Program guide system with real-time data sources
View Patent ↗A program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, and the like. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. A controllable ticker may be displayed on top of a television program on the user television equipment. The controllable ticker may be sponsored. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database.
1. A method for using an interactive television program guide system in which real-time data is provided using at least one source of real-time data and in which an interactive television program guide is implemented at least partially on user television equipment of a user, wherein the program guide maintains a database, comprising the steps of:
receiving program listings data with the program guide for use in the interactive television program guide;
storing the program listings data in the database maintained by the interactive television program guide;
displaying the program listings data on the user television equipment;
receiving the real-time data from the source of real-time data with the interactive television program guide; and
storing the real-time data received by the program guide in the database maintained by the program guide in which the program listings data is stored.
2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a server located at the television distribution facility on which at least a portion of the interactive television program guide is implemented, the method further comprising the step of maintaining the database on the server with the interactive television program guide.
3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of maintaining the database on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide.
4. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a program guide listings screen with the interactive television program guide that contains both the program listings data and the real-time data stored in the database.
5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a program guide listings screen with the interactive television program guide that contains the program listings data, the real-time data stored in the database, and an icon indicating when the real-time data relates to a television program available on the user television equipment.
6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the real-time data comprises a score update and the program listings data comprises a game title, the method further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying the game title and the score update on a program guide listings screen.
7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
creating a recording of the selected program.
8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
tuning the user television equipment to the selected program with the interactive television program guide.
9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
setting a reminder for the selected program with the interactive television program guide.
10. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
providing an opportunity to purchase the selected program.
11. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional information associated with the selected program.
12. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional real-time data associated with the selected program.
13. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional information associated with the selected program, wherein the additional information is stored in the database.
14. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional information associated with the selected program, wherein the additional information is not stored in the database.
15. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the real-time data stored in the database comprises score information for a sports event, the method further comprising the step of displaying the score information after completion of the sports event.
16. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
receiving the real-time data with a television distribution facility; and
distributing the real-time data to the user television equipment with the television distribution facility.
17. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:
distributing the program listings data and the real-time data to the user television equipment of a plurality of users with a plurality of television distribution facilities; and
distributing the program listings data to each of the plurality of television distribution facilities with a main facility.
18. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of distributing the real-time data from the main facility to each of the plurality of television distribution facilities.
19. The method defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of the real-time data comprises news information, the method further comprising the step of displaying the news information with the interactive television program guide.
20. The method defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of the real-time data comprises news information, the method further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying the news information and the program listings data on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide.
21. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a today's games program guide screen on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide that contains real-time data stored in the database for sports events that have been completed.
22. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising the step of purging at least some of the stored real-time data from the database.
23. A method for using an interactive television program guide system having at least one television distribution facility and in which at least one source of real-time data provides real-time data, a main facility separate from the source of real-time data provides program listings data, and an interactive television program guide is implemented at least partially on user television equipment of a user, wherein the real-time data and the program listings data are provided to the television distribution facility, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing program listings data with the source of real-time data as part of the real-time data;
receiving both the real-time data and the program listings data provided as part of the real-time data from the source of real-time data with the interactive television program guide; and
displaying the program listings data provided as part of the real-time data from the source of real-time data with the interactive television program guide.
24. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the step of storing the real-time data received by the interactive television program guide in a database maintained by the interactive television program guide.
25. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the step of displaying a program guide listings screen with the interactive television program guide that contains both the program listings data provided by the main facility and the program listings data provided as part of the real-time data.
26. The method defined in claim 23 wherein the program listings data provided as part of the real-time data comprises an updated broadcast time for a television program, the method further comprising the step of displaying a program guide listings screen containing the updated broadcast time.
27. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
creating a recording of the selected program.
28. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
tuning the user television equipment to the selected program with the interactive television program guide.
29. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
setting a reminder for the selected program with the interactive television program guide.
30. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
providing an opportunity to purchase the selected program.
31. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional real-time data associated with the selected program.
32. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
storing the real-time data received by the interactive television program guide in a database maintained by the interactive television program guide;
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional real-time data associated with the selected program, wherein the additional real-time data is obtained directly from the source of real-time data without storage in the database.
33. The method defined in claim 23 further comprising the steps of:
storing the real-time data received by the interactive television program guide in a database maintained by the interactive television program guide;
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
providing an opportunity to display additional real-time data associated with the selected program, wherein the additional real-time data is obtained from the source of real-time data and stored in the database before being displayed.
34. A method for using an interactive television program guide system in which real-time data is provided using at least one source of real-time data and in which an interactive television program guide is implemented at least partially on user television equipment of a user, wherein the program guide maintains a database, comprising:
receiving program listings data with the program guide for use in the interactive television program guide;
storing the program listings data in the database maintained by the interactive television program guide;
displaying the program listings data on the user television equipment;
receiving the real-time data from the source of real-time data with the interactive television program guide; and
storing the real-time data received by the program guide for subsequent access by the program guide after the real-time data is no longer being received from the source of real-time data with the interactive television program guide.
35. The method defined in claim 34 wherein storing the real-time data comprises storing the real-time data in the database maintained by the interactive television program guide in which the program listings data is stored.
36. The method defined in claim 34 wherein the system further comprises a server located at the television distribution facility on which at least a portion of the interactive television program guide is implemented, the method further comprising maintaining the database on the server with the interactive television program guide.
37. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising maintaining the database on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide.
38. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising displaying a program guide listings screen with the interactive television program guide that contains both the program listings data and the real-time data stored in the database.
39. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising displaying a program guide listings screen with the interactive television program guide that contains the program listings data, the real-time data stored in the database, and an icon indicating when the real-time data relates to a television program available on the user television equipment.
40. The method defined in claim 34 wherein the real-time data comprises a score update and the program listings data comprises a game title, the method further comprising simultaneously displaying the game title and the score update on a program guide listings screen.
41. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
creating a recording of the selected program.
42. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
tuning the user television equipment to the selected program with the interactive television program guide.
43. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
setting a reminder for the selected program with the interactive television program guide.
44. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
providing an opportunity to purchase the selected program.
45. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional information associated with the selected program.
46. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional real-time data associated with the selected program.
47. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional information associated with the selected program, wherein the additional information is stored in the database.
48. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
displaying the program listings data with the interactive television program guide;
providing the user with an opportunity to select a desired program from the displayed program listings data; and
displaying additional information associated with the selected program, wherein the additional information is not stored in the database.
49. The method defined in claim 34 wherein the stored real-time data comprises score information for a sports event, the method further comprising displaying the score information after completion of the sports event.
50. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
receiving the real-time data with a television distribution facility; and
distributing the real-time data to the user television equipment with the television distribution facility.
51. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising:
distributing the program listings data and the real-time data to the user television equipment of a plurality of users with a plurality of television distribution facilities; and
distributing the program listings data to each of the plurality of television distribution facilities with a main facility.
52. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising distributing the real-time data from the main facility to each of the plurality of television distribution facilities.
53. The method defined in claim 34 wherein at least some of the real-time data comprises news information, the method further comprising displaying the news information with the interactive television program guide.
54. The method defined in claim 34 wherein at least some of the real-time data comprises news information, the method further comprising simultaneously displaying the news information and the program listings data on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide.
55. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising displaying a today's games program guide screen on the user television equipment with the interactive television program guide that contains stored real-time data for sports events that have been completed.
56. The method defined in claim 34 further comprising purging at least some of the stored real-time data from the database.