Television program delivery system

A menu-driven television program selection system offering a plurality of television programs for independent selection by a plurality of different subscribers, the system using a program control information signal carrying programming data on television program lineups of the plurality of the television programs, the system also using computer program instructions stored at each of the plurality of subscriber locations to present options on a menu displayed on a television and to receive upstream data signals from each of the subscriber locations at a cable headend, the system comprising:

• an operations center for generating the program control information signal and a plurality of television program lineups, wherein a delivery means delivers the plurality of television program lineups and the program control information signal to at least one cable headend for distribution to the plurality of subscriber locations:
• at least one of the cable headends having a network controller for receiving and processing the plurality of television program lineups and the program control information signal and for receiving the upstream data signals from the plurality of subscriber locations;
• the delivery means including means for further distributing at least one of the plurality of television program lineups and the program control information signal from the cable headend to each of the plurality of subscriber locations;
• and
• each of the plurality of subscriber locations having a set top terminal connected to the delivery means for receiving at least one of the plurality of the television program lineups and the program control information signal from the delivery means, wherein each set top terminal comprises:
• a means for selecting at least one television program from a plurality of television programs in the received television program lineup from the displayed menus using the program control information signal and the computer program instructions;
• a means for generating the upstream data signals using the computer program instructions;
• and
• a means for transmitting the upstream data signals to the network controller at the cable headend.

A digitally compressed program delivery system to provide subscribers with menu selection of a plurality of television programs using a plurality of analog program signals and a program control information signal transmitted to at least one cable headend for further transmission, each cable headend transmitting to each subscriber a control information stream and programming signals carrying the plurality of the television programs, each of the menus generated and displayed using the control information stream and stored menu templates at each subscriber location, the system comprising:

• an operations center including:
• means for digitally compressing the plurality of analog program signals to produce digitally compressed signals;
• and
• means for creating a plurality of television program lineups with the digitally compressed signals of the programs in the lineups and program control information signal, wherein the program control information signal includes data on the television program lineups and control information for use at the subscriber location;
• delivery means for transmitting the plurality of television program lineups and the program control information signal to at least one of the cable headends for processing;
• at least one of the cable headends having means for processing the plurality of television program lineups and the program control information signal to produce the control information stream and the programming signals;
• the delivery means further includes means for distributing the control information stream and the programming signals to each subscriber location;
• means for generating menus using the control information stream and stored menu templates;
• and
• subscriber interface means for selection of any one of the plurality of television programs using one or more of the generated and displayed menus.

A method for offering a plurality of television programs for selection by a subscriber using a program control information signal carrying data on a plurality of television program lineups and using computer program instructions stored at each subscriber location to present options on a menu displayed on a television, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating the plurality of television program lineups at an operations center;
• generating the program control information signal at the operations center that includes data on the plurality of the television program lineups and control information for use at the subscriber location;
• delivering the plurality of the television program lineups and the program control information signal to the subscriber location;
• generating menus with the options for display using the computer program instructions;
• and
• selecting at least one of the television programs for display on the television using the options on the generated menus.

A method for selecting a specific television program from a plurality of television programs to be displayed on a television at a subscriber location, using a display of menu options on the television, the method comprising the steps of:

• creating a plurality of television program lineups;
• generating programming data which relates to specific television programs in the television program lineups;
• transmitting the programming data and the television program lineups to the subscriber location;
• receiving the programming data and the television program lineups at the subscriber location;
• generating at least one menu option related to at least one specific television program in the received television program lineups using the received programming data;
• and
• displaying one or more of the generated menu options on the television;
• selecting a displayed menu option;
• displaying a specific television program associated with the menu option selected from the received television programs.