356 results about "Television equipment" 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.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

Systems and processes for interactive wagering are provided. A cellular telephone or handheld computing device may be used to access an interactive wagering service. Television equipment and computer equipment may be used to access the service. A user may view information on wagers such as current odds and other racing data for horses or other runners on the cellular telephone or other device. The user may create a corresponding off-track wager with the cellular telephone or other device that may be sent to a transaction processing and subscription management system. The transaction processing and subscription management system may handle the wager transaction and adjust the user's account balance.

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment obtains program guide data from two data delivery mechanisms. Current program guide data is obtained from a continuous data stream. Other program guide data (which may include the current program guide data) is obtained by the program guide from a program guide server.The continuous data stream may also include program and program grouping identifiers. The program guide may perform real-time actions associated with programs identified in the continuous data stream.

A program guide system is provided in which local advertisements may be distributed to interactive television program guides implemented on the user television equipment associated with a television distribution facility such as a cable system headend. The local advertisements contain information that is directed toward the particular users in a local area. The local advertisements may be displayed when a user selects a related global advertisement. The local advertisements may also be displayed automatically by cycling global advertisements and local advertisements. Advertisements may be blocked based on content or time shifted. Policies regarding advertisement usage may be enforced.

An interactive TV device is configured to receive and process multiple broadband input streams simultaneously. The device includes functionality to perform as a Web browser, HF, cable and satellite TV receiver, a digital PVR, an interactive TV set-top box, an advanced central processing unit and a videoconferencing device, thanks to an integrated videoconferencing camera. The present interactive TV device is configured to manage all multimedia sources identically, whether the input is a TV channel, a Web page, or a video stream played back from a data carrier such as a DVD, for example. The present interactive TV device is also configured to enable a user to watch and record a plurality of video streams simultaneously and to display them on four independently manageable quarter screen segments.

Methods and systems for remotely scheduling for recording or ordering a program advertised on a web page of a website. A program advertisement is displayed on a user device. In response to a user's selection of the advertisement, information is transmitted from the user device to a web server of the web page without navigating the user away from the website. The information includes information that identifies a user's equipment to a remote access server. A record request or an order request is transmitted by the web server to the remote access server. The remote access server cross-references the record or order request with an action request. The action request is transmitted to the user's television equipment to record or access the advertised program.

A highly integrated terrestrial and cable tuner for receiving digital and analog television signals is disclosed. It achieves high performances in sensitivity, image rejection, dynamic range, channel selectivity and power consumption. A major-images rejection converter disclosed rejects third- and fifth-order images. Thus it significantly relaxes RF filter design in a tuner of a single-stage or a first-stage zero-IF / low-IF downconversion architecture. Different architectures and frequency planning are disclosed in accordance with specifications of TV standards to improve the overall performance of the tuner with a different or configurable IF output. The tuner is integrated by using standard processes, with minimal off-chip components excluding SAW and LC filters. Small tuner modules cost less than discrete (can) tuners. They can be used in digital / analog TV sets and portable and handheld TV devices and for mobile-phone TV reception.

A media guidance application is provided by which users can view program listings associated with programming that the user may access using other user equipment devices. The media guidance application, implemented on, for example, a remote system, may determine through communications with television equipment whether or not the television equipment is authorized to provide a particular package of television programming to be viewed by the user. For example, an online program guide application may determine whether or not television equipment allows a user to view particular channels and, based on that determination, proceed to determine what packages of programming the user subscribes to. A customized program guide may then be displayed based on what programming the user subscribes to on various systems.

A system comprises television equipment and a number of portable electronic devices. The television equipment includes a large display and control circuitry. The control circuitry receives media content and media guidance data for display on the display. The control circuitry also includes communication components for communicating with the portable electronic devices. The portable electronic devices are operable for displaying video and communicating with the television equipment. A method comprises the steps of receiving media guidance information with a first portable electronic device; transmitting at least some of the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device to the control circuitry of the television equipment; and displaying the media guidance information from the first portable electronic device on the display of the television equipment while simultaneously displaying media content or media guidance information received from a source other than the first portable electronic device.

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment obtains program guide data from two data delivery mechanisms. Current program guide data is obtained from a continuous data stream. Other program guide data (which may include the current program guide data) is obtained by the program guide from a program guide server.The continuous data stream may also include program and program grouping identifiers. The program guide may perform real-time actions associated with programs identified in the continuous data stream.

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.

The invention relates to a household appliance control method and system based on smart television equipment and Internet. The household appliance control method comprises the following steps that: a command signal is input by a remote control terminal and is sent to the smart television equipment; the smart television equipment receives the command signal and forwards the command signal to a server through the Internet, and the server analyzes the command signal and organizes a control command logic according to the analyzed command signal; the organized control command logic is sent to the smart television equipment, and a control command logic from a local machine of the smart television equipment is executed by the smart television equipment; and with regard to control command logics of other household appliances to be controlled, the smart television equipment sends the corresponding control command logic to the remote control terminal, the remote control terminal forwards the control command logic to the other household appliances to be controlled through an infrared signal, and the household appliances to be controlled execute the control command logic. According to the household appliance control method and system based on the smart television equipment and the Internet, the video control on the other household appliances to be controlled can be implemented just by using simple equipment and voices, so that the household appliance management is simplified, and functions are added.

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.

When the user takes a watching mode with respect to a television device, a broadcast audio signal generated at the television device is transmitted to a remote controller device, and output from a speaker of a headset via a jack. When the user takes a telephone mode, an incoming audio signal from a conversation party is transmitted from the television device to the remote controller device, and output from the speaker of the headset via the jack. Concurrently, the voice uttered by the user is converted into an outgoing audio signal at a microphone of the headset, and transmitted to the television device from the remote controller device to be sent to the conversation party.

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.

The present invention relates to a system comprising a TV apparatus (3) which is responsive to control signals transmitted to said TV apparatus via a wireless connection (7), a mobile station (2) of a user, and a network element (1) which is configured to receive and store user specific parameters regarding at least one television program. The network element is arranged to generate at least one control message and to transmit said at least one control message via a cellular radio system (9) to said mobile station (2) of said user. Said mobile station (2) is configured to transmit control signals generated from information included in said at least one control message to said TV apparatus (3) via said wireless connection (7) in order to control said TV apparatus (3) to customize said broadcasted television program according to the user specific parameters.

A system and methodology for distributed delivery of online content in response to client selections from an online catalog is described. In one embodiment, for example, a system of the present invention is described for receiving and playing movies, the system comprises: a personal computer with Internet connectivity and having a browser for selecting movies from an online catalog; a set-top box with Internet connectivity, the set-top box having a hard disk for storing encrypted copies of the selected movies that the set-top box receives in response to user selections from the online catalog; and a television device, connected to the set-top box, for playing back decrypted copies of the selected movies that have been purchased for playback.

The invention relates to an underground pipeline excavation-restoration construction method of stage temperature-control field pipe-making, comprising the following steps: (1) an old sewage pipeline is plugged and cleaned, and closed-circuit television equipment is adopted to detect the inner part of the pipeline; (2) an impervious tubular auxiliary lining flexible pipe is arranged in the pipeline, and soaking hardened resin is filled to form a resin flexible pipe; (3) the resin flexible pipe and a hot water delivery pipe for heating are turned over and are inserted in the impervious tubular auxiliary lining flexible pipe; (4)the resin flexible pipe is expanded to be closely attached to the inner wall of the old pipeline by utilizing water and compression air, the hot water is heated in a circulating way, the resin flexible pipe is hardened, and a lining new pipeline is formed on the inner wall of the old pipeline; (5) the pipe orifices at two ends of the lining new pipeline are cut, so as to lead the pipeline to be smooth. The method is characterized in that: the heating circulation of hot water is divided into three steps: a first step is carried out for 40-45 minutes at the temperature of 73-75 DEG C; a second step is carried out for 55-60 minutes at the temperature of 82-84 DEG C, and a third step is carried out 30-35 minutes at the temperature of 25-30 DEG C. The method can prevent seepage, and can prevent the hardened resin which is soaked in the material and is solidified and not hard from cracking caused by sharp cooling.

The invention discloses an intelligent diagnosis method of radio and television equipment based on spatial rule index, comprising the following steps of: 1) carrying out uniform geocoding to the radio and television users and equipment, establishing superior and inferior spatial association rule of radio and television users and equipment, carrying out rule classification to the faults of equipment and constructing fault rule base and a fault diagnosis GIS application system; 2) using a fault repairing engine to carry out fault repairing of the radio and television users and completing automatic warehousing of fault repairing information; 3) carrying out data preprocessing to the fault repairing information and extracting fault knowledge; 4) querying an analyzer by the spatial graphic attribute, searching the spatial information of the radio and television users and the fault equipment and completing the spatial positioning of the fault users; 5) extracting the superior and inferior spatial relation, searching fault source equipment, analyzing fault causes and determining the damaging range of fault based on the spatial rule index, and extracting diagnosis. The intelligent diagnosis method has important and practical application value in the field of resource management of radio and television equipment and has wider application prospect.