Patent ID: 6732370
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A system for providing an interactive program guide (IPG) via a distribution network and subscriber equipment, the system comprising:an IPG encoding apparatus, the IPG encoding apparatus being adapted to generate a transport stream, where the transport stream includes a plurality of non-common encoded signals which represent a plurality of pages of the IPG, wherein the IPG encoding apparatus comprises: a common compositor adapted to generate a common background signal from an IPG audio signal and at least one IPG video signal; a grid generator adapted to generate a plurality of grid signals from an IPG data signal, where each of the plurality of grid signals includes programming information for one of the pages of the IPG; a non-common compositor adapted to generate said plurality of non-common composite signals by combining each of the plurality of grid signals with the common background signal; a plurality of encoders adapted to generate the plurality of non-common encoded signals from the plurality of non-common composite signals; and a multiplexer adapted to generate the transport stream by multiplexing the plurality of non-common encoded signals; and service provider equipment (SPE) adapted to be coupled to the distribution network, the SPE including a digital video modulator adapted to generate a modulated signal by modulating a carrier signal with the transport stream and to transmit the modulated signal to the subscriber equipment by via the distribution network.