WO2002052837A1 - A method and system for tv program information - Google Patents

A method and system for tv program information Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002052837A1
WO2002052837A1 PCT/SE2001/002887 SE0102887W WO02052837A1 WO 2002052837 A1 WO2002052837 A1 WO 2002052837A1 SE 0102887 W SE0102887 W SE 0102887W WO 02052837 A1 WO02052837 A1 WO 02052837A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
homepage
html
search terms
epg
program guide
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/SE2001/002887
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Thomas Karlsson
Timo Pohjanvuori
Original Assignee
Boxer Tv Access Ab
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Boxer Tv Access Ab filed Critical Boxer Tv Access Ab
Publication of WO2002052837A1 publication Critical patent/WO2002052837A1/en

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
    • H04N21/44213—Monitoring of end-user related data
    • H04N21/44222—Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity
    • H04N21/44224—Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
    • H04N21/4104—Peripherals receiving signals from specially adapted client devices
    • H04N21/4113—PC
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
    • H04N21/231—Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
    • H04N21/23106—Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion involving caching operations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
    • H04N21/4331—Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/4508—Management of client data or end-user data
    • H04N21/4532—Management of client data or end-user data involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/454—Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/462—Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
    • H04N21/4622—Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/47—End-user applications
    • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
    • H04N21/4828—End-user interface for program selection for searching program descriptors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
    • H04N21/6156—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network
    • H04N21/6175—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via Internet
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/63—Control signaling related to video distribution between client, server and network components; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients or between remote clients, e.g. transmitting basic layer and enhancement layers over different transmission paths, setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet between remote STB's; Communication protocols; Addressing
    • H04N21/643—Communication protocols
    • H04N21/64315—DVB-H
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
    • H04N21/812—Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
    • H04N21/84—Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
    • H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
    • H04N21/42204—User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/431—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
    • H04N21/4312—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
    • H04N21/4316—Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/47—End-user applications
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
    • H04N5/44—Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards
    • H04N5/445—Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards for displaying additional information
    • H04N5/45—Picture in picture, e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to a method for providing information about TV-programs, and a combined TV reception and computer system, according to the preamble of claim 1 and 3, respectively.
  • a user having a TV, or a personal computer, adapted to receive digital video broadcasting signals for the display of TV-programs, can in some cases access the internet via a web browser using the TV or PC, and have both TV and internet applications displayed on the screen at the same time.
  • EP 0 848 554 A3 discloses a method, according to which a window overlaying a TV- program display provides for a user to demand and receive additional information from internet sources on the TN-program showed. However, the method according to EP 0 848 554 A3 does not give the user any support in selecting TV-programs.
  • US 6 005 565 A discloses a method in which a TV-program, an internet on-line window, and an electronic program guide are displayed, and a user establishes search terms for an internet search, the result of which is integrated with the program guide.
  • the object of the invention is met by a method for providing information about TV- programs, and a combined IN reception and computer system, having to the characterizing features of claim 1 and 3, respectively.
  • the user device is provided with a search term retrieval software, and the search terms are retrieved using this search term retrieval software.
  • search term retrieval software This provides for the electronic program guide search to be carried out using search terms, retrieved from a wide variety of information types accessible through the internet.
  • - fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing steps in a method according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • - fig. 3 shows a schematic example of a result, displayed to a user, of one embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fig. 1 is an schematic illustration of a system comprising a user device UD for reception of digital video broadcasting signals DNB-T transmitted from a broadcasting unit BU in a digital television broadcasting network.
  • the user device UD comprises a traditional type of TN-set and a so called digital TV box, connected to the TN-set.
  • the TV box is adapted to convert the digital TV signals to analogue signals for the TV-set, as is known in the art.
  • the digital TV box has computational capacity and is provided with a telephone modem and a browser software to access the internet and display web sites on the TN-set. It can be controlled by a user via a remote control unit.
  • the user device UD could also be a personal computer provided with suitable hardware to display digitally broadcasted TV programs.
  • the user device UD could also be a combination of a TV box, a personal computer and an analogue TV-set, or a Personal Digital Assistant, adapted to receive digital TV signals through a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) system or a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network. If it is adapted for mobile communications it could also arranged for use in a vehicle environment.
  • GPRS General Packet Radio Service
  • UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
  • a user can access an electronic program guide EPG which is provided via the digital video broadcasting signals DVB-T and contains information about available TV channels and TV programs schedules, as well as other information services.
  • EPG electronic program guide
  • the user accesses a homepage HTML, stored in a homepage server HS, via the internet.
  • a homepage server HS can display the homepage HTML, and a TV-program, simultaneously, in separate windows on the same screen.
  • the user device is provided with a software for retrieving subject words in the homepage HTML.
  • the subject words could be contained in the text content of the homepage HTML, and /or the script tags of the homepage HTML.
  • a natural language recognition algorithm of the type described in US 5 598 557 A could be used to find the subject words.
  • the user device UD utilizes the subject words extracted from the homepage HTML to search the electronic program guide for TV programs having subjects being the same or similar to the one treated in the homepage HTML.
  • subject words could be stored in connection to information about each TV program, and/or the TV programs could be arranged into categories.
  • a search result SR is created, and displayed to the user on the user device.
  • the user device can display the search result SR in a separate window beside the windows for the homepage HTML, and the TV-program.
  • the TV-program displayed on the screen does not necessarily have to treat the same subject as homepage HTML and the search result SR.
  • the search result SR will contain information about TV programs treating the same subject or similar subjects as the homepage HTML.
  • the search result SR containing the relevant TV programs could be displayed in a list in which the sequence could be chronological with regards to broadcasting times, or arranged according to the relevance of the TV programs, as established during the search. If the sequence in the list is chronological, an indication at each entry in the list could be provided, showing the relevance of the entry in relation to the homepage.
  • the indication could be in the form of a number in a predetermined interval, whereby one end of the interval corresponds to a high relevance, and vice versa.
  • the indication could also take the form of a colored area, at which the color itself, e.g., green, yellow, etc., denotes the relevance of the entry, i.e. the TV-program.
  • the steps of retrieving search terms from script tags of, or from text in, the homepage HTML, searching the electronic program guide EPG, and generating and displaying a result set of search results of TV programs can be carried out by at least one computer program.
  • This computer program can be loaded into the user device from a computer program code carrying device, such as a compact disc.
  • the computer program code could also be transmitted via the digital video broadcasting signal, or through the computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet.

Abstract

The invention provides a combined TV reception and computer system, comprising at least one user device (UD), adapted a broadcasting signal (DVB-T) transmitted in a digital television broadcasting network, the broadcasting signal (DVB-T) comprising an electronic program guide (EPG), containing TV program information. The invention provides a method for providing information about TV-programs comprising the steps of retrieving search terms from script tags of, or from text in a homepage (HTML), retrieved through a computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet, searching the electronic program guide (EPG), using the retrieved search terms, and generating and displaying a result set of search results of TV programs.

Description

A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TV PROGRAM INFORMATION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to a method for providing information about TV-programs, and a combined TV reception and computer system, according to the preamble of claim 1 and 3, respectively.
ART BACKGROUND
A user having a TV, or a personal computer, adapted to receive digital video broadcasting signals for the display of TV-programs, can in some cases access the internet via a web browser using the TV or PC, and have both TV and internet applications displayed on the screen at the same time.
EP 0 848 554 A3 discloses a method, according to which a window overlaying a TV- program display provides for a user to demand and receive additional information from internet sources on the TN-program showed. However, the method according to EP 0 848 554 A3 does not give the user any support in selecting TV-programs.
US 6 005 565 A discloses a method in which a TV-program, an internet on-line window, and an electronic program guide are displayed, and a user establishes search terms for an internet search, the result of which is integrated with the program guide.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide additional support to a user in selecting TV-programs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is met by a method for providing information about TV- programs, and a combined IN reception and computer system, having to the characterizing features of claim 1 and 3, respectively. Displaying search results of TV programs, the results being obtained from searching an electronic program guide, using search terms retrieved from script tags of, or text in, a homepage, gives a user information on TV-programs treating similar subjects as an internet homepage, visited by the user, without the user having to participate in finding relevant search terms for the TV-program search.
Preferably, the user device is provided with a search term retrieval software, and the search terms are retrieved using this search term retrieval software. This provides for the electronic program guide search to be carried out using search terms, retrieved from a wide variety of information types accessible through the internet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described in greater detail, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which - fig. 1 illustrates schematically a combined TV broadcasting and computer system, in which the invention is used,
- fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing steps in a method according to one embodiment of the invention, and
- fig. 3 shows a schematic example of a result, displayed to a user, of one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Fig. 1 is an schematic illustration of a system comprising a user device UD for reception of digital video broadcasting signals DNB-T transmitted from a broadcasting unit BU in a digital television broadcasting network.
The user device UD comprises a traditional type of TN-set and a so called digital TV box, connected to the TN-set. The TV box is adapted to convert the digital TV signals to analogue signals for the TV-set, as is known in the art. The digital TV box has computational capacity and is provided with a telephone modem and a browser software to access the internet and display web sites on the TN-set. It can be controlled by a user via a remote control unit. As is known in the art, the user device UD could also be a personal computer provided with suitable hardware to display digitally broadcasted TV programs. The user device UD could also be a combination of a TV box, a personal computer and an analogue TV-set, or a Personal Digital Assistant, adapted to receive digital TV signals through a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) system or a UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network. If it is adapted for mobile communications it could also arranged for use in a vehicle environment.
A user can access an electronic program guide EPG which is provided via the digital video broadcasting signals DVB-T and contains information about available TV channels and TV programs schedules, as well as other information services.
Referring to fig. 2 and 3, a method according to one embodiment of the invention will now be described. The user accesses a homepage HTML, stored in a homepage server HS, via the internet. As can be seen in fig. 3, the user device can display the homepage HTML, and a TV-program, simultaneously, in separate windows on the same screen.
The user device is provided with a software for retrieving subject words in the homepage HTML. The subject words could be contained in the text content of the homepage HTML, and /or the script tags of the homepage HTML. A natural language recognition algorithm of the type described in US 5 598 557 A could be used to find the subject words.
Subsequently, the user device UD utilizes the subject words extracted from the homepage HTML to search the electronic program guide for TV programs having subjects being the same or similar to the one treated in the homepage HTML. In the electronic program guide subject words could be stored in connection to information about each TV program, and/or the TV programs could be arranged into categories.
A search result SR is created, and displayed to the user on the user device. As can be seen in fig. 3, the user device can display the search result SR in a separate window beside the windows for the homepage HTML, and the TV-program. The TV-program displayed on the screen does not necessarily have to treat the same subject as homepage HTML and the search result SR. However, the search result SR will contain information about TV programs treating the same subject or similar subjects as the homepage HTML.
The search result SR containing the relevant TV programs could be displayed in a list in which the sequence could be chronological with regards to broadcasting times, or arranged according to the relevance of the TV programs, as established during the search. If the sequence in the list is chronological, an indication at each entry in the list could be provided, showing the relevance of the entry in relation to the homepage. The indication could be in the form of a number in a predetermined interval, whereby one end of the interval corresponds to a high relevance, and vice versa. The indication could also take the form of a colored area, at which the color itself, e.g., green, yellow, etc., denotes the relevance of the entry, i.e. the TV-program.
The steps of retrieving search terms from script tags of, or from text in, the homepage HTML, searching the electronic program guide EPG, and generating and displaying a result set of search results of TV programs, can be carried out by at least one computer program. This computer program can be loaded into the user device from a computer program code carrying device, such as a compact disc. The computer program code could also be transmitted via the digital video broadcasting signal, or through the computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet.

Claims

1. In a combined TV reception and computer system comprising at least one user device (UD), adapted to receive a digital video broadcasting signal (DVB-T) transmitted from a broadcasting unit (BU) in a digital television broadcasting network, the digital video broadcasting signal (DVB-T) comprising an electronic program guide (EPG), containing TN program information, the user device (UD) being provided with a browser software (BS), and being connectable to at least one homepage server (HS) , e.g. a web server, via a computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet, a method for providing information about TN-programs, comprising the steps of
- sending a request to the homepage server (HS) to access a homepage (HTML), stored on the homepage server (HS) and retrievable through the computer network, using the browser software (BS), and
- receiving the authorising language code of the homepage (HTML), characterize by the steps of
- retrieving search terms from script tags of the homepage (HTML) or from text in the homepage (HTML),
- searching the electronic program guide (EPG), using the retrieved search terms, and
- generating and displaying a result set of search results of TN programs.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the user device (UD) is provided with a search term retrieval software, and the step of retrieving search terms comprises retrieving search terms using the search term retrieval software.
3. A combined TV reception and computer system comprising at least one user device (UD), adapted to receive a digital video broadcasting signal (DVB-T) transmitted from a broadcasting unit (BU) in a digital television broadcasting network, the digital video broadcasting signal (DVB-T) comprising an electronic program guide (EPG), containing TV program information, the user device (UD) being provided with a browser software (BS), and being connectable to at least one homepage server (HS), e.g. a web server, via a computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet, and being adapted to send a request to the homepage server (HS) to access a homepage (HTML), stored on the homepage server (HS), and retrievable through the computer network and receive the authorising language code of the homepage (HTML), characterized by
- means to retrieve search terms from script tags of the homepage (HTML) or from text in the homepage (HTML),
- means to search the electronic program guide (EPG), using the retrieved search terms, and
- means to generate and display a result set of search results of TV programs.
4. A system according to claim 3, whereby the means to retrieve search terms from script tags of the homepage (HTML) or from text in the homepage (HTML) is a search term retrieval software.
5. A computer program comprising code means adapted to perform, when said program is run on a data-processing system,
- the step of retrieving search terms from script tags of, or from text in, a homepage (HTML), stored on a homepage server (HS), e.g. a web server, and retrieved through a computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet,
- the step of searching an electronic program guide (EPG), containing TV program information, using the retrieved search terms, the electronic program guide (EPG) being included in a digital video broadcasting signal (DVB-T), transmitted from a broadcasting unit (BU) in a digital television broadcasting network, and
- the step of generating and displaying a result set of search results of TV programs.
6. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising computer program code means adapted to perform, when said program is run on a data-processing system,
- the step of retrieving search terms from script tags of, or from text in, a homepage (HTML), stored on a homepage server (HS), e.g. a web server, and retrieved through a computer network, e.g. the internet or an intranet, - the step of searching an electronic program guide (EPG), containing TN program information, using the retrieved search terms, the electronic program guide (EPG) being included in a digital video broadcasting signal (DVB-T), transmitted from a broadcasting unit (BU) in a digital television broadcasting network, and the step of generating and displaying a result set of search results of TV programs.
PCT/SE2001/002887 2000-12-22 2001-12-21 A method and system for tv program information WO2002052837A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SE0004800-9 2000-12-22
SE0004800A SE0004800D0 (en) 2000-12-22 2000-12-22 A method and system for TV program information

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WO2002052837A1 true WO2002052837A1 (en) 2002-07-04

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1377046A2 (en) * 2002-06-25 2004-01-02 Microsoft Corporation Program guide data text search
CN100428709C (en) * 2002-12-13 2008-10-22 陈晓月 System for classified automatic searching internet information and broadcasting into digital television
US10489414B2 (en) 2010-03-30 2019-11-26 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Companion experience

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1377046A2 (en) * 2002-06-25 2004-01-02 Microsoft Corporation Program guide data text search
EP1377046A3 (en) * 2002-06-25 2004-01-14 Microsoft Corporation Program guide data text search
CN100428709C (en) * 2002-12-13 2008-10-22 陈晓月 System for classified automatic searching internet information and broadcasting into digital television
US10489414B2 (en) 2010-03-30 2019-11-26 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Companion experience
US10534789B2 (en) 2010-03-30 2020-01-14 Microsoft Technology Licensing, Llc Companion experience

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