US 7,386,871 B1
Program guide system with real-time data sourcesGeneral
US 7,386,871 B1
Program guide system with real-time data sources
Tech Center:
2600 Communications
Examiner:
Kieu-Oanh Bui
Art Unit:
2623 Selective Visual Display Systems
Agent:
Inventors:
Edward B. Knudson; David M. Rudnick; Michael D. Ellis; Daniel C. Hagenbuch; Joel G. Hassell; Robert A. Knee; Steven J. Reynolds
Assignee:
UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Priority:
06/16/98
Filed:
11/26/02
Granted:
06/10/08
Expiration:
06/25/22
Abstract
A program guide system is provided in which an interactive television program guide that is implemented at least partially on user television equipment receives program listings data and real-time data such as sports scores, news data, and the like. The real-time data may be stored in a database maintained by the program guide, so that the program guide may access the stored real-time data at a later time. Updated program listings information may be provided to the program guide as part of the data stream in which the real-time data is provided. Unique keys may be generated for the program listings data and real-time data associated with each live event. The keys may be compared at the program guide to determine which program listings correspond to which items of real-time data. A controllable ticker may be displayed on top of a television program on the user television equipment. The controllable ticker may be sponsored. Different types of real-time data may be assigned different expiration times. When data has expired it may be removed from the database.