Program guide data distribution system with configurable queues
US6137549A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 10, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 10, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/84
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system is provided for distributing television program guide data from a main facility to set-top boxes or similar receivers via local television systems. Program guide data is placed in a number of selectively configurable queues. The configuration of the queues is determined by queue configuration data that may be supplied by the operator of the main facility. The operator can readily reconfigure the queues by altering the queue configuration data. Program guide data from the queues may be distributed to the receivers using multiple feed generators, each of which distributes program guide data to receivers with different addresses. The feed generators determine which receivers are busy processing recently transmitted data, so that data may be directed toward receivers that are not currently busy.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.