The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 12, 2009
Filed:
Sep. 23, 1997
James Edwin Hailey, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Michael Wayne Johnson, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Hugh Boyd Morrison, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Robert Joseph Logan, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Robert Skipworth Comer, Carmel, IN (US);
Sheila Renee Crosby, Crystal Lake, IL (US);
James Edwin Hailey, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Michael Wayne Johnson, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Hugh Boyd Morrison, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Robert Joseph Logan, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Robert Skipworth Comer, Carmel, IN (US);
Sheila Renee Crosby, Crystal Lake, IL (US);
Thomson Licensing, Boulogne-Billancourt, FR;
Abstract
A video decoder system automatically acquires program guide information from local and remote peripheral devices to form a composite program guide. Program guide information is received from a first source and access data is retrieved from memory. The access data is used to initiate communication automatically between the video decoder and a second source external to the video decoder. Program guide information retrieved from the second source together with program guide information provided by the first source is incorporated into a composite program guide for display. The communication may be initiated upon different conditions and a peripheral device and associated communication protocol may be identified from various sources of configuration information.