Method and apparatus for merging television program schedule information received from multiple television schedule information sources
AssigneeStarsight Telecast, Inc.
InventorBrian L. Klosterman
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Abstract
The present invention provides a scheme for merging television schedule information received from multiple sources (26, 28, 30 and 34). In the preferred embodiment, a microprocessor (36) mixes and sorts the schedule information received from multiple source devices (26, 28, 30 or 34). The schedule information is then displayed in a television schedule guide (50). A user can select a program (60 or 62) by pointing to that program in the displayed schedule information (50). 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).
Claims19
A method of merging channel guide information in a television system, comprising the steps of:
- receiving said channel guide information from multiple television signal sources, said channel guide information differing between said multiple television signal sources;
- storing said channel guide information in said television system;
- mixing and sorting said channel guide information received from said multiple television signal sources in a desired order;
- generating a display with said channel guide information presented in said desired order;
- and
- displaying said display with said channel guide information on a television.
A multi-source information merging system, comprising:
- a microprocessor for mixing and sorting channel guide information into a desired order, said channel guide information being broadcast from multiple television signal sources, said channel guide information differing between said multiple television signal sources;
- a memory for storing said channel guide information;
- and
- a television channel guide display created with said channel guide information provided by said multiple television signal sources, said television channel guide display being displayed on a television.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.