Gateway, Inc.

Spotware Technologies, Inc.

Brandon A Grooters

Gary E Sullivan

Mark Allan Colbath

An electronic program guide system and a method for generating an electronic program guide are disclosed. A first information handling system obtains programming information from a program information source and generates a program guide based upon the obtained program information. A second information handling system receives the program from the first information handling system via downloading or transmission. The first information handling system searches a worldwide network for information regarding a transitory broadcast event and incorporates the transitory event information into the generated program guide prior to transmitting the program guide to the second information handling system. The transitory broadcast event information may be added to the program guide as additional, temporary channels that include links to the nodes from which the transitory broadcast event may be obtained. The program guide is thereby augmented with the additional, transitory broadcast event information.

Electronic program guide including live network multimedia broadcast channels

A method and apparatus for furnishing a user with notification of events occurring within an computer-based information handling system, convergence system, or the like is disclosed. Multiple software applications executing within the system are monitored for the occurrence of selected events, whereupon a notification of the event may be generated and displayed to the user via a single integrated user interface. The user may take action on the event by selecting the displayed notification whereupon the system communicates the desired action to the application for execution.

Convergence events notification system

A system and a method generate a device user interface executable by an information handling system. A device database includes a list of devices for which user interface components are available to implement functions for controlling the devices, and a resource database includes the user interface components. The device to be controlled by the user interface is identified and compared to a database of devices for which user interface resource components are available. A user interface generator determines whether the device is included in the device database and retrieves the user interface components from the resource database. A layout manager assembles the user interface components into a user interface. If the device is not listed, generic device user interface components are retrieved, otherwise device specific user interface components are retrieved, and assembled into a layout matrix. The user interface is created from the layout matrix.

Method and apparatus for automatically generating a device user interface

An automatic channel generator and a method for generating a channel based upon the utilization of a device and activities occurring on the device. A device is connected to a local network hub, which may be integral to an information appliance. The information appliance is capable of searching the Internet for data associated with media being delivered by a device on the local network system. The aggregates of content can be collected automatically, and its presentation may be customized by a user.

Automatic channel generation for home network systems

Information stored in a database of an electronic program guide is utilized to launch or terminate execution of one or more applications based upon the electronic program guide information. An application to be controlled is associated with an event and registered in a registry database. The event is determined in one embodiment by the electronic program guide. As information is received by an information handling system, the event information is monitored to determine whether the event has occurred. Upon the occurrence of the event, such as when the present time is a predetermined time, the associated application is launched or terminated according to the determined event.

Method and apparatus for launching applications based upon electronic program guide data

A method and system for displaying event related program content and program guide data are disclosed. Upon the occurrence of an event such as a channel selection or change input, event related program content is displayed on a display coupled to an information handling system that functions as a host device and a tuning device for tuning to channels on which program content is broadcast. The information handling system further includes electronic program guide (EPG) data that includes program information for available programs. A portion of the EPG data that is related to the event being displayed is transmitted to a remote device that is capable of displaying the event related program guide data on a display of the remote device. The remote device allows a user to view and to browse event related program guide data on the remote device display such that the viewability of program content displayed on the display coupled to the information handling system is maximized, and any interference with the viewability of the program content is minimized. A bi-directional communications link is provided between the remote device and the information handling system and may be an infrared or radio-frequency link. The user may thereby browse event related programming information for other channels without detracting from the present channel, and may browse for event related programming information for the present channel over a predetermined time interval.

System and method for displaying event related electronic program guide data on intelligent remote devices

A method and apparatus for providing viewer specific program information is described. A user of an integrated personal computer and television convergence device requests specific programming information from a remote server using an electronic program guide. The remote server performs a database search based upon the requested information and caches the results of the database search in a local storage device. The database search result information is viewer specific and appended to or integrated with the requested electronic program guide. Advanced searching techniques may be utilized to manipulate and filter the searched information to maintain the viewer specific integrity thereof. The database search result information is thereby provided to the client or convergence device along with the requested programming information. The database search result information thereby supplements and augments the viewing experience of the viewer.

Method for delivering and caching preprocessed search results to improve performance of background information searches on a convergence device

Convergence systems, or PC-TV systems, provide the combined benefits of a computer system and a television. These systems typically include audio/video recorders, such as VCRs, for recording programs, as well as an electronic program guide (EPG) for presenting program information. The present invention provides methods and devices for detecting specific signals or markers associated with a program or channel signal, and then enabling a recording device or an EPG to perform an act, such as recording a program, based upon the detected signals or markers. In a preferred embodiment, the system receives a channel signal, detects a program start or stop marker within the signal, and controls the EPG or the recording device to perform acts corresponding to the detection of a start or stop instruction.

Systems, methods, and software for using markers on channel signals to operate electronic program guides and recording devices

A system and method for generating an electronic program guide wherein a first information handling system obtains program information from a program information source and generates a program guide based upon the obtained program information. The first information handling system searches a worldwide network for information regarding a transitory broadcast event and incorporates the transitory event information into the generated program guide prior to transmitting the program guide to the second information handling system. The transitory broadcast event information may be added to the program guide as additional, temporary channels that include links to the nodes from which the transitory broadcast event may be obtained. The program guide is thereby augmented with the additional, transitory broadcast event information. A second information handling system receives the program guide from the first information handling system.

Systems, methods, and software for using markers on channel signals to control electronic program guides and recording devices

A method and apparatus for allowing several applications to share a single video overlay resource via multiplexing are disclosed. The multiplexing is accomplished from the application end through a multiplexing abstraction layer provided to the developers of end applications as an application program interface. Through the application program interface, each application may, at any time, request, release, or modify the attributes of the video overlay device such as picture quality, tuning, source, etc. The application program interface provides all basic functionality of the hardware as accessible through other means including normal operating system support and device driver services.

Simultaneous control of live video device access by multiple applications via software locks and in accordance with window visibility of applications in a multiwindow environment

A method and apparatus for allowing several applications to share a single video overlay resource via multiplexing are disclosed. The multiplexing is accomplished from the application end through a multiplexing abstraction layer provided to the developers of end applications as an application program interface. Through the application program interface, each applications may, at any time, request, release, or modify the attributes of the video overlay device such as picture quality, tuning, source, etc. The application program interface provides all basic functionality of the hardware as accessible through other means including normal operating system support and device driver services.

Control of video device by multiplexing accesses among multiple applications requesting access based on visibility on single display and via system of window visibility rules

Growing community of inventors

Watauga, TX, United States of America

Brandon A Grooters