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WO1997030552A1 - Procede et dispositif permettant le tri de guides de chaines a l'aide d'un signal d'appel - Google Patents

Procede et dispositif permettant le tri de guides de chaines a l'aide d'un signal d'appel Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1997030552A1
WO1997030552A1 PCT/US1997/002420 US9702420W WO9730552A1 WO 1997030552 A1 WO1997030552 A1 WO 1997030552A1 US 9702420 W US9702420 W US 9702420W WO 9730552 A1 WO9730552 A1 WO 9730552A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
program
program guide
sources
event information
information
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1997/002420
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Jeff Bruette
Matthew Mohebbi
Original Assignee
He Holdings, Inc. Doing Business As Hughes Electronics
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by He Holdings, Inc. Doing Business As Hughes Electronics filed Critical He Holdings, Inc. Doing Business As Hughes Electronics
Priority to JP52953497A priority Critical patent/JP2002509661A/ja
Priority to EP97907651A priority patent/EP0873652A1/fr
Priority to BR9702071A priority patent/BR9702071A/pt
Priority to AU19604/97A priority patent/AU1960497A/en
Publication of WO1997030552A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997030552A1/fr

Links

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
    • H04N21/47—End-user applications
    • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
    • 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
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/162—Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
    • H04N7/163—Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing by receiver means only

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to a subscription television system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for sorting channel guides based on the call sign of the various channels.
  • the channel guide is sorted by channel number.
  • channel no. 1 and the associated program is listed first in the guide, then channel no. 2 is listed, and so on.
  • each subscription television provider is responsible for assigning a given channel (e.g., 1, 2, 3, etc.) to a program source (e.g., TNN, MTV, CNN, etc.).
  • a program source e.g., TNN, MTV, CNN, etc.
  • the channel number corresponding to a given program source varies from provider to provider.
  • the desired program source e.g., ABC
  • this searching can reguire a considerable amount of time.
  • even once the desired channel is initially located it becomes a significant mental challenge to recall the numerical designations associated with the numerous program sources of interest, without returning and scanning through the program guide once again.
  • the present invention provides a program guide which satisfies the aforementioned needs. Specifically, the present invention provides a program guide which lists the available program sources in alphabetical order.
  • the present invention relates generally to a terminal device for use with a receiver having a display screen.
  • the terminal device comprises means for receiving a signal containing program source information and program event information for a plurality of program sources (i.e., the program guide), memory means coupled to the receiving means for storing the program guide, display means for outputting the program guide to the display screen and a system controller coupled to the memory means and the display means.
  • the system controller functions to control the transfer of the program guide between the memory means and the display means such that the plurality of program sources are listed in alphabetical order in the program guide.
  • the present invention also relates to a method of'generating a program guide.
  • the method comprises receiving a signal containing program source information and program event information for a plurality of program sources, decoding the signal so as to identify each program source and the corresponding program event information for each program source, and displaying the program source information and corresponding program event information for each of the plurality of program sources on the display screen such that the plurality of program sources are listed in alphabetical order.
  • the method and apparatus of the present invention provide important advantages. Most importantly, the present invention eliminates the need for the subscriber or viewer to scan over the entire range of available channels in order to locate a desired program source. Furthermore, the present invention eliminates the need for the subscriber to memorize the numerical designation (which may change from system to system) associated with a given program source.
  • Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of one embodiment of the terminal device of the present invention.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary program guide produced in accordance with the present invention.
  • Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of one embodiment of the terminal device 10 of the present invention.
  • the terminal device 10 includes receiving means 11 comprising tuner 12, demodulator 13 and FEC decoder 14.
  • the receiving means 11 is controlled by microprocessor 15, and operates to receive a signal which includes program guide, and video and audio information for all channels available on the given system.
  • an antenna 8 and low noise filter 9 function to receive the signal from a satellite source and to couple the signal to the receiving means 11 of the terminal device 10.
  • the present invention is not limited to system providers which utilize satellite transmissions to broadcast signals.
  • the novel system of the present invention could be readily used with system providers who supply signals via, for example, cable or telephone lines.
  • tuner 12 Upon receipt of the signal, tuner 12 functions to downconvert the received signal to an intermediate frequency ("IF") .
  • IF intermediate frequency
  • the IF signal is then converted to a digital equivalent by the demodulator 13 and coupled to decoder 14, which provides forward error correction on the received signal.
  • Apparatus 10 also comprises a transport chip 11.
  • the transport chip 11 preferably comprises a channel demultiplexer 16, a decryption unit 17 and an access card interface 18.
  • the output of the decoder 14 is coupled to the channel demultiplexer 16, which functions to separate the audio and video information of each channel, and also separates the program guide information.
  • the channel demultiplexer 16 Under control of the microprocessor 15, the channel demultiplexer 16 provides at its output port, the audio and video information of a selected channel or the program guide information.
  • Transport chip 11 further comprises an access card reader 19 which is coupled to the decryption unit 17 and the access card interface 18.
  • the access card interface 18 operates in conjunction with the decryption unit 17 and the access' card reader 19 to provide a means of preventing, for example, unauthorized pay-per-view movies from being ordered by children.
  • Apparatus 10 further comprises a modem 31 which allows the microprocessor 15 to be coupled to, for example, the public telephone network.
  • the apparatus also includes microprocessor peripherals 33, such as serial and/or parallel data ports, and a power supply 35 for supplying power.
  • multiple transponders located in a satellite are utilized to transmit channel information (e.g., audio, video) to the terminal device 10.
  • channel information e.g., audio, video
  • Each transponder transmits information regarding multiple channels (i.e., multiple program sources, such as ABC, CBS, etc.).
  • each transponder also transmits the program guide for every channel provided by the system provider on one of the frequencies available within the given transponder.
  • the program guide is available at the output of the channel demultiplexer 16.
  • the program guide is stored in random access memory ("RAM") 20, which is coupled to the channel demultiplexer 16.
  • RAM random access memory
  • the system RAM 20 also functions to buffer the digital data associated with the audio and video data of a given channel.
  • the microprocessor 15 operates to periodically update the program guide stored in the system RAM 20.
  • the program guide is updated one of two ways. First, the microprocessor 15 periodically analyzes the program guide transmitted by the provider to determine if the program guide has been updated. This can be accomplished, for example, by utilizing a flag bit which indicates that the program guide has been modified.
  • the microprocessor 15 stores the updated guide in the system RAM 20. Second, as an independent process, the microprocessor 15 monitors an expiration date/time transmitted along with the program guide. Upon reaching the expiration date/time, the microprocessor 15 updates the program guide stored in system RAM 20 with the program guide currently being transmitted.
  • the terminal device of the present invention further comprises a MPEG chip 22, for example, Part No. 64002, manufactured by LSI Logic.
  • the MPEG chip 22 comprises a video decoder and on screen display generator 24, and an audio decoder 25.
  • the MPEG chip 22 functions to decompress the audio and video data output by the channel demultiplexer 16, which is transmitted by the provider in a compressed format.
  • the NTSC encoder 26 and audio subsystem 27 format the decompressed audio and video data, respectively, for display on, for example, a television receiver.
  • the output drivers 28 function to transmit the audio and video information of a selected channel to the display screen of the television receiver.
  • the microprocessor 15 retrieves the program guide from system RAM 20, and then accesses a font table stored in memory. The microprocessor 15 then converts the program guide stored in memory 20 into a displayable font data. The displayable font data is then coupled to the MPEG chip 22. As described above, the MPEG chip 22 in combination with NTSC encoder 26 and the output drivers 28, functions to write the program guide to the television receiver at the start of the next available frame.
  • the microprocessor 15 arranges the program guide such that the program source information (e.g., ABC, TNN, CNN, etc.) is displayed on the television receiver in alphabetical order.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates an exemplary program guide produced in accordance with the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the program guide is presented in alphabetical order based on program source (i.e., call sign).
  • the terminal device of the present embodiment is capable of displaying approximately seven program sources and the corresponding programs at a single time. As shown in Fig. 2, the program source and the programs being shown thereon are displayed on a single line comprising multiple cells of varying length. The first cell indicates the program source and the channel number assigned to the source.
  • the program sources are listed alphabetically from top to bottom.
  • the reverse is also possible.
  • the subscriber simply presses, for example, a page down key or a scroll key, on the remote control (i.e., scroll down key) and the foregoing process is repeated for the new program data to be displayed.
  • the alphabetical ordering of the program source information can be accomplished in numerous ways. For example, prior to initially storing the program guide in system RAM 20, the microprocessor 15 can be programmed to analyze and identify all program sources contained within the program guide, and thereafter store the program guide in system memory 20 in an alphabetical order based on program source. As such, when subsequently transferring data to the MPEG chip 22, the microprocessor 15 need only transfer program guide entries stored in the system RAM 20 in a sequential fashion in order to maintain and present the program sources in an alphabetical order.
  • the microprocessor 15 can be commanded to alphabetize the program guide on the basis of program source subsequent to the program guide initially being stored in system RAM 20. This can be accomplished by indexing the program guide stored in memory. Specifically, once stored, each program source is identified and indexed so as create an alphabetical ordering of the program sources. Indexing the program sources can entail, for example, providing pointers to each program source such that upon generation of the guide by accessing the pointers, the guide is generated in alphabetical order. Of course other methods of generating the alphabetical ordering is possible. The two foregoing methods of generating a program guide which displays the program sources in alphabetical order are only exemplary of the numerous methods available.
  • the program guide must be supplied to the MPEG chip 22 in the order to be displayed. It is also understood that various methods are available for mapping the program source information with the corresponding program event information in memory 20.
  • the method and apparatus of the present invention provides important advantages. Most importantly, the present invention eliminates the need for the subscriber or viewer to scan over the entire range of available channels in order to locate a desired program source. Furthermore, the present invention eliminates the need for the subscriber to memorize the numerical designation (which changes from system to system) associated with a given program source.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
  • Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
  • Sorting Of Articles (AREA)

Abstract

Un dispositif terminal (10) s'utilise avec un récepteur (11) doté d'un écran d'affichage. Il comprend un moyen permettant de recevoir un signal contenant des informations sur les sources de programmes et sur leurs émissions (par exemple le guide des programmes), une mémoire couplée à ce moyen de réception pour mémoriser le guide des programmes, un afficheur permettant de voir ce guide sur un écran, et un circuit de commande de ce système qui est couplé à la mémoire et à l'afficheur et sert à commander le transfert du guide des programmes entre cette mémoire et cet afficheur, de façon que les différentes sources de programmes soient énumérées par ordre alphabétique dans le guide des programmes.
PCT/US1997/002420 1996-02-19 1997-02-18 Procede et dispositif permettant le tri de guides de chaines a l'aide d'un signal d'appel WO1997030552A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP52953497A JP2002509661A (ja) 1996-02-19 1997-02-18 呼サインに基づいてチャンネルガイドを選別するための方法および装置
EP97907651A EP0873652A1 (fr) 1996-02-19 1997-02-18 Procede et dispositif permettant le tri de guides de chaines a l'aide d'un signal d'appel
BR9702071A BR9702071A (pt) 1996-02-19 1997-02-18 Método e aparelho para seleção de guias de canais com base no sinal de chamada
AU19604/97A AU1960497A (en) 1996-02-19 1997-02-18 Method and apparatus for sorting channel guides based on call sign

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US60247796A 1996-02-19 1996-02-19
US602,477 1996-02-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997030552A1 true WO1997030552A1 (fr) 1997-08-21

Family

ID=24411499

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1997/002420 WO1997030552A1 (fr) 1996-02-19 1997-02-18 Procede et dispositif permettant le tri de guides de chaines a l'aide d'un signal d'appel

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0873652A1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2002509661A (fr)
AU (1) AU1960497A (fr)
BR (1) BR9702071A (fr)
CA (1) CA2218382A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997030552A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0984626A3 (fr) * 1998-09-05 2001-10-17 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Procédé pour l'acquisition de l'information d'un guide de programmes, procédé de guide de programmes approprié, et dispositif de guide de programmes
US7546621B2 (en) 1997-02-19 2009-06-09 Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. Interactive television program guide display
US9948962B2 (en) 2014-11-13 2018-04-17 Time Warner Cable Enterprises Llc Apparatus and methods for efficient delivery of electronic program guide data

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0250725A (ja) * 1988-08-12 1990-02-20 Nec Corp 副プログラム検索方式
EP0391656A2 (fr) * 1989-04-06 1990-10-10 Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. Appareil de commande d'accord avec possibilité d'accord par étiquettes et utilisation d'une mémorisation par étiquettes alphabétiques
WO1994013107A1 (fr) * 1992-12-09 1994-06-09 Discovery Communications, Inc. Terminal prive perfectionne pour systemes de diffusion de programmes de television par cable

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0250725A (ja) * 1988-08-12 1990-02-20 Nec Corp 副プログラム検索方式
EP0391656A2 (fr) * 1989-04-06 1990-10-10 Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. Appareil de commande d'accord avec possibilité d'accord par étiquettes et utilisation d'une mémorisation par étiquettes alphabétiques
WO1994013107A1 (fr) * 1992-12-09 1994-06-09 Discovery Communications, Inc. Terminal prive perfectionne pour systemes de diffusion de programmes de television par cable

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 014, no. 219 (P - 1045) 9 May 1990 (1990-05-09) *

Cited By (16)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7546621B2 (en) 1997-02-19 2009-06-09 Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P. Interactive television program guide display
US8763039B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2014-06-24 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
US9009757B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2015-04-14 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
US8418200B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2013-04-09 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Method of acquiring program guide information, program guide method appropriate for the same, and program guide apparatus
US8462272B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2013-06-11 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Method of acquiring program guide information, program guide method appropriate for the same, and program guide apparatus
US8477243B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2013-07-02 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus acquiring program guide information and/or providing for program guide navigation using same
US8661470B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2014-02-25 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
US8347331B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2013-01-01 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Method of acquiring program guide information, program guide method appropriate for the same, and program guide apparatus
US8769574B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2014-07-01 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
US8695036B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2014-04-08 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
US8869201B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2014-10-21 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
EP0984626A3 (fr) * 1998-09-05 2001-10-17 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Procédé pour l'acquisition de l'information d'un guide de programmes, procédé de guide de programmes approprié, et dispositif de guide de programmes
US9510059B2 (en) 1998-09-05 2016-11-29 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Program guide apparatus
US9948962B2 (en) 2014-11-13 2018-04-17 Time Warner Cable Enterprises Llc Apparatus and methods for efficient delivery of electronic program guide data
US10567814B2 (en) 2014-11-13 2020-02-18 Time Warner Cable Enterprises Llc Apparatus and methods for efficient delivery of electronic program guide data
US11212561B2 (en) 2014-11-13 2021-12-28 Time Warner Cable Enterprises Llc Apparatus and methods for efficient delivery of electronic program guide data

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0873652A1 (fr) 1998-10-28
JP2002509661A (ja) 2002-03-26
BR9702071A (pt) 1998-05-26
AU1960497A (en) 1997-09-02
CA2218382A1 (fr) 1997-08-21

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