US6769128B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access
Assignee: TCI-TVGOS Inc
•
Filing: 1999-05-24
•
Granted: 2004-07-27
•
Expires: 2019-05-24
Abstract
Abstract An electronic program schedule system with access to both stored television program schedule information and data feeds containing status information for live programs such as sporting events. The system includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs and data feeds containing status information for certain of the programs, and a video display generator for generating a display signal simultaneously comprising information from both the stored schedule information and the received data feed. The system is further provided with user control means such as a remote controller for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto so as to control the content of the display signal. The display signal may be displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. In addition, the program schedule system of the present invention utilizes category-specific user interfaces providing access to multiple services including television programs, received data feeds, home shopping services, and video games as well as the stored program schedule information.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Alan Knee
- 👤 Anthony R. Favia
- 👤 Bruce Davis
- 👤 Larry Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 20:33
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0251; G06Q30/0264; A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/20; A63F13/30; A63F13/33; A63F13/338; A63F13/50; A63F13/53; A63F13/533; A63F13/60; A63F13/61; A63F13/85; G06Q30/0277; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/432; H04N21/4325; H04N21/434; H04N21/4345; H04N21/45; H04N21/4508; H04N21/4524; H04N21/462; H04N21/4622; H04N21/47; H04N21/472; H04N21/47211; H04N21/475; H04N21/4753; H04N21/482; H04N21/80; H04N21/83; H04N21/84; H04N21/85; H04N21/858; H04N21/8586; H04N7/162; H04N7/163; H04N7/165; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; H04N7/17345; H04N7/17354; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/30; A63F2300/308; A63F2300/40; A63F2300/409; A63F2300/50; A63F2300/55; A63F2300/5506; A63F2300/57; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/445
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 60
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for displaying program schedule information and Internet data for use in a multimedia informational system, the method comprising: receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; receiving the data feed with user equipment; receiving program schedule information with the user equipment; and simultaneously displaying the program schedule information and the Internet data with the user equipment, wherein at least a portion of the displayed program schedule information is interactive.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for displaying program schedule information and Internet data for use in a multimedia informational system, the method comprising: receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; receiving the data feed with user equipment; receiving program schedule information with the user equipment; and simultaneously displaying the program schedule information and the Internet data with the user equipment, wherein at least a portion of the displayed program schedule information is interactive.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein: the program schedule information comprises program listings; at least a portion of the Internet data is associated with at least one of the program listings; displaying the program schedule information comprises displaying the at least one of the program listings; and displaying the Internet data comprises displaying the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method defined in claim 2 wherein displaying the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings comprises simultaneously displaying the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings and the at least one program listing.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying an icon indicating that there is Internet data associated with at least one of the program listings.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying a television program associated with the program schedule information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying a television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
108 words
The method defined in claim 6 wherein: displaying the program schedule information comprises displaying the program schedule information in a first portion of a display screen; displaying the Internet data comprises displaying the Internet data in the first portion of the display screen; and displaying a television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data comprises displaying at least a portion of the television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data in a second portion of the display screen, wherein the at least a portion of the television program, the television program schedule information, and the Internet data are simultaneously displayed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
87 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein: displaying the program schedule information comprises displaying the program schedule information in a first portion of a display screen; displaying the Internet data comprises displaying the Internet data in the first portion of the display screen; and the method further comprises displaying at least a portion of a television program in a second portion of the display screen, wherein the at least a portion of the television program, the television program schedule information, and the Internet data are simultaneously displayed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein: the program schedule information comprises program schedule information for a plurality of topics; the Internet data comprises Internet data for a plurality of topics; displaying the program schedule information comprises displaying program schedule information for a particular topic of the plurality of topics; and displaying the Internet data comprises displaying Internet data for the particular topic.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein: the Internet data comprises data for events that are not televised; and displaying the Internet data comprises simultaneously displaying the data for events that are not televised with the program schedule information.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the Internet data comprises providing the user with access to the Internet data using an electronic television program guide.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
73 words
A method for displaying television programs and Internet data for use in a multimedia informational system, the method comprising: receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; receiving the data feed with user equipment; receiving television program signals for television programs with the user equipment; and simultaneously displaying the television programs and the Internet data with the user equipment.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
73 words
A method for displaying television programs and Internet data for use in a multimedia informational system, the method comprising: receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; receiving the data feed with user equipment; receiving television program signals for television programs with the user equipment; and simultaneously displaying the television programs and the Internet data with the user equipment.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method defined in claim 12 wherein: at least a portion of the Internet data is associated with a given television program; displaying the Internet data comprises displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program; and displaying the television program comprises displaying the given television program.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method defined in claim 13 wherein displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program comprises simultaneously displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program and the given television program.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method defined in claim 14 wherein: displaying the given television program comprises displaying at least a portion of the television program in a first portion of a display screen; and simultaneously displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program and the given television program comprises displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method defined in claim 12 further comprising displaying an icon indicating that there is Internet data associated with a program.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method defined in claim 12 wherein: displaying the television program comprises displaying at least a portion of the television program in a first portion of a display screen; displaying the Internet data comprises displaying the Internet data in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method defined in claim 12 wherein displaying the Internet data comprises providing the user with access to the Internet data using an electronic television program guide.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
88 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying program schedule information and Internet data comprising: means for receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; means for populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; means for receiving the data feed with user equipment; means for receiving program schedule information with the user equipment; and means for simultaneously displaying the program schedule information and the Internet data with the user equipment, wherein at least a portion of the displayed program schedule information is interactive.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
88 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying program schedule information and Internet data comprising: means for receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; means for populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; means for receiving the data feed with user equipment; means for receiving program schedule information with the user equipment; and means for simultaneously displaying the program schedule information and the Internet data with the user equipment, wherein at least a portion of the displayed program schedule information is interactive.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
77 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein: the program schedule information comprises program listings; at least a portion of the Internet data is associated with at least one of the program listings; the means for displaying the program schedule information comprises means for displaying the at least one of the program listings; and the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for displaying the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system defined in claim 20 wherein the means for displaying the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings comprises means for simultaneously displaying the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings and the at least one program listing.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system defined in claim 19 further comprising means for displaying an icon indicating that there is Internet data associated with at least one of the program listings.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system defined in claim 22 further comprising displaying a television program associated with the program schedule information.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system defined in claim 19 further comprising means for displaying a television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
123 words
The system defined in claim 24 wherein: the means for displaying the program schedule information comprises means for displaying the program schedule information in a first portion of a display screen; the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for displaying the Internet data in the first portion of the display screen; and the means for displaying a television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data comprises means for displaying at least a portion of the television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data in a second portion of the display screen, wherein the at least a portion of the television program, the television program schedule information, and the Internet data are simultaneously displayed.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
99 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein: the means for displaying the program schedule information comprises means for displaying the program schedule information in a first portion of a display screen; the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for displaying the Internet data in the first portion of the display screen; and the system further comprises means for displaying at least a portion of a television program in a second portion of the display screen, wherein the at least a portion of the television program, the television program schedule information, and the Internet data are simultaneously displayed.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
73 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein: the program schedule information comprises program schedule information for a plurality of topics; the Internet data comprises Internet data for a plurality of topics; the means for displaying the program schedule information comprises means for displaying program schedule information for a particular topic of the plurality of topics; and the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for displaying Internet data for the particular topic.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein: the Internet data comprises data for events that are not televised; and the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for simultaneously displaying the data for events that are not televised with the program schedule information.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system defined in claim 19 wherein the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for providing the user with access to the Internet data using an electronic television program guide.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
76 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying television programs and Internet data comprising: means for receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; means for populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; means for receiving the data feed with user equipment; means for receiving television program signals for television programs with the user equipment; and means for simultaneously displaying the television programs and the Internet data with the user equipment.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
76 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying television programs and Internet data comprising: means for receiving at a remote facility Internet data from the Internet; means for populating a data feed with the Internet data at the remote facility; means for receiving the data feed with user equipment; means for receiving television program signals for television programs with the user equipment; and means for simultaneously displaying the television programs and the Internet data with the user equipment.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system defined in claim 30 wherein: at least a portion of the Internet data is associated with a given television program; the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program; and the means for displaying the television program comprises means for displaying the given television program.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system defined in claim 31 wherein the means for displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program comprises means for simultaneously displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program and the given television program.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
76 words
The system defined in claim 32 wherein: the means for displaying the given television program comprises means for displaying at least a portion of the television program in a first portion of a display screen; and the means for simultaneously displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program and the given television program comprises means for displaying the Internet data associated with the given television program in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system defined in claim 30 further comprising means for displaying an icon indicating that there is Internet data associated with a program.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
56 words
The system defined in claim 30 wherein: the means for displaying the television program comprises means for displaying at least a portion of the television program in a first portion of a display screen; the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for displaying the Internet data in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system defined in claim 30 wherein the means for displaying the Internet data comprises means for providing the user with access to the Internet data using an electronic television program guide.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
87 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying program schedule information and Internet data comprising: a remote facility for receiving Internet data from the Internet and populating a data feed with the Internet data; and user equipment comprising: a video display generator; a receiver for receiving program schedule information and Internet and the data feed; and a microcontroller programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the program schedule information and the Internet data, wherein at least a portion of the displayed program schedule information is interactive.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
87 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying program schedule information and Internet data comprising: a remote facility for receiving Internet data from the Internet and populating a data feed with the Internet data; and user equipment comprising: a video display generator; a receiver for receiving program schedule information and Internet and the data feed; and a microcontroller programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the program schedule information and the Internet data, wherein at least a portion of the displayed program schedule information is interactive.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
68 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein: the program schedule information comprises program listings; at least a portion of the Internet data is associated with at least one of the program listings; and the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display the at least one of the program listings and the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system defined in claim 38 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the Internet data associated with the at least one of the program listings and the at least one of the program listings.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display an icon indicating that there is Internet data associated with at least one of the program listings.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
72 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein: the receiver is further configured to receive television program signals; the system further comprises a tuner configured to tune to a given one of the television program signals; and the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display a television program of the given one of the television program signals, wherein the television program is associated with the program schedule information.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
76 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein: the receiver is further configured to receive television program signals; the system further comprises a tuner configured to tune to a given one of the television program signals; and the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display a television program of the given one of the television program signals, wherein the television program is associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system defined in claim 42 wherein: the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display (1) the program schedule information in a first portion of a display screen, (2) the Internet data in the first portion of the display screen, and (3) at least a portion of the television program associated with the program schedule information and the Internet data in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
93 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein: the receiver is further configured to receive television program signals; the system further comprises a tuner configured to tune to a given one of the television program signals; and microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display (1) the program schedule information and the Internet data in a first portion of a display screen, and (2) at least a portion of a television program of the given one of the television program signals in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
68 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein: the program schedule information comprises program schedule information for a plurality of topics; the Internet data comprises Internet data for a plurality of topics; and the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to (1) display the program schedule information for a particular topic of the plurality of topics, and (2) display Internet data for the particular topic.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein: the Internet data comprises data for events that are not televised; and the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the data for events that are not televised with the program schedule information.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system defined in claim 37 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed with at least a portion of an electronic television program guide, wherein the interactive television program guide is configured to provide the user with access to the Internet data.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
75 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying television programs and Internet data comprising: a remote facility for receiving Internet data from the Internet and populating a data feed with the Internet data; and user equipment comprising: a receiver configured to receive Internet the data feed and television program signals for television programs; a video display generator; and a microcontroller programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the television programs and the Internet data.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
75 words
A multimedia informational system for displaying television programs and Internet data comprising: a remote facility for receiving Internet data from the Internet and populating a data feed with the Internet data; and user equipment comprising: a receiver configured to receive Internet the data feed and television program signals for television programs; a video display generator; and a microcontroller programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the television programs and the Internet data.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system defined in claim 48 wherein: at least a portion of the Internet data is associated with a given television program of the television programs; and the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display the Internet data associated with the given television program.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system defined in claim 49 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display the Internet data associated with the given television program and the given television program.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system defined in claim 50 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to simultaneously display (1) at least a portion of the given television program in a first portion of a display screen, and (2) the Internet data associated with the given television program in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system defined in claim 48 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display an icon indicating that there is Internet data associated with a given television program of the television programs.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
55 words
The system defined in claim 48 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to direct the video display generator to display (1) at least a portion of a given television program of the television programs in a first portion of a display screen, and (2) the Internet data in a second portion of the display screen.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system defined in claim 48 wherein the microcontroller is programmed with at least a portion of an electronic television program guide, wherein the electronic television program guide is configured to provide the user with access to the Internet data.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-07-27 | 2008-01-26 | 2008-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-07-27 | 2012-01-26 | 2012-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-07-27 | 2016-01-26 | 2016-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |