公开(公告)号：US07051360B1

公开(公告)日：2006-05-23

申请号：US09354602

申请日：1999-07-16

Applicant: Michael D. Ellis ,  W. Benjamin Herrington ,  Steven C. Williamson ,  Kevin B. Easterbrook ,  Joshua A. Rosenthol ,  David M. Rudnick

Inventor： Michael D. Ellis ,  W. Benjamin Herrington ,  Steven C. Williamson ,  Kevin B. Easterbrook ,  Joshua A. Rosenthol ,  David M. Rudnick

IPC: H04N7/16

CPC classification number: H04N21/4856 ,  H04N5/44543 ,  H04N21/233 ,  H04N21/4312 ,  H04N21/4334 ,  H04N21/439 ,  H04N21/47217 ,  H04N21/4755 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/4821 ,  H04N21/8106

Abstract: An interactive television program guide is provided. The interactive television program guide provides a user with the opportunity to select a language for playing television programming and displaying program guide text. Television program audio in the desired language may be obtained from a SAP or digital audio track and played in the selected language. Television related information in the desired language may be obtained from a digital track. If television program audio or related information is not provided in the selected language, the program guide may use a default language. The program guide may coordinate program guide display screen text with languages available for television programs when the programs are broadcast to users.

公开(公告)号：US06922843B1

公开(公告)日：2005-07-26

申请号：US09635596

申请日：2000-08-09

Applicant: W. Benjamin Herrington ,  Edward B. Knudson ,  Michael D. Ellis

Inventor： W. Benjamin Herrington ,  Edward B. Knudson ,  Michael D. Ellis

IPC: H04N7/16

CPC classification number: H04N21/488 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N21/44222 ,  H04N21/4532 ,  H04N21/4542 ,  H04N21/4667 ,  H04N21/47211 ,  H04N21/4751 ,  H04N21/4753 ,  H04N21/812

Abstract: A system with parental control features is provided. The system may be switched between single account control and multiple account control. Each account may have a program control code and a purchase control code. A user may set parental control criteria for controlling access to programming for each account. A user may set purchase control criteria for controlling purchasing for each account. The system may remove a block on parentally-controlled activity when an authorized user enters an appropriate purchase or program control code. Every activity that matches any of the parental control criteria may be blocked and authorized user login may be required. The system may provide a selectable bypass locks feature. The system may present targeted advertising based on which code was entered last. The system may track account usage and provide information related to usage.

Abstract translation: 提供了具有家长控制功能的系统。 系统可以在单个帐户控制和多个帐户控制之间切换。 每个帐户可以具有程序控制代码和购买控制代码。 用户可以设置用于控制对每个帐户的编程访问的家长控制标准。 用户可以设置用于控制每个帐户的购买的购买控制标准。 当授权用户输入适当的购买或程序控制代码时，系统可以删除父母控制活动的块。 与任何家长控制标准匹配的每项活动可能会被阻止，并且可能需要授权用户登录。 该系统可以提供可选择的旁路锁定功能。 系统可以基于最后输入的代码来呈现目标广告。 系统可以跟踪账户使用情况并提供与使用有关的信息。

公开(公告)号：US06526577B1

公开(公告)日：2003-02-25

申请号：US09444882

申请日：1999-11-22

Applicant: Edward B. Knudson ,  Joel G. Hassell ,  Michael D. Ellis ,  Pamela L. McKissick

Inventor： Edward B. Knudson ,  Joel G. Hassell ,  Michael D. Ellis ,  Pamela L. McKissick

IPC: H04N5445

CPC classification number: H04N21/4147 ,  H04N5/44543 ,  H04N5/44591 ,  H04N5/45 ,  H04N21/4316 ,  H04N21/47211 ,  H04N21/4786 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/8549

Abstract: An interactive television program guide system and method in which functions that have not been provided before by other interactive television program guide systems is provided. The interactive guide may, for example, provide users with an opportunity to preview pay-per-view programs before ordering. The guide may, for example, display a pay-per-view program preview in a video window. The video window may occupy a portion of the screen. If desired, a video window of the video from the currently tuned to channel may be displayed simultaneously in a second video window. In response to the user ordering a previewed pay-per-view program, the interactive guide may explode the pay-per-view program preview window into a full-screen video.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种交互式电视节目指南系统和方法，其中还提供了其他交互式电视节目指南系统之前未提供的功能。 例如，互动指南可以为用户提供在订购之前预览按次付费节目的机会。 例如，该指南可以在视频窗口中显示按次付费节目预览。 视频窗口可能占据屏幕的一部分。 如果需要，可以在第二视频窗口中同时显示从当前调谐到频道的视频的视频窗口。 响应于用户订购预览的按次付费计划，交互式指南可能将按次付费节目预览窗口分解为全屏视频。

公开(公告)号：US5548338A

公开(公告)日：1996-08-20

申请号：US476208

申请日：1995-06-07

Applicant: Michael D. Ellis ,  David B. Lazarus

Inventor： Michael D. Ellis ,  David B. Lazarus

IPC: H03M7/42 ,  H04N5/445 ,  H04N7/025 ,  H04N7/08 ,  H04N7/081 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/262 ,  H04N21/84

CPC classification number: H04N21/2353 ,  H03M7/42 ,  H04N21/26283 ,  H04N21/84 ,  H04N7/025 ,  H04N7/08 ,  H04N5/445

Abstract: Television programming information comprising an electronic programming guide is compressed by more than fifty percent, and decompressed in environments with only moderate processing power and storage space. The coding scheme of the present invention is based on Huffman coding of characters comprising the electronic programming guide and replacement character strings occurring in the data that have high savings values. A look-up table and binary tree are constructed from the Huffman codes for use in compressing and decompressing the electronic programming guide, and a set-top box for use in the decompression operation is provided.

Abstract translation: 包括电子节目指南的电视节目编排信息被压缩了百分之五十以上，并在仅具有中等处理能力和存储空间的环境中进行解压缩。 本发明的编码方案是基于包含电子节目指南的字符的霍夫曼编码和在具有高储蓄值的数据中出现的替换字符串。 提供了用于压缩和解压缩电子节目指南的霍夫曼码的查找表和二进制树，并且提供了用于解压缩操作的机顶盒。

公开(公告)号：US09706245B2

公开(公告)日：2017-07-11

申请号：US12178813

申请日：2008-07-24

Applicant: Michael D. Ellis ,  William L. Thomas ,  Thomas R. Lemmons

Inventor： Michael D. Ellis ,  William L. Thomas ,  Thomas R. Lemmons

IPC: G06F3/00 ,  G06F13/00 ,  H04N5/445 ,  H04N21/4227 ,  H04N21/84 ,  H04N21/434 ,  H04N7/10 ,  H04N7/16 ,  H04N7/173 ,  H04N21/436 ,  H04N21/442 ,  H04N21/45 ,  H04N21/472 ,  H04N21/475 ,  H04N21/478 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/4786 ,  H04N21/4788 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/488 ,  H04N21/485 ,  H04N5/44

CPC classification number: H04N21/4227 ,  H04N5/44543 ,  H04N5/44582 ,  H04N7/106 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/4345 ,  H04N21/43615 ,  H04N21/44222 ,  H04N21/4532 ,  H04N21/47214 ,  H04N21/4751 ,  H04N21/4753 ,  H04N21/4755 ,  H04N21/47815 ,  H04N21/4782 ,  H04N21/4786 ,  H04N21/4788 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/4821 ,  H04N21/485 ,  H04N21/4856 ,  H04N21/4882 ,  H04N21/84 ,  H04N2005/4433

Abstract: An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. The system coordinates the operation of the interactive television program guides so that the program guide settings that were adjusted with the given interactive television program guide are used by the other interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc. The operation of applications such as web browser applications, home shopping applications, home banking applications, game applications, etc. may also be coordinated.

公开(公告)号：US09185332B2

公开(公告)日：2015-11-10

申请号：US13353725

申请日：2012-01-19

Applicant: Gerard Kunkel ,  Jon P. Radloff ,  Michael D. Ellis ,  Michael L. Craner ,  Rajeshwari B. Iyer ,  Andrzej Jakubowski

Inventor： Gerard Kunkel ,  Jon P. Radloff ,  Michael D. Ellis ,  Michael L. Craner ,  Rajeshwari B. Iyer ,  Andrzej Jakubowski

IPC: H04N5/76 ,  H04N21/462 ,  H04N5/765 ,  H04N5/782 ,  H04N5/783 ,  H04N9/82 ,  H04N21/426 ,  H04N21/431 ,  H04N21/432 ,  H04N21/438 ,  H04N21/45 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/472 ,  H04N21/475 ,  H04N21/84

CPC classification number: H04N5/76 ,  H04N5/765 ,  H04N5/782 ,  H04N5/783 ,  H04N9/8205 ,  H04N21/4263 ,  H04N21/4316 ,  H04N21/432 ,  H04N21/4383 ,  H04N21/4532 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/462 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/47208 ,  H04N21/47211 ,  H04N21/47214 ,  H04N21/4755 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/84

Abstract: Systems and methods for a video scan are provided. The scan may be dynamically interactive and a function of characteristics of the programs in the scan (e.g., commercial breaks or the end of a program approaching) The scan may simultaneously display multiple scan windows for a plurality of programs, for example in a scan wizard. The scan wizard allows the user to simultaneously view a scan window and an information panel, select criteria for the scan from a criteria panel, and control the scan using a scan control panel. The scan may allow the user to record a program displayed in the scan without interrupting the scan (e.g., by using an additional tuner). The scan may display, within the scan interface, trick-play functions for appropriate scanned programs (e.g., recorded, cached and on-demand programs). The user may select and perform trick-play functions for a scanned program without exiting the scan mode.

Abstract translation: 提供了视频扫描的系统和方法。 扫描可以是动态交互的，并且扫描中的程序的特征（例如，商业中断或程序结束）的扫描可以同时显示多个程序的多个扫描窗口，例如在扫描向导中 。 扫描向导允许用户同时查看扫描窗口和信息面板，从标准面板中选择扫描的标准，并使用扫描控制面板控制扫描。 扫描可以允许用户记录在扫描中显示的程序而不中断扫描（例如，通过使用另外的调谐器）。 扫描可以在扫描界面内显示用于适当扫描程序（例如，记录，缓存和按需程序）的特技播放功能。 用户可以选择并执行扫描程序的特技播放功能而不退出扫描模式。

公开(公告)号：US09032430B2

公开(公告)日：2015-05-12

申请号：US11510363

申请日：2006-08-24

Applicant: Michael D. Ellis ,  Jon P. Radloff

Inventor： Michael D. Ellis ,  Jon P. Radloff

IPC: H04N7/16 ,  H04N7/173 ,  H04N5/445 ,  H04N21/2362 ,  H04N21/258 ,  H04N21/443 ,  H04N21/462 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/6543 ,  H04N21/6547

CPC classification number: H04N21/25808 ,  H04N5/44591 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/2362 ,  H04N21/25841 ,  H04N21/432 ,  H04N21/4438 ,  H04N21/4622 ,  H04N21/4722 ,  H04N21/482 ,  H04N21/4828 ,  H04N21/6543 ,  H04N21/6547

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing blackout support in video mosaic environments are disclosed. In response to receiving a request for a video mosaic page, screen data, which may include blackout information, is received. The screen data identifies the video assets in the video mosaic page. A determination is made, based at least in part on the screen data, whether any video assets in the video mosaic page should be blacked out. Blacked out assets may be masked and their associated audio blocked. In addition, an overlay of options associated with the blacked out asset may be presented. The overlay may include options to substitute the blacked out asset with replacement content, search for similar content, or retrieve more information about the blackout.

Abstract translation: 公开了在视频镶嵌环境中提供停电支持的系统和方法。 响应于接收到对视频马赛克页面的请求，接收可能包括中断信息的屏幕数据。 屏幕数据标识视频镶嵌页面中的视频资产。 至少部分地基于屏幕数据确定视频马赛克页面中的任何视频资产是否应被遮挡。 被淘汰的资产可能会被屏蔽，并且其关联的音频被阻止。 此外，可以呈现与被黑化资产相关联的选项的叠加。 覆盖层可以包括用替换内容替代被黑化资产，搜索类似内容或检索关于中断的更多信息的选项。

公开(公告)号：US09015750B2

公开(公告)日：2015-04-21

申请号：US12905467

申请日：2010-10-15

Applicant: Robert A. Knee ,  Steven J. Reynolds ,  Michael D. Ellis ,  Joel G. Hassell

Inventor： Robert A. Knee ,  Steven J. Reynolds ,  Michael D. Ellis ,  Joel G. Hassell

IPC: H04N7/10 ,  H04N7/025 ,  H04N21/466 ,  H04N7/16 ,  H04N21/258 ,  H04N21/442 ,  H04N21/45 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/81

CPC classification number: H04N21/25883 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N7/17318 ,  H04N21/235 ,  H04N21/44222 ,  H04N21/4532 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/4662 ,  H04N21/8106 ,  H04N21/812

Abstract: An interactive television program guide system for determining user input values for demographic categories is provided. The system includes user television equipment having a receiver for receiving program guide information for the interactive television program guide, a user input receiver for receiving user input from user interface, such as a remote control, a microprocessor which utilizes the user input received to determine user values for demographic categories, and memory for storing the user values determined. In one illustrative use of the system for targeting advertisements to a user of the interactive television program guide, the receiver also receives advertisements, where the advertisements have preselected values for specified demographic categories. The user television equipment, preferably using microprocessor, compares the preselected values for the specified demographic categories associated with the advertisements with values of corresponding demographic categories stored in memory to determine which advertisements should be displayed. Those advertisements determined to be displayable based upon the comparison are then displayed.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种用于确定用于人口统计类别的用户输入值的交互式电视节目指南系统。 该系统包括具有用于接收用于交互式电视节目指南的节目指南信息的接收机的用户电视设备，用于从诸如遥控器的用户接口接收用户输入的用户输入接收机，利用接收到的用户输入来确定用户的微处理器 用于人口统计类别的值，以及用于存储确定的用户值的存储器。 在用于将广告定位到交互式电视节目指南的用户的系统的一个说明性用途中，接收机还接收广告，其中广告具有用于指定人口统计类别的预选值。 优选使用微处理器的用户电视设备将与广告相关联的指定人口统计类别的预选值与存储在存储器中的相应人口统计类别的值进行比较，以确定应显示哪些广告。 然后显示基于比较确定为可显示的那些广告。

公开(公告)号：US08887192B2

公开(公告)日：2014-11-11

申请号：US13492622

申请日：2012-06-08

Applicant: Steven J. Reynolds ,  Robert A. Knee ,  Michael D. Ellis

Inventor： Steven J. Reynolds ,  Robert A. Knee ,  Michael D. Ellis

IPC: H04N7/16 ,  H04N7/10 ,  H04N7/025 ,  H04N21/81 ,  H04N5/445 ,  H04N21/442 ,  H04N21/478

CPC classification number: H04N21/44222 ,  H04N5/44543 ,  H04N21/478 ,  H04N21/812

Abstract: The present invention allows control of the presentation of advertisements that are associated with television networks, channels, and programs, and enables a single broadcasting of each advertisement associated with a network to be made to numerous television systems in parallel. The presentation of advertisements that are associated with television networks, channels, and programs is controlled in the present invention by determining at television viewer equipment whether the television networks, channels, or programs with which the advertisements are associated are unavailable to the television viewer or are undesirable to the television viewer. Once this determination has been made, the television viewer equipment then presents the advertisements, or selects and presents suitable alternative advertisements.

Abstract translation: 本发明允许控制与电视网络，频道和节目相关联的广告的呈现，并且使与网络相关联的每个广告的单个广播能够并行地制作到许多电视系统。 在电视观看设备中，通过在电视观众设备判断广告关联的电视网络，频道或节目对于电视观看者是不可用的，在本发明中控制与电视网络，频道和节目相关联的广告的呈现 不利于电视观众。 一旦做出了这个确定，电视观看器设备就会呈现广告，或选择和呈现合适的替代广告。

公开(公告)号：US08868023B2

公开(公告)日：2014-10-21

申请号：US12348775

申请日：2009-01-05

Applicant: Michael D. Ellis

Inventor： Michael D. Ellis

IPC: H04B1/16 ,  H04W52/02 ,  H04N21/443 ,  H04H20/62 ,  H04N5/44 ,  H04H40/09

CPC classification number: H04M1/6091 ,  G06F3/04883 ,  G06F3/165 ,  G06K9/00013 ,  G06Q30/0251 ,  H04H20/62 ,  H04H40/09 ,  H04M1/72558 ,  H04N5/4401 ,  H04N21/4436 ,  H04W4/046 ,  H04W52/028 ,  Y02D10/17 ,  Y02D70/142 ,  Y02D70/144 ,  Y02D70/164 ,  Y02D70/26

Abstract: A system, apparatus, method, and media directed to power control in the field of digital radio systems are provided. For example, an apparatus, method, or medium can be implemented to enter a radio into lower power mode, store radio programming with reduced functionality, and resume normal power mode.

Abstract translation: 提供了一种针对数字无线电系统领域的功率控制的系统，装置，方法和媒体。 例如，可以实现装置，方法或介质以将无线电进入较低功率模式，以减少的功能存储无线电节目，并恢复正常的功率模式。