Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving television program information

An online television program schedule system comprising:

• means for storing at least one of a desired program start time, a desired program end time, a desired program service, and a desired program type;
• means for receiving a television program schedule information datastream, said datastream comprising at least one of program start time, program end time, program service, and program type for a plurality of television programs;
• means for extracting from said television program schedule information datastream, television programming information which meets at least one of the desired program start time, the desired program end time, the desired program service, and the desired program type;
• means for storing the extracted television program schedule information;
• and
• means for displaying at least some of the extracted television program schedule information to thereby provide an online television program schedule.

A method for providing an online television program schedule comprising the steps of:

• storing at least one of a desired program start time, a desired program end time, a desired program service, and a desired program type;
• sequentially receiving packets of television program schedule information comprising at least one of program start time, program end time, program service, and program type for a plurality of television programs;
• storing selected portions of the received packets of television program information which meet at least one of the desired program start time, the desired program end time, the desired program service, and the desired program;
• and
• displaying at least part of the stored selected portions of the received packets of television program information to thereby provide an online television program schedule.

A method for providing an online television program schedule comprising the steps of:

• storing at least one of a desired program start time, a desired program end time, a desired program service, and a desired program type;
• serially receiving a television program schedule information datastream comprising at least one of program start time, program end time, program service, and program type for a plurality of television programs;
• extracting from said television program schedule information datastream, television program information which meets at least one of the desired program start time, the desired program end time, the desired program service, and the desired program type;
• storing the extracted television program schedule information;
• and
• displaying at least part of the stored extracted television program schedule information to thereby provide an online television program schedule.

A television program information transmission format comprising:

• a plurality of group one television program information packets, each group one packet comprising information about a unique television program event, including the date and time of said event, the service providing said event, the show type for said event and the show number for said event;
• followed by
• a plurality of group two television program information packets following said group one packets, each group two packet comprising information about a unique television program show, including the show number and the title of said show;
• said group two television program information packets further comprising a description number for a description associated with said show;
• followed by
• a plurality of group three television program information packets following said second type packets, each group three packet comprising a description number for a show and a description of said show.
• wherein said group one of packets are each of a first predetermined length and wherein said group two and group three packets are of variable length.

Apparatus for producing an online television program schedule comprising:

• a packet buffer for sequentially receiving packets of said television program information comprising at least one of program start time, program end time, program service, and program type for a plurality of television programs;
• a list containing at least one of a desired program start time, a desired program end time, a desired program service, and a desired program type for retaining a received packet of television program information;
• television program information storage means;
• means for comparing information in said received packet of television program information against at least one of the desired program start time, the desired program end time, the desired program service, and the desired program type in said list, and for storing information from said received packet of television program information in said television program information storage means if the compared information meets at least one of the desired program start time, the desired program end time, the desired program service, and the desired program type;
• and
• means for displaying at least some of the stored information which meets the at least one of the desired program start time, the desired program end time, the desired program service and the desired program type;
• to thereby produce an online television program schedule.

A method of providing an online television program schedule comprising the steps of:

• receiving group one packets of television program information, each of said group one packets identifying a unique television program event and comprising a day and time of said event, a service number, a show type, a show number identifying the television show corresponding to said event, the length of the title of said corresponding show and the length of the description of said corresponding show;
• for each received group one packet of television program information, comparing said packet to at least one of a desired time range, desired service and desired type of program;
• if the received group one packet of television program information corresponds to at least one of the desired time range, desired service and desired type of program, storing at least said day and time of said event, said service number and said show number and
• displaying the stored at least said day and time of said event, said service number and said show number to thereby provide an online television program schedule.

A method of receiving television program information comprising the steps of:

• receiving group one packets of television program information, each of said group one packets identifying a unique television program event and comprising a day and time of said event, a service number, a show type, a show number identifying the television show corresponding to said event, the length of the title of said corresponding show and the length of the description of said corresponding show;
• for each received group one packet of television program information, comparing said packet to at least one of a desired time range, desired service and desired type of program;
• if the received group one packet of television program information corresponds to at least one of the desired time range, desired service and desired type of program, storing at least said day and time of said event, said service number and said show number;
• and
• if the received group one packet of television program information corresponds to said at least one of the desired time range, desired service and desired type of program, adding the length of the title of said corresponding show to the total amount of storage used, determining whether a description is desired and, if desired, adding the length of the description to the total amount of storage used and providing an indication that a description is desired for the corresponding show.

A method of receiving television program information comprising the steps of:

• receiving group one packets of television program information, each of said group one packets identifying a unique television program event and comprising a day and time of said event, a service number, a show type, a show number identifying the television show corresponding to said event, the length of the title of said corresponding show and the length of the description of said corresponding show;
• for each received group one packet of television program information, comparing said packet to at least one of a desired time range, desired service and desired type of program;
• if the received group one packet of television program information corresponds to at least one of the desired time range, desired service and desired type of program, storing said day and time of said event, said service number and said show number, in an events list and storing said show number in a desired titles list;
• receiving group two packets of television program information, each of said group two packets comprising a show number and a title corresponding to said show number, a description number and a description length corresponding to said show number;
• and
• for each received second type packet of television information, determining whether the received show number is in the desired titles list;
• and if said received show number is in the desired titles list, storing said titles, determining whether a description is desired, and if desired, storing said description number in a desired description list.

In a television program information receiving apparatus comprising a packet buffer for receiving packets of television program information and a television program information memory for storing therein information from selected ones of the received packets of television program information, a method of storing said information from said selected ones of the received packets of television program information in said television program information memory comprising the steps of:

• storing an event time and date, service number and show number from packets of television program information which meet at least one of a desired event time and date, a desired event service number, and a desired event show number in an events list in said television program information memory;
• storing title numbers corresponding to events stored in said events list in a desired titles list in said television program information memory;
• storing description numbers corresponding to selected ones of the events stored in said events list in a desired description list in said television program information memory;
• storing titles corresponding to said title numbers in a titles list and removing the corresponding title number from said desired titles list;
• and
• storing descriptions corresponding to said description numbers in a descriptions list and removing the corresponding description number for said desired descriptions list.

Apparatus for receiving television program information comprising:

• a packet buffer for sequentially receiving packets of television program information for a plurality of television events, each event comprising a television show provided by a unique television service at a unique time;
• a list containing at least one of a desired event start time, a desired event end time, and a desired event service;
• television program information storage means;
• and
• means for comparing information in said received packet of television program information against said list and for storing information from said received packet of television program information if the compared information meets at least one of the desired event start time, the desired event end time, and the desired event service;
• said television program information storage means comprising first, second and third areas;
• said first area comprising at least one of the desired event start time, the desired event end time, and the desired event service for some of said plurality of television events;
• said second area comprising titles of a least some television shows represented by said at least some of said plurality of television events;
• said third area comprising descriptions of a least some of said plurality of television events.