(21) Application No $805687.2
`
`(22) Date of Filing 17.03.1998
`
`{30) Priority Data
`(31)
`08828709
`
`(32) 31.03.1997
`
`(33) US
`
`{71) Applicant(s)
`Microsoft
`(incorporated in USA - Washington)
`One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399,
`United States of America
`
`(72)
`
`Inventor(s)
`James O Robarts
`David S Byrne
`Steve Fiuegel
`Gabe Newell
`Dan Newell
`Kenneth Abbott
`
`
`
`(43) Date of A Publication 25.11.1998
`
`(51)
`
`INTCL®
`HO4N 7/088 , GO6F 17/30
`
`(52) UK CL(Edition P)
`G4A AUDB
`H4F FBB FD22 FD24
`U1S $2206
`
`(56) Documents Cited
`EP 0758833 A2 EP 0705036A2 WO 97/46011 A1
`WO97/02702 A2 WO 94/14284 A1 US 5606691 A
`US 5223924 A
`
`(58)
`
`Field of Search
`UKCL(Edition P) G4A AUDB , H4F FBB
`INT CL® GO6F 17/30 , HO4N 7/088
`Online: WPI
`
`aa JK Patent Application «»GB «2325 537 asA
`
`(74) Agent and/or Address for Service
`Withers & Rogers
`4 Dyer’s Buildings, Holborn, LONDON, EC1N 20P,
`United Kingdom
`
`
`(54) Abstract Title
`An electronic television programme guide
`
`(57) An electronic programme guide (EPG) databaseis interrogated to produce a list of programmes that may
`be of interest to a viewer. Queries may be composedbyusers or may be developed automatically by
`inspection of viewing habits or viewer profiles. Viewer profiles may be produced byinterrogation of the
`viewer. User queries may be stored hierarchically and queries relating to different viewers may be merged.
`Queries may be allowed to run continually to uncover programmes ofinterest as they arise in the EPG.
`Queries mayrestrict selection of certain categories. A 10-key alphanumeric keypad may be used to enter query
`data. The EPG interprets the data from each key to mean anyof the numbers orletters associated therewith
`andidentifies all possible programmesand channels and networks. As the viewer continues to addletters or
`numbers,the list narrows dynamically unti) only a few choices remain. The EPG data maybe transmitted with
`the TV signals and may contain links to Web pages.
`
`eo
`
`At least one drawingoriginally filed was informal and the print reproduced hereis taken fromalaterfiled formal copy. >
`
`P. 1
`
`SONY - Ex.-1008
`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
`
`

`

`
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`=ETV--TVHOST,INC
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`2325537
`
`TECHNICALFIELD
`
`QUERY-BASED ELECTRONIC PROGRAM GUIDE
`
`This invention relates to entertainment systems,
`
`such as
`
`interactive
`
`television or interactive computing network systems, and to electronic program
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`guides which operate in conjunction with these systems. Moreparticularly, this
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`invention relates to methods for operating electronic program guides using auto-
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`generated and viewer-generated queries
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`to
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`identify programs or other
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`programming information.
`
`
`
`BACKGROUNDOFTHEINVENTION
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`Television viewers are very familiar with printed programming schedules
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`that appear in daily newspapers or weekly magazines, such as TV Guide®. The
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`printed program guide lists the various television shows in relation to their
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`scheduled viewing time on a day-to-day basis.
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`Cable TV systems often include a channel with a video broadcast of the
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`printed program guide. The cable channel is dedicated to displaying listings of
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`programs available on the different available channels. Thelistings are commonly
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`arranged in a grid. Each column ofthe grid represents a particular time slot, such
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`as 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Each row represents a particular broadcast or cable
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`channel, such as ABC, PBS, or ESPN. The various scheduled programs or shows
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`20
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`21
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`are arranged within the rows and columns, indicating the channels and times at
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`which they can be found. The grid is continuously scrolled vertically so that a
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`viewer watches a continuously refreshing set of programs within three or four time
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`slots.
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`Data for available programs is typically received by a cable system as a
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`plurality of data records. Each available program has a single corresponding data
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`record indicating a variety of information about the program suchasits channel,its
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`starting and ending times,
`its title, names of starring actors, whether closed-
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`captioning andstereo are available, and perhapsa brief description of the program.
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`It is not difficult to format a grid such as described above from this type of data
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`records. The grid is typically formatted once at the cable system’s headend and
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`broadcast repeatedly and continuously to the thousands of homes served by the
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`Newer, interactive cable distribution systems feature electronic program
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`guides (EPGs) which function somewhat similar to the broadcast program listing
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`channels described above. Rather than scrolling automatically, however, an EPG
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`allows a viewer to use a remote control device or other input device to scroll as
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`desired both horizontally and vertically through a program gnd. This functionality
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`utilizes the two-way communications capabilities of interactive cable systems.
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`The EPGis typically implemented in software which runs onaset-top box
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`(STB) connected between a TV and a cable system home entry line. When
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`scrolling to a new column or row,
`the set-top box inserts the appropriate
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`programming information into each new row or column. This information is either
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`cached at the STB, or requested from the cable system’s headend.
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`Interactive systems permit viewers to control what programs are shown on
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`their TV and when. Movies-on-demandis one example ofthis interactive control.
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`A viewer can peruse a list of available movies from the EPG, and then order a
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`selected movie. The STB sends a request for the movie to the headend server.
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`The movieis retrieved and transmitted to the requesting STB. Movies-on-demand
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`thus enables viewers to shop, purchase, and watch a movie at their convenience, as
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`P. 15
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`opposed to being restricted to certain start times as is typical with conventional
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`premium or pay-per-view channels.
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`Many industry and commercial experts expect entertainment systems to
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`evolve to the point of offering many other interactive services to the consumers.
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`For instance, consumers will be able to use their TV or computer to shop for
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`groceries or other goods, conduct banking and other financial transactions, play
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`games, or attend educational courses and take exams.
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`It is common
`Conventional distribution networks support many channels.
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`for a TV audience to have 50 to 100 channels. However, as technology improves
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`and programming content continues to expand,
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`expected to increase dramatically to many hundreds, or even thousands of
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`channels.
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`One problem with the growth in the number of channels is that vastly
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`enlarged selection, while appealing to a viewer, will make it more difficult for a
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`viewer to locate programs of their preference. Traditional methods of locating
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`programs—such as memorizing channel numbers, scanning program grids, or
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`random surfing—will become less effective as the number of channels increase.
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`For example, imaginethe difficulty in trying to present hundreds or thousands of
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`programs in a scrollable grid-like EPG user interface (UI), which might show only
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`a few programs or channels at one time. This UI structure will most likely be
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`unworkable for large program and channel offerings. Additionally, surfing
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`through hundreds or thousands of channels will likely consume a large amount of
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`time, causing the viewer to miss the programshe/sheis attemptingto find.
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`is also likely that
`the traditional practice of relating programs and
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`networks to specific channels will become less meaningful as the number of
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`P. 16
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`

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`for example, a viewer might be interested in
`Suppose,
`channels increases.
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`watching football. Today, a viewer might remember that channel 6 (NBC) and
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`channel 3 (FOX) carry the football games and simply tune to one of these
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`In the future, however, there might be football games being broadcast
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`on channels 78, 495, and 1042. These channels might be small local stations that
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`are broadcasting their local football team, or one of many channels used by a
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`major network. Viewers are not likely to remember that channels 78, 495, and
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`1042 are carrying football games at specific times.
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`Moreover, the correlation of channels to networks and programs vary from
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`market to market. For instance, the sports network ESPN might be carried on
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`channel 15 in one market and on channel 29 in another market. Memorizing
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`program offerings in terms of channel numbers will prove frustrating as a viewer
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`travels from one marketto the next.
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`Accordingly, there is a need to develop operating methods which allow
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`viewers to easily find programs or networks regardless of the channels on which
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`they are carried. Additionally, these operating methods should enable viewers to
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`locate programs regardless of whether they remember the channel number,
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`program name, or network name.
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`Toward this end, a company named TVHost, Inc. has developed a software-
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`based product “ETV”which assists a viewerin locating particular programs. The
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`ETV system organizes the different program offerings according to different
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`topical categorizes. Fig.
`1 shows an example screen display of a graphical user
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`interface (UI) window 20 supported by the ETV system. The ETV window 20 has
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`a first pane 22 that lists alphabetically predefined types of programs, such as
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`Business, Children, Educational, Game Shows, and so forth. The viewer can
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`P. 17
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`control a focus frameor highlight bar 24 to choose a type of program from thefirst
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`pane 22. A second pane 26 containsa list of programs that are available for the
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`program type highlighted in the first pane 22. In this example, the type “business”
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`is highlighted, and hence business-related programs are shown in the second pane
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`26. The second pane 26 also provides other programming information including
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`start time, network or station, and duration.
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`The ETV system thereby offers an alternative to a scrollable grid
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`presentation which organizes programs according to type. This allows the viewer
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`to select a program type, and then review the programsoffered for this type. The
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`ETV system also permits rudimentary “search” capabilities. Fig. 2 shows another
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`graphical UI window 30 which appears when performing a search. A first pane 32
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`contains a scrollable alphabetized list of stations, and allows a viewer to choose a
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`station. A second pane 34 contains a scrollable alphabetized list of program types
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`from which the viewer may select a program type. Other parameters, such as
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`MPAA,rating, and start time, can also be selected by the viewer. Based upon
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`these selections, the ETV system locates programs whichare ofa particular type,
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`from the selected station, and satisfy the ratings andstart times.
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`The ETV system is limited in many respects. The ETV system does not
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`permit searches on arbitrary fields.
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`Instead, the categories are predefined for the
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`viewer. The vieweris not able to define his/her own complex searches using, for
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`example, Boolean logic of “OR,” “AND,” and “NOT.” Another limitation is that
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`the ETV system does not provide any active controls whichintelligently narrows
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`selections based upon viewerselections. An “active” control is a control that does
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`not require any other action on the part of the user. For instance, if a viewer
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`selects a station in pane 32 of the search window 30 (Fig.2), all program types will
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`P. 18
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`be listed in the second pane 34. In fact, the same lists will always occurin both the
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`first and second panes 32, 34 regardless of what selections the viewer has
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`previously made. The viewer is not able to see any results until
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`activates a “Begin” search key 36.
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`Accordingly, there remains a need to develop operating methods which
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`decouple associations between the channel and network or program andalso allow
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`intelligent search procedures to better assist the viewer in locating preferred
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`programs.
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`SUMMARYOFTHEINVENTION
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`This invention concerns an electronic program guide (EPG) which enables
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`creation of queries to facilitate simple and complex searches across predefined and
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`arbitrary fields. The EPG organizes and presents programming information to a
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`viewer. The EPG is implemented in software which executes on a processor
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`resident in a viewer computing unit. As described herein, the viewer computing
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`unit can be implemented as a set-top box (STB) connected to a television (TV), as
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`a computer and monitor, orthe like.
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`the EPG is configured to
`According to one aspect of this invention,
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`automatically identify programsthat a vieweris likely to prefer. The EPG collects
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`viewing preferences of a viewer by, for example, monitoring and logging viewing
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`habits of the viewer or through creation of a viewer profile in which a viewer
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`answers a series of questions designed to discover the viewer’s likes and dislikes.
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`Based uponthe these viewer preferences, the EPG automatically develops queries
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`for identifying programs that the viewer is likely to watch and presents those
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`programsto the viewer.
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`P. 19
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`The EPG can further be configured to merge the queries of individual
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`viewers into a composite query which searches for programs on behalf ofall
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`viewers. Each viewer defines his/her own query.
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`For instance, one family
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`member might define a query for college basketball games, another family
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`member might define a query for Civil War programs, and another family member
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`might define a query for cartoons. The EPG then creates a unified query which
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`combines the three queries to jointly identify programs which satisfy any one of
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`the three queries.
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`The EPG saves queries in a hierarchic structure to make it easy for a viewer
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`to organize and retrieve queries. The viewer can define directories and sub-
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`directories to organize the queries. For instance, a viewer might arrange queries
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`for different kinds of movies within a Movie directory and queries for sports
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`within a Sports directory. Another example organization is to arrange queries
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`within separate user directories.
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`According to another aspect,
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`the EPG is configured to run queries in
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`background so that the queries are periodically executed unbeknownst to the
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`viewer. When the EPG identifies a particular program satisfying the background
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`query,
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`the EPG automatically notifies
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`the viewer of the program and/or
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`automatically initiates procedures to record the program. For example, suppose a
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`viewer wants to watch shows on the Great Wall of China. The viewercan define a
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`query for identify any programs mentioning the Great Wall and have the query
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`execute in background, perhaps for a long duration of time. As the EPG identifies
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`programs on the Great Wall, the EPG notifies the viewer of when the program is
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`scheduled to be shown,andto initiate recording procedures.
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`P. 20
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`P. 20
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`According to another aspect of this invention, the EPG assists a viewer in
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`finding a program, channel number, or network by using a 10-key keypad as
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`typically found on remote control handsets. The keypad has ten numerical keys,
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`which also correspond to associated letters. When the viewer presses a key, the
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`viewer might intend to be entering a numberto find a channel, or one ofthe letters
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`associated with the key for spelling the program or network name. Regardless of
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`the viewer’s intent, the data generated when the key is depressed is the same. The
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`EPG is configured to interpret the data as representing all possible choices,
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`including the numberand letters associated with the key. For instance, when a
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`viewer depresses the number “5” key, the EPG interprets that data to mean “5” or
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`“J” or “K” or “L.” The EPG then identifies programs, channels, and networks
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`which begin with or contains the numberorletters. As the viewer continues to
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`enter each digit, the list of programs, channel, and networks dynamically narrows.
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`After a few button presses, the viewer is presented with a short list of possible
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`choices.
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`BRIEFDESCRIPTIONOFTHEDRAWINGS
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`Fig. 1 is an exemplary screen illustration of a graphical user interface (UI)
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`window presented by a prior art product which organizes programsinto predefined
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`categories.
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`Fig. 2 is an exemplary screen illustration of a graphical user interface (UI)
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`window presented by the prior art product whichassists a viewer in searching the
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`predefined categories to locate certain kinds of programs.
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`Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an entertainment system.
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`P. 21
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`P. 21
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`Fig. 4 is a simplified example of data fields in a data structure maintained
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`by an electronic program guide (EPG).
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`Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a viewer computing unit.
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`Fig. 6 is an exemplary screen illustration of an EPG UI, and particularly, a
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`screen having a scrollable grid with program listings.
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`Fig. 7 is an exemplary screenillustration of an EPG UI, and particularly, a
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`screen used to help create simple queries for searching the EPG.
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`Fig. 8 is an exemplary screen illustration of an EPG UI, andparticularly, a
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`screen used to help create more advanced queries for searching the EPG.
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`Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of how a query filters the program
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`database of the EPGto identify programssatisfying the parameters of the query.
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`Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of howarestrictive query filters the
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`program database of the EPG to identify and prevent programs satisfying the
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`Fig. 11 is an exemplary screen illustration of an EPG UI,and particularly, a
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`screen used to manage queries for multiple viewers.
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`Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic illustration of how individual queries can be
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`merged into a composite query used to search the program database of the EPG.
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`Fig. 13 is a diagrammaticillustration of how program informationis filtered
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`through multiple queries to provide a short set of programs that are ultimately
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`displayed to the viewer.
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`Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic illustration of how program information in an
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`EPG database and other content information in a Web cacheare filtered using
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`multiple queries to provide a short set of programsthat are ultimately displayed to
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`the viewer.
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`P. 22
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`Fig. 15 is an exemplary screen illustration of an EPG UI, and particularly, a
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`screen used to locate a particular channel, network name, or program nameand to
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`create queries which search for them simultaneously.
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`DETAILEDDESCRIPTIONOFTHEPREFERREDEMBODIMENT
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`Fig. 3 shows an entertainment system 40 according to one implementation
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`of this invention. System 40 includes a centralized headend or content provider 42
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`which is configured to provide continuous video content programs to multiple
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`subscribers. Programs provided by content provider 42 might include traditional
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`broadcast TV shows, on-demand movies, games, and other services such as those
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`commonly providedin the past by on-line computerservices.
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`The content provider 42 supplies video and other data over a distribution
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`network 44 to the subscribers.
`In this implementation, the network 44 is a satellite
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`network which transmits the data in a digital format from the content provider
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`directly to individual subscribers. The satellite network 44 includes a transmitter
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`46, an orbiting satellite 48, and a receiver 50. As one example, the satellite
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`network 44 can be implemented using DSS (Direct Satellite System) technology,
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`where individual subscribers own small 18” receiving dishes 50 which are resident
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`at their homes. Video, audio, and other data are transmitted in digital format from
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`the satellite transmitter 46 to the orbiting satellite 48, where the data are redirected
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`The distribution network 44 can be implemented in other ways instead of
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`DSS technology. One implementation is a multi-tier network which includes a
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`high-speed, high-bandwidth fiber optic cable network between the content
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`provider 40 and regional distribution nodes (not shown), and conventional home
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`P. 23
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`entry lines, such as twisted-pair lines or coaxial cable, between the distribution
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`nodes and viewer computing units 60. Anther network implementation might
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`include traditional RF broadcast
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`technologies.
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`constructed using a combination of wireless and wire-based technologies.
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`Another approach beside to broadcasting the content to the subscribers is by
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`multicasting the content over the Internet. With this approach,
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`the content
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`providers transmit the data content to a designated multicast address on the
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`Internet. Subscribers listen to the multicast address to receive the primary content.
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`Each subscriber residencehas at least one viewer computing unit 60. In the
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`illustrated implementation,
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`the viewer computing unit 60 is embodied as a
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`broadcast enabled personal computer, or simply “broadcast PC.” The broadcast
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`PC 60 has a large computer monitor 62, a processing unit 64, and input devices in
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`the form of remote keyboard 66 and/or remote control handset 68. The remote
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`keyboard 66 and handset 68 are remotely coupled to the processing unit 64 via a
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`wireless data link 70, such as infrared (IR) or radio (RF), although the remotes can
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`be directly connected. The broadcast PC 60 also includes an EPG database 72 and
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`a content separator 74, which are shown separately for illustration purposes, but
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`can be incorporated into the processing unit 64.
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`It is noted that the viewer computing unit 60 can be implementedin other
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`forms. For instance, the viewer computing unit 60 can be embodied as a set-top
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`box coupled to a conventional television. Another implementation includes a TV
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`or other visual display device, which has processing components incorporated
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`therein.
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`Content provider 42 is configured to originate the broadcast programsor to
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`rebroadcast programs received from another source, such as a satellite feed or
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`P. 24
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`P. 24
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`the content provider 42 is configured to
`In addition,
`another cable system.
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`maintain a database of programs 80, such as feature-length movies, past TV
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`shows, games, and other entertainment videos, which can be played individually to
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`requesting subscribers in an on-demand mode. These programs can be requested
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`via a back channel, such as a telephone link or Internet link (described