Interactive program guide system providing an application program interface for non-program guide applications
A system is provided in which an interactive television program guide application and non-program-guide applications are at least partially implemented on user television equipment. A program guide program application interface is provided that is used to maintain a consistent user interface between the program guide application and the non-program-guide applications. Non-program-guide applications may be launched by the program guide application. The user may select certain non-program-guide applications as favorites and may set parental controls for certain non-program-guide applications. The program guide application may run in the background while a non-program-guide application operates. The applications may be located at a remote location such as on a server at a cable system headend or on a server on the Internet. The program application interface may perform authentication and access rights determination functions. Reminders may be set for the content of non-program-guide applications.
1. A method for launching an interactive non-program-guide application on a user equipment device, the method comprising:
generating for display, using a local interactive media guidance application implemented by the user equipment device, an indicator associated with the interactive non-program-guide application, wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes interactive content;
receiving, with the local interactive media guidance application, a user selection of the indicator;
launching, using the local interactive media guidance application, the interactive non-program-guide application associated with the indicator;
setting the local interactive media guidance application as a background application and the interactive non-program-guide application as a foreground application;
monitoring, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, for events corresponding to user-selected actions that are related to media assets;
accessing, by the interactive non-program-guide application, a function of the local interactive media guidance application using an application program interface (API) of the local interactive media guidance application;
detecting, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, an event corresponding to a user-selected action that is related to a media asset; and
in response to detecting, with the local media guidance application while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, the event corresponding to the scheduled user-selected action, interrupting the foreground application and generating for display an indication of the event.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function of the local interactive media guidance application includes on-screen display and navigation features.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function of the local interactive media guidance application includes at least one of tuning to a channel of the user equipment device and program related functionality.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes an advertisement.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
while the interactive non-program-guide application is running, receiving user input with the local interactive media guidance application;
communicating the received user input to the interactive non-program-guide application; and
executing a function of the interactive non-program-guide application based on the user input communicated to the interactive non-program-guide application.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local interactive media guidance application includes a web browser application, and wherein the interactive non-program-guide application is launched as a web page of the web browser application.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes functions of the API of the local interactive program guidance application.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
storing the interactive non-program-guide application in a storage device of the user equipment device; and
retrieving the interactive non-program-guide application from the storage device to launch the interactive non-program-guide application on the user equipment device responsive to the user selection.
9. A system for launching an interactive non-program-guide application on a user equipment device, the system comprising:
an input device; and
control circuitry configured to:
generate for display, using a local interactive media guidance application implemented by the user equipment device, an indicator associated with the interactive non-program-guide application, wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes interactive content;
receive, from the input device with the local interactive media guidance application, a user selection of the indicator;
launch, using the local interactive media guidance application, the interactive non-program-guide application associated with the indicator;
set the local interactive media guidance application as a background application and the interactive non-program-guide application as a foreground application;
monitor, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, for events corresponding to user-selected actions that are related to media assets;
access, by the interactive non-program-guide application, a function of the local interactive media guidance application using an application program interface (API) of the local interactive media guidance application
detect, with the local media guidance application while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, an event corresponding to a user-selected action that is related to a media asset; and
in response to detecting, with the local media guidance application while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, the event corresponding to the scheduled user-selected action, interrupt the foreground application and generate for display an indication of the event.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the function of the local interactive media guidance application includes on-screen display and navigation features.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the function of the local interactive media guidance application includes at least one of tuning to a channel of the user equipment device and program related functionality.
12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes an advertisement.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
while the interactive non-program-guide application is running, receive user input with the local interactive media guidance application;
communicate the received user input to the interactive non-program-guide application; and
execute a function of the interactive non-program-guide application based on the user input communicated to the interactive non-program-guide application.
14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the local interactive media guidance application includes a web browser application, and wherein the interactive non-program-guide application is launched as a web page of the web browser application.
15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes functions of the API of the local interactive media guidance application.
16. The system of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
store the interactive non-program-guide application in a storage device of the user equipment device; and
retrieve the interactive non-program-guide application from the storage device to launch the interactive non-program-guide application on the user equipment device responsive to the user selection.
17. A method for processing data by a local interactive media guidance application, the method comprising:
generating for display an indicator associated with an interactive non-program-guide application, wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes interactive content;
receiving, with the local interactive media guidance application, a user selection of the indicator;
launching, using the local interactive media guidance application, the interactive non-program-guide application associated with the indicator;
setting the local interactive media guidance application as a background application and the interactive non-program-guide application as a foreground application;
monitoring, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, for events corresponding to user-selected actions that are related to media assets;
detecting, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, an event corresponding to a user-selected action that is related to a media asset; and
in response to detecting, with the local media guidance application while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, the event corresponding to the scheduled user-selected action, interrupting the foreground application and generating for display an indication of the event.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the scheduled user-selected action is at least one of program reminder, timer, and a scheduled recording.
19. A system for processing data by a local interactive media guidance application, the system comprising:
an input device; and control circuitry configured to:
generate for display, on the display, an indicator associated with an interactive non-program-guide application, wherein the interactive non-program-guide application includes interactive content;
receive, from the input device with the local interactive media guidance application, a user selection of the indicator;
launch, using the local interactive media guidance application, the interactive non-program-guide application associated with the indicator;
set the local interactive media guidance application as a background application and the interactive non-program-guide application as a foreground application;
monitor, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, for events corresponding to user-selected actions that are related to media assets;
detect, while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, an event corresponding to a user-selected action that is related to a media asset; and in response to detecting, with the local media guidance application while the local media guidance application is set as the background application, the event corresponding to the scheduled user-selected action, interrupt the foreground application and generate for display an indication of the event.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the scheduled user-selected action is at least one of program reminder, timer, and a scheduled recording.