Patents Assigned to Starsight Telecast
  • Publication number: 20090260036
    Abstract: An electronic programming guide generator utilizes filters to select only programming filtered to display in an electronic programming guide display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventor: Jim Leftwich
  • Patent number: 7552459
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: StarSight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lee Klosterman, Steven Schein
  • Patent number: 7543321
    Abstract: An electronic programming guide generator utilizes filters to select only programming filtered to display in an electronic programming guide display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: StarSight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventor: James J Leftwich
  • Patent number: 7543320
    Abstract: An improved television guide system. According to one embodiment of the invention, television guide information is provided that includes multiple occurrences of a single show. The guide system of the present invention allows the user to identify a show and, thereafter, identify when the identified show will be played again. Accordingly, the user may more easily select shows for viewing or recordation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Schein, David P. Warden, Molly K. King, Theresa A. Alba, Robert E. Russman
  • Patent number: 7493641
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lee Klosterman, Steven Schein
  • Patent number: 7487529
    Abstract: In one embodiment, informational messages about the program or channel to which a television receiver is tuned and advertising messages are displayed simultaneously with the current television program. In another embodiment, an EPG is displayed in a composite with an advertising message. Before such display, the microprocessor substitutes a transparency value for the stored background color value used to display the EPG alone in the conventional fashion on a background of a solid color or colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan B. Orlick
  • Patent number: 7480929
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lee Klosterman, Steven Schein
  • Patent number: 7477832
    Abstract: Screen (10) for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array (24) of irregular cells (26), which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns (28) of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows (30) of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns (28) because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells (26), if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen (10) as the cursor moved from a cell (26) of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row. An effective way of taming the motion is to assume that behind every array (24) is an underlying array of regular cells. By restricting cursor movements to the regular cells, abrupt screen changes will be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: StarSight Telecast Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Young, John H. Roop, Alan R. Ebright, Michael W. Faber, David Anderson
  • Publication number: 20080288980
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule and/or listing information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule and/or listing information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule and/or listing information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule and/or listing information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Schein, Sean A. O'Brien, Brian L. Klosterman, Kenneth A. Milnes
  • Publication number: 20080271071
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for dsplaying messages to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: STARSIGHT TELECAST INC.
    Inventors: Brian Lee Klosterman, Steven Schein
  • Patent number: 7421724
    Abstract: A system and method for displaying an electronic program schedule guide is provided. The system has areas for displaying program schedule information. In addition, the system also has areas that may be used for advertising programs, products or services. In another embodiment, the system has areas for displaying messages to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: StarSight Telecast Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Lee Klosterman, Steven Schein
  • Publication number: 20080184312
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for providing television schedule and/or listing information to a viewer, and for allowing the viewer to link, search, select and interact with information in a remote database, e.g., a database on the internet. The television schedule and/or listing information can be displayed on a variety of viewer interfaces, such as televisions screens, computer monitors, PCTV screens and the like. The television schedule and/or listing information may be stored on the viewer's computer, television, PCTV, or a remote server (e.g., a website), or the television schedule and/or listing information may be downloaded from a remote database to the viewer's computer, television or PCTV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Schein, Sean A. O'Brien, Brian L. Klosterman, Kenneth A. Milnes
  • Publication number: 20080134242
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tuning scheme for coordinating schedule information and programs received from multiple sources (26, 28, 30 and 34). In the preferred embodiment, an identifier associated with the program's channel (52) is used to identify a source device (26, 28, 30 or 34). When a user selects a program (60 or 62) listed in displayed schedule information (50), the system (10) reads the source identifier attached to the program's channel (52). The system (10) then carries out an automatic switching/tuning such that the required source device (26, 28, 30 or 34) is input to the destination device (22), and a tuner is then tuned to the selected program's channel (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Lee Klosterman
  • Publication number: 20080134243
    Abstract: The present invention provides a tuning scheme for coordinating schedule information and programs received from multiple sources (26, 28, 30 and 34). In the preferred embodiment, an identifier associated with the program's channel (52) is used to identify a source device (26, 28, 30 or 34). When a user selects a program (60 or 62) listed in displayed schedule information (50), the system (10) reads the source identifier attached to the program's channel (52). The system (10) then carries out an automatic switching/tuning such that the required source device (26, 28, 30 or 34) is input to the destination device (22), and a tuner is then tuned to the selected program's channel (52).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Lee Klosterman
  • Publication number: 20080134239
    Abstract: A multiple Interactive Program Guide (IPG) system provides different television programming and different IPGs to several different users respectively. A single set-top box is capable of providing programming and scheduling data to several different television sets. Each of the different IPGs share a common database. Therefore, a first IPG being viewed by a first user can display data added or modified via a second IPG by a second user of the system. Furthermore, the data added or modified by the second user can influence the viewing rights of the first user. Also, all the competing and conflicting requests for limited resources, such as VCR scheduled recordings, will be brought to the users' attention and will be displayed by the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Knowles, Kenneth David Johnson, Gordon Chang
  • Publication number: 20080098431
    Abstract: Screen (10) for a user interface of a television schedule system and process consists of an array (24) of irregular cells (26), which vary in length, corresponding to different television program lengths of one half hour to one-and-one half hours or more. The array is arranged as three columns (28) of one-half hour in duration, and twelve rows (30) of program listings. Some of the program listings overlap two or more of the columns (28) because of their length. Because of the widely varying length of the cells (26), if a conventional cursor used to select a cell location were to simply step from one cell to another, the result would be abrupt changes in the screen (10) as the cursor moved from a cell (26) of several hours length to an adjacent cell in the same row. An effective way of taming the motion is to assume that behind every array (24) is an underlying array of regular cells. By restricting cursor movements to the regular cells, abrupt screen changes will be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Young, John Roop, Alan Ebright, Michael Faber, David Anderson
  • Publication number: 20080077957
    Abstract: An improved television guide system. According to one embodiment of the invention, television guide information is provided that includes multiple occurrences of a single show. The guide system of the present invention allows the user to identify a show and, thereafter, identify when the identified show will be played again. Accordingly, the user may more easily select shows for viewing or recordation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Schein, David Warden, Molly King, Theresa Alba, Robert Russman
  • Publication number: 20070162937
    Abstract: The present invention includes an interactive computer system which provides television schedule information and displays an action pop-up listing actions which can be scheduled. In the preferred embodiment, a memory stores a computer program, image data, and received data. This data includes the television schedule information. A processor uses the computer program to organize the television schedule information into a desired format, display an action pop-up for a chosen program, and schedule an action listed in the pop-up when selected by the user. Icons are listed in various displays indicating actions scheduled for associated programs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcia Casement, David Folker
  • Publication number: 20070162934
    Abstract: Television schedule information transmission and utilization systems transmit TV schedule data and associated network control messages provided by computer as packets via the Video Blanking Interval (VBI) lines in the TV signal from various television program providers. This data is acquired by regional data processing systems and forwarded by the regional data processing systems to subscriber units and used to construct an internal database. This internal database can be accessed by the subscriber unit to display a TV schedule for the channels that are received by the user's TV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: July 12, 2007
    Applicant: StarSight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: John Roop, Alan Ebright, Jeffrey Kochy, David Warden, Konstantine Sokolik, Giambattista Alegiani
  • Patent number: 7212249
    Abstract: The present invention includes an interactive computer system which provides television schedule information and displays an action pop-up listing actions which can be scheduled. In the preferred embodiment, a memory stores a computer program, image data, and received data. This data includes the television schedule information. A processor uses the computer program to organize the television schedule information into a desired format, display an action pop-up for a chosen program, and schedule an action listed in the pop-up when selected by the user. Icons are listed in various displays indicating actions scheduled for associated programs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Starsight Telecast, Inc.
    Inventors: Marcia A Casement, David Folker