Bigband Networks Inc.

Amir Bassan-Eskenazi

Ran M Oz

Nery Strasman

Oded Golan

Andrey Yruski

Ran Menachem Oz

During the several seconds of delay time that it takes for a digital set top box ('STB') that is connected to a television or other display device to switch channels and display the next target program, other information or data can be displayed to a viewer of the television. This other data ('zap page') can include, for example, advertising, information about the next/target program, a window showing a segment of the next/target program that is transmitted over the next/target channel, personal information associated with the viewer (e.g., notification that one or more electronic mail messages have arrived, stock prices of securities in the viewer's portfolio, etc.) and potentially based on the viewer's profile (e.g., recipes for cooking enthusiasts, news clips from preferred sources, advertisements of particular interest, etc.), and/or local and regional information (e.g., weather forecasts, etc.). The zap page also can include interactive elements that enable one-way and two-way transactions with the viewer. The zap page is pre-rendered and stored within the digital STB so that when the viewer requests a switch in channels, the zap page is displayed substantially immediately. The zap page is displayed until the channel switch has been completed and the next/target program is displayed. However, if the viewer engages in an interactive session, the display of the next/target channel is suspended until the viewer disengages the interactive session.

Method and apparatus for using delay time during switching events to display previously stored information elements

Broadband multimedia system including a communication bus, a router, connected to the communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters, a session manager, connected to communication bus, where the session manager provides routing instructions to the router, for directing data received from the media sources to the network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network.

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San Mateo, CA, United States of America

Amir Bassan-Eskenazi