Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Micrsoft Corporation

Frank A Lawler

Joseph H Matthews, Iii

Keith Lindsey Rowe

James O Robarts

Daniel J Shoff

David S Byrne

Valerie L Bronson

Brian D Crites

Phivos Costas Aristides

Robert M Hohman

Joseph H Mathews Iii

Michel Girard

An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video programs, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer's home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.

Interactive entertainment system for presenting supplemental interactive content together with continuous video programs

An electronic programming guide (EPG) resides in a user interface unit memory and is executable on the processor of the user interface unit to organize programming information that is descriptive of the programs supplied over an interactive entertainment system. The EPG supports a user interface (UI) which visually correlates programs titles to scheduled viewing times. A hyperlink browser also resides in memory and is executable on the processor. One or more hyperlinks, which reference target resources containing interactive content related to the video programs, are integrated as part of the EPG UI. When a viewer activates a hyperlink within the EPG, the user interface unit launches the browser to activate the target resource specified by the hyperlink. The instruction might cause the visual display unit to tune to the program or channel represented by the particular label, or to initiate procedures to record the program when it begins playing, or to jump to a related target resource, such as a Web site.

Electronic program guide with hyperlinks to target resources

The present invention includes a method of displaying for a viewer summary information relating to programming available on an interactive television or televideo system. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes obtaining a user selection indication corresponding to a scheduled program selected by the viewer from a programming guide. Based on the user selection indication, the interactive television system accesses summary information relating specifically to the program selected by the viewer. The summary information preferably includes a text description of the programming and display imagery relating to the programming. The display imagery may include a multi-frame video sequence of or relating to the programming or a still video image.

Interactive program summary panel

An interactive entertainment system has a program provider which distributes video content programs to multiple subscribers over a distribution network. Each subscriber has a user interface unit which receives the digital video program and converts it for display on a television, monitor, or other display unit. The user interface unit has a processor and memory. An electronic programming guide (EPG) resides in the memory and is executable on the processor to organize programming information that is descriptive of the programs supplied over the interactive entertainment system. The EPG supports a user interface (UI) which visually correlates programs titles to scheduled viewing times. A hyperlink browser also resides in memory and is executable on the processor. One or more hyperlinks, which reference target resources containing interactive content related to the video programs, are integrated as part of the EPG UI. The hyperlinks can be placed in the program tiles, channel tiles, or description area, and can be situated alone or embedded within other text. When a viewer activates a hyperlink within the EPG, the user interface unit launches the browser to activate the target resource specified by the hyperlink. The data retrieved from the target resource is then displayed on the display unit. The viewer can also drag a particular program or channel label from its location within the EPG UI and drop the label at another location on the display unit. This drag-and-drop operation associates an instruction with the label that will execute in response to activation of the label. The instruction might cause the visual display unit to tune to the program or channel represented by the particular label, or to initiate procedures to record the program when it begins playing, or to jump to a related target resource, such as a Web site.

An interactive entertainment system enables presentation of supplemental interactive content along side traditional broadcast video prams, such as television shows and movies. The programs are broadcast in a conventional manner. The supplemental content is supplied as part of the same program signal over the broadcast network, or separately over another distribution network. A viewer computing unit is located at the viewer's home to present the program and supplemental content to a viewer. When the viewer tunes to a particular channel, the viewer computing unit consults an electronic programming guide (EPG) to determine if the present program carried on the channel is interactive. If it is, the viewer computing unit launches a browser. The browser uses a target specification stored in the EPG to activate a target resource containing the supplemental content for enhancing the broadcast program. The target resource contains display layout instructions prescribing how the supplemental content and the video content program are to appear in relation to one another when displayed. When the data from the target resource is downloaded, the viewer computing unit is responsive to the layout instructions obtained from the target resource to display the supplemental content concurrently with the video content program. Embedding the layout instructions in the supplemental content advantageously places control of the presentation to the content developers. The developers are free to arrange the data and video in any manner they choose.

Described herein is a system that draws from an archive of media objects to associate appropriate media objects with current news articles. The media object archive includes an index having an entry for each media object. The index associates a set of one or more keywords with each media object, and a set of one or more search criteria with each media object. With regard to a particular news story, the system first identifies an initial group of relevant media objects having associated keywords that are contained in the news story. The system then evaluates the search criteria associated with each media object in the identified group against the news story, and limits the group by removing any media object from the group if the search criteria associated with that media object are not satisfied by the news story. A remaining media object from this limited group is then selected for association with the news story.

Automatically associating archived multimedia content with current textual content

A system for retrieving and displaying programming information in response to selection of a category of programming information. Programming information is presented via a schedule display having a category display, a subcategory category display, and a program display. The category display displays an array of category tiles representing categories of programming information. The subcategory display displays an array of subcategory tiles representing subcategories that are associated with the categories of the category display. The program display displays an array of program tiles that are associated with the subcategories of the subcategory display. A viewing panel extends along each of the displays for displaying one each of the category, subcategory, and program tiles. Classes of programming information are selected by scrolling the tiles of the associated displays until the desired class items are presented within the viewing panel.

System for displaying programming information

The present invention includes a method of displaying for a viewer summary information relating to programming available on an interactive television or televideo system. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes obtaining a user selection indication corresponding to a scheduled program selected by the viewer from a programming guide. Based on the user selection indication, the interactive television system accesses summary information relating specifically to the program selected by the viewer. The summary information preferably includes a text description of the programming and display imagery relating to the programming. The display imagery may include a multiframe video sequence of or relating to the programming or a still video image.

Automatically associating archived multimedia content with current

The present invention includes a method of delivering programming over an interactive television or televideo (IT) system. The IT system includes a central control node that delivers programming to multiple subscribers or viewers. Each viewer has a video display set (e.g., a television receiver) and an associated interactive controller in communication with the central control node and that is responsive to input from the viewer for controlling programming on the video display set. With reference to a preferred embodiment, the method of this invention includes allocating dedicated programming services among the viewers associated with the IT system. The dedicated programming services may be allocated according to the available resources of the IT system, the relative values of different dedicated programming services, or both. As a result, the method of this invention minimizes disruption of dedicated programming services and particularly those of highest value or priority.

Resource allocation method for interactive televideo system

A program recording system is provided to allow a user of an interactive viewing system to record a preselected program. The interactive viewing system includes at least one program guide that allows user selection of a program for recording. In response to the user selection, the system sets a record tag that is associated with the selected program and identifies the selected program for recording. The record tag is monitored and, at the appropriate time, prompts the system to control the recording of the selected program.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Frank A Lawler