Interactive television program guide system that serves as a portal

Abstract

A system is provided in which an interactive television program guide application and non-program-guide applications are at least partially implemented on user television equipment. A program guide program application interface is provided that is used to maintain a consistent user interface between the program guide application and the non-program-guide applications. Non-program-guide applications may be launched by the program guide application. The user may select certain non-program-guide applications as favorites and may set parental controls for certain non-program-guide applications. The program guide application may run in the background while a non-program-guide application operates. While the non-program-guide application operates, the program guide may check for events that require immediate attention. When such an event is detected, operation of the non-program-guide application may be suspended and the user may be asked whether the detected event should take place or whether operation of the non-program-guide application should be resumed. The applications may be located at a remote location such as on a server at a cable system headend or on a server on the Internet. The program application interface may perform authentication and access rights determination functions. Reminders may be set for the content of non-program-guide applications.

Description

[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60 / 093,865, filed Jul. 23, 1998.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to interactive television program guide systems. More particularly, this invention relates to interactive television program guide systems having a program guide application that serves as a portal for other applications.[0003]Interactive television program guides are well known. Such guides, which are typically implemented on set-top boxes, allow users to view television program listings on their home televisions. Typical program guides allow users to view information for television programs and channels and audio programs and channels. For example, a program guide may provide information on regular television channels, premium television channels, pay-per-view television channels, and music channels. A variety of display formats are typically supported. For example, program listings may be organized by time, by channe...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]An application program interface (API) for the program guide is provided. The application program interface may allow non-program-guide applications to access program guide functions. The API may also coordinate access to platform resources (e.g., set-top box resources and / or server resources) such as on-screen display resources, remote control key resources, set-top box front-panel resources, communications channel resources, memory function resources, etc. by the program guide and the non-program-guide applications. The API may allow non-program-guide applications to make use of program guide functions such as tuning, parental control, favorites, user profiles, drawing, highlighting and on-screen navigation, database access, and purchasing. This approach ensures that a common user interface is used, resource contention is eliminated, and the amount of code and data required by each application is reduced.

Problems solved by technology

However, there would be no commonality between the user interfaces provided by the program guide application and non-program guide applications.

This could lead to user confusion, particularly with users who are not necessarily computer literate.

Overlap between applications might not be exploited and code and data might be duplicated among the applications.

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