Correlation of tuned channel information with internet web addresses
AssigneeGeneral Instrument Corporation
InventorsBarry P. Falvo, Christopher J. Stone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An auxiliary display device, capable of remotely controlling a set-top box (STB) and/or television to select a program channel, is used to navigate a web browser in the auxiliary display device to a web site associated with the selected channel. A web page associated with the selected channel is presented on a display of the auxiliary display device. When the channel is selected, current tuned channel information is transmitted by the set-top box (STB) and/or television to the auxiliary display device, irrespective of whether the auxiliary display device was used to select the channel. In an alternate embodiment, the STB and/or television forward channel information to the auxiliary display device via a cable head-end.
Claims25
In a communications system including a set-top box (STB) in communication with a television and an auxiliary display device, a method of changing program channels viewed on the television and presenting, on a display of the auxiliary display device, a web page associated with a current tuned channel viewed on the television, the method comprising:
- (a) the STB transmitting current tuned channel information to the auxiliary display device;
- (b) the auxiliary display device determining a particular uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the current tuned channel information;
- and
- (c) the auxiliary display device presenting web content associated with the URL on the display of the auxiliary display device.
In a communications system including a set-top box (STB) in communication with a remote server, a television and an auxiliary display device, a method of changing program channels viewed on the television and presenting, on a display of the auxiliary display device, a web page associated with a current tuned channel viewed on the television, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving, at the STB, a virtual channel map (VCM) from the remote server, the VCM including uniform resource locator (URL) information associated with at least one program channel;
- (b) the STB transmitting the VCM to the auxiliary display device;
- (c) storing the VCM in the auxiliary display device;
- (d) the STB transmitting current tuned channel information to the auxiliary display device;
- (e) the auxiliary display device correlating the current tuned channel information to a particular URL contained in the VCM;
- and
- (f) the auxiliary display device presenting web content associated with the particular URL on the display of the auxiliary display device.
A communications system for changing program channels viewed on a television and presenting a web page associated with a current tuned channel, the system comprising:
- (a) a set-top box (STB) in communication with the television;
- and
- (b) an auxiliary display device which includes a display that presents a web page associated with a current tuned channel viewed on the television, wherein:
- (i) the STB transmits current tuned channel information to the auxiliary display device;
- (ii) the auxiliary display device determines a particular uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the current tuned channel information;
- and
- (iii) the auxiliary display device presents web content associated with the particular URL on the display of the auxiliary display device.
A communications system for changing program channels viewed on a television and presenting a web page associated with a current tuned channel, the system comprising:
- (a) a remote server;
- (b) a set-top box (STB) in communication with the remote server and the television, the STB including a virtual channel map (VCM);
- and
- (c) an auxiliary display device which includes a display that presents a web page associated with a current tuned channel viewed on the television, wherein the STB transmits current tuned channel information to the auxiliary display device via the remote server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.