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 of using a system in which real-time data is provided to user equipment of a user on which a program is displayed, the method comprising:
receiving the real-time data with the user equipment; and
simultaneously displaying the program and a controllable ticker, wherein the controllable ticker includes a user-controllable category and a user-controllable status information item associated with that category, and wherein the status information item comprises the real-time data.
2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the controllable ticker comprises displaying an automatically scrolling controllable ticker.
3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising changing the user-controllable category of the ticker between categories selected from the group consisting of: sports categories, sports league categories, sports conferences, and sports teams.
4. The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the controllable ticker comprises displaying the controllable ticker so that when the user changes to a given category a most recently displayed status information item for that category is displayed.
5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein displaying the controllable ticker comprises displaying the controllable ticker so that when the user changes to a given category a first status information item in that category is displayed.
6. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:
changing the category in response to receiving a user selection of a right or left cursor key; and
changing the status information item in response to receiving a user selection of an up or down cursor key.
7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection to invoke the controllable ticker, wherein
displaying the controllable ticker is performed in response to receiving the user selection.
8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user selection to exit the controllable ticker; and
storing a most recent category and a most recent status information item when the user exits the controllable ticker.
9. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a user indication of preferences for the controllable ticker.
10. The method defined in claim 9 , wherein the preferences are selected from the group consisting of: a general category preference, a specific category preference, a sports league preference, a sports conference preference, and a sports team preference.
11. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising providing an opportunity for the user to turn on and off a favorites mode for use with the controllable ticker.
12. The method defined in claim 9 further comprising:
receiving a user request to change the category or the status information item displayed in the controllable ticker; and
changing the category or the status information item directly to a next category or next status information item satisfying the user's preferences.
13. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment, the method further comprising displaying an icon with the status information item to indicate that the particular program is available.
14. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment, the method further comprising receiving a user request to record the particular program.
15. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment, the method further comprising receiving a user request to tune to the particular program.
16. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment in the future, the method further comprising receiving a user request to set a reminder for the particular program.
17. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the status information item relates to a pay program that is available on the user equipment, the method further comprising receiving a user request to purchase the pay program.
18. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising providing a link to a service or channel of a sponsor from the controllable ticker.
19. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising providing a link in an interactive program guide from a service or an advertisement of a sponsor to the controllable ticker.
20. User equipment comprising a user input device and a display device for displaying a program, the user equipment configured to:
receive real-time data; and
simultaneously display the program and a controllable ticker on the display device, wherein the controllable ticker includes a user-controllable category and a user-controllable status information item associated with that category, and wherein the status information item comprises the real-time data.
21. The user equipment defined in claim 20 , wherein the user equipment is further configured to display an automatically scrolling controllable ticker.
22. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to change the user-controllable category of the ticker between categories selected from the group consisting of: sports categories, sports league categories, sports conferences, and sports teams.
23. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to display, on the display device, the controllable ticker so that when the user changes to a given category a most recently displayed status information item for that category is displayed.
24. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to display, on the display device, the controllable ticker so that when the user changes to a given category a first status information item in that category is displayed.
25. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user input device has up, down, left, and right cursor keys, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to:
change the category in response to receiving a user selection of the right or the left cursor key; and
change the status information item in response to receiving a user selection of the up or the down cursor key.
26. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:
receive, from the user input device, a user selection to invoke the controllable ticker; and
display, on the display device, the controllable ticker in response to receiving the user selection.
27. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:
receive, from the user input device, a user selection to exit the controllable ticker; and
store a most recent category and a most recent status information item when the user exits the controllable ticker.
28. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:
receive, from the user input device, a user indication of preferences for the controllable ticker.
29. The user equipment defined in claim 28 , wherein the preferences are selected from the group consisting of: a general category preference, a specific category preference, a sports league preference, a sports conference preference, and a sports team preference.
30. The user equipment defined in claim 28 wherein the user equipment is further configured to provide an opportunity for the user to turn on and off a favorites mode for use with the controllable ticker.
31. The user equipment defined in claim 28 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:
receive, from the user input device, a user request to change the category or the status information item displayed in the controllable ticker; and
change the category or the status information item directly to a next category or next status information item satisfying the user's preferences.
32. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to display, on the display device, an icon with the status information item to indicate that the particular program is available.
33. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to receive a user selection from the controllable ticker to record the particular program.
34. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to receive a user request to tune to the particular program.
35. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the status information item relates to a particular program that is available on the user equipment in the future, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to receive a user request to set a reminder for the particular program.
36. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the status information item relates to a pay program that is available on the user equipment, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to receive a user request to purchase the pay program.
37. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the controllable ticker further comprises a link to a service or channel.
38. The user equipment defined in claim 20 wherein the user equipment is further configured to provide a link in an interactive program guide from a service or an advertisement of a sponsor to the controllable ticker.