System and method for transmitting and utilizing electronic program guide information

A method of compiling and displaying television schedule information data for use in a subscriber data processing system in a television schedule information transmission system having a central data processing system and a plurality of subscriber data processing systems, wherein the television schedule information data is transmitted to each of such subscriber data processing systems in a television broadcast signal and wherein, each of such subscriber data processing systems has a microprocessor, a memory, and a display monitor, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving the television broadcast signal in a blanking interval of the television broadcast signal in the form of commands including instructions for the microprocessor and television schedule information data, wherein the television schedule information data is received by a subscriber data processing system only if the commands are directed to that subscriber data processing system;
• extracting at least a portion of the television schedule information data from the television broadcast signal responsive to the instructions included in the commands;
• storing the at least a portion of the television schedule information data in a database residing in the memory as database items arranged hierarchically in descending order, wherein each of the database items has a handle as an index into a handle table in the database identifying memory locations corresponding to the handle, the handle table is used by a computer program to reference the memory locations and perform garbage collection;
• assembling portions of the television schedule information data responsive to the instructions included in the commands;
• and
• displaying the portions of the television schedule information data on the display monitor using a baseband video or RF output signal.

An apparatus for compiling and displaying television schedule information data in a subscriber data processing system in a television schedule information transmission system having a central data processing system and a plurality of subscriber data processing systems, wherein the television schedule information data is transmitted in a television broadcast signal, comprising of:

• a microprocessor;
• a memory;
• a display;
• means for receiving the television broadcast signal in the form of commands including instructions for the microprocessor and television schedule information data;
• means for extracting at least a portion of the television schedule information data from the television broadcast signal responsive to the instructions included in the commands;
• means for storing the at least a portion of the television schedule information data in a database residing in the memory as database items, wherein each of the database items has a handle as an index into a handle table in the database identifying memory locations corresponding to the handle, the handle table is used by a computer program to reference the memory locations;
• means for assembling portions of the television schedule information data responsive to the instructions included in the commands;
• and
• means for displaying the portions of the television schedule information data on the display monitor.

An apparatus for compiling and displaying television schedule information data in a subscriber data processing system in a television schedule information transmission system having a central data processing system and a plurality of subscriber data processing systems, wherein the television schedule information data is transmitted in a television broadcast signal, comprising of:

• a microprocessor;
• a memory including a ROM for storing code for the microprocessor and a RAM for storing program data;
• a display;
• means for receiving the television broadcast signal in a blanking interval of the television broadcast signal in the form of commands including instructions for the microprocessor and television schedule information data, wherein the television schedule information data is received by a subscriber data processing system only if the commands are directed to that subscriber data processing system;
• means for extracting at least a portion of the television schedule information data from the television broadcast signal responsive to the instructions included in the commands;
• means for storing the at least a portion of the television schedule information data in a database residing in the memory as database items arranged hierarchically in descending order, wherein each of the database items has a handle as an index into a handle table in the database identifying memory locations corresponding to the handle, the handle table is used by a computer program to reference the memory locations and perform garbage collection;
• means for assembling portions of the television schedule information data responsive to the instructions included in the commands;
• and
• means for displaying the portions of the television schedule information data on the display monitor using a baseband video or RF output signal.