Reprogrammable terminal for suggesting programs offered on a television program delivery system

A method for updating a set top terminal having volatile and nonvolatile memory containing memory locations for use in a television delivery system, the method comprising the following steps:

• receiving a command from a remote location, the command informing the set top terminal that reprogramming is to commence;
• receiving a reprogramming signal having one or more frames comprising a control portion and a data portion, the reprogramming signal designating the memory locations to be updated in the control portion and providing program changes in the data portion;
• reading the program changes from the received reprogramming signal;
• storing the read program changes in volatile memory;
• instructing the transfer of the stored program changes from the volatile memory to designated memory locations in nonvolatile memory, whereby the stored program changes are transferred;
• and
• resetting the set top terminal so that the set top terminal operates using the transferred program changes.

A set top terminal for suggesting programs to subscribers, wherein the set top terminal uses a program control information signal containing information concerning programs, a reprogramming signal, and subscriber data indicative of subscriber programming preferences, comprising:

• one or more receivers wherein the reprogramming signal and the program control information signal are received;
• a means, connected to the one or more receivers, for extracting reprogramming data from the received reprogramming signal;
• a first memory, connected to the extracting means, for storing the reprogramming data;
• a means, connected to the first memory and a second memory, for transferring the stored reprogramming data from the first memory to the second memory;
• a selecting means, connected to the second memory and the receivers, for selecting one or more programs for suggestion based on the received program control information signal and the subscriber data;
• and
• a means, connected to the selecting means, for displaying information concerning the one or more selected programs for suggestion to the subscriber.

A method of reprogramming a set top terminal for suggesting programs to subscribers, wherein the set top terminal uses a program control information signal containing information concerning programs and reprogramming data, comprising the steps of:

• receiving the program control information signal;
• extracting reprogramming data from the received program control information signal;
• storing the reprogramming data in a first memory;
• storing subscriber specific data in a second memory;
• transferring the stored reprogramming data from the first memory to the second memory or a third memory;
• selecting one or more programs based on the received program control information signal and the stored subscriber specific data;
• displaying program information concerning the one or more selected programs for suggestion to the subscriber.

A reprogrammable set top terminal for suggesting programs to subscribers, wherein the set top terminal uses a program control information signal containing information concerning programs, reprogramming data, and previously obtained data, comprising:

• a receiver, adapted to receive the reprogramming data and the program control information signal;
• a first memory means for storing the received reprogramming data;
• a means, connected to the first memory, for instructing the set top terminal to utilize the received reprogramming data instead of the previously obtained data, thereby updating the previously obtained data to produce updated data;
• a means for selecting one or more programs for suggestion based on the received program control information signal and the updated data;
• and
• a means, connected to the selecting means, for displaying program information concerning the one or more selected programs.