Abstract: A method and system for delivering program timing, structure, and identity information in media streams. Cues are utilized to indicate an event (e.g., a start or stop time of a program or program segment) whose precise timing is important to receivers. A server-side cue handling mechanism is provided for selectively generating cues based on configuration information and detected events. A client-side cue handling mechanism is provided for detecting cues and providing the cues to applications that can utilize the cues to perform a useful function or task.

Abstract: A system for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) to a viewer. The system includes displaying one or more data slices representative of broadcast programming to a viewer. In response to input from the viewer, the displayed number of data slices is increased, for example, from one slice to two slices. In browser mode the viewer can scroll through multiple EPG data slices without selecting to view full mode EPG, while in full mode the EPG can expand from a single column of data slices to multiple columns of data slices based upon viewer selections. The EPGs of the present invention can display programming that a viewer is more likely to watch at a particular time than other programming. A data slice representing the predicted programming can be inserted into the EPG so that the viewer can identify programming that is likely to be of interest.

Abstract: Access to movies ranging from very popular movies to unpopular movies is managed by configuring sets of data movers for associated movie rankings, reserving data mover local cache resources for the most popular movies, reserving a certain number of streams for popular movies, negotiating with a client for selection of available movie titles during peak demand when resources are not available to start any freely-selected movie in disk storage, and managing disk bandwidth and primary and local cache memory and bandwidth resources for popular and unpopular movies. The assignment of resources to movie rankings may remain the same while the rankings of the movies are adjusted, for example, during off-peak hours. A movie locked in primary cache and providing a source for servicing a number of video streams may be demoted from primary cache to disk in favor of servicing one or more streams of a higher-ranking movie.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for inserting indicators, such as tags and markers, in a video stream. The tags and markers can be inserted automatically using a database, or manually using an operator input station that supplies standard tags and markers for easy insertion. The information can be accessed with the database functioning as a look-up table, or using a comparator that compares a time code with stored table information. Also disclosed is the generation of supplemental video signals that can be combined with a video signal to provide supplemental information that varies on a regional basis. The present invention also discloses the use of indicators to access Internet web sites to generate enhanced video signals. The indicators can be transmitted by embedding them in the streaming video, in the video blanking interval, encoding them as a separate data PID or placing them on a back channel.

Abstract: A system and method for receiving, processing, and storing electronic data transmitted in the vertical blanking interval of a video signal. The system provides a flexible mechanism for reading electronic data from video signals including those in National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) and Phase Alternation by Line (PAL) formats. Some implementations provide for receiving electronic programming guide data transmitted at a single byte rate or at multiple byte rates. The data is stored on a computer-readable medium such as a hardrive for further processing and use.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a list of suggested scheduled television programs wherein television schedule guide data which comprises characteristics of scheduled programs and optionally relevancy of those characteristics is obtained from broadcast information. User profiles comprising characteristics of television programs previously viewed, the cumulative amount of time programs having those characteristics has been previously viewed, and optionally the relevancy of the previously viewed characteristics is stored. The user is allowed to manually adjust the weights assigned to characteristics so as to override the system assigned weight values. The system calculates the suggested program list from the schedules it receives from broadcast or other means, using the characteristic weights in the user profiles.

Abstract: A broadcasting receiver for receiving a digital broadcast of the invention has a sub-channel changing-dedicated operation key so that upon reception of an instruction sent from this operation key, such a sub-channel that is adjacent in a predetermined direction in the same main channel may be selected in switch-over. If the desired channel cannot be found in the predetermined direction when an upward channel-movement instruction is received, such a sub-channel is selected that has the largest or smallest channel number. Thus, it is possible to accommodate a digital broadcast that has a hierarchical construction consisting of the main channel and the sub-channels and also that has a frequently fluctuating channel configuration, thus avoiding a delay in time required for channel changing.

Abstract: In a television programming management system, contributors access television programming functionality of legacy systems using a web-based interface provided by a network operations center. The network operations center is a best-of-breed J2EE-based implementation that provides a middleware interface to legacy systems. Using the interface provided by the network operations center, contributors can access any functionality required to create and distribute television programming. The present invention provides security features though a classifier. Use of playlists allows synchronization of created objects. Television programming can be performed by users and contributors.

Abstract: A system is provided to distribute electronic information contents D0 containing advertisement to a user, and process advertisement information D2 at the user side. This system comprises an information distribution apparatus 19 for distributing advertisement information D2 to the user; and a plurality of information processing apparatuses 8 for receiving and storing the electronic information contents D0 distributed from the information distribution apparatus 19, reading out the electronic information contents D0 according to the user operation, and processing the electronic information contents D2, thereby outputting the advertisement video image and its audio. With this configuration, after receipt of advertisement information, the user can see and hear an advertisement video image or audio freely processed with respect to an advertisement by the information processing apparatuses 8 in unreal time (asynchronously) like playing a game.

Abstract: A method for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG) to a viewer. The method includes displaying one or more data slices representative of broadcast programming to a viewer. In response to input from the viewer, the displayed number of data slices is increased, for example, from one slice to two slices. In browser mode the viewer can scroll through multiple EPG data slices without selecting to view full mode EPG, while in full mode the EPG can expand from a single column of data slices to multiple columns of data slices based upon viewer selections. The EPGs of the present invention can display programming that a viewer is more likely to watch at a particular time than other programming. A data slice representing the predicted programming can be inserted into the EPG so that the viewer can identify programming that is likely to be of interest.

Abstract: Out of viewers of the same content, multi-user talking service is provided to only viewers who wish to enjoy the content in a large number of people. Only when an address of a terminal 4, 5 that has transmitted a request for participation in multi-user talking is registered in a viewer management DB (which manages viewers of contents), a content distribution/multi-user talking service center 1 registers the above-mentioned address into a participant management DB (which manages participants in multi-user talking) associating the address with identification information of a content that is registered in association with the address in question in the viewer management DB. Then, for each content, respective pieces of talking data received from addresses registered in association with identification information of said content in the participant management DB are synthesized to generate multi-user talking data, and generated multi-user talking data is transmitted to each of said addresses.

Abstract: The invention is intended to facilitate the recording presetting of programs from a remote site. A program information providing apparatus having a storage section for storing program information, which is attribute information about a program, and a program chart, the program information and the program chart being sent via a network in response to a request from a portable terminal apparatus, the program information providing apparatus comprising: a search section for searching the storage section for the program information in response to a program recording preset request from the portable terminal apparatus to which the program table has been sent; a program recording preset script generating section for generating a program recording preset script, which is a control command for causing a recording apparatus to record a user-specified program listed in the program chart to a recording medium, and a sending section for sending the generated script.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising an audio/video decoder and a storage device. The audio/video decoder may be configured to receive (i) one or more uncompressed audio signals and (ii) one or more compressed audio/video signals. The uncompressed audio signals may be tagged to the compressed audio/video signals and (ii) any of the one or more uncompressed audio signals and the one or more tagged compressed audio/video signals may be stored in the storage device and available for a playback relative to the tags.

Abstract: An improved methodology and implementing system are provided in which a docking station is arranged to receive and dock a number of individual wireless personal information management (IM) units. In an exemplary embodiment, the personal IM units include touch-sensitive flat display screens. One or more of the personal wireless IM units may be individually removed from the docking station and operated to selectively and individually communicate with the docking station to access and retrieve more detailed information related to a presentation being made in another medium such as a TV or even an associated live presentation. In one example, the docking station is arranged to receive input from a TV system relative to which channel is being presented on the TV and is enabled to access and retrieve detailed information from a server which is related to the content of the current TV presentation.

Abstract: An improved methodology and implementing system are provided in which a docking station is arranged to receive and dock a number of individual wireless personal information management (IM) units. In an exemplary embodiment, the personal IM units include touch-sensitive flat display screens. One or more of the personal wireless IM units may be individually removed from the docking station and operated to selectively and individually communicate with the docking station to access and retrieve more detailed information related to a presentation being made in another medium such as a TV or even an associated live presentation. In one example, the docking station is arranged to receive input from a TV system relative to which channel is being presented on the TV and is enabled to access and retrieve detailed information from a server which is related to the content of the current TV presentation.

Abstract: A receiver includes a CPU. The CPU, when executing preset registration, in step S1 first searches for the presence or absence of receivable channels. If there are receivable channels, received data (center frequency, etc.) is registered in step S2. If the received channel is a TV channel, filtering is carried out in step S4 to count only the channels existing within a range of ± approximately 200 kHz of a center frequency. If it is a CATV channel, counting is further made in step S5 on the channels existing within the range of ± approximately 200 kHz of the center frequency, and a filter process is carried out in order to remove the channels within the range of ± approximately 200 kHz of the center frequency +2 MHz of a CATV UHF-band channel overlapped with a TV channel.

Abstract: A broadcasting system including a broadcasting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. The broadcasting apparatus transmits an interactive content as a data carousel during a scheduled broadcasting time period, starts pre-transmitting the interactive content a predetermined time before the start of the scheduled broadcasting time period, and repeatedly transmits a cache message instructing a receiving apparatus to cache the interactive content into a storage unit while the interactive content is transmitted during the predetermined time period. The receiving apparatus receives and reproduces the interactive content, and caches the interactive content into a storage unit, not reproducing the interactive content, while the interactive content is received before the start of a scheduled broadcasting time period, and reproduces the interactive content during the scheduled broadcasting time period.

Abstract: For providing video-on-demand (VOD) a set comprising a plurality of N video programs at staggered time intervals is repeatedly transmitting from a VOD server to a network for access by a view box of an user; responsive to a request for access to a selected program by the user, there is selection of that in-progress transmission of the selected program for which a lead-in portion is shortest and storage of the program in a buffer associated with the view box as it is transmitted. A previously stored beginning portion of the selected program having a time length sufficient to compensate for that time interval is selected, in a memory associated with the view box, and outputting to the view box for display. The in-progress transmission stored in the buffer is continuously spliced to a conclusion of the beginning portion. All different video programs in a same set are transmitted with mutual time shifts equal to a fraction of the staggered interval.