Server-centric customized interactive program guide in an interactive television environment

1. An apparatus comprising:

a video session manager located at a server and configured to receive selections comprising:

a set of channels to be identified in a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG), and

a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout;

one or more encoders configured to encode the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

a modulator configured to generate an output signal comprising the custom-IPG for transmission on a communication channel, wherein:

the video session manager is configured to receive a request for controlling which of the custom-IPG or a regular IPG is provided on the communication channel; and

the modulator is configured to alternate between providing the custom-IPG and the regular IPG on the communication channel each time the request is received.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the video session manager is configured to receive a command indicative of x-y coordinates for a particular location at which to overlay the custom-IPG;

the one or more encoders are configured to re-render the custom-IPG at the particular location indicated by the received command; and

the modulator is configured to generate a second output signal comprising the re-rendered custom-IPG.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the custom-IPG is transmitted concurrently on the communication channel with at least a portion of a video sequence.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the communication channel also transports video content.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the video session manager is configured to receive a second request to turn off the custom-IPG; and

the one or more encoders are configured to provide a video sequence on the communication channel without the custom-IPG responsive to the second request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the modulator is configured to provide the custom-IPG on the communication channel, wherein the communication channel is independent of channels used to carry video content and program guides.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the custom-IPG is formed as a subset of the regular IPG.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured for storing the custom-IPG.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the custom-IPG is stored as part of a viewer profile.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

activate a program guide customization process;

present a menu comprising functions provided to assist in the customization process and a set of objects that can be manipulated to create and modify a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receive a first selection of a set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG;

receive a second selection for a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout; and

dynamically transmit the first selection of the set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG to a server;

receive, on a communication channel, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

communicate a request for controlling the server to alternate between the custom-IPG or a regular IPG being provided on the communication channel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the custom-IPG has the set of channels in the customized layout.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein activating the program guide customization process is achieved by detecting highlighting of a particular object provided on the regular IPG.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein activating the program guide customization process is achieved based on receiving a command from a remote control unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the menu is generated at the server.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the menu is an overlay.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein receiving the first selection of the set of channels is achieved based on detecting highlighting of objects rendered in the menu.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a server, a first selection indicative of a set of channels to be identified in a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receiving, by the server, a second selection of a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout;

generating, by the server, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels;

subsequent to receiving a first request for the custom-IPG, dynamically overlaying, by the server, the custom-IPG on a video sequence to generate a dynamically modified video sequence;

providing the dynamically modified video sequence on a communication channel; and

receiving a second request for alternating between which of the custom-IPG or a regular IPG is provided on the communication channel.

18. A memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus at least to:

activate a program guide customization process;

receive a menu comprising functions provided to assist in the customization process, and a set of objects that can be manipulated to create and modify a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receive a first selection of a set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG;

receive a second selection of a customized layout of the custom-IPG;

dynamically transmit the second selection of the customized layout of the custom-IPG and the first selection of the set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG to a server;

dynamically receive, on a communication channel, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

communicate a request for controlling the server to alternate between the custom-IPG or a regular IPG being provided on the communication channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a transport multiplexer configured to generate add-on content from a third party, wherein the add-on content comprises a real-time advertisement or HTML pages for electronic commerce.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the menu is generated in response to the highlighting of the particular object.

21. A method comprising:

receiving selections at a video session manager located at one or more servers, the selections comprising:

a set of channels to be identified in a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG), and

a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout;

encoding, at the one or more servers, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

generating, at the one or more servers, an output signal comprising the custom-IPG for transmission on a communication channel;

receiving, at the one or more servers, a request for controlling which of the custom-IPG or a regular IPG is provided on the communication channel; and

alternating between providing, from the one or more servers, the custom-IPG and the regular IPG on the communication channel each time the request is received.

22. A method comprising:

activating, at a computing device, a program guide customization process;

presenting, by the computing device, a menu comprising functions provided to assist in the customization process and a set of objects that can be manipulated to create and modify a custom interactive program guide (custom-IPG);

receiving, at the computing device, a first selection of a set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG;

receiving, at the computing device, a second selection for a customized layout of the custom-IPG, wherein the customized layout comprises an arrangement of the set of channels in a particular layout; and

transmitting, dynamically from the computing device, the first selection of the set of channels to be identified in the custom-IPG to a server;

receiving, at the computing device over a communication channel, the custom-IPG identifying the set of channels; and

communicating, from the computing device, a request for controlling the server to alternate between the custom-IPG or a regular IPG being provided on the communication channel.