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WO2001082594A1 - Procede et systeme universel de programmation pour guide electronique de programme - Google Patents

Procede et systeme universel de programmation pour guide electronique de programme Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001082594A1
WO2001082594A1 PCT/US2001/012342 US0112342W WO0182594A1 WO 2001082594 A1 WO2001082594 A1 WO 2001082594A1 US 0112342 W US0112342 W US 0112342W WO 0182594 A1 WO0182594 A1 WO 0182594A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
objects
epg
class
machine
virtual worlds
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/012342
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Dan Kikinis
Yakov Kamen
Original Assignee
Isurftv
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
Priority claimed from US09/708,220 external-priority patent/US7516469B1/en
Application filed by Isurftv filed Critical Isurftv
Priority to AU2001253545A priority Critical patent/AU2001253545A1/en
Publication of WO2001082594A1 publication Critical patent/WO2001082594A1/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
    • H04N21/43—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
    • 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
    • H04N21/434—Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream
    • H04N21/4345—Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG 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
    • H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
    • H04N21/47815—Electronic shopping
    • 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]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
    • H04N21/812—Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data
    • 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]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/85—Assembly of content; Generation of multimedia applications
    • H04N21/854—Content authoring
    • H04N21/8545—Content authoring for generating interactive applications

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to electronic programming guides and, more particularly, to a programming system for an electronic programming guide.
  • EPGs Electronic programming guides
  • STBs set-top boxes
  • Such EPGs are simple and limited in functionality.
  • scheduled program information is transmitted to a STB on a viewer's premises by an appropriate form of transmission (e.g., broadcast, direct satellite, cable, etc.).
  • the set-top box CPU retains the transmission in memory so that the scheduled programming information may be subsequently viewed on a viewer's television set in response to user-generated signals.
  • the information generally appears in a grid structure on the television screen with multiple columns corresponding to a designated time slot (e.g., 30 minutes) and multiple rows corresponding to a different television channel.
  • the present invention provides an improved EPG that can display programming information in a va ⁇ ety of ways (e g , 3-D images, alphanume ⁇ c text, and video data) and that also allows viewers and/or television programmers to select between varying programming worlds according to viewer and/or programmer preferences
  • An EPG in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention provides tor a memory or database which contains objects a through n.
  • One class of objects is a pseudo-desc ⁇ ptive language that desc ⁇ bes, for example, program events or schedule times.
  • Such an object has a title and/or a channel ID that can be converted into the actual channel number or program association (e.g., Channel 7 equals ABC, etc.).
  • an additional class of objects contain a va ⁇ ety of world desc ⁇ ptions.
  • This class of objects provides a 3-D enabled EPG, including a 3-D virtual world whose end result is the view that the user gets.
  • va ⁇ ous layouts may be achieved.
  • One layout may mimic the look of a classic 2-D EPG approach.
  • Another layout may mimic, for example, a futu ⁇ stic science fiction type of environment in space, with rotating carousels showing movie previews, etc
  • a third layout may offer, for example, an environment mimicking video games such as DOOMTM, etc.
  • there may be a dynamic relationship between the selection of content by a user and the selection of a specific world (e.g., the selection of the sports channel by the user changes the world to a ballpark, the selection of the Disney channel changes the world to a Disney world, etc.).
  • channels may be organized by different classes so that the EPG world may contain, in addition to its layout and desc ⁇ ptions, one through n elements with objects.
  • each of these objects may be linked or assigned to one of the items to display, such as schedule items, etc.
  • non-EPG objects such as interaction objects. These may be used for e-commerce activities, etc., and may be conflated with the presentation of the world along with the programming schedule items.
  • Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a conventional EPG system according to the prior art.
  • Figure 2 shows an overview of the software architecture of a programming system for an EPG according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 3a shows a pseudo-descriptive language containing one class of objects for an EPG according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 3b shows a description of a 3-D world in another class of objects for an EPG according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 3c shows a description of a non-EPG object according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 4 is one example of a computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a block diagram of a conventional EPG system 100 according to the p ⁇ or art
  • a service provider 110 such as a broadcaster or a cable television provider, broadcasts a transmission 115 to a plurality of subsc ⁇ bers each having a set-top box 120 and 122, etc Signal may be dist ⁇ ubbed and received through a va ⁇ ety of means, including optical, microwave, elect ⁇ cal or other forms of transmission Signal includes EPG data 130 and 132, etc , which is displayed on television screens 134 and 136, etc., as part of television systems 140 and 142, etc EPG data 130 and 132, etc., is displayed in a mat ⁇ x of rectangular boxes containing text (not shown in this view) in a manner well known in the art
  • FIG. 2 there is shown an overview of the software architecture of a programming system for an EPG 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention
  • the present invention may be implemented in any television system (not shown in this view) including analog (e.g., using CRTs technology) as well as digital technologies (e.g , HDTV supporting interlaced format)
  • a user interface 201 such as a wireless remote control device (using a signal transmission method such as infrared, RF, inductive, or any other available method) may communicate with the television system.
  • the remote control device contains a mechanism (e.g., a joystick, track ball, touch pad, mouse, lever, etc ) by which the user can manipulate a cursor on a television screen.
  • a mechanism e.g., a joystick, track ball, touch pad, mouse, lever, etc
  • remote control device could also be any one of numerous control devices known in the art, including a wireless keyboard, a wireless pointer device, etc. It is also possible not to use a remote control device at all, and to just use a key pad, cursor, etc , attached directly to the television system.
  • the software architecture of the programming system 200 resides in a set-top box 210
  • the set-top box 210 typically includes the user interface 201 which comp ⁇ ses a CPU coupled to a read-only memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM) (not show in this view)
  • the ROM includes instructions and data for executing on the CPU.
  • the RAM is used tor sto ⁇ ng program va ⁇ ables for the program instructions contained in the ROM
  • the software architecture of the system may reside in the television system or may be built into a VCR.
  • a presentation engine 202 has d ⁇ vers or connectors 205 a through n
  • One such d ⁇ ver is d ⁇ ver 203 which connects to the operating system within the set-top box 210 and allows the presentation engine 202 to communicate with such things as a television tuner, data for replenishing programming information, and the like.
  • a memory or database 220 in the system, which contains objects 215 a through n.
  • the database 220 resides in the memory.
  • the database may also be in the hard disk, or in both the memory and the hard disk.
  • An interface 204 provides for a 3-D enabled EPG virtual world whose end result is the view that the user gets. Rather than hard-programming one world into the application and allowing objects such as programs, etc., to be filled-in, numerous objects 215 a through n contain va ⁇ ous world desc ⁇ ptions.
  • the interface 204 displays objects with real shapes on a television screen along with rectangular or bar shaped text blocks (rather than displaying a mat ⁇ x of rectangular boxes containing text).
  • one method for displaying real shapes involves using 3-D accelerator technology.
  • the graphics circuitry that provides the information displayed on the television screen stores the image elements in a 3-D model and generates the image using a 3-D accelerator. This is done in a manner similar to that desc ⁇ bed in our U.S. patent applications 09/344,442 (docket No Isurftvl ) and 09/361,470 (docket No. Isurftv2) and our co-pending application "Electronic Programming Guide" (docket No.
  • Isurftv 12 (all of which desc ⁇ be 3-D accelerator technology and are incorporated herein by reference). B ⁇ efly, this is accomplished by a) sto ⁇ ng a computer model of a geomet ⁇ c surface of one or more pictograms in a first set of memory locations within the television STB; b) sto ⁇ ng within a second set of memory locations a two dimensional image to be mapped onto that surface (e.g., a pixel a ⁇ ay), and c) constructing a pixel array comp ⁇ sing image.
  • a va ⁇ ety of world desc ⁇ ptions in the objects 215 a through n provide the user with schedule information (or other information as typically presented in EPGs or IPGs) for broadcast programs using the 3-D accelerator technology mentioned herein
  • These 3-D enabled objects 215 provide a 3-D virtual world whose end result is the view that the user gets
  • one layout may mimic a futu ⁇ stic science fiction type of environment in space, with rotating carousels showing movie previews (not shown in this view)
  • Another layout may offer, tor example, an environment mimicking video games, such as DoomTM, etc (not shown in this view)
  • Still another environment may offer the look of a classic 2-D EPG approach (not shown in this view)
  • channels may be organized by different classes, so the EPG world may contain, in addition to its layout and world desc ⁇ ptions, a through n elements with objects 215 In turn, each of those objects would then be linked or assigned to one of the items to display, such as schedule items, etc.
  • the selection by the user of a specific content e g , the selection of the sports channel by the viewer changes the world to a ballpark, the selection of the Disney channel changes the world to a Disney world, etc.
  • Another class of objects 215 contain a pseudo-desc ⁇ ptive language Such an object may convert a title or channel identification into an actual channel or program association.
  • non-EPG objects 215 such as interaction objects
  • interaction objects may be used for e-commerce activities, etc., and may be mixed in with the presentation of the world along with the programming schedule items
  • the selection of the sports channel by the user may b ⁇ ng forth a virtual world with the image of a large baseball and bat and a logo indicating that a baseball game is being shown on a particular channel
  • a user may obtain a list of products that may be purchased using an interactive television system in a manner well known in the art
  • the user can customize which EPG world he wants based on user preferences. For instance, EPG worlds can be catered to age catego ⁇ es of viewers, with particular worlds selected for the interests of senior citizens, teenagers, children, etc
  • the programmer may decide which world the user views For example, CNN may make a deal with the programmer saying that all CNN channels are to appear in the News World and not the viewer's chosen environment Or, the programmer may offer 2-3 different world choices, and the viewer may choose amone them. Of course, numerous other programming options are available in the system as well.
  • FIG. 3A there is shown a pseudo-desc ⁇ ptive language containing one class of objects for an EPG 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Such an object as shown in Figure 3A has a title 310 and/or a channel identification 320 that may be converted into the actual channel number or program association.
  • Channel 7 may be converted to ABC, etc It may have localized aspects such as local start time 335, run length or end time 340, ad overlay 345, permissive choice of advertisements 350, etc.
  • Other important parameters 360 may also be included in the class of objects as demonstrated in Figure 3A.
  • FIG. 3B there is shown a desc ⁇ ption of a 3-D world in another class of objects for an EPG 380 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Objects 382, 384, 386, etc. may be used to build the world and then the entire world desc ⁇ ption 390 is an object itself.
  • FIG. 3C there is shown a desc ⁇ ption of a non-EPG object 392 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the objects 393 and 394, etc., in Figure 3C may be interaction objects and can be used for e-commerce activities.
  • the objects 393 and 394, etc. may be mixed in the presentation of the world along with the schedule item objects (not shown in this view).
  • Figure 4 is an example of one embodiment of a computer system 400.
  • the system shown has a processor 401 coupled to a bus 402.
  • a memory 403 which may contain objects (See Figure 2 objects 215 a through n).
  • a storage device 405 such as a hard d ⁇ ve, floppy d ⁇ ve, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.
  • an input device 406 such as a keyboard, mouse, light pen, barcode reader, scanner, microphone, joystick, etc.
  • an output device 407 such as a p ⁇ nter, monitor, speakers, etc.
  • an exemplary computer system could have more components than these or a subset of the components listed.
  • the system and method desc ⁇ bed herein may be stored in the memory ot a computer system (i.e., a set-top box) as a set of instructions to be executed, as shown by way of example in Figure 4
  • the instructions to perform the system and method desc ⁇ bed herein may alternatively be stored on other forms of machine-readable media, including magnetic and optical disks
  • the system and method of the present invention may be stored on machine-readable media, such as magnetic disks or optical disks, which are accessible via a disk d ⁇ ve (or computer-readable medium d ⁇ ve)
  • the instructions may be downloaded into a computing device over a data network in the form of a compiled and linked version
  • the logic to perform the system and method desc ⁇ bed herein may be implemented in additional computer and/or machine-readable media such as discrete hardware components as large-scale integrated circuits (LSI's), application specific integrated circuits (ASIC's), firmware such as elect ⁇ cally erasable programmable readonly memory (EEPROM's), and elect ⁇ cal, optical, acoustical, and other forms of propogated signals (e.g., earner waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc )
  • LSI's large-scale integrated circuits
  • ASIC's application specific integrated circuits
  • firmware such as elect ⁇ cally erasable programmable readonly memory (EEPROM's), and elect ⁇ cal, optical, acoustical, and other forms of propogated signals (e.g., earner waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc )

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
  • Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
  • Marketing (AREA)
  • Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un guide électronique de programme (EPG) (200) destiné à afficher des informations de programmation, notamment sous forme d'images 3D, de texte alphanumérique et de données vidéo. Un moteur de présentation (202) permet aux utilisateurs et/ou aux programmeurs d'effectuer un choix entre différents environnements de programmation. Par ailleurs, des objets non EPG (215), tels que des objets d'interaction, peuvent être associés à la présentation d'un environnement et aux informations de programmation.
PCT/US2001/012342 2000-04-20 2001-04-10 Procede et systeme universel de programmation pour guide electronique de programme WO2001082594A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU2001253545A AU2001253545A1 (en) 2000-04-20 2001-04-10 Universal programming system and method for electronic programming guide

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US19901300P 2000-04-20 2000-04-20
US60/199,013 2000-04-20
US09/708,220 2000-11-07
US09/708,220 US7516469B1 (en) 2000-11-07 2000-11-07 Universal programming system and method for electronic programming guide

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2001082594A1 true WO2001082594A1 (fr) 2001-11-01

Family

ID=26894371

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2001/012342 WO2001082594A1 (fr) 2000-04-20 2001-04-10 Procede et systeme universel de programmation pour guide electronique de programme

Country Status (2)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2001253545A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2001082594A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8595764B2 (en) 1999-06-25 2013-11-26 Jlb Ventures, Llc Image-oriented electronic programming guide

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5532754A (en) * 1989-10-30 1996-07-02 Starsight Telecast Inc. Background television schedule system
US6029195A (en) * 1994-11-29 2000-02-22 Herz; Frederick S. M. System for customized electronic identification of desirable objects
US6167188A (en) * 1990-09-10 2000-12-26 Starsight Telecast, Inc. User interface for television schedule system

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5532754A (en) * 1989-10-30 1996-07-02 Starsight Telecast Inc. Background television schedule system
US6167188A (en) * 1990-09-10 2000-12-26 Starsight Telecast, Inc. User interface for television schedule system
US6029195A (en) * 1994-11-29 2000-02-22 Herz; Frederick S. M. System for customized electronic identification of desirable objects

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8595764B2 (en) 1999-06-25 2013-11-26 Jlb Ventures, Llc Image-oriented electronic programming guide

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2001253545A1 (en) 2001-11-07

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