US Patent No: 5,657,072

Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000

Interactive entertainment network system and method for providing program listings during non-peak times

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ATTORNEY / AGENT: (SPONSORED)
 

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Abstract

An interactive entertainment network system has a program provider, multiple user interface units in individual homes, and a distribution network interconnecting the program provider and the user interface units. The program provider has a storage medium containing a plurality of program data records which contain programming information about the programs provided by the program provider. An electronic program guide (EPG) executes on each user interface unit. The EPG requests the program data records from the storage medium at the program provider and displays the programming information contained in the program data records. To prevent burdensome demand during certain high activity peak time when a plurality of the electronic program guides are likely to concurrently request the program data records, the program provider transmits at least some of the program data records to a plurality of the user interface units prior to a peak time. The program provider initiates this transmission on its own, and not in response to a request from any EPG. The user interface units store the program data records in a record cache for use by the EPG during the ensuing peak time. In this manner, the EPG can display the programming information contained in the stored program data records during the peak time, rather than requesting the information from the program provider.

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First Claim

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddressTotal Patents
MICROSOFT CORPORATIONREDMOND, WA24226

International Classification(s)

  • [Classification Symbol]
  • [Patents Count]

Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Aristides, Phivos C Seattle, WA 2 389
Crites, Brian D Sammamish, WA 21 519
Hohman, Robert M Renton, WA 2 389

Cited Art

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
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Patent Citation Ranking

Forward Cites

Patent Info (Count) # Cites Year
 
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7,827,582 Program guide system with video-on-demand browsing 5 2007
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8,146,117 Program guide system with real-time data sources 0 2008
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8,201,208 Carousel proxy 1 2003
 
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TVWORKS, LLC (6)
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CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC. (4)
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OTHER [CHECK PATENT PROFILE FOR ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION] (5)
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8,443,385 System and method for delivering statistically scheduled advertisements 0 2009
8,448,208 System and method for construction, delivery and display of iTV applications that blend programming information of on-demand and broadcast service offerings 0 2011
8,448,215 Electronic program guide with digital storage 0 2011