US 6,993,782 B1 · Program guide information and processor for providing program and channel substitution

Abstract

A system of defining, creating and decoding composite virtual channels advantageously supports dynamic channel and event substitution. A method, for use in a decoder for acquiring a program conveyed on more than one broadcast channel, involves generating a program guide display. The program guide display lists programs being broadcast on a plurality of broadcast channels during specified broadcast time segments and also lists a particular program on both a first and a second broadcast channel. The particular program is acquired from the first broadcast channel in response to user selection of either of the first and second broadcast channels. A plurality of prioritized channel maps are used in substituting an alternative program for a first program on a broadcast channel.

Claims15

Dependent claims

In a video decoder, a method for acquiring a program conveyed on more than one broadcast channel, comprising the steps of:

generating a program guide display listing programs being broadcast on a plurality of broadcast channels during specified broadcast time segments, wherein said program guide display lists a particular program on both a first and a second broadcast channel;
and
acquiring said particular program from said first broadcast channel in response to user selection of said second broadcast channel, wherein
(i) said broadcast channels are transmitted using the same transmission modality, wherein the same transmission modality is selected from the group of:
an internet broadcast, a terrestrial broadcast, a satellite broadcast, and a cable broadcast;
and
(ii) said first broadcast channel is selected as the source for said particular program in view of geographical information.

4 more elements

A method for substituting a program conveyed on a first broadcast channel for a program conveyed on a second broadcast channel, comprising the steps of:

acquiring a first channel map associating a first transmission channel carrier frequency with data identifiers used to capture datastreams constituting a first program conveyed on a first broadcast channel;
acquiring a second channel map associating a second transmission channel carrier frequency with data identifiers used to capture datastreams constituting an alternative program conveyed on a second broadcast channel;
and
substituting said alternative program for said first program in response to predetermined criteria by using said second channel map information to initiate acquisition of said second broadcast channel and said alternative program and in response to user selection of said first broadcast channel, wherein said first program and said alternative program are the same, and wherein
(i) said first and second transmission channel carrier frequency use the same broadcast modality selected from a satellite broadcast, a terrestrial broadcast, and a cable broadcast, and
(ii) geographical criteria are used for said substitution step.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Program guide information and processor for providing program and channel substitution

Life of this patent

Program guide information and processor for providing program and channel substitution

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15