Abstract: A receiving device and method for operating the same includes a tuner tuned to a first channel having a first program, a memory storing program guide data therein and a controller in communication with the tuner and the memory. The controller determines the first channel is a blacked out channel, searches the program data in the memory for a second program equivalent to the first program, determines a second channel associated with the second program and tunes the tuner device to the second channel.

Abstract: A system and method of switching services in a receiver unit includes a verifier module in the receiver unit receiving a service signal and middleware within the receiving unit receiving an evaluate signal and enabling the verifier to determine a service change from the service signal. The middleware changing a service flag for the service when a service change is determined at the verifier.

Abstract: Content used in creating an electronic program guide and/or channels for a television reception system is delivered to a local receiving device, such as a direct to home satellite receiver, as individual digital objects. Rules (i.e., conditional expressions) may be embedded in the digital objects to allow different actions in different situations. These rules can be used to determine whether an object should be stored, which objects should be included in an electronic program guide, and/or what content should be used to create a particular channel.

Abstract: A system and method of operating a non-recordable receiving device comprises a video storage device and a network. The non-DVR receiving device is separate from the video storage device and communicates with the video storage device through the network. The non-DVR receiving device receives a video signal, monitors the television signal for an insert indicator and proximate the insert indicator, communicates an advertisement request signal from the non-DVR receiving device to the video storage device through the network. The video storage device communicates an advertisement to the non-DVR receiving device in response to the advertisement request signal. The non-DVR receiving device displays the advertisement on a display associated with the non-DVR receiving device.

Abstract: The present invention enables a broadcaster to vary the time and the descriptive information in a program guide on a per-channel basis. A priority ranking system of the channels allows the preparation of multiple versions of a program guide in order to fit the guide into the memory space allocated in a receiver. When constructing the program guide, the algorithm of the present invention fits the longest title variation allowed while still keeping the total size of the guide product within space constraints supported by the receiver.

Abstract: An apparatus for the intelligent display of advertisements to a television services user includes a transmitter, a receiver and a display on which an electronic television program guide, television programs, and advertisements are displayed. Advertising and electronic program guide data are transmitted to a receiver used by one or more television service users. The electronic program guide data includes information characterizing television programs listed in an electronic program guide. Similarly, the advertising data includes advertisements and information characterizing the transmitted advertisements. A selection history contains information characterizing those programs selected by a user for viewing. Received advertisements are displayed to the user based upon a comparison between the information characterizing each of the plurality of advertisements and the information in the selection history.

Abstract: Digital data objects containing video-based advertisement information are broadcast via satellite and received by one or more integrated receiver decoders (IRDs). Each IRD selectively discards or caches advertisement objects (AOs) in a local memory. AOs that are incompatible with the sophistication level of the IRD and/or user preferences/characteristics are discarded without being cached and AOs that have a lower priority than currently cached AOs are discarded. The IRD arranges cached AOs into ordered lists to schedule them for display and each ordered list corresponds to a unique display position within a program guide. When the user initiates a program guide session, the IRD cyclically displays the AOs in the program guide according to the ordered lists.

Abstract: Content used in creating an electronic program guide and/or channels for a television reception system is delivered to a local receiving device, such as a direct to home satellite receiver, as individual digital objects. Rules (i.e., conditional expressions) may be embedded in the digital objects to allow different actions in different situations. These rules can be used to determine whether an object should be stored, which objects should be included in an electronic program guide, and/or what content should be used to create a particular channel.

Abstract: A system and method for providing program guide information to subscribers is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is applied to a satellite broadcasting system having a first satellite broadcasting a first signal having a first set of program material and first program guide information describing at least a portion of said set of program material, and a second satellite broadcasting a second signal having a second set of program material and second program guide information describing at least a portion of said second set of program material, wherein the first broadcast signal and the second broadcast signal each include service channels uniquely described by a service channel identifier.

Abstract: In a data communication system such as a high capacity DBS system, dynamic mapping of broadcast resources is provided to exploit occasional redundancy in the program content of two or more input data streams, freeing at least one broadcast resource to carry alternate bitstreams, such as additional programs or existing programs at higher quality. Transmission maps defining the correspondence between input data streams and broadcast resources, and reception maps defining the correspondence between broadcast resources and output data streams, are updated as needed to dynamically modify broadcast resource mapping to increase effective utilization of available bandwidth. Beneficial n:n-y:m mapping in a high capacity consumer DBS entertainment system is provided. Apparatus and methods for efficiently generating, maintaining and updating allocation maps with reduced overhead requirements, are disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling a receiving unit to switch services includes a network operation center communicating a service signal to the receiving unit and an evaluate signal to the receiving unit. The receiving unit changes a service of the receiving unit in response to the evaluate signal.

Abstract: A system and method of switching services in a receiver unit includes a verifier module in the receiver unit receiving a service signal and middleware within the receiving unit receiving an evaluate signal and enabling the verifier to determine a service change from the service signal. The middleware changing a service flag for the service when a service change is determined at the verifier.

Abstract: A receiving device and method for operating the same includes a tuner tuned to a first channel having a first program, a memory storing program guide data therein and a controller in communication with the tuner and the memory. The controller determines the first channel is a blacked out channel, searches the program data in the memory for a second program equivalent to the first program, determines a second channel associated with the second program and tunes the tuner device to the second channel.

Abstract: An apparatus for the intelligent display of advertisements to a television services user includes a transmitter, a receiver and a display on which an electronic television program guide, television programs, and advertisements are displayed. Advertising and electronic program guide data are transmitted to a receiver used by one or more television service users. The electronic program guide data includes information characterizing television programs listed in an electronic program guide. Similarly, the advertising data includes advertisements and information characterizing the transmitted advertisements. A selection history contains information characterizing those programs selected by a user for viewing. Received advertisements are displayed to the user based upon a comparison between the information characterizing each of the plurality of advertisements and the information in the selection history.

Abstract: An apparatus for the intelligent display of advertisements to a television services user includes a transmitter, a receiver and a display on which an electronic television program guide, television programs, and advertisements are displayed. Advertising and electronic program guide data are transmitted to a receiver used by one or more television service users. The electronic program guide data includes information characterizing television programs listed in an electronic program guide. Similarly, the advertising data includes advertisements and information characterizing the transmitted advertisements. A selection history contains information characterizing those programs selected by a user for viewing. Received advertisements are displayed to the user based upon a comparison between the information characterizing each of the plurality of advertisements and the information in the selection history.

Abstract: A system and method for adapting program guides to meet subscriber criteria, and for providing program guide information to selected subscribers based upon subscriber criteria such as the subscriber's location within a market area is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is applied to a system broadcasting a first signal having service channels, each of which service channels is uniquely described by a service channel identifier. The application of the method provides second program guide information describing a second set of programs only to a subset of the plurality of receiver stations that comply with at least one service criteria.

Abstract: The apparatus and method of the present invention provides a direct-to-home integrated receiver/decoder (IRD) and a program for storing and displaying digital objects associated with an electronic television program guide using fuzzy logic. The method and apparatus maintains and adapts a user profile in order to efficiently select digital objects associated with an electronic program guide. The fuzzy logic based user profile may be used to select digital program guide objects for deletion from memory and/or to efficiently select digital program guide objects for display in an electronic program guide. Selection is based on fuzzy variables associated with the objects. In this manner, memory requirements and the number of programs displayed are reduced to decrease cost and reduce the amount of time a user must spend viewing the program guide.

Abstract: Electronic television program guide information is downloaded, stored and searched by a local device. A plurality of linked lists are used to remove redundancy, increase search speed, and allow dynamic categories. When a new category is encountered a new head node for a link list data structure is created. When a first program guide object containing information related to that category is downloaded, a link is made (i.e., a pointer is stored) from the head node to the guide object. When subsequent program guide objects containing information related to that category are downloaded, links are added to the end of the list or inserted in alphabetical order. As guide objects expire the links are removed. When no links remain in a particular category the head node for that category is deleted.

Abstract: In a data communication system such as a high capacity DBS system, dynamic mapping of broadcast resources is provided to exploit occasional redundancy in the program content of two or more input data streams, freeing at least one broadcast resource to carry alternate bitstreams, such as additional programs or existing programs at higher quality. Transmission maps defining the correspondence between input data streams and broadcast resources, and reception maps defining the correspondence between broadcast resources and output data streams, are updated as needed to dynamically modify broadcast resource mapping to increase effective utilization of available bandwidth. Beneficial n:n?y:m mapping in a high capacity consumer DBS entertainment system is provided. Apparatus and methods for efficiently generating, maintaining and updating allocation maps with reduced overhead requirements, are disclosed.

Abstract: A system and method for providing program guide information to subscribers is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is applied to a broadcasting system having a first service network broadcasting a first signal having a first set of programs, a second service network broadcasting a second signal having a second set of programs, and a third service network broadcasting a third signal having a third set of programs, wherein the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal each include service channels uniquely identified by a service channel identifier, a method of providing a unified program guide to a receiver station.