System and method for calling video on demand using an electronic programming guide
US5751282A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 13, 1995 |
| Grant date | May 12, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 13, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N5/45
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An interactive television system has a centrally located head end server coupled to service multiple, remotely located set-top boxes. Each set-top box runs an electronic programming guide that provides an on-screen program grid listing program titles in relation to their scheduled viewing times and channel numbers. The viewer is permitted to scroll through the program grid to list titles of past, current, and future programs. A database, resident at the head end server, supplies the program titles and scheduled viewing times of the past, current, and future programs to the electronic programming guide. The head end server transmits real-time video data streams of the available programs to the EPG. A continuous media server, resident at the head end server, stores the video data streams to build a reserve of previously played programs. The media server can also store video preview clips of future programs. When a viewer selects a current program, the real-time video data stream of the current program is displayed by the set-top box. When the viewer selects a past program, the head end server retrieves a stored video data stream of the selected past program and transmits it to the se…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.