System and method for providing news, sports and local guide services through an electronic program guide

• Main Authors: WHITEHEAD, WENDY, WARD III, THOMAS EDWARD, SCHOAFF, PETER CHRISTOPHER, SUTTON, JONATHON, RALLIS, JAMES, HANCOCK, KENNETH, S
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 07.03.2012
• Subjects: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ELECTRICITY; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

A system and method for providing additional services besides TV program schedule information through an EPG. Such services include up-to-date information relating to news, sports and local events and businesses. The EPG screen includes a PIP window (172) and panel advertisement windows (174, 176). A list of menu buttons (180) including sports button (180C), news button (180B) and hometown button (180D) displayed on the EPG screen allows access to additional services. Sporting event information about a past, present or future sporting event is displayed upon actuation of a sports button. News headlines (182) are displayed upon actuation of a news button. Information about local events, businesses, services and products are displayed upon actuation of a hometown button. The TV system's tuner (105) automatically tunes and displays a program broadcast by a service provider on the PIP window (172) upon actuation of the sports and news buttons. Links are provided Internet websites, TV programs and to other services provided through the EPG. A link to a presently televised program causes the tuner (105) to receive a channel televising the program.