United States Patent [19]
`LaJoie et al.
`
`[54] INTER-ACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE WITH
`DEFAULT SELECTION CONTROL
`
`[75] Inventors: Mike L. LaJoie, Sherman Oaks;
`Joseph G. Buehl, Van Nuys; Haig H.
`Krakirian, Glendale; Stephen M.
`Johnson, Burbank, all of Calif.; Ralph
`W. Brown, Boulder, Colo.
`[73] Assignee: Time Warner Entertainment
`Company L.P., New York, N.Y.
`
`US005850218A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,850,218
`Dec. 15, 1998
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`“Multiplying Video Mixer, "NTIS Tech Notes, p. 135, Feb.
`1990.
`Vito Brugliera, “Digital On-Screen Display: A New Tech
`nology for the Consumer Interface,” Symposium Record,
`Cable Sessions, 18th International Television Symposium
`and Technical Exhibition, Montreux, Switzerland, pp.
`571–586, Jun. 10–15.
`Matthew D. Miller, “A Scenario for the Deployment of
`Interactive Multimedia Cable Television Systems in the
`United States in the 1990’s,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol.
`82, No. 4, pp. 585–589, Apr. 1994.
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 802,833
`[22] Filed:
`Feb. 19, 1997
`Primary Examiner—Andrew I. Faile
`[51] Int. Cl." … H04N 7/14
`Assistant Examiner—John W. Miller
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Fish & Neave; Robert R.
`[52] U.S. Cl. ............................. 345/327; 348/13; 348/906
`Jackson; Garry J. Tuma
`[58] Field of Search ..................................... 345/326, 327;
`348/906, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 461, 469,
`[57]
`ABSTRACT
`473, 476–479, 552, 553, 563, 564, 565,
`A system and method are provided for providing a full
`566, 569, 570; 455/3.1, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1, 6.1,
`service cable television system. The cable system incorpo
`6.2, 6.3; 386/1, 46, 83; H04N 7/10, 7/14,
`rates a digital and analog transmission architecture capable
`7/173, 7/00, 7/08, 7/083, 7/084, 7/085,
`of delivering a high number of high quality television
`7/087, 7/088, 5/44, 5/445, 5/45, 5/50
`programs, advanced cable services, and online services to a
`subscriber’s home. The cable system comprises a cable
`headend, at least one fiber transport, at least one distribution
`hub, at least one hybrid fiber coax plant, and a plurality of
`set-top terminals. Programs and services are transmitted to
`the set-top terminals in both digital and analog formats to
`maintain downward compatibility with existing systems.
`The set-top terminal incorporates a central processing unit,
`a unified memory architecture, a memory management unit,
`communications circuitry, I/O control circuitry, and audio
`and video output circuitry. Through these components the
`set-top terminal provides advanced cable services such as a
`comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive program
`guide, Impulse Pay-Per-View activation, Near-Video-On
`Demand and Video-On-Demand programming, and
`advanced configuration controls. The set-top terminal also
`provides online services such as World Wide Web browsing,
`Internet E-Mail, and Home Shopping.
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
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`
`8 Claims, 35 Drawing Sheets
`
`
`
`CBS Sports Special
`4: OO - 4:3O
`College football's 1996 pre-Seoson
`match-ups. [CE][SAP] ?º
`4:19:23 pm Currently on Ch. 2
`. —º THEME
`O PROGRAMS ON TU. 9/17
`Movies
`# 4:OOp All About Drag Rocing
`*Dºy, News
`* 4 OOp Budweiser Golf Classic
`g|_1 sports
`# 4:00p CBS Sports Special
`*L^% Specials
`# 4:00p Extreme Sking
`430
`Travel
`4:30p Bungi Jumping 10]
`|
`Browse by : 434 Á Time
`
`Ch. 67
`Ch. 7
`Ch. 2
`Ch. 67
`Ch. 124
`(6) Title
`
`
`
`432
`
`Page 1 of 56
`
`SONY EXHIBIT 1006
`
`

`

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`Page 2 of 56
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`

`

`5,850.2
`18
`Page 3
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`
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`WIPO .
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`
`Page 3 of 56
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`U.S. Patent
`
`Dec. 15, 1998
`Dec. 15, 1998
`
`Sheet 1 of 35
`Sheet 1 of 35
`
`5,850,218
`5,850,218
`
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 15, 1998
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`Dec. 15, 1998
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`U.S. Patent
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`U.S. Patent
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 15, 1998
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`Sheet 33 of 35
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`5,850,218
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 15, 1998
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`Sheet 34 of 35
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`5,850,218
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`U.S. Patent
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`Dec. 15, 1998
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`Sheet 35 of 35
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`5,850,218
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`1
`INTER-ACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE WITH
`DEFAULT SELECTION CONTROL
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`5,850.218
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`This invention relates generally to television systems.
`More particularly, this invention relates to full service tele
`vision systems which utilizes advanced storage,
`communications, and processing techniques to provide a
`variety of television services including television
`programming, music programming, advanced navigation
`controls, interactive program guides, Impulse Pay-Per-View
`activation, Near-Video-On-Demand programming, Video
`On-Demand programming, advanced configuration
`controls, and online services.
`With the advances realized in recent years in storage,
`communication, and processing technologies, many present
`day television systems are on the verge of becoming anti
`quated. This is especially true in many cable television
`systems. Traditional methods of broadcasting television
`programs and services in these cable television systems
`suffer in their ability to deliver a high number of high quality
`television signals on a single coaxial cable. Many existing
`television systems also have no capability to provide the
`advanced television services desired by their customers,
`such as a comprehensive channel navigator, an interactive
`program guide, Impulse Pay-Per-View activation, Near
`Video-On-Demand programming, Video-On-Demand
`programming, and advanced configuration controls.
`Furthermore, virtually all modern television systems have
`no provisions whatsoever to supply services such as World
`Wide Web browsing, Internet E-Mail, and online services.
`In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide
`a full service television system capable of delivering a high
`number of high quality television signals.
`It also would be desirable to provide a full service
`television system capable of using advanced communica
`tions techniques to deliver a high number of high quality
`television signals.
`It would be further desirable to provide a full service
`television system capable of sustaining two-way communi
`cations between a service provider and a service subscriber.
`It would be even further desirable to provide a full service
`television system capable of delivering advanced television
`services such as a comprehensive channel navigator, an
`interactive program guide, Impulse Pay-Per-View
`activation, Near-Video-On-Demand programming, Video
`On-Demand programming, and advanced configuration con
`trols.
`It would be still further desirable to provide a full service
`television system capable of delivering services such as
`World Wide Web browsing, Internet E-Mail, and online
`services.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a full
`service television system capable of delivering a high num
`ber of high quality television signals.
`It is another object of this invention to provide a full
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`service television system capable of using advanced com
`munications techniques to deliver a high number of high
`quality television signals.
`It is still another object of this invention to provide a full
`service television system capable of sustaining two-way
`communications between a service provider and a service
`subscriber.
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`2
`It is yet another object of this invention to provide a full
`service television system capable of delivering advanced
`television services such as a comprehensive channel
`navigator, an interactive program guide, Impulse Pay-Per
`View activation, Near-Video-On-Demand programming,
`Video-On-Demand programming, and advanced configura
`tion controls.
`It is a further object of this invention to provide a full
`service television system capable of delivering services such
`as World Wide Web browsing, Internet E-Mail, and online
`services.
`These and other objects of the present invention are
`achieved by providing a full service television system which
`incorporates digital and analog programs and services, an
`advanced communications network, and a fully program
`mable set-top terminal capable of advanced television and
`online services.
`In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the
`full service television system is implemented as a cable
`television system. Although a cable television system is
`described herein, the present invention, and all of its
`features, could be implemented in other forms of cable
`television systems, or in Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)
`systems, Multi-channel Multi-point Distribution Systems
`(MMDS), Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL)
`systems, Local Area Network (LAN) systems, and Wide
`Area Network (WAN) systems, for example.
`Preferred cable television system implementations of the
`present invention comprise a cable headend, at least one
`fiber transport, at least one distribution hub, at least one
`hybrid fiber coax plant, and a plurality of set-top terminals.
`In these implementations, the cable headend provides
`programs, services, and overall system control for the cable
`television system; the fiber transports, distribution hubs, and
`hybrid fiber coax plants provide an advanced communica
`tion network for the cable television system; and the set-top
`terminals provide interfaces, processing, and storage assets
`in the subscriber’s home to facilitate the implementation of
`advanced television and online services.
`In order to provide programs, services, and overall system
`control for the cable television system of the preferred
`embodiments of the present invention, the cable headend
`incorporates digital and analog satellite receivers, a broad
`cast cable gateway, integrated receiver decoders, analog
`scrambling and modulation, application and media servers,
`an addressable controller, a digital switch or multiplexer,
`and an interactive cable gateway. Although these elements
`will be described herein as distinct functions, each could be
`implemented as a single device, as a composition of devices,
`or as a portion of a device.
`Programs and services which are provided by the cable
`headend are primarily supplied to the cable headend through
`analog and digital satellite broadcasts and through digital
`data storage. The cable headend may also receive programs
`and services from sources such as analog off-air signals,
`digital off-air signals, and locally originated signals, for
`example.
`Analog and digital satellite broadcasts are received at the
`cable headend by a plurality of analog and digital satellite
`receivers. Integrated receiver decoders within the cable
`headend control the reception of the analog satellite broad
`casts and analog scrambling and modulation converts the
`analog signals into a format suitable for transmission over
`the cable system’s communication network. Similarly, a
`broadcast cable gateway within the cable headend controls
`the reception of the digital satellite broadcasts and converts
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`25
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`3
`the digital signals into a format suitable for transmission
`over the cable system’s communications network.
`Programs and services are also supplied to the cable
`headend through digitally stored data in application and
`media servers. Programs and services stored in the applica
`tion and media servers are transmitted to the cable system’s
`communication network by first transmitting the signals
`through a digital switch or multiplexer and then through an
`interactive cable gateway. The digital switch or multiplexer
`may be implemented through the use of an Asynchronous
`Transfer Mode switch, a Digital Video Broadcast Asynchro
`nous Serial Interface (DVB ASI), or other suitable means.
`The application servers may be connected directly to the
`digital switch or multiplexer, or may be connected to the
`digital switch or multiplexer via an intermediate network.
`The media servers, however, should be connected to the
`digital switch or multiplexer directly because of the high
`bandwidth requirements of the media servers and the limited
`bandwidth capabilities of present day networks. Programs
`and services transmitted through the digital switch or mul
`tiplexer from the application and media servers are con
`verted by the interactive cable gateway to a format suitable
`for transmission in the cable system’s communication net
`work. By connecting the application and media servers to
`the interactive cable gateway through the digital switch or
`multiplexer, a cable system operator is enabled to add new
`application and media servers to the cable television system
`as the new servers become required.
`Overall system control is provided by the cable headend
`primarily through the operation of an addressable controller.
`The functions performed by the addressable controller may
`include, for example, controlling the cooperation and inter
`operation of all equipment in the cable headend, managing
`the cable television system’s communication network, con
`trolling all equipment located in the system’s communica
`tion network, managing and configuring the set-top termi
`mals (preferably both set-top terminals of the present
`invention as well as set-top terminals deployed at the time of
`implementation of the present invention), controlling the
`operation of the distribution hubs, controlling the operation
`of the interactive cable gateway, and controlling the distri
`bution of programs and services from the integrated receiver
`decoders, broadcast cable gateway, application servers, and
`media servers to the set-top terminals.
`The communication network of the cable television sys
`tems of the preferred embodiments of the present invention
`comprise at least one fiber transport, at least one distribution
`hub, and at least one hybrid fiber coax plant. The commu
`nications network preferably shall include analog channels
`with Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) signals, Forward
`Application Transport (FAT) channels, Forward Data Chan
`nels (FDC), and Reverse Data Channels (RDC). Analog
`channels with VBI signals are used to maintain downward
`compatibility with existing cable television equipment. FAT
`channels are used to provide to the set-top terminals com
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`pressed digital content, such as video, audio, applications,
`control messages, and broadc