control or both for live and recorded video programming. The transport control interface may indicate to the user the time duration of a live or recorded program and any time segments of the program that have been recorded. The transport control interface may automatically adjust the start and end time shown to accommodate various factors such as continuous viewing on a particular channel, multiple recorded segments, buffer size, etc. Various information associated with the live or recorded video programming may be displayed in the transport control interface.

Systems and methods are provided for interactive advertising and program promotion that may attract and maintain user interest. The interactive advertisements may be displayed within interactive television application display screens, such as, an interactive television program guide display screen. A user may be able to select an interactive advertisement and may be presented with interactive content or features that may entice the user to view the advertisement. The interactive content or features may be related or unrelated to the product or service being advertised.

An interactive television program guide system and method is provided. Time separators are displayed within lists of program listings to allow users to more easily view the program listings. On-screen arrows have their display characteristics changed according to user actions. Similar program listings are displayed only once when using search program listings. Users are provided with an opportunity to view channel information before setting channels as favorites. Information from local information services is provided in program guide display screens that are configurable by a main facility. Users are provided with an opportunity to centrally lock and unlock programs, and to bypass locks when desired.

A system with parental control features is provided. The system may be switched between single account control and multiple account control. Each account may have a program control code and a purchase control code. A user may set parental control criteria for controlling access to programming for each account. A user may set purchase control criteria for controlling purchasing for each account. The system may remove a block on parentally-controlled activity when an authorized user enters an appropriate purchase or program control code. Every activity that matches any of the parental control criteria may be blocked and authorized user login may be required. The system may provide a selectable bypass locks feature. The system may present targeted advertising based on which code was entered last. The system may track account usage and provide information related to usage.

An interactive television system is provided in which a user may perform playback control functions while watching a broadcast television program. When the user requests such a function, a television distribution facility may transmit an interactive streaming media version of the program to the user's equipment. The user equipment switches the broadcast television program with the interactive streaming media version. The interactive streaming media version, once displayed on the given user's user equipment, may be controlled by the user with playback control functions.

A service gateway provides a proxy between a client protocol and a plurality of standard communication protocols. The service gateway provides asymmetrical routing, data compression and encryption to optimize client processing power and communication link bandwidth. The service gateway enables content translation between clients and service providers. The service gateway keeps track of client available memory and sequence numbers in messages to generate error codes when applicable. A store and forward message capability is provided along with abstract session identifiers. The service gateway supports user datagram protocol.

An interactive television program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide is implemented on user television equipment containing a memory. The system allocates the memory among different categories of program guide data used by the program guide. When new channels are added to the channel line-up, the program guide adjusts its memory allocation accordingly. When it is desired to install a new non-program-guide application on the user television equipment in addition to the program guide, memory can be reallocated to accommodate the new application.