Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
  • H04N21/4508—Management of client data or end-user data
  • H04N21/4532—Management of client data or end-user data involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
  • H04N21/426—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof
  • H04N21/42692—Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/431—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
  • H04N21/4312—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
  • H04N21/4314—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/431—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
  • H04N21/4312—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
  • H04N21/4316—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/435—Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/475—End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
  • H04N21/4755—End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
  • H04N21/4823—End-user interface for program selection using a channel name

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to television systems, and more particularly, to a television system including a default channel lineup for default display of the electronic program guide, the electronic program guide being customizable according to viewer preferences.
• a television system today is capable of receiving hundreds of channels. Information about all these channels cannot be displayed by the television system at a single given time in its electronic program guide (EPG) grid.
• EPG electronic program guide
• a determination needs to be made as to the default channels that will appear on the grid.
• a determination also needs to be made as to the default channels that will get a program description if such program j r, description cannot be displayed for all of the default channels due to memory limitations at the television system. Once these choices are made, the default order in which to display the channels must also be decided.
• One method of handling these decisions is by transmitting to the television system, a channel lineup of all channels available to the viewer and selecting the channels at the top of the j r list as default channels that will appear on the EPG grid.
• the channel lineup is transmitted in a display priority packet ("DPP") and stored in the television system's memory.
• DPP display priority packet
• the EPG displays, as a default, the channels that appear at the top of the list (e.g. the first 50 channels). All the displayed channels also get a program description.
• the following channel lineup may be transmitted in the DPP:
• those four channels would be Major Network 1 , Major Network 2, minor network 1 , and minor network 2.
• the channel lineup in the DPP is changed and retransmitted to the television system. For instance, if two Major Networks are to be displayed by 1 0 default with the two Major Movie channels, the above illustrated channel lineup would be changed to look as follows:
• a viewer desiring to include an additional channel to be displayed on the EPG retrieves the channel lineup from memory and selects the desired channel from the lineup.
• the guide appears organized based on the theme of the channels, and the viewer may easily locate a particular network channel or movie
• an EPG where the default channels to be displayed may be maintained together with the non-default channels in its category, allowing the channels to be organized based on theme.
• the channels that are displayed ⁇ c by default do not automatically get a detailed program description. Instead, a viewer would be able to select the channels which are to get the detailed description.
• the present invention comprises a system and method for displaying an EPG grid
• the display of the EPG grid may then be customized according to user preferences.
• the default channel lineup is transmitted in two different packets: and enabling priority packet and an extended display priority packet.
• the television apparatus receives in the enabling priority packet a list of default individual channels
• the television apparatus also receives in the extended display priority packet a list of channel groups indicative of an order of display on the electronic program guide grid of all individual channels available to the television apparatus.
• the list of default individual channels and list of channel groups are then stored in the memory of the television apparatus. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the channels in the channel o lineup may now be maintained together based on category 1 theme.
• the television apparatus retrieves the list of default individual channels and their associated program schedule information from the memory. The television apparatus then displays the list of default individual channels and a portion of the program schedule information associated with the individual channels on the electronic program
• the default individual channels also get a detailed program description of programs telecast by the default individual channels. 1
• a viewer may modify the default display of the EPG grid by enabling a non-default individual channel from a channel editor screen.
• the non-default individual channel and its program schedule information is then displayed according r to the order indicated by the list of channel groups.
• the viewer may further modify the individual channels that get a detailed program description, or the order in which the individual channels are displayed.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an interactive television schedule system including a television system and a cable box according to one embodiment of the invention
• FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic block diagram of the cable box of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is a more detailed schematic block diagram of the television system of FIG. 1 ;
• FIG. 4 is a schematic layout diagram of an enabling priority packet
• FIG. 6 is a schematic layout diagram of an extended display priority packet according to an alternative embodiment
• FIG.7 is an illustration of an EPG screen displaying channels according to the information in the enabling priority packet of FIG. 4 and the extended display priority packet of FIG. 5;
• FIG. 8 is an illustration of the EPG screen of FIG. 7 according to an alternative embodiment.
• FIG. 9 is an illustration of a channel editor screen for modifying an EPG screen display.
• the present system and method is directed to an interactive television schedule system having a television apparatus equipped with an interactive electronic program guide (EPG) that provides a customizable display of channels and detailed program descriptions appearing on the EPG.
• EPG electronic program guide
• FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an interactive television schedule system according or, to one embodiment of the invention.
• the interactive television schedule system includes a television system 45 receiving input from a cable box 20 and an IRD box 25.
• the television system 10 includes a television 50 and a VCR 15.
• the television 50 is configured with an interactive EPG 45 for displaying television schedule information and information relating to additional services (collectively referred to as r "EPG data") as is described in further detail below.
• EPG data additional services
• EPG 45 via a viewer input device 40, preferably taking the form of an IR remote control 40, according to conventional methods.
• viewer input devices 40 might also be utilized, such as a keyboard, keypad, joystick, mouse, track ball, touch pad, and the like.
• FIG. 2 is a more detailed schematic block diagram of the cable box 20 of FIG. 1 for providing EPG data to the television system 10.
• the cable box 20 includes a processor 60 and a memory 65.
• the memory 65 of cable box 20 stores software 70 for receiving, organizing, and displaying EPG data as well as the EPG data itself.
• the EPG data is preferably stored in a memory of the television system 10 as is described below in r conjunction with FIG. 3.
• the memory 65 may further store data related to the viewer's profile and the like.
• a portion of the data stored in memory 65 is obtained via the Internet through a cable modem 75.
• Other portions of the data are generated by the processor from data received from a cable head end.
• FIG. 3 is a more detailed schematic block diagram of the television system 10 of FIG. 1.
• a source of television signals 100 such as the antenna 35, cable box 20, or IRD box 25 is connected to a television tuner 105.
• the output of tuner 105 is a modulated intermediate frequency signal 1 10 containing video and audio television information.
• the tuner 105 is connected by an intermediate frequency amplifier (IF AMP) 110 to a picture detector 5 (PICTURE DET) 115 and a sound detector (SOUND DET) 120, which produce base band video and audio signals, respectively.
• the audio signal is coupled by a sound amplifier (SOUND AMP) 125 to a loudspeaker 130.
• the video signal is coupled by a video amplifier (not shown) to one input of a switch 135.
• the sound detector 120 and picture detector 1 15 are connected to the audio and video inputs, respectively, of the VCR 15.
• television signal source . 100 could be directly connected to the RF input of the VCR 15 if its internal tuner and demodulating circuitry is to be utilized.
• the output of the VCR 15 is connected to the other input of the switch 135.
• the output of the switch 135 is connected to one input of a conventional picture-in-picture (PIP) integrated circuit chip 140.
• PIP picture-in-picture
• the output of the PIP chip 140 is connected to the video input 142 of the r television 50 having a screen (not shown).
• the television system 10 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes an EPG memory 145 for storing an updatable database of television program schedule information.
• the database can be updated by a continuous data link in the vertical blanking interval (VBI) of a television channel broadcast to the television system 10 in well known fashion.
• VBI vertical blanking interval
• the EPG memory 145 is connected to a microprocessor 150 that is programmed to control the operation of the television 50.
• An operating program for the microprocessor 150 is stored in a read only memory (ROM) 155.
• the viewer input device 40 is coupled to the microprocessor 150 to provide commands from the viewer and interact with the EPG.
• a video processor 160 is coupled to microprocessor 150. When the viewer wishes to see
• the microprocessor 150 recalls a portion of the relevant data from the EPG memory 145 and couples it to video processor 160, where the program listings are formatted for display.
• the information stored in video processor 160 is a bit map of what is displayed on the screen of television 50.
• the video processor 160 is further connected to the other input of the PIP chip 140.
• the viewer input device 40 controls the microprocessor 150 by cursor movement on the screen of television 50.
• microprocessor 150 and video processor 160 are coupled to a cursor position register 165.
• the viewer can select items of information displayed on the screen by selecting a particular keys on the viewer input device 40.
• the microprocessor 150 is also coupled to the tuner 105 for channel change, to the VCR
• television program schedule information is stored in a program schedule database of the EPG memory and includes the program schedules of all the available channels for a prescribed period of time, e.g. a day or a week.
• 2 listings typically include, for each program, the title, a program description, the day of the week, the start time of the day, the program length, and the channel on which the program is transmitted and thus available for reception at source 100.
• the period of time for which the program listings are stored is different for the guides, depending upon viewer priorities and preferences.
• the information may be stored for one or
• the EPG memory 145 further stores the channel lineup of all the channels available to the viewer according to the order in which they are to appear on the EPG grid.
• the ordering of the channels in the channel lineup is not dependent on the default channels that are to be displayed on the EPG grid. Thus, the channels that are to be displayed by default need not appear together
• the channel lineup information according to one embodiment of the invention is transmitted in two separate packets: an enabling priority packet ("EPP") and an extended c display priority packet (“XDPP").
• EPP enabling priority packet
• XDPP extended c display priority packet
• the EPP contains a list of default individual channels that are to be enabled (i.e. displayed on the EPG grid) and are to have detailed program descriptions.
• the XDPP contains a channel lineup of all channel groups listed in the order in which the individual channels belonging to each of the channel groups, once enabled, are to be displayed on the EPG grid. In this way, the enabled channels may appear together in the guide according to their
• FIG.4 is a schematic layout diagram of an exemplary EPP 200.
• among the default individual channels to be displayed on the EPG grid are three network channels, "WCVB5,” “WABC,” “WBGH,” all affiliates of the ABC network.
• Other default channels include three movie channels, "HBO1,” "HB02,” and "SHOWTIME,”
• FIG. 5 is a schematic layout diagram of an exemplary XDPP with a channel lineup of all
• the channel groups listed in the XDPP are generic channel categories not associated with any particular television or cable network.
• FIG. 7 is an illustration of an EPG screen 170 generated by the video processor 160 (FIG.
• the viewer invokes an EPG guide mode for displaying the EPG screen 170 by pressing a "guide" key on the viewer input device 40.
• the viewer returns to a full screen television mode by the same key or invoking a linked television program.
• the EPG screen 170 is divided into a number of different display areas.
• a PIP window 172, a first panel ad window 174, and a second panel ad window 176 are arranged along the left side of screen 50.
• the remainder of the EPG screen 170 is typically occupied by an action key bar 178, a navigation bar 180, a grid guide 182, and an information box 184.
• the position of the windows, and other user interface features, including the action key bar 178, navigation bar 180 and grid guide 182 are fixed.
• the position and size of the windows and other user interface features are customizable by the viewer.
• the PIP window 172 displays real time broadcast programs or pre-recorded video clips produced by the PIP chip 140.
• a translucent overlay of the PIP window 172 can display a title, channel (local number and/or station name), and status (locked or unlocked) of the PIP window 5 172.
• the first and second panel ad windows 174 and 176 display advertisements for future telecast programs or for products and services.
• An advertisement for a future telecast program is linked to a time and channel of the program allowing the viewer to watch or record the program automatically by highlighting the advertisement and pressing a watch action button 178a Q or a record action button 178b,respectively.
• Highlighting an advertisement for a product or service allows the viewer to read one or more pages about the product or service from the information box 184.
• the advertisement is linked to a time and channel of an infomercial allowing the viewer to watch or record the infomercial by highlighting the advertisement and pressing the watch action button ⁇ 178a or the record action button 178b, respectively.
• the viewer accesses television program schedule information by actuating a grid button 180a from a list of menu buttons listed on the navigational bar 180.
• the grid guide 182 displays a list of television programs with their respective channel designations in a series of program tiles.
• the default list of channels displayed on the grid guide 182 is determined by the individual channels listed in the
• the ordering of the channels on the grid guide 182 is determined by the ordering specified in the XDPP.
• Selection of a program tile causes a display of additional information about the selected program in an information box 184.
• additional information might include a detailed description of the selected program, such as who is to appear on the program and what the program is about.
• the grid guide 22 includes advertisement tiles 190 with virtual channel advertisements.
• a virtual channel ad may promote, for instance, a current or future television program. Such a virtual channel ad for a television program is linked to a time and channel of the program allowing the viewer to watch or record the program automatically.
• the EPG screen 170 further includes a number of menu buttons (not shown) associated with different channel groups.
• the selection of a particular menu button causes the screen cursor to jump to the portion of the grid guide with the program tiles associated with the selected channel group.
• the program tiles are displayed in a separate information box 184 upon selection of the menu button.
• page down buttons within the EPG screen 170 or on the viewer input device 40 are utilized to jump from channel group to channel group within the grid guide 182. Any of these methods become desirable when, due to the sheer number of displayed channels, it becomes problematic to locate individual channels within the grid.
• the menu buttons may contain titles such as "MOVIES", "SPORTS", and
• FIG. 8 is an alternative representation of the EPG screen of FIG. 7. According to the embodiment of FIG. 8, all the channels belonging to a particular channel group are compressed into a single program tile 206 which is expandable upon selection of the tile.
• the program tile 206 is identified by the name of the channel group 206a, and includes instructions 206b to select the tile for viewing program tiles related to individual channels. For instance, in the grid guide 5 182 of FIG. 7, the three channels belonging to the ABC network, "WCVB5,” "WABC,”
• the default channels displayed on the grid guide 182, as well as the ordering of the channels displayed may be modified by the viewer according to his or her preferences, through a channel editor screen.
• FIG. 9 is an illustration of an exemplary channel editor screen 210.
• the screen 210 includes two fields, a three column field 212 listing up to 36 unabridged channels and a single column field 208 listing the viewer's favorite channels. Additional channel pages are available (using a page key of the viewer input device 40 to swap between the pages) to accommodate more than 36 channels.
• Each cell 214 in the three column field 212 contains a channel number and a channel descriptor (e.g. WCVB5, MTV).
• the channels in the three column field are initially listed in the 1 order designated by the XDPP.
• each cell 124 is color-coded to indicate an ON state, an OFF state, and a MY state.
• the ON state indicates that the channel is currently enabled, and will thus be displayed on the grid guide 182.
• a cell indicating the ON state is depicted in a light r green background. Initially, the individual channels listed in the EPP are all indicated with an
• the OFF state indicates that the channel is currently disabled, and will thus not be displayed on the grid guide 182.
• a cell indicating the OFF state is depicted in a gray background.
• the MY state indicates that the channel is enabled and currently listed one of the viewer's ⁇ favorite channels.
• a cell indicating the MY state is depicted in a blue background.
• a viewer enables a disabled channel by selecting its cell and actuating an ON button 216.
• the viewer may also disable an enabled channel by actuating an OFF button 218, or designate the channel as a favorite channel by actuating a MY button 220.
• a user may further designate an enabled channel as getting a detailed program description by selecting the channel and ⁇ _- actuating an Information button 222.
• Cells with channels with detailed program description are identified by an information icon 224 in the corresponding cell. Initially, all channels listed in the EPP automatically get a detailed program description. The channels listed as the viewer's favorite channels also automatically get a detailed program description. The viewer may further modify the ordering of the channels displayed on the grid guide 182.
• the viewer selects a cell 214 for a channel whose listing order is to be changed, and drags the cell to the desired location in the three column field 212.
• the user is limited to moving groups of channels instead of allowing him or her to move individual ones. For instance, a user who watches a lot of sports might move the sports channels to the top of the grid.
• the channels or types of channels most watched by the viewer are -r automatically tracked by the television system, and those channels or types of channels are automatically bubbled-up to the top of the grid. The viewer would have the ability to disable this function, however, to prevent the constant reorganization of channels due to the bubbling of channels to the top of the grid.
• the EPG data might be stored in one or more locations, such as on different servers accessible through a global communications network such as the Internet.
• the EPG data is stored in a database at a central location, such as in a database that , r is part of the EPG provider' s computer system. It is therefore to be understood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described without the exercise of further inventive activity.

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• 1999
  • 1999-12-28 CN CNB998160970A patent/CN100367780C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-28 JP JP2000591797A patent/JP4547094B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1999-12-28 CA CA002358960A patent/CA2358960A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-12-28 EP EP99966706A patent/EP1147661A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-12-28 AU AU22200/00A patent/AU2220000A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-12-28 WO PCT/US1999/031133 patent/WO2000040017A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2010
  • 2010-05-12 JP JP2010110654A patent/JP5043150B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2012
  • 2012-05-18 JP JP2012114465A patent/JP2012191647A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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