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  Interactive television systemUSPTO Application #: 20060015900Title: Interactive television system Abstract: An interactive television system is described. (end of abstract)
Agent: Siemens Corporation Intellectual Property Department - Iselin, NJ, US Inventors: Thomas Edward Cezeaux, Derek K. Vogel USPTO Applicaton #: 20060015900 - Class: 725040000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Interactive Video Distribution Systems, Operator Interface, To Facilitate Tuning Or Selection Of Video Signal, Electronic Program Guide, For Displaying Additional Information The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060015900. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/260,082 filed on Jan. 3, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND [0002] The described technology relates generally to program guides and specifically to improvements for electronic program guides. [0003] Electronic program guides have been used extensively to allow users to view programming information for available television channels and to select which television channel to watch. Electronic program guides are typically provided by set-top boxes that are connected to a content feed (e.g., cable or satellite) and to a television on the other end. Set-top boxes may access programming information (e.g., channel, title, and start time) provided through the content feed (e.g., on a designated channel) and generate a display of that information referred to as an electronic program guide. Electronic program guides are generally displayed in a grid format with start time information displayed horizontally and channel information displayed vertically. Each cell of the grid may contain the title on the content. Set-top boxes typically allow a user to use a remote control to scroll through and select a channel to be watched. [0004] Although electronic program guides help a viewer to locate and select a channel that the viewer wants to watch, some capabilities provided by current electronic program guides are more difficult than they need to be. For example, current electronic program guides typically allow a user to view programming information for days other than the current day. These electronic program guides, however, may force a user to take multiple actions to view program listings for another day. Similarly, electronic program guides typically have different formatted guides for different types of content. For example, one format may be used for displaying television programming information, another format may be used for video-on-demand programming information, and a different format may be used to display web content information. Since electronic program guides are typically controlled by remote controls, navigation from one screen to another can be difficult. As a result, minimizing the number of navigation steps is desirable. [0005] It is well known that some content is objectionable to some viewers. For example, some viewers may find X-rated movies objectionable. Some television systems allow users to filter out such objectionable content so that when the content is selected it cannot be viewed. Electronic program guides list the titles of such objectionable content. Some viewers may find even such titles objectionable. [0006] It would be desirable to have an electronic program guide that would minimize problems associated with current electronic program guides. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of an interactive system in one embodiment. [0008] FIG. 2 illustrates an example interactive program guide that allows a user to select another day directly from the currently displayed interactive program guide. [0009] FIG. 3 illustrates an example interactive program guide that is display after the user selects another day's button. [0010] FIG. 4 illustrates an example interactive program guide in an alternate mechanism for selecting another day of the week. [0011] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an implementation of a component to generate an interactive program guide in one embodiment. [0012] FIG. 6 illustrates an example interactive program guide for which objectionable information has been filtered out. [0013] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating an implementation of a component that remove information about objectionable content in one embodiment. [0014] FIG. 8 illustrates the integration of television programming information with on-demand programming information on a single interactive program guide in one embodiment. [0015] FIG. 9 illustrates an interactive program guide with regular-sized cells in one embodiment. [0016] FIG. 10 illustrates an interactive program guide with regular-sized cells when the user selects a cell. [0017] FIG. 11 illustrates another example of the interactive program guide when the user selects a cell of a program that is longer than 30 minutes. [0018] FIG. 12 illustrates an example television screen in which ATVEF information has been embedded. [0019] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating a component for adding ATVEF information to a video stream in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0020] Methods and systems related to an interactive television system are provided. In one embodiment, the interactive system provides an interactive program guide ("IPG") that facilitates the selection of various types of program content. One aspect of the interactive system allows a user to quickly select the day of the week for which the interactive program guide is to cover. The interactive system displays the interactive program guide for one day and includes a mechanism for selecting from that interactive program guide another day's program guide. In one embodiment, the mechanism includes a button for each day of the week. When a user selects the button, the interactive system displays the interactive program guide for that day of the week. In another embodiment, the mechanism includes an indication to select a button on a remote control to display the interactive program guide for the previous day or next day. In this way, the user can quickly switch from one day to another day from the interactive program guide itself. Continue reading... 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