 |
Description  |
|
|
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.RTM. 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.RTM. 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.RTM. 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.RTM. 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.RTM. web site on the Internet through any Internet service provider
(such as through the WorldNet.TM. service available from American
Telephone and Telegraph Company of New York, N.Y.). Once at the home page
of the Prevue Online.RTM. 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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing how a media library, data server, and
data inputs from information processing facilities may be interconnected
with a web server and various multimedia systems in accordance with the
present invention.
FIG. 2 is an illustrative display containing a home page for an Internet
television program guide system with embedded real-time data in accordance
with the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an illustrative display containing a map-based menu for
identifying a geographical area of interest in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 4 is an illustrative display containing a map-based menu for a smaller
geographical area than the area shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is an illustrative display of a menu offering access to various
types of program listings as alternatives to access to local program
listings in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an illustrative display presenting various program guide options
to the user in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an illustrative display containing weather information.
FIG. 8 is an illustrative display presenting various program guide options
related to the way in which television program guide listings are
organized on the user's display screen in accordance with the present
invention.
FIG. 9 is an illustrative display containing television program guide
listings organized by time in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an illustrative display of information on an event selected by
the user and related options in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an illustrative display presenting a menu of channel selections
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 12 is an illustrative display containing television program guide
listings organized by channel in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an illustrative display containing icons representing category
options in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 14 is an illustrative display containing television program guide
listings organized by category in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An Internet television program guide system 8 for providing television
program listings with embedded real-time data in accordance with the
present invention is shown in FIG. 1. Television program information is
stored in media library 12 and data server 14 of main facility 10. Media
library 12 preferably contains an array of compact disc read only memory
(CD-ROM) disks, digital video disks (DVDs), or other suitable media for
storing multimedia content. Media library 12 contains television program
clips and related interviews and reviews. Media library 12 may also
contain video clips and related interviews and reviews from previously
televised sporting events. The television program information stored in
media library 12 is primarily video information.
Data server 14 maintains various databases of television program
information. For example, data server 14 maintains a television program
listings database. Data server 14 may also have a remote media database
containing descriptions of the videos in media library 12. In addition,
data server 14 may have a database containing statistical information on
various sports teams (e.g., National Football League teams, National
Hockey League teams, National Basketball Association teams, etc.), as well
as information on the players of each team. Data server 14 may have a
cable system operator database containing channel lineups, information on
the time zone of the operator, weather data for the operator's region,
data on the zip codes in the cable system operator's area, etc. Other
databases may be supported by data server 14 if desired. The television
program information in data server 14 is primarily in non-video formats.
Media library 12 and data server 14 may be interconnected with transmission
server 16 via internal network 18. In addition to information received
from media library 12 and data server 14, transmission server 16 receives
information from one or more real-time data processing facilities 20, 22,
24 and 26 via network links 30 and 32 and/or via satellite links 34 and
36. Media library 12, data server 14, network 18, and transmission server
16 including its links make up computer system 100. Television program
information may be stored on data server 14 in a relational database
format and may be stored on transmission server 16 in an object-oriented
database format. A building process implemented in the C.sup.++
programming language can be used to periodically build a temporary data
set of television program information (e.g., a seven-day to one-month data
set) for storage on transmission server 16.
Transmission server 16 receives dynamic or real-time data to be displayed
with a corresponding program listing for an event in progress that is
being televised or with any other program listing to which the real-time
data is of relevance. Such real-time data may include weather data, sports
scores, video stills, video and audio clips, interview segments, etc. The
real-time data received by transmission server 16 from processing
facilities 50 is embedded within the television program listing of the
corresponding televised event in progress or within any other program
listing to which the real-time data is of relevance. For example, if
transmission server 16 receives real-time data from information processing
facility 22 such as the score in a basketball game being played between
the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls that is being televised on the
MSG channel, the current score of the game is embedded within the row of
text of the corresponding television program listing which indicates that
the New York Knicks v. Chicago Bulls game is being televised on MSG from
8:00 P.M. EST to 11:30 P.M. EST. Similarly, real-time data pertaining to
the weather may be embedded within the program listing of an outdoor event
such as a marathon, which may be in progress and being televised or which
may be scheduled to be televised in the near future.
Television program information including television program listings
information and related real-time data may be transferred from
transmission server 16 to web server 55 via communications line 52.
Communications line 52 may be part of an internal network or may be a
standard dedicated communications line. Data may also be transferred from
transmission server 16 to web server 55 via satellite. Web server 55 can
be connected to the Internet 60 via communications link 56. Communications
link 56 is preferably a telephone network link or other suitable Internet
communications path.
If transmission server 16 and web server 55 are separate devices, as shown
in FIG. 1, transmission server 16 can be used as a common data processing
facility for other applications which use the type of data stored on
transmission server 16. If desired, the functions of transmission server
16 and web server 55 can be integrated in a single machine. Similarly data
server 14 and transmission server 16 can be integrated in a single machine
with separate logical functionalities.
Web server 55 uses a standard protocol such as the TCP/IP (Transmission
Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) and hypertext transfer protocol to
make television program information available over the Internet 60 to
users at multimedia systems 70, 72, 74, and 76 via communication links 62,
64, 66, and 68, respectively. Communication links 62, 64, 66, and 68 are
Internet links formed from telephone lines, radio-frequency (RF) links,
cable modem links, satellite dish links, combinations of links such as
these, or any other suitable Internet connection paths.
Multimedia systems 70, 72, and 74 may be standard modern laptops,
notebooks, or desktop computers with multimedia and Internet capabilities.
Multimedia system 76 uses an integrated personal computer and television
78, such as the Gateway 2000 Destination.RTM. PC-TV hybrid available from
Gateway 2000 Inc. of North Sioux City, S. Dak. Television signals are
provided at input 80. Internet access is provided via Internet
communications link 68.
During operation of system 100, certain data processing functions, such as
user-initiated searches and sorts, may be performed on web server 55. If
desired, such functions can be performed on a suitable data processing
component in one of multimedia systems 70, 72, 74, or 76.
Regardless of the specific configuration of the multimedia systems used in
the system of FIG. 1, the user of such a multimedia system has the
capability to access an interactive Internet television program guide
having embedded real-time data within its program listings using web
server 55. The features of the program guide are available using the
personal computer functions of the user's multimedia system. If it is
desired to use certain program guide features that rely upon the control
of a tuner or recording unit, the multimedia system should also have the
ability to tune to a desired television program from among the various
television programs provided at input 80 and have the ability to record
that program automatically, under the control of commands from a built-in
processing unit.
The system hardware shown in FIG. 1 is illustrative and other suitable
hardware arrangements may be used if desired. Regardless of the particular
hardware system that is used, however, the present invention preferably
provides the television program guide to users over the Internet in the
form of multiple web pages that use the standard hypertext transfer
protocol (http). In the system of FIG. 1, web pages and associated program
guide features (such as searching, etc.) are provided using web server 55.
Because the television program guide is provided using web pages, the
features of the program guide may be accessed using standard web browsers
operating on the appropriate processing unit in the user's multimedia
system. For example, in multimedia system 72 of FIG. 1, a web browser may
be implemented using the computer's built-in processing unit. Suitable web
browsers include the Internet Explorer.RTM. web browser of Microsoft
Corporation of Redmond, Wash. and the Netscape Navigator.RTM. web browser
of Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, Calif. Such web
browsers support the viewing of various types of multimedia content, such
as video stills (JPEG or GIF files) and video and audio clips (AVI, MOV,
and MPG files). If desired, certain of these multimedia support functions
may be provided as web browser plug-ins (i.e., special software modules
designed to enhance the features of a web browser application). A suitable
video player plug-in for MOV files is the Quicktime.RTM. application of
Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. AVI and MPG (or MPEG--Motion
Picture Expert Group) files may be played using the ActiveMovie.RTM.
application of Microsoft Corporation.
An illustrative welcome page 200 for the television program guide of the
present invention is shown in FIG. 2. Web browser function keys 226 help
the user to navigate through web pages of material such as welcome page
200. Users may also navigate by clicking on an image or an element of
highlighted text with cursor 242, which may be controlled by a pointing
device such as a mouse or trackball. Other arrangements for selecting
links may be used if desired. Web browser function keys 226 include back
and forward keys that allow the user to navigate backward and forward
along a browsing trail. Web browser function keys 226 are not shown in the
other drawings, but are shown in FIG. 2 to illustrate the types of
function keys that are available with a standard web browser.
Welcome page 200 may contain identifying logos 228. Identifying logos 228
allow a user to quickly associate a service provider with the Internet
television program guide service. If desired, welcome page 200 can contain
summary instructions 230 that inform the user of some of the features
available with the guide. The summary instructions 230 may, for example,
inform the user that the guide provides embedded real-time data within the
program listings of televised events in progress. Other web pages (not
shown) may contain links that point to welcome page 200.
An important aspect of the Internet television program guide provided by
system 8 (FIG. 1) relates to providing on-line television program listings
that contain real-time data on televised events in progress. The user may
be presented with a number of choices regarding the type of on-line
program listings that are available. In addition, the user may be provided
with an opportunity to access supplemental real-time information on the
events in progress based on the program listings the user displays. For
example, the user may be presented with the opportunity to select between
go local option 236, go national option 238, and go satellite option 240.
After the user has selected one of these options, the user may access
dynamic information pertaining to events in progress which are being
televised and thus appear in the program listings for the option chosen by
the user.
If the user desires to select go local option 236, the user may be prompted
to enter a zip code for the local area of interest in box 244. If service
is available, the program guide system presents the user with information
for an appropriate local system operator's television lineup based on the
zip code information. If the user is unaware of the zip code of the region
where the event in progress is being televised, the user can select a
local area by entering information such as a cable system operator's name,
the name of a city, international country and city information, etc.
Another way in which the user may select a local service area of interest
is using a map-based graphical user interface. As shown in FIG. 3, the
user is presented with United States map 302. The user selects a state of
interest using cursor 304. If necessary, additional maps containing
greater levels of detail are provided, each allowing the user to make
further geographical selections. Ultimately, the user is presented with a
local map (e.g., a map that allows the user to select from several
available cable system operators). In map 306 of FIG. 4, the user can
select between three available cable system operator regions: region 1,
region 2, and region 3.
If no local service is available, the user may be provided with pick again
page 320 as shown in FIG. 5. Pick again page 320 provides the user with
another opportunity to select go national option 238 or go satellite
option 240. In addition, pick again page 320 provides the user with select
a city option 322, which is associated with a less restrictive set of
program information than go local option 236 (FIG. 2). With select a city
option 322, the user may select a desired city where the event in progress
is being televised using arrow key 324 (or alternatively, could type the
name of the city | | |
