Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-30
2001-07-31
Miller, John W. (Department: 2711)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C348S014160, C348S901000, C455S001000, C709S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268849
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the Internet, and more particularly, to techniques for providing television program guide information and services with embedded real-time data to a user over the Internet.
A large number of television channels are available over cable television systems and satellite television systems. Television viewers have traditionally had to consult preprinted television program listings to determine which programs were scheduled to be broadcast on a particular day. More recently, television-based program guides have been developed that allow television viewers to view television program listings directly on their television sets.
For example, the Prevue® channel is a scrolling television program listings service that a cable system operator may make available to subscribers over a dedicated cable channel. Viewers can tune to the appropriate television channel to view program listings for television programs that are currently being broadcast and are scheduled to be broadcast in the next few hours. Although the Prevue® channel is a valuable service, the viewer is somewhat constrained by the passive nature of the service. For example, the viewer cannot view television listings for the next day or week.
As a result, more advanced television program guide services have been developed that allow a service provider to deliver television program listings data to a user's set-top box. The program listings data is typically delivered over the television cable system infrastructure (e.g., on a given television channel during the vertical blanking interval or over an out-of-band channel). Software in the set-top box allows the user to display the television program listings on the user's television set.
These program guide services allow the user to manipulate the television listings by searching or sorting through the listings using criteria such as genre, channel, and broadcast time. An example of such an interactive television program guide is the Prevue Express® guide of Prevue Networks, Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., the assignee of the present invention.
Although passive scrolling guides and interactive set-top box guides are useful sources of television program guide information, millions of users with personal computers were not able to obtain on-line television program listings using such systems. In addition, users were not generally able to view selected promotional video clips, interview segments, audio clips, or other multimedia material related to a given television program.
In order to meet these demands, television program guide systems that provide television program listings from a web server to a user's multimedia system over an Internet communication link were developed. For example, the Prevue Online® service available on the Internet at http://www.prevue.com from Prevue Networks, Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., the assignee of the present invention, provides television program listings over an Internet communication link. Users can gain access to the Prevue Online® web site on the Internet through any Internet service provider (such as through the WorldNet™ service available from American Telephone and Telegraph Company of New York, N.Y.). Once at the home page of the Prevue Online® service, the user may access information using commonly available web browser software.
Although Internet television program guide systems that provide television program listings from a web server to a user's multimedia system over an Internet communications link are useful sources of television program guide information, the user is somewhat constrained by the static nature of the information available. The user is able to determine from the television program listings that an event (e.g., a sporting event or other game) is in progress, but the user cannot view the current status of the event. For example, the user cannot receive real-time information about whether a game is suspended, whether the game is in overtime, the current score, etc.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a television program guide system that provides television program listings with embedded real-time data from a web server to a user's multimedia system over an Internet communications link.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a television program guide system that allows users to click on text or still images to view additional information related to the embedded real-time data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the present invention by providing an Internet television program guide system, that displays television program listings with embedded real-time data. A computer system having a media library and a data server is used to provide multimedia clips and related television program guide data for the system. The multimedia material and related television program guide data may be provided to a web server for redistribution to a user's personal computer or other suitable multimedia system.
Dynamic information regarding events in progress that are being televised may be provided to the web server from one or more information processing facilities. Such dynamic information may be linked with related static information in the media library and/or the data server to provide the user with additional information pertaining to the events in progress. The web server provides the static and dynamic information to the user's multimedia system via an Internet communications link.
The user's multimedia system has a processing unit for receiving and processing information from the Internet communications link. The processing unit may be based on a personal computer running a standard web browser with plug-ins. The multimedia system may also have the capability to receive television signals.
Television program listings with embedded real-time data are preferably provided to the user's multimedia system in the form of web pages. Because such an arrangement allows the use of the widely-adopted hypertext transfer protocol (http), a user with a personal computer can access information using commonly available web browser software. Because television program listings with embedded real-time data are distributed over the Internet, the user can access this information at remote locations. For example, the user can access the television program listings with embedded real-time data while traveling by car (e.g., using a cellular modem), from a hotel room or business meeting, from a personal computer at work, or in any suitable environment in which there is a link to the Internet. The user can receive this dynamic information from locations not covered by cable or satellite systems or locations where the user may not have access to cable or satellite service.
Because the Internet television program guide system with embedded real-time data may be provided using a web site having a number of linked web pages, supplemental information related to the embedded real-time data can be provided to the user. Such supplemental information might include statistics pertaining to the teams and/or specific athletes that are participating in a game. The supplemental information may be provided using any suitable media format such as animation, full motion video, sound, still images, or text.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
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Boyer Franklin E.
Demers Timothy B.
Fish & Neave
Miller John W.
Mohan Brajesh
United Video Properties, Inc.
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