Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Webtv Networks, Inc.

Microsoft Corporation

Timothy F Park

Dean J Blackketter

Daniel John Zigmond

Christopher Cushen White

John R Matheny

Jeffrey D Yaksick

Sharon F Glusker

Stuart Ozer

Jeff Yaksick

Michael A Killianey

Sandra R Bernardi

A television receiving system displays an advertisement for a future television program. If the future television program is identified as recordable, the system also displays an option to set a reminder for the advertised program and/or an option to record the advertised program on a video recorder. If a viewer of the advertisement selects the reminder option, then a reminder is programmed in the system. If the viewer selects the record option, then the system automatically programs the video recorder to record the advertised program. If the viewer has established an interactive session during a television advertisement, and has not completed the interactive session when the advertisement ends, then the current television program is paused until the interactive session is completed.

Scheduling the recording of television programs

An interactive television system transmits and displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also transmits and displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be transmitted and displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

User interface for interactive television systems

Television program pause for interactive sessions

A broadcast signal is received that includes a data identifier that identifies data associated with the broadcast signal. The broadcast signal also includes the data associated with the broadcast signal encoded in the broadcast signal. The data associated with the broadcast signal includes an indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal. The system decodes the data encoded in the broadcast signal while ignoring the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal. The indicator to ignore the data identifier contained in the broadcast signal may include an associated time period during which the data identifier should be ignored. The data identifier is broadcast in scan line twenty-one of a broadcast image. The data associated with the broadcast signal is encoded in vertical blanking interval lines of a broadcast image.

Method and apparatus for retrieving data from a broadcast signal

Web service generation is described, including introspecting an original web service, importing a definition associated with the original web service from an address, and building the web service using the definition and a template associated with the definition. A web service wrapping tool is also described, including an interpreter configured to introspect a first web service to retrieve a definition from an address, a generator configured to generate a class for the web service using the definition and a template, and a builder configured to build a second web service using the class generated by the generator. Also described is a system for generating a web service, including a template defining the web service, an interpreter configured to receive and interpret an address to determine a definition associated with the web service, and a generator configured to generate the web service using the definition and the template.

Web service generation

An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

An interactive television system displays a television program having an associated channel. The system also displays an interactive television mode indicator if the displayed television program supports an interactive television mode. The interactive television mode is activated in response to a request from a viewer of the television program to activate the interactive television mode. The system updates a channel status list to indicate that the television program is being viewed in the interactive television mode. The system is also able to handle requests for activating an online television mode. When changing channels, the channel status list is used to restore a previously activated interactive television ii mode or online television mode for a particular television channel. Two different indicators may be displayed to indicate whether the television program supports an interactive television mode and/or an online television mode.

A television program is received that includes an index that identifies multiple television program segments contained in the television program. The index of program segments is displayed to a television viewer, and the television viewer is allowed to select at least one program segment for recording. The index of program segments can identify the name of each program segment, the time period during which each program segment is transmitted, the program type for each program segment, the content rating for each program segment, or whether the viewer is required to watch a particular program segment. The selected program segments may be recorded on a video recorder. The television viewer is also allowed to select the order of viewing of the program segments.

Method and apparatus for indexing video programs

Described are methods and apparatus for enhancing a television advertisement simultaneously displayed on a number of remote receivers. In one embodiment, one or more advertisement templates are stored in memory on each of the remote receivers. The templates include formatting information and data fields into which can be inserted predefined types of information. For example, a selected template may be adapted to receive and display an advertiser's name, product, and a hyperlink to the advertiser's web site. A content creator, (e.g., a program producer, broadcaster, affiliate, cable company or satellite provider), embeds an advertisement summary in a data service channel of a broadcast signal. The advertisement summary includes a resource identifier unique to a selected one of the advertisement templates. Upon receiving an advertisement summary directed to a resident advertisement template, the receiver combines custom advertisement information provided in the advertisement summary with formatting information provided in the advertisement template. The receiver employs the combined information to create and display a custom advertisement, which may include hyperlinks to additional produce or service information.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Timothy F Park