Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.

Other

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Itron Gmbh

Schlumberger Industries

Itron Electricity Metering, Inc.

John Murray Schlarb

Arturo A Rodriguez

Dean F Jerding

Robert O Banker

Coy Stephen Lowe

Charles Craig Hyder

Forrest Wayne Briese

Christophe Jean Andre Fouquet

Frank Domina

Robert T Van Orden

Bindu Crandall

Forrest W Briese

Christophe J Fouquet

William C VerSteeg

Guy Atkinson Meador, Iii

Charles C Hyder

Charlotte L Barge

Kinney Chapman Bacon

Samuel H Russ

Michael A Gaul

Gregory S Durden

Darryl L Defreese

Arturo A Rodriquez

Guy Atkinson Iii Meador

The present invention provides a method and system for accessing services in a television system. In one implementation, a DHCT presents a user a menu containing a plurality of selectable link representations corresponding to separate services or applications offered by the cable television system. The user navigates the menu with a remote device and selects a desired service by choosing the selectable link representation corresponding to the desired service or application. The DHCT receives the user input, translates the selectable link command into an executable call, and activates the service or application corresponding to the selected link representation from the menu chosen by the user.

Hypertext service guide menu display

An embodiment of a method for secure escrow and recovery of media device content keys includes generating, with a first processor of a media device, an escrow key for encrypting a plurality of content keys, the content keys for encrypting instances of media content. The first processor of the media device encrypts the escrow key with a public key of a key clearinghouse. The escrow key, encrypted with the public key of the key clearinghouse, is stored in a storage location outside of the first processor of the media device.

Secure escrow and recovery of media device content keys

Methods and systems of handling channel changes in a digital home communication terminal are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: receiving a channel change request; determining whether the channel change request is user-initiated; setting at least one channel change parameter to a value based on the determination; and performing a channel change using the at least channel change parameter having the set value. An exemplary system comprises: a channel acquisition component, memory, and a processor. The processor is programmed by code, stored in memory, to: receive a channel change request; determine whether the channel change request is user-initiated; and instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using at least channel change parameter. The channel change parameter has a value that is based on the determination.

Systems and methods of differentiated channel change behavior

A television menu system generates a television menu that is context sensitive based upon a service currently being provided to a user. In one implementation, a type of television service currently being viewed by a user determines whether particular menu items are presented to the user. In another implementations, determining which channel is being provided dictates whether particular menu options are included.

Context sensitive television menu

Methods and systems of handling channel changes in a digital home communication terminal are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: receiving a request for access to a downstream network connected to the DHCT; determining a source of the request for access; and setting at least one parameter to a value based on the determined source; and performing a channel change using the at least one parameter having the set value An exemplary system comprises: a channel acquisition component, memory, and a processor. The processor is programmed by code, stored in memory, to: receive a channel change request; determine whether the channel change request is user-initiated; and instruct the channel acquisition component to perform a channel change using at least one parameter. The parameter has a value that is based on the determination.

Systems and methods of differentiated requests for network access

Configuration of presentations of selectable TV services according to usage

A method and system for designating and identifying individual programming that is available in a subscriber television system as a pay-per-view event. The identified programming includes programs that are not normally available for viewing by some subscribers or for which a subscriber has not subscribed. The programming can include an individual program, groups of programs, and non-pay-per-view channels. The subscriber can then elect to view the programming as a pay-per-view event.

Method and system for identification of pay-per-view programming

In a subscriber television system, assigning categories to a channel as an entity reduces the searching requirements associated with searching a database of thousands of individual program records, identifying the channel on which an identified program will be displayed, and then sorting the resultant information. The channel information is searched for the assigned category information and the associated program information for just those channels is retrieved. This reduces the processor requirements for searching the thousands of records in the program records database. With the reduced processor requirements and the increased efficiency of information organization for searching, a single machine state change is possible between viewing full screen video and a browse banner or between viewing full screen program information and video with a browse banner.

Selective search and display for categorized channels in a subscriber television system

Method and system for assigning categories to channels in a subscriber television system

User input for access to television services

Systems and methods that provide a first electronic program guide (EPG) screen having a plurality of channel identifiers, program information, and an icon corresponding to increasing scroll speed, and responsive to a user selection corresponding to the icon, enable a user to scroll among the plurality of channel identifiers at the increased scroll speed.

Program guide navigation

A video display function that addresses fast-forward overshoot. Holding down a play key during a fast forward function, for longer than a predetermined amount of time, causes a video presentation to be placed in reverse mode until the play key is released. This allows a user to manually, and easily, control how far to back up a given video presentation after a fast forward operation, without having to separately engage a rewind key.

Manual playback overshoot correction

An integral electronic revenue meter system diagnostics package including a microprocessor, storage memory, preselect series of system diagnostic tests, and recording any results which exceed predefined programmable thresholds, and display means for displaying error and/or diagnostic messages identifying selected diagnostic data and/or errors discovered in the meter tests during a predefined period is included as part of an electricity revenue meter of the type used for collecting metering data for a utility which uses such data for billing purposes. The system automatically senses the type of electrical service in which the revenue meter is installed when the revenue meter is installed in a socket at the customer's premises.

Apparatus for electronically measuring or distributing electrical energy

Navigation paradigm for access to television services

A system and method for a communication terminal to manage memory and maintain a current application version for multiple applications are provided. The system and method provide for managing memory in a communication terminal coupled to a server device enabling the communication terminal to provide memory capacity for storing in a memory and executing on the communication terminal a plurality of applications downloaded from the server device. Prior to downloading an application, the communication terminal determines an amount of memory capacity required by an application client to be downloaded from the server device. The communication terminal then attempts to allocate the memory capacity. If memory cannot be allocated from the system heap, the communication terminal purges data contained in the memory according to a dynamic list of priorities to create memory capacity in the memory for the application client. Once sufficient memory capacity has been created, it is allocated to the application client, and the application client is downloaded to the communication terminal.

Management of applications and their current versions

Growing community of inventors

Alpharetta, GA, United States of America

John Murray Schlarb