Patent ID: 7315881

Claim:
In a television system in which at least program title information for programs which are to be transmitted in the future is transmitted in advance to form a channel guide list, apparatus comprising: memory means for storing data representing said channel guide list, data representing program descriptive text, an e-mail address, and user-entered data representing a user entered text string which is used for searching said channel guide list and said program descriptive text; data entry means for entering said user-entered data; control means for performing a search of said channel guide listing and said program descriptive text to match said specific user entered information as to return at least two different program titles where said search term matches a term in the title of one program from said at least two different programs and said user entered information matches the descriptive text corresponding to a second program of said at least two different programs; on-screen display means for displaying text or graphics under control of said control means; and means for selecting a television program for viewing; said control means sends after said at least two different programs are determined an electronic message to the user at the e-mail address to notify said user of an availability of said at least two different television programs, wherein said control means further transmits to said e-mail address electronic messages comprising additional television programs listings different from said at least two television programs and where such additional television program listings are selected from updated program guide information that match at least one of: a program title of said additional television programs and program descriptive text of said additional television programs said until said search operation is terminated.