초록 ▼

Apparatus and methods are provided for implementing an interactive program guide on an information network. A plurality of database pages are communicated over the information network. Each page corresponds to a time slot over which events are available on the network. Schedule data for each event t

Apparatus and methods are provided for implementing an interactive program guide on an information network. A plurality of database pages are communicated over the information network. Each page corresponds to a time slot over which events are available on the network. Schedule data for each event to be included in the interactive guide is inserted into the database page for the time slot during which the event is to be provided. The database pages are transmitted via the information network at a transmission rate selected to enable the recovery of a particular database page within a predetermined acquisition time limit, for retrieval of schedule data for the time represented by that page. Schedule information for a current time period can be provided in a trickle data stream with future scheduling information provided in a demand data stream. The demand data stream is transmitted at a substantially higher rate than the trickle data stream. Data from the trickle stream is downloaded into memory at the decoder for instantaneous display. Data from the demand data stream is accessible on an as needed basis by retrieving only that data necessary for the display of scheduling information for a desired time slot.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A decoder for providing an interactive program guide (IPG) from data received via an information network on which events listed in the program guide are available, comprising:means for recovering IPG trickle data from said information network at a first data rate, said trickle data

[ We claim:] [1.] A decoder for providing an interactive program guide (IPG) from data received via an information network on which events listed in the program guide are available, comprising:means for recovering IPG trickle data from said information network at a first data rate, said trickle data comprising current schedule information for a current time period for storage in a memory of said decoder and substantially instantaneous display at any time during said current time period;means for selectively retrieving IPG demand data from said information network at a second data rate that is faster than said first data rate, said demand data being provided in pages and comprising future schedule information, each of said pages containing demand data for different future time slots for a future time period;an interface for receiving a user command which designates a user-selected time period which is a subset of said future time period;wherein said means for selectively retrieving is responsive to said user command for selectively retrieving only particular ones of said pages of demand data which correspond to said userselected time period; andmeans for storing said selectively retrieved pages of IPG demand data for display after the retrieval thereof from said information network.