Sony Corporation

Sony Electronics Inc

Other

Sdi Development Inc.

Kim Mingo

Yuko Nishikawa

Kazuto Mugura

Jenny S Chow

Andy Proehl

Alexandra Nsonwu

Murthy Atmakuri

Hanchang Kuo

An integrated DSS/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver downloads graphic images, corresponding to DSS programs, from a DSS communication medium or the Internet into a local memory. The graphic images are periodically updated by the DSS service provider or Internet service provider. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user's navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes a selectable DSS program listing that displays DSS programs that are curl being broadcast or that will be broadcasted in the future. If a user selects a currently broadcasted program, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays the selected program on the television. If the user selects a program that is broadcasted in the future, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays a downloaded graphic image, corresponding to the selected program, on the television. The graphic image may be the selected program's name or logo, still shots from the selected program, short video clips related to the selected program, or advertisements related to the selected program.

Locally stored content previews: representative of programming content in an electronic programming guide through a graphic image accessed from the hard drive of a set top box

An integrated DS S/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user's navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes an option palette that enables the user to filter the presentation of DSS data in accordance with predetermined filtering criteria. The predetermined filtering criteria includes filtering by category type, filtering in accordance with a user-entered search term, and filtering in accordance with a user-selected date and/or time. The option palette also enables the user to select the amount of filtered information that is displayed on the television screen.

Satellite system/internet system with display option palette with multiple filtering options

A method and apparatus that provides a user a capability to create a title frame for recording when the user records a broadcasted program onto a recording device, using program data received from the broadcasted television transmission. The transmitted program data contains data on the genre or category and subcategory of the program. In one embodiment, the system recognizes the program data and selects the appropriate graphic treatment for the title frame based on the genre information of the program. The information extracted from the program data and placed in the title frame may include the program title, the program description, rating, time length, and program logo or image.

Auto title frames generation method and apparatus

An integrated DSS/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver downloads graphic images, corresponding to DSS programs, from a DSS communication medium or the Internet into a local memory. The graphic images are periodically updated by the DSS service provider or Internet service provider. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user's navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes a selectable DSS program listing that displays DSS programs that are currently being broadcast or that will be broadcasted in the future. If a user selects a currently broadcasted program, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays the selected program on the television. If the user selects a program that is broadcasted in the future, the DSS/WebTV receiver displays a downloaded graphic image, corresponding to the selected program, on the television. The graphic image may be the selected program's name or logo, still shots from the selected program, short video clips related to the selected program, or advertisements related to the selected program.

Locally stored content previews. Representative of programming content in an electronic programming guide through a graphic image accessed from the hard drive of a set top box

A pop-up option palette for controlling electronic equipment such as a set top box. The pop-up option palette of the present invention is implemented as an overlay window enabled by HTML. The pop-up option palette appears anywhere on the system at the touch of a particular key on the remote control and disappears at the touch of the same key in the preferred embodiment. The pop-up option palette provides shortcut methods for jumping to other areas of the system, eliminating the need for actual toolbars or menus. When the pop-up key is activated, a window providing a palette of options appears overlaying the browser's main window. The content of the window can be determined based on the page being displayed so that appropriate information relevant to the page being displayed appears within the pop-up option palette window. Thus, the options available on the pop-up option palette are context sensitive. Additionally, help available through the help button is also context sensitive.

Pop-up option palette

A method and apparatus for providing a calendar-based on-screen planner in an electronic program guide for broadcast events are provided, wherein at least one electronic program guide is generated and displayed representing programming on a number of channels. A first on-screen planner is generated comprising at least one monthly calendar view. The first on-screen planner, which may be accessed from the electronic program guide, provides for a review of selected broadcast activity for a number of days of a selected month. The selected broadcast activity is selected from a group comprising broadcasts selected for automatic tuning, broadcasts selected for recording, and pay-per-view broadcasts selected for purchase. A second on-screen planner is generated comprising at least one daily calendar view. The second on-screen planner, which may be accessed from the first on-screen planner, provides for review and editing of the selected broadcast activity for at least one day of the selected month. The electronic program guide and the on-screen planners are displayed on the screen in response to a user selection.

Method and apparatus for providing a calendar-based planner in an electronic program guide for broadcast events

An integrated DSS/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user's navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes a TV Planner icon which, if selected by the user, causes the televison to display a monthly calender (or recording/reminder list) that indicates which programs are purchased and/or selected for recording by a VCR. A &ldquo;Purchase&rdquo; icon appears adjacent purchased programs and a &ldquo;Record&rdquo; icon appears adjacent programs to be recorded. If the user selects &ldquo;Purchase&rdquo; icon, the user is visually presented (e.g., via a pull-down screen) with the cost, date, and time of the program purchased or to be purchased. If the user selects &ldquo;Record&rdquo; icon, the user is visually presented (e.g., via a pull-down screen) with the title, date, and time of the program to be recorded. The TV Planner screen also includes a &ldquo;Timer & Rec.&rdquo; icon and a &ldquo;Review Purchases&rdquo; icon. If the user selects &ldquo;Timer & Rec.&rdquo; icon, the user is presented with a &ldquo;Timer & Rec.&rdquo; screen that lists the programs that the user selected to view or record. If the user selects &ldquo;Review Purchases&rdquo; icon, the user is presented with a &ldquo;Review Purchases&rdquo; screen that lists all the programs purchased (e.g., PPV programs) by the user in a given time period (e.g., one month). The user can modify selected data (e.g., delete or add programs ) when the user is in the &ldquo;Timer &Rec&rdquo; or &ldquo;Review Purchases&rdquo; screens. The user may also scroll from time period to time period (e.g., month to month) within TV Planner screen by selecting &ldquo;forward&rdquo; and &ldquo;backward&rdquo; arrow icons.

TV planner for DSS

An integrated DSS/WebTV receiver is communicatively connected to an Internet service provider, a DSS service provider, and (optionally) a local broadcast station to provide a display of DSS programs, Internet web sites, and local broadcast channels in a seamless fashion. The DSS/WebTV receiver generates a graphical user interface (GUI), displayed on a television screen, for facilitating a user's navigation through the DSS, Internet, and local broadcast data. The GUI includes user-selectable icons for filtering and/or selecting the received data, a scrolling ticker region for displaying information about upcoming DSS events and providing access to related Internet web sites, and a decimated video region for displaying, in reduced form, DSS programs that are currently being broadcast.

Growing community of inventors

Brooklyn, NY, United States of America

Kim Mingo