MXPA01006585A - System and method for customizing program guide information to include reminder item or local identifier - Google Patents

Abstract

An interface and a method for customizing program guide information containing program descriptions is provided. The program guide information is downloaded and stored in a memory, preferably in a generic manner. A menu is generated based on the program guide information. The menu includes program identifiers which can be selected by a user to implement the corresponding programs. The menu then can be customized to include identifier(s) indicative of one or more additional programs or item, including user-specific programs and items which are remotely accessed or locally accessed. After customization, the additional identifiers are selectable by the user to implement the corresponding programs or display the corresponding items. Preferably, the customization is performed locally and interactively using displays generated by an electronic host device or another device connected thereto.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTING PROGRAM GUIDE INFORMATION TO INCLUDE REMINDER OR ITEMS LOCAL IDENTIFIER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention in general relates to the program guide information processing field and more particularly, to a system and method for adapting program guide information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Electronic devices such as televisions and personal computers (PCs) require a control system that includes a user interface system. Typically, a user interface provides information to a user and simplifies the use of the device. An example of a user interface is an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) in a television system. An Electronic Program Guide is an interactive, on-screen presentation aspect that displays analog information to TV listings found in local newspapers or other print media. In addition, an electronic program guide also includes the information necessary to compare and decode programs. An electronic program guide provides information regarding each program within the time frames covered by the EPG guide, which typically varies from the next hour up to 7 days. The information contained in an EPG guide includes programming features such as channel number, program title, start time, end time, elapsed time, remaining time, audience (if available), topic, topic, and a brief description of the content of the program. The electronic program guides are usually arranged in a two-dimensional grid table or format with time information on one axis and channel information on the other axis. Unlike the non-interactive guides that reside in a dedicated channel and merely move through the actual programming over the other channels during the next 2 or 3 hours, the EPGs allow the viewers to select any channel at any time during certain period in the future, for example, up to 7 days in advance. In addition, aspects of the EPG guide include the ability to illuminate individual cells in the grid containing program information. Once lit, the viewer can perform functions that belong to that selected program. For example, the viewer can instantly switch to that program if it is currently on the air. Visualizers can also program a video cassette recorder (VCR) or similar if the television is properly configured and connected to a recording device. Such EPGs guides are known in the art and are described in, for example, the patents of E. U. A. Nos. 5,353,121; 5,479,268; and 5,479,266, issued to Young et al., and assigned to StarSight Telecast, Inc. In addition, the US patent. No. 5,515,106, issued to Chaney et al., And assigned to the same assignee of the present invention, describes in detail an illustrative embodiment including the data packet structure necessary to implement an illustrative program guide system. The illustrative data packet structure is designed so that both channel information (e.g., channel name, letters, channel number, type, etc.), and program description information (e.g., title, audience , protagonist, etc.), in relation to a program can be transmitted from a program guide database provider to a receiving device, efficiently.

User interfaces such as EPGs are applicable to analogue and digital television systems and to other electronic devices such as personal computers. Since electronic devices have become enormously complex with a multitude of aspects, the need for a robust and easy-to-use user interface has become more important. For example, the separated electronic systems that have respective interfaces to control aspects of each system are now being combined in a single system that requires a single user interface. A specific example is the so-called PCTV, which includes aspects of both a personal computer and a television. The user interface system for such a device must provide both clear computer and television communication related to information such as providing simple control of the aspects related to both the computer and television. One problem with the current EPG guidance system is that the program guide is typically provided in a fixed format (ie, in a two-dimensional grid format with time information on one axis and channel information on the other axis, such as described above). Users are typically not provided with ways to adapt the program guide list or to categorize the program guide information. Another problem with the current EPG guidance systems is that the content of the program guide is typically modified only at the generic level for all subscribers to the EPG guidance system. Typically, there is no way to adapt the program guide list to include user-selectable program identifiers that correspond to the user's own programs from a local source (e.g., audio presentations of the user's compact disc collection). and / or audiovisual presentations of the user's videotape collection, DVD collection, video disk collection, and / or video camera), nor is there typically a way to adapt the program guide list to include program identifiers selectable by the user. user of any other type (for example, circuit costs of websites, computer programs, and the like), which implement the corresponding program when selected. U.S. Patent No. 5,805,235, to Bedard, addresses a "registration" aspect, which allows a user to register a program by placing a "checkmark" when a program is selected. In addition, a user is allowed to create multiple lists of records or marks, each for a selected viewer. However, Bedard does not recognize that it is desirable to incorporate a calendar or personal programming function into an existing EPG guide that may be unrelated to the EPG guide programs so that a user can use the EPG guide to be remembered for " call mom "at a certain date and time.COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes that an EPG guide is the preferred way to navigate programs in entertainment systems. The present invention also recognizes that more and more people are spending more and more time in front of such entertainment systems every day. Therefore, it is desirable to integrate a calendar or programming function into an EPG guide. In other words, it may be desirable, for example, to allow a user to enter a reminder in the EPG guide, such as "call mom", "wife's birthday" or "pay a bill" in a period specified by a user as part of the presentation of the EPG guide. This is especially advantageous since a typical EPG guide is already being presented in a time grid format. A primary object of the present invention is to overcome at least one of the aforementioned problems by providing a user with adaptive capabilities, so that the user's EPG guide can be adapted to include user-specific programs or items in addition to those which they are distributed generically. In order to achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a method for adapting a program guide is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) storing program guide information in an electronic host device, program guide information including program identifiers, each of which designates one of a plurality of programs; (b) generally a menu displaying at least some of the program identifiers on a display device associated with the electronic guest device, the program identifiers being selectable by a user to implement the respective programs; and (c) adapting the menu to include at least one additional identifier, which is not of the program guide information.

The present invention also provides an electronically generated interface for presenting and adapting a program guide. The interface comprises program guide information, a menu and an interface device. The program guide information is stored on an electronic host device and includes program identifiers, each of which designates one of a plurality of programs. The menu includes at least some of the program identifiers on a display device associated with the electronic guest device. The program identifiers are selectable by a user to implement respective programs. The input device is adapted to communicate with the electronic guest device to adapt the menu, so that the menu also includes at least one additional identifier. The above objects and other more and advantages will be more readily apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: Figure 1 shows an example of a television system suitable for processing and adapting program guide information according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows an example of a digital video processing apparatus suitable for processing and adapting program guide information according to the present invention. Figure 3 is a flowchart of a method for adapting program guide information in accordance with a preferred implementation of the present invention. Figure 4 shows an illustrative EPG guidance menu according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 shows an adaptation presentation according to a preferred implementation of the present invention.

Figure 5A shows another adaptation presentation. Figure 6 shows an illustrative adapted medium according to a preferred implementation of the present invention. Figure 7 shows an illustrative sub-menu according to a preferred implementation of the present invention. Figure 8 shows another illustrative adaptation presentation according to a preferred implementation of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 shows an example of a television system suitable for processing and adapting program guide information according to the present invention. The television receiver shown in Figure 1 is capable of processing both analog NTSC television signals and Internet information. The system shown in Figure 1 has a first input 1100 for receiving the television signal, RF_IN, at RF frequencies, and a second input 1102 for receiving baseband television signals, VIDEO IN. The RF_IN signal can be supplied from a source such as an antenna or cable system, while the VIDEO IN signal can be supplied, for example, through a video recorder (VCR). The tuner 1105 and the IF 1130 processor operate in a conventional manner to tune and demodulate a particular television signal that is included in the RF_IN signal. The IF 1130 processor produces a VIDEO baseband video signal representing the video program portion of the tuned video signal. The IF 1130 processor also produces a baseband audio signal that is coupled to an audio processing section (not shown in Figure 1) for further audio processing. Although Figure 1 shows the input 1102 as a baseband signal, the television receiver may include a second tuner and an IF processor similar to the units 1105 and 1130 to produce a second baseband video signal either of the RF_IN signal or a second RF signal source. The system shown in Figure 1 also includes a main microprocessor (μP) 1110 for controlling television receiver components such as the tuner 1105, the image-in-picture unit 1140, the video signal processor 1155, a video module. StarSight® 1160 data processing. As used herein, the term "microprocessor" means various devices that include, but are not limited to, microprocessors, microcomputers, microcontrollers and controllers. The 1110 microprocessor controls the system by sending and receiving both commands and data through the serial bus, l2C BUS, which uses the well-known l2C serial data bus protocol. More specifically, the central processing unit (CPU) 1112 within μP1110 executes control programs contained within the memory, such as EEPROM 1127 shown in Figure 1, in response to the commands provided by a user, for example, through of IR remote control 1125 and IR receiver 1122. For example, the activation of a "CHANNEL UP" aspect on remote control 1125 causes CPU 1112 to send a "channel change" command along with the data of the channel to the tuner 1105 through the busbar l2C BUS. As a result, the tuner 1105 tunes to the next channel in the channel scan list. Other examples of control programs stored in EEPROM 1127 are software to implement the operations shown in Figure 3 according to the present invention as will be described later. The main microprocessor 1110 also controls the operation of a communications interface unit 1113 to provide the ability to upload and download information to and from the Internet. The communication interface unit 1113 includes, for example, a MODEM for connecting to an Internet service provider, for example, through a telephone line or through a cable television line. The communication capability allows the system shown in Figure 1 to provide email capability and Internet-related aspects such as web browser, in addition to receiving television programming. CPU 1112 controls functions included within μP1110 through bus 1119 within μP1110. In particular, the CPU 1112 controls the auxiliary data processor 1115 and the on-screen display processor (OSD) 1117. The auxiliary data processor 1115 extracts auxiliary data such as StarSight® data from the video signal PIPV. The StarSight® data, which provides program guide data information in a known format, is typically received only on a particular television channel and the television receiver must tune that channel to extract the StarSight® data. To prevent the extraction of StarSight® data from interfering with the normal use of the television receiver, the CPU 1112 initiates the extraction of StarSight® data by tuning the particular channel only for a period of time when the television receiver is usually not in use (for example, 2:00 am). At that time, the CPU 1112 configures the decoder 1115 so that the auxiliary data is extracted from the horizontal line intervals such as line 16, which are used for the StarSight® data. The CPU 1112 controls the transfer of StarSight® data extracted from the decoder 1115 through the busbar l2-C BUS to the StarSight® 1160 module. A processor internal to the module formats and stores the data in memory within the module. In response to the StarSight® EPG guide presentation being activated (for example, a user activating a particular key or key on the 1125 remote control), the CPU 1112 transfers StarSight® EPG guide presentation formatted data from the module. StarSight® 1160 through busbar l2C BUS to OSD processor 1117. OSD processor 1117 operates in a conventional manner to produce video signals R, G and B, OSD_RGB which, when coupled to a presentation device, will produce a presented image representing display information on screen such as graphics and / or text comprising an EPG guide. The OSD processor 1117 also produces the control signal FSW, which is intended to control a fast switch for inserting OSD_RGB signals into the video output signal of the system at times when a screen display is to be displayed. For example, when a user enables an EPG guide, for example, by activating a particular switch on the remote control 1125, the CPU 1112 enables the processor 1117. In response, the processor 1117 produces OSD_RGB signals representing the program guide data information previously extracted and already stored in memory, as discussed previously. The processor 1117 also produces the FSW signal indicating when the EPG guide will be presented. The video signal processor (VSP) 1155 performs conventional video signal processing functions, such as luma and chroma processing. The output signals produced by the video signal processor, VSP, 1155 are suitable for coupling to a display device, eg, a kinescope or LCD device (not shown in Figure 1), to produce a displayed image. The VSP processor 1155 also includes a fast switch for coupling signals produced by the OSD processor 1117 to the output video signal path at times when graphics and / or text will be included in the displayed image. The fast switch is controlled through the control signal FSW, which is generated by the OSD processor 1117 in the main microprocessor 1110 at the moment when the text and / or graphics are going to be presented. The input signal for the VSP processor 1155 is PIPV signal that is produced through the image-in-picture processor (PIP) 1140. When a user activates the PIP mode, the PIPV signal represents a large image (large pixel) where a small image is inserted (small pixel). When the PIP mode is inactive, the signal PIPV represents just the large pixel, that is, no small pixel signal is included in the signal PIPV. The PIP processor 1140 provides the described functional in a conventional manner using aspects included in unit 1140, such as a video switch, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), RAM, and digital-to-analog converter (DAC). For an EPG guide presentation, the presentation data included in the EPG guide presentation is produced through the OSD 1117 processor and included in the output signal through the VSP 1155 processor in response to the FSW fast switch signal . When the controller 1110 detects the activation of the EPG guide presentation, for example, when a user presses an appropriate key on the remote controller 1125, the controller 1110 causes the OSD processor 1117 to produce the EPG guide presentation using such information. as program guide data of the StarSight® 1160 module. The 1110 controller causes the PSP 1155 processor to combine the presentation data of the EPG guide of the OSD processor 1117 and the video image signal in response to the FSE signal to produce a presentation including the EPG guide. The EPG guide can occupy all or only a portion of the presentation area. When the presentation of the EPG guide is active, the controller 1110 executes a control program stored in EEPROM 1127. The control program verifies the location of a position indicator, such as a cursor and / or illumination, in the presentation of the EPG guide. A user controls the location of the position indicator using keys or direction keys and selection of the remote control 1125. Alternatively, the system may include a mouse device. The controller 1110 detects the activation of a selection device, such as by pressing the button of a mouse, and evaluates the actual cursor location information together with the EPG guide data to be presented to determine the desired function, by example, tuning in to a particular program. The controller 1110 subsequently activates the controller action associated with the selected aspect. The processing and presentation of a program guide according to the present invention may be by implementing a combination of software and hardware. For example, referring to Figure 1, the presentation of an EPG guide can be implemented through software in memory such as EEPROM 1127. The activation of an EPG guide, for example, by a user pressing a related button of the EPG guide on remote control 1125, causes CPU 1112 to execute the software routine of the EPG guide. As part of the generation of an EPG guidance presentation, the CPU 1112 also provides access to EPG guidance data and graphics that can be stored in the StarSight 1160 module through the I2C busbar. Under the control of the software routine of the EPG guide stored in EEPROM 1127, the CPU 1112 enables the OSD processor 1117, which formats the data of the EPG guide to a suitable form to produce an OSD representing the data of the EPG guide and graphics. The OSD data produced by the OSD processor 1117 is coupled to a video signal processor (VSP) 1155 via the RGB signal lines OSD. A fast switch on the VSP 1155 processor couples the OSD data of the EPG guide to the output of the VSP 1155 under the control of the FSW signal. That is, the software routine that is executed by the CPU 1112 determines when the EPG guidance data is going to be presented (eg, what portion of the presentation) and sets the FSW signal at the appropriate site to make the fast switch fit the EPG guidance data to the output. An illustrative embodiment of the aspects of the system shown in Figure 1 which have been described in this manner comprises an ST 9296 microprocessor produced by SGS-Thomson Microelectronics to provide the aspects associated with μP 1110; an image-in-picture processor M65616 produced by Mitsubishi to provide the described basic PIP functionality associated with the PIP 1140 processor; and a video signal processor LA7612 produced by Sanyo to provide the functions of the VSP processor 1155. Figure 2 shows another example of an electronic device capable of processing and adapting program guide information in accordance with the present invention. As described below, the system shown in Figure 2 is a compatible MPEG system for receiving MPEG encoded transport streams representing broadcast programs. However, the system shown in Figure 2 is only illustrative. The user interface systems are also applicable to other types of digital signal processing devices including compatible non-MPEG systems, involving other types of coded data streams. For example, other devices include digital video disc (DVD) systems and MPEG program streams, and systems that combine computer and television functions such as the so-called "PCTV". In addition, although the system described below is described as processing broadcasting programs, this is illustrative only. The term "program" is used to represent any form of data in packets such as telephone messages, computer programs, Internet data, audio presentations (for example, from a distant source or from a local source, such as a compact disc). or other audio medium), visual presentations, audiovisual presentations (for example, from a distant source or a local source, such as a compact disc or other audio medium), or other communications, for example. In summary, in the video receiver system of Figure 2, a carrier modulated with video data is received by the antenna 10 and processed by the input processor unit 15. The resulting digital output signal is demodulated by the demodulator 20 and decoded by the decoder 30. The output of the decoder 30 is processed through the transport system 25, which is responsible for the commands of the remote control unit 125. The system 25 provides output of compressed data for storage, decoding additional, or communication with other devices.

The video and audio decoders 85 and 80, respectively, decode the compressed data of the system 25 to provide outputs for presentation. The data port 75 provides an interface for communicating the compressed data of the system 25 to other devices, such as a computer or a High Definition Television (HDTV) receiver, for example. The storage device 90 stores the compressed data of the system 25 in a storage medium 105. The device 90, in a playback mode also supports the recovery of the compressed data from the storage medium 105 for processing through the system 25 for decoding , communicate with other devices or storage in a different storage medium (not shown to simplify the drawing). Referring to Figure 2 in detail, a modulated carrier with video data received by the antenna 10 is converted to the digital form and processed by the input processor 15. The processor 15 includes a radio frequency (RF) tuner and an intermediate frequency (IF) mixer and amplification stages for converting the input video signal to a lower frequency band suitable for further processing by the reducing converter. The resulting digital output signal is demodulated by the demodulator 20 and decoded by the decoder 30. The output of the decoder 30 is further processed by the transport system 25. A multiplexer (mux) 37 of the service detector 33 is provided through of a selector 35, either with the output of the decoder 30 or the output of the decoder 30 further processed by a demixing unit 40. The demixing unit 40 may be, for example, a removable unit such as a smart card in accordance with standards of the ISO 7816 and NRSS (National Renewable Security Standards) committee (the NRSS removable conditional access system is defined in EIA Draft, document IS-679, Project PN-3639). The selector 35 detects the presence of an insertable, compatible, demixing card and provides output from the unit 40 to the multiplexer 37 only if the card is actually inserted in the video receiver unit. Otherwise, the selector 35 provides the decoder output 30 to the multiplexer 37. The presence of the insertable card allows the unit 40 to demix additional program channels, for example, and provide additional service programs to the display. It should be noted that the preferred embodiment, the NRSS40 unit and the smart card unit 130 (smart card unit 130 which will be discussed below) share the same interface of the system 25, so that only an NRSS card or a smart card can be inserted one at a time. However, the interfaces can also be separated to allow parallel operation. The data provided in the multiplexer 37 of the selector 35 is in the form of a patentable packet transport data stream, of MPEG, as defined in the standard section of MPEG 2.4 systems and includes program guide information and data content of one or more program channels. Individual packages that comprise channels of particular programs are identified by Package Identifiers (PIDs). For example, a program content such as audio and video information for a particular channel may be identified by a PID identifier, while the packet containing the program guide information may be identified by another PID identifier. The transport stream contains Program Specific Information (PSI) for use in identifying the PIDs and assembling individual data packets to retrieve the contents of all program channels comprising the packet data stream. The transport system 25, under the control of the controller system 115, acquires and compares the program guide information of the incoming transport stream, the storage device 90, or an Internet service provider through the communication interface unit 116. Individual packets that comprise either a channel content of particular programs or program guide information are identified by their packet identifiers (PIDs) contained within the initiator information. As discussed above, the description of the program may include different descriptive fields of programs such as title, protagonist, audience, etc., in relation to a program.

The user interface incorporated in the video receiver shown in Fig. 2 allows a user to activate various aspects by selecting a desired aspect of a screen display (OSD) menu. The OSD menu may include an electronic program guide (EPG) as described above and other aspects discussed below. The data representing information presented in the OSD menu is generated by the system controller 1 1 5 in response to the stored program guide information, stored graphics information, and / or received program and graphics guidance information. through the input signal (eg the StarSight data) as described above and in accordance with an illustrative control program that will be shown in Figure 3 and will be described below. The software control program can be stored in, for example, an embedded memory (not shown) of the program controller 1 1 5. By using the remote control unit 125 (or other selection means such as a mouse) , a user can select from the OSD menu items such as a program that will be viewed, a program that will be stored, the type of storage medium and storage way. The system controller 1 15 uses the selection information, provided through the remote unit interface 120, to configure the system 25 and select the programs for storage and presentation to generate PS I information suitable for the storage device and selected media . The controller 115 configures the elements 45, 47, 50, 55, 65 and 95 of the system 25 by setting control register values within these elements through a data bus and selecting signal paths through multiplexers 37 and 110 with the control signal C. In response to the control signal C, the multiplexer 37 selects either the transport current of the unit 35, or in a reproduction mode, a data stream received from the storage device 90 through of the storage interface 95. In normal, non-reproducing operation, the data packets comprising the program that the user selected to see are identified by their PIDs through the selection unit 45. If a cryptic encoding indicator in the initiator data of the selected program packets indicates that the packets are cryptically encoded, the unit 45 provides the packets to the unit of cryptic decoding 50. Otherwise, the unit 45 provides crypto-encoded packets to the transport decoder 55. Similarly, the data packets comprising the programs that the user selected to store are identified by their PIDs by the selection unit 47. The unit 47 provides cryptically encoded packets to the cryptic decoding unit 50 or the packets not crypted to the multiplexer 110 cryptically based on the packet initiator cryptic encoder indicator information. The functions of the decoders 40 and 50, in a cryptic manner, can be implemented in a single removable smart card, which is compatible with the NRSS standard. This aspect places all the security-related functions in a removable unit that can easily be replaced if a service provider decides to change the cryptic coding technique or allows the security system to be easily changed, for example by demixing a different service. The units 45 and 47 employ PID identifier detection filters that match the incoming packet PIDs provided by the multiplexer 37 with pre-loaded PID identifier values in the control register within the units 45 and 47 via the controller 115. Preloaded PIDs identifiers they are used in units 47 and 45 to identify the data packets to be stored and the data packets to be decoded for use in the proportion of a video image. The preloaded PID identifiers are stored with look-up tables in units 45 and 47. The PID identifier look-up tables are plotted in memory maps in cryptic encoding key tables in units 45 and 47 that associate cryptic encoding keys with each preloaded PID ID. The PID identifier trace in memory and the cryptic encoding key lookup tables allow units 45 and 47 to match cryptically encoded packets containing a preloaded PID identifier with associated cryptic encoding keys that allow their cryptic decoding. Uncoded packets cryptically have no associated cryptic encoding keys. The units 45 and 47 provide both identified packets and their cryptic encoding keys associated with the cryptic decoder 50. The PID look-up table in unit 45 is also mapped in memory to a destination table that matches the packets containing the identifiers Preloaded PIDs with corresponding destination buffer locations in a packet buffer 60. The cryptic encoding keys and destination buffer location addresses associated with the programs selected by a user to view or store, they are preloaded in units 45 and 47 together with the PID identifiers assigned by the controller 115. The cryptic encoding keys are generated by the smart card system 130, condescending ISO 7816-3 cryptic encoding codes extracted from the current of input data. The generation of cryptic encoding keys is subject to customer titration determined from the information encoded in the input data stream and / or pre-stored in the same insertable smart card (International Standards Organization document ISO 7816-3 of 1989 ) defines the signal interface structures for a smart card system). The packets provided by units 45 and 47 to unit 50 are cryptically encoded using cryptic encoding techniques such as the cryptic data encoding (DES) standard defined in the Federal Information Standards Publications (FIPS) 46, 74 and 81 provided by the National Technical Information Service, Department of Commerce. The unit 50 cryptically decodes the cryptically encoded packets using corresponding cryptic encoding keys provided by the units 45 and 47 applying appropriate cryptic decoding techniques for the selected cryptic encoding algorithm. The cryptically decoded packets of the unit 50 and the crypto-encoded packets of the unit 45 comprising the program for presentation are provided to the decoder 55. The cryptically decoded packets of the unit 50 and the crypto-encoded packets of the unit 47 which comprise the program for storage, are provided to the multiplexer 110. The unit 60 contains 4 packet buffers accessible by the controller 115. One of the buffers is assigned to hold data intended for use by the controller 115, and the other three buffers are allocated to maintain packets that are intended for use by application devices 75, 80 and 85. Access to the packets stored in the four buffers within the unit 60 by both the controller 115 and the application interface 70 , is controlled by the control unit 65 of the buffer ia. Unit 45 provides a destination flag to unit 65 for each packet identified by unit 45 for decoding. The flags indicate the destination locations of the individual unit 60 for the identified packets and are stacked by the control unit 65 in an internal memory table. The control unit 65 determines a series of read and write pointers associated with packets stored in the buffer 60 based on the first-in and first-out (FI FO) principle. The write pointers together with the destination flags allow sequential storage of an identified packet of units 45 or 50 in the next empty location within the appropriate destination buffer in unit 60. Reading pointers allow reading sequentially of the destination buffers of the destination intermediate unit of the appropriate unit 60 by the controller 1 1 5 and the application interface 70. The non-encoded packs cryptically decoded cryptically provided by the units 45 and 50 to the decoder 55 contains a transport initiator as defined by section 2.4.3.2 of the standard MPEG systems. The decoder 55 determines the transport initiator if the packets not cryptically encoded and decoded cryptically contain an adaptation field (by the MPEG system standard). The adaptation field contains time control information including, for example, Program Clock References (PCRs) that allow the synchronization and decoding of content packets. After the detection of a packet of time control information, that is, a packet containing an adaptation field, the decoder 55 signals the controller 115, through an interruption mechanism setting a system interruption, that the packet has been received. In addition, the decoder 55 changes the timing control packet destination flag in the unit 65 and provides the packet to the unit 60. By changing the destination flag of the unit 65, the unit 65 reverses the control information packet. of times provided by the decoder 55 to the buffer location of the unit 60 assigned to hold data for use by the controller 115, rather than an application buffer location. After receiving the system interrupt group by the decoder 55, the controller 115 reads the time control information and the PCR value and stores it in the internal memory. The PCR values of successive time control information packets are used by the controller 115 to adjust the master clock of the system 25 (27 MHz). The difference between the PCR-based and master-clock-based values of the time interval between receipt of the successive time control packets, generated by the controller 115, is used to adjust the master clock of the system 25. The controller 115 achieves this by applying the derivative time value difference to adjust the input control voltage of a controlled voltage oscillator used to generate the master clock. The controller 115 resets the system switch after storing the time control information in the internal memory. The packets received by the decoder 55 of the units 45 and 50 containing program content including audio, video, header information and other information are directed by the unit 65 from the decoder 55 to the buffers of the application device. designated in the packet buffer 60. The application control unit 70 sequentially retrieves the audio, video, header and other data from the buffers designated in the buffer 60 and provides the data to the corresponding application devices 75, 80 and 85. The application devices they comprise audio and video decoders 80 and 85 and a high-speed data port 75. For example, the packet data corresponding to a mixed program guide generated by the controller 115 as discussed above, can be transported to the decoder of 85 video to be formatted to a suitable video signal to be presented on a monitor (not shown) connected to the video decoder 85. Also, for example, the data port 75 can be used to provide high speed data, such as programs from a computer, for example, to a computer. Alternatively, a port 75 may be used to output data to an HDTV decoder to represent images that correspond to a selected program or to a program guide, for example. The packets having PSI information are recognized by the unit 45 as destined for the buffer of the controller 115 in the unit 60. The PSI packets are directed to this buffer by the unit 65 through the units 45, 50 and 55 in a way similar to that described for packages containing program content. The controller 115 reads the PSI information of the unit 60 and stores it in the internal memory. The controller 115 also generates condensed PSI information (CPSI) of the PSI information and incorporates the condensed CPSI information into a packet data stream suitable for being stored in a selectable storage medium. The identification and address of packets is governed by the controller 115 together with the unit 45 and the PID identifier of the unit 47, the destination query tables and the cryptic encoding key and the control unit 65 operate in the previously described manner. In addition, the controller 115 is coupled to a communication interface unit 116 that operates in a manner similar to the interface unit 1113 in FIG. 1. That is, the unit 116 provides the ability to upload and download information to and from the Internet. . The communication interface unit 116 includes, for example, a MODEM for connecting to an Internet service provider, for example, through a telephone line or through a cable television line. The communication capability allows the system, shown in Figure 2, to provide e-mail capability and aspects related to the Internet, such as the web exam as well as receiving television programming. Figure 3 is a flow diagram of an illustrative control program which, according to the present invention, can be executed by the controller 1110 of Figure 1, the controller 115 of Figure 2, or any other programmed control arrangement convenient of an electronic guest device. The term "electronic guest device" as used herein, is not limited to television receivers or personal computers, but has rather encompassed its hybrids (e.g., PCTVs), cable television converter boxes, program recorders adequately equipped audiovisual devices (eg videotape recorders), satellite television and / or data signal converters, program guide reception units, and the like, regardless of whether they are incorporated into a television receiver or personal computer or they connect externally to them. It will be appreciated that the illustrative control program may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof. The illustrative control program, as shown in Figure 3, when executed, facilitates the presentation and adaptation of a program guide. One skilled in the art can easily recognize from the flow chart and the following description that the control program, for example, when executed by any of the systems described in Figures 1 and 2 or by any suitable electronic host device. programmed, will substantially provide the same aspects and advantages in accordance with the present invention. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, the control program will be described below only with respect to the illustrative hardware implementation shown in Figure 2. According to the illustrative program, the controller 115 of Figure 2 initially executes step S1 of storing program guide information received from a program guide database provider as described above in relation to FIG. 2. The program guide information received preferably is generic to the extent that other subscribers receive the same information from program guide or similar. This generic program guide information is downloaded using one of a plurality of known distribution protocols, as described above. Included in the program guide information are the program identifiers. Each of the program identifiers designates one of a plurality of programs that can be implemented (eg, presented, audibly broadcast, or executed) by the same electronic host device or which can be implemented by a presentation device, computer audio or a computer associated with the electronic guest device. As shown in Figure 3, the application interface 70 under the control of the controller 115 generates a menu (step S2) presenting at least some of the program identifiers in a display device (not shown) associated with the device electronic guest Part of the function of the application interface 70 is to process the OSD information corresponding to an EPG guide that is generated by the controller 115. Preferably, this EPG guidance menu is generated in response to the presentation of the EPG guide that is being activated (for example, a user activating a particular key on the remote control 125). In response to said activation, the controller 115 transfers presentation data from the EPG guide to the application interface 70. The application interface 70 then outputs the corresponding presentation information to the video decoder to be presented on a presentation device. (not shown). An illustrative EPG guide 400 menu is shown in Figure 4. Menu 400 includes a "grid guide" 400A which shows a program schedule in a time and channel format, similar to a TV program listed in a Newspaper. One dimension (for example, the horizontal dimension) of the "grid guide" 400a shows the time and time information 401, while the other dimension (for example, the vertical dimension) of the "grid guide" 400A shows information of the Chanel. When an abbreviated element 430 of the "grid guide" is illuminated or a cursor is located on it, as will be described later, the truncated portions of the abbreviated element 430 will appear in a "lit text" field 440 of the menu 400. In menu 400, each of the program identifiers (e.g., channel numbers 410-416, channel station name 420-426, website identifier 470, Internet 450 identifier, e-mail identifier) 460, or similar) is selectable by a user to implement respective programs. In particular, the controller 115 verifies the location of a position indicator, such as a cursor and / or illumination, on the display of the EPG guidance menu. A user controls the location of the position indicator using the keys or direction and selection keys of the remote control 125 as described above. Alternatively, the system may include a mouse device or an appropriate pointing device. The controller 115 detects the activation of a selection device such as by pressing a key on the remote control device 125 or by pressing the button of a mouse, and evaluates the actual location information of the cursor / illumination together with the data of the menu of the EPG guide that are presented to determine the desired function (for example, implement a particular program). If said activation of the selection device is performed while the courses and / or lighting is located on one of the program identifiers, the controller 115 determines that the corresponding program will be implemented (ie, presented, audibly broadcast, and / or executed). The controller 115 subsequently activates the control and / or presentation action associated with the selected program. If, for example, the selected program identifier represents a website, the controller 115 implements a web examination program and accesses the corresponding website. When the selected program identifier is associated with an audio program, video program or audiovisual program, the controller 1110 responds by tuning the electronic guest device or a receiver associated with the appropriate channel and audibly presenting and / or broadcasting that program. The illumination of said programs and the subsequent selection of other function icons on the menu 400 can implement an automatic tuning at the last moment of the selected program or its automatic recording by the electronic guest device or by another device connected to the electronic guest device. The selection of the identifier 450 of the "Internet" causes the controller 1110 to implement a web examination program through an Internet service provider, while the selection of the identifier of "email2 460 causes the controller 450 to implement a program. of transmission and / or reception of electronic mail through the same Internet service provider or a different one, although the system and method provided in steps S1 and S2 in Figure 3 and by menu 400 in Figure 4 achieve a provision EPG guide generally effective and convenient, the resulting arrangement is limited to the generic program information provided by the distributor of the EPG guide. It does not provide any way to adapt the menu to include program identifiers associated with any of the subscriber's own local sources for programming. The subscriber, for example, may have a collection of audiovisual or visual information from a video camera, a CD-based collection of audio presentations (e.g., music), a collection of optical disc video programs, magnetic tape, and the like. , and / or a collection of computer programs, all of which can be implemented locally by the device or electronic guest devices connected thereto. The subscriber may also have access to additional programming through distant sources, such as alternative Internet service providers, satellite service providers, and the like. It may be convenient to incorporate program identifiers associated with such specific user sources into the EPG guidance menu, so that the user can simply select said program identifiers from the menu to implement the corresponding program in a manner similar to the selection or implementation of the program. the programs that are included in the generic program guide selection. Also, as discussed above, it is desirable to be able to integrate the ability to have a personalized calendar or program function as part of the EPG guide, since a large amount of time is now spent looking at an EPG guide. As shown in Figure 3, the illustrative method of the present invention, therefore, includes the additional step S3 of adapting the menu to include at least one additional identifier. The identifier can identify a program that is selected by a user (e.g., an audio presentation of a collection of such presentations in one or more forms of locally maintained audio medium), or a reminder item (e.g., articles or things that have to be done). The adaptation is preferably performed locally by the user of the electronic guest device. The locally performed adaptation can be done using a keyboard or other input device dedicated to such adaptation, or alternatively, it can be performed as described above using hardware that is also used to perform functions of the electronic guest device other than adaptation. Preferably, the adapt step is performed interactively. That is, the user communicates with the electronic guest device (for example, by pressing an "adapt" button on the remote control 125 or on the electronic guest device), the desire to adapt the menu, and the electronic guest device then responds generating an adaptation presentation that allows and / or prompts the user to enter program guide information pertaining to the specific program (s) of the additional user, where the user wishes to enter the menu. An illustrative adaptation presentation 500 is shown in Figure 5. The illustrative adaptation presentation 500 preferably includes a presentation 501 of each letter of the alphabet (i.e., a virtual keyboard), each of which can be selected using the display unit. remote control 125, a mouse or similar. Also included is a 505 field of program type indicators 510-522. Program type indicators 510-522 are selectable by the user to inform the electronic host device of the type of program or item being incorporated into menu 400. When one of the program type indicators 510-522 is selected from the adaptation presentation, the controller 115 responds by prompting the user to enter specific information of the program or article that belongs to the program or article that is going to be incorporated in the menu. The specific information of the program or article may include, for example, the characteristic information described above, mainly, program title, program theme, program category, program keys, program description, program type, program duration, program start time, end time of the program program, frequency of repetition, or combinations thereof. The same program description may include, stars, director, parental audience, a short summary of the content of a program, and / or the like. Program-specific information may also include a port of entry / exit designation. The input / output port designation indicates the controller 115 when the source of the additional program will be connected to the electronic host device. Examples of said input / output ports are local computer ports, computer communication ports, sockets for audio, video and / or audiovisual devices, and the like. In addition, the information program specific to the program type indicator of "REMINDER" (REMINDERS) 522 comprises information regarding the reminder article that will be entered by a user, such as, for example, a "call to mom"; "do homework"; or "daughter's birthday", etc., as shown in Figure 5A. In addition, the user may be prompted to enter a time slot associated with the item entered which will be described below. The user enters specific information of the program or article by successively selecting the letters of the alphabetical presentation. Alternatively, the program-specific information or article may be entered by selecting one of a plurality of predetermined selections, which are presented to the user by the controller 115, as the controller 115 prompts the user to enter each item of information specific to the user. program or article. An example of the default selections involves the choice of input / output ports. Since the electronic host device is typically configured only with a certain number of such ports and with certain types of ports, the controller 115 can be easily programmed to present indicators associated with each of these ports, and preferably only those ports that are available for selection by the user during the entry of program-specific information. In this way, the user does not need to memorize all types of ports and the number of available ports. Preferably, the controller 1110 determines which selections are available where the ports are compatible with the type of program being incorporated into the menu 400, and is presented as selections chosen by the user only in those ports that are compatible. In another aspect of the present invention, when a user selects the program type indicator 522 of "REMINDER" (REMINDER), an illustrative adaptation presentation 550 to enter item-specific information for an electronic programming function, will appear as shown. in Figure 5A. The user can then enter an article to be performed in field 551, using, for example, virtual keyboards 501 and 530. In addition, the user can specify a period of time during which this reminder article should appear in the EPG guide by entering the date and time information in field 552. The user can provide or edit the information for additional reminder items by selecting the previous and subsequent reminder keys, 553 and 554. Once the specific program or article information has been entered , the controller 1110 updates the program guide information to include the specific information of the program or article, including an additional identifier indicative of the added program or reminder article. Preferably, this update occurs only after the user has entered an appropriate "save" command (e.g., through remote control 125 and / or selection of an appropriate "save" item in menu 400) to verify that the specific information of the program or article is corrected and that the additional identifier will appear in the menu 400. Afterwards, the menu 400 is presented, the controller 115 incorporates the additional identifier in the menu 400 in an appropriate place. The location of the additional identifier in the menu 400 is preferably determined with the characteristic information, which was entered by the user for that particular program. In addition, any title literacy (for example, by pressing the 480"AZ" indicator), selected by theme, category or by type of programming, selected by title (as opposed to the channel), keyword searches, simplified recording commands (by example, one-touch recordings), and / or other search and analysis techniques, wherein the controller 115 is capable of performing the generic program guide information may also be performed by the controller 115 in the combination of the guidance information of generic program and program guide information, which was added to the menu 400 after the adaptation. As an example, Figure 6 shows the reminder article "CALL MOM", which has been introduced as described above, now appears at the bottom of an adapted EPG guide menu 600, to the slot time entered from 5:30 p. m. This information appears in the "reminder" cell 428, as part of the EPG 400A guide. In this regard, the controller 115 preferably treats the program guide information specified by the user in substantially the same manner as the generic program guide information is treated. Said treatment exceeds the functions performed by the selection of the various icons that appear traversed at the bottom of the menus of Figures 4, 6 and 7A. For example, with respect to keyword searching, the controller 115 is preferably programmed to respond with a keyword search command from a user. Said command can be provided by selecting a corresponding icon along the bottom of the menus in Figures 4, 6, 7 or 7A. The controller 115 is preferably programmed to respond to said command by prompting the user to enter a strip of letters representing the keyword. The keyword can be entered using the remote control 125, a suitable display screen with or without a virtual keyboard, and / or the like. The keyword (s) will typically be a word (s) or term (s), which the user believes is present in the characteristic information of a desired program or add-on programs represented by the adapted program guide information. The controller 115 responds to the entry of the keywords by looking for the characteristic information of occurrences of (or matching) the keyword. The controller 115 then modifies the menu (eg, menu 400) to present those of the program or item identifiers and the additional program or item identifier, which have matching terms in the characteristic information associated therewith. Another example of an adaptation sequence involves adapting the menu 400 to include an identifier indicative of a compact disk collection. In particular, the user begins the adaptation sequence by communicating appropriately with the intention of the user of the electronic guest device (for example, through the remote control 125), to effect the adaptation of the menu 400. The controller 115 responds by generating an adaptation menu 500 shown in Figure 5. Once the adaptation menu 500 has been presented, the user selects the "audio" program type indicator 520, thus communicating with the controller 115 and an audio program is added to the menu 400. Controller 115, in response, generates one or more presentation fields (either simultaneously or sequentially) encouraging the user to enter the program-specific information. Program-specific information may include, for example, information indicating which audio plugs will be connected to the CD player, titles of some or all of the CDs in the collection, names of artists on each of the CDs, song titles or cassettes on CDs, content categories, for example, music, drama, and the like), subcategories of content (easy to listen to music, rock-and-roll music, classical music and the like), the keywords associated with each CD and their individual videos, or their combinations. Alternatively, the designation of audio plugs may be performed, as indicated above, and the controller 115 may be programmed to respond to said destination by reading some or all of the program-specific information other than the audio plug designation of the CDs in the CD player or the same CD player. Without considering the particular technique that is used to enter the program specific information, the controller 115 responds by adapting menu 400, accordingly. The adapted menu 600, in addition to including the program identifiers associated with the generic programming, also includes a program identifier 601 of the compact disk collection.

The aggregate program identifier 601 may include a simple description of the additional program (as shown), or alternatively, a graphic representation of the additional program (for example, an icon that resembles a compact disc). A combination of a description and a graphic representation can be provided as another alternative. Depending on the program specific information or desired operation of the electronic guest device, the controller 600 may be programmed to respond to the selection of the aggregate program identifier 601 either by starting to play a particular tape on a particular CD or by generating a submenu of something or all program-specific information associated with CD collections. In sub-menu it may be provided as part of the adapted menu 300, or alternatively, in its place. Various layers of sub-menus can also be provided, for example, based on the hierarchy of the program-specific information. At the first level in the hierarchy of sub-menus, the presentation can present selections between categories of programs such as musical CDs versus dramatic CDs. The selection of one of the categories by the user then causes the controller 115 to present, for example, the titles of the programs within the selected category. It will be appreciated from the present invention that numerous combinations of subsystems and hierarchical configurations can be implemented, in accordance with the present invention. In another aspect of the invention, Figure 6 also shows that there is now a "REMINDER" identifier being presented in cell 428 as described above. Cell 428 shows that there is a reminder item 429 that has already been entered by the user previously. To find more information regarding this reminder article or to perform the additional edition in this article, the user can simply select cell 429 using the far input device 125. Once this cell is selected, the adaptation presentation 550 , for example, will be shown. This allows the user to see all the text of the reminder article, which is not shown in the grid guide 600 in Figure 6, due to the space limitation in cell 429. The user can also edit the article of reminder, as described above in relation to Figure 5A. Figure 7 shows an illustrative submenu 700, which can be provided while maintaining certain parts (eg, the three upper lines of the "grid guide" 400A) of the adapted menu 600. The illustrative submenu 700 includes program identifiers 710 , 720 and 730 indicative of respective musical works. After that each program identifier 710, 720 and 730 is the title of the musical work, the artist, and a description of the musical work. The controller 115 is programmed by virtue of the adaptation process and appropriate software and / or hardware, to begin in response with the selection of a user to one of the program identifiers 710, 720 or 730, audible broadcasting of the selected musical work (by example, "The Wall" by Pink Floyd) through an appropriate speaker incorporated in or connected to the electronic guest device. The controller 115 may also be programmed to allow the editing or deletion of any of the program guide information being presented or alternatively, the editing or deletion of only the aggregate program guide information presented. In this regard, the adaptation presentation 500 or sub-menus associated with it may be provided with articles for "editing" or "deleting" (not shown), which, when selected, implement an editing or deletion process. Preferably, the controller 115 is programmed so that, during the editing or deletion process, the user selects the item (s) of the program guide information that will be edited or deleted using the remote control 125 or otherwise, and the controller 115 responds by presenting the selected program guide information in an editable form by the user. user or that can be deleted by the user, in the adaptation presentation 500. After editing or deleting, the editing and deletion process can be finalized by selecting an "save" item (not shown) in the adaptation presentation 500. In addition, Figure 8 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention for adapting an EPG guide. Figure 8 shows a preferred embodiment of an EPG guide where the text in a selected cell of the EPG guide can be edited. For example, a user may select cell 750 through user input device 125. Once cell 750 is illuminated, the user may additionally select an edit text mode through, for example, a key in the user input device 125. Once this mode is selected, a user is then able to enter a desired text such as "WIFE BIRTHDAY", using any of the possible user input methods as described above. Similarly, a user can change the output text of a selection cell 760 and change the name of the song "LA ERA DE ORO" by, for example, "LA ERA". This capability provides a user with an easy and quick way to adapt an EPG guide directly. According to the present invention, the programs that are represented by the program guide information may include, among other things, video presentations, audio presentations, audiovisual presentations, computer programs, web examination programs, reminder articles, and / or contents of a website. It should be understood that the embodiments and variations shown and described herein are illustrations only and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims (23)

CLAIMING IS

1 .- A method for adapting a program guide, said method comprises the steps of: storing program guide information in an electronic host device, the program guide information including program identifiers, each of which designates one of a plurality of programs; generating a menu presenting at least some of the identifiers of the program in a display device associated with the electronic guest device, the program identifiers being selectable by a user to implement respective programs; and adapting said menu to include at least one additional identifier, which can be selected through a user to implement a function associated with the identifier, said function comprising a calendar reminder entered by the user that may be unrelated with the programs.

2. - The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing program guide information is performed generically, while the adapt step is performed interactively in response to user input.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of programs includes a combination selected from the group consisting of: video presentations, audio presentations, audiovisual presentations, computer presentations, web examination programs, and contents of a website.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional identifier identifies an additional program originally not identified in the program guide information.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional identifier identifies a reminder article specified by the user.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said function comprises implementing the additional program.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said function comprises presenting the reminder article.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing program guide information is performed using a distribution protocol, while the step of adapting is performed locally by the user.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the distribution protocol includes the transmission of the program guide information to the electronic host device through a modem associated with the electronic guest device.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the program guide information further includes characteristic information for each of the plurality of programs, and wherein the step of adapting the menu to include at least one identifier additional includes storing characteristic information on the electronic guest device for each of at least one additional program.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the characteristic information includes information selected from the group consisting of: program title, program theme, program category, program keywords, program description, program type , duration of the program, time of beginning of the program, time of end of the program, frequency of repetition, and combinations of the same ones.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of classifying said program identifiers and at least one additional identifier in the menu based on the characteristic information.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of: entering at least one term that is believed to be in the characteristic information of a desired program; search through the characteristic information to find matches with at least one term; and modify the menu to present those identifiers and at least one additional program identifier, which have matching terms in the characteristic information associated with them.

14. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one additional program includes at least one audio presentation of at least one local audio means.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one additional program includes at least one audiovisual presentation of at least one local audiovisual medium.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one additional program includes at least one audiovisual presentation of a video camera.

17. The method according to claim 4, wherein at least one additional program includes at least one audio presentation of at least one local audio means, at least one audiovisual presentation of at least one audiovisual medium, and at least one audiovisual presentation of a video camera.

18. An electronically generated interface for presenting and adapting a program guide, the interface comprising: program guide information stored in an electronic guest device, program guide information including program identifiers, each of which designates one of a plurality of programs; a menu of at least some of the program identifiers in a display device associated with the electronic guest device, the program identifiers being selectable by a user to implement respective programs; and an input device adapted to communicate with the electronic host device to adapt the menu, such that the menu further includes at least one additional identifier that is selectable by a user to implement a function associated with the additional identifier, the function comprising a calendar reminder entered by the user that may be unrelated to the programs.

19. The interface according to claim 18, wherein the additional identifier identifies an additional program not originally identified in the program information.

20. The interface according to claim 18, wherein the additional identifier identifies a reminder article specified by the user.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the function comprises implementing the additional program.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the function comprises presenting the reminder article.

23. A method for adapting a program guide, comprising the steps of: presenting program information for a plurality of programs in a respective grid of a grid guide comprising time information about an axis and program information about the other axis; and allowing the user to enter, in a selected grid of the grid guide, a calendar reminder that must be unrelated to the plurality of programs.