Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention is in the field of Internet, cable, and communication network services and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for searching multimedia content from TV remote set-top system interfaces in the local box, Internet, communication, and network provider databases.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Network services provided for enabling individual consumers to access to Internet networks have largely been limited, until fairly recent times, to personal computers (PC) adapted by software and hardware to access the Internet through a dial-up connection using telephone lines and an Internet service provider (ISP) to broker the connection.  
         [0003]     As network technologies and peripheral computing devices have been further developed, a range of products and services have become available for enabling Internet access and network navigation in non-PC environments. Of these, examples include network access-capable cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA), and more recently developed Web-enabled television systems.  
         [0004]     Web-enabled television systems are available now that leverage high-speed digital networks adapted to carry digital cable network and satellite network programming and pay-per-view services to consumers. Hi-definition digital television (HDTV) is just one non-PC product capable of receiving and displaying digital content. Digital television services are provided alongside Internet access services through a single system. For example, a set-top box remote control may be used to activate Internet access services while viewing digital television programming. Access to electronic mail, Web-navigation, and Web searching are possible using a combination of remote control function and application of other input devices like the traditional keyboard.  
         [0005]     A problem with existing art is that in non-PC environments, Web-based services and digital television services are not well integrated. Query-based Internet search interfaces for traditional Web-navigation software installed on a set-top television box requires much input from a consumer in order to access and then navigate through returned search results provided as a list of a few tens to many hundreds of hyper links from which a consumer may select and activate to view content. An input peripheral like a functional keyboard may still be required to navigate the search interfaces and retuned search results. Cable and satellite services may enable channel navigation from a remote control device only for their own programming channels. Moreover, popular searches for media specific content like movie clips or full presentations or images still may return many hundreds of links, which must be waded through before content may be accessed.  
         [0006]     Further to the above, the Internet is merging with the traditional telephone and cable networks. The traditional telephone line, both land based and wireless, have been carrying Internet based traffic for sometime now. This trend will further continue with almost complete blurring of the networks; Internet, telephone, and television. In such a scenario, the viewer at a television can obtain content on the “Web” (which is now a combination of the Internet, telephone, and television networks) by use of a remote set-top box controller seamlessly. The television set will become a multimedia playing device with music, photographs, traditional web content, movies, etc., and the need to browse for content on this ‘combined network’ through an easy interface is the topic of this invention.  
         [0007]     What is clearly needed is a system and method for enabling a smart search capability from a simple remote control interface using existing remote indicia.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     A system is provided for conducting a data search operation for content stored on an Internet network from a cable or satellite network terminal menu. The system in some embodiments may include a menu interface for enabling an interaction sequence of content category selection and definition narrowing of those categories selected, a server application for interpreting the interaction sequence and for formulating a search query based on the interpretation; and a session application for submitting the query to a third party node, and for receiving and filtering results returned, the results forwarded to the menu interface for subsequent display and interaction.  
         [0009]     In one embodiment, the content searched may include video, audio, or image content. Also in a an embodiment, the terminal may be a cable television or a set-top box, the menu controlled via a remote control device. Also in one embodiment, the third party node may be a link server hosted by a network data search engine and service provider. In another embodiment, a third party node may be a content server hosted by a content service provider. In this latter embodiment, the provider information regarding service integration may be provided with returned results.  
         [0010]     According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for searching the Internet for content from a cable or satellite television terminal is provided. The method in one embodiment includes steps for (a) in an interactive content menu accessible from the terminal, selecting a content category from more than one offered category, (b) repeating content category selection one or more times from subsequent content menu screens resulting from previous selections, (d) formulating a search query based on data describing the content selection sequence, (e) submitting the search query to one or more search engines, (f) receiving results from the one or more search engines, (g) optimizing the received results against a set of rules; and (h) forwarding the optimized results to the television terminal for display and further interaction in a subsequent menu screen.  
         [0011]     In one embodiment, in step (a), selection is performed using the scroll and enter indicia of a remote control device. In this embodiment, in step (b), each subsequent category more narrowly defines content selected. Also in one embodiment, in step (d), the query may be formed according to rules associated with third party criteria for query execution in a search engine.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment, in step (f), the one or more search engines may return results in the form of hyperlinks. In a variation to this embodiment, in step (f), at least one of the search engines may be local to the terminal and searches local stores for selected content.  
         [0013]     In another embodiment, in step (g), optimizing may include completing the URL path to the content rendering the URL assertable to initiate content streaming or download and display. In this embodiment, in step (g), optimizing may include filtering results to eliminate duplicate hyperlinks. Also in this embodiment, in step (h), the results may include additional information about service subscription to the provider of the content. In all aspects, in step (g) the results may be universal resource locators assertable to stream or download content.  
         [0014]     According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a filtering application is provided for optimizing universal resource locators returned from a search engine. The application includes a first portion for eliminating duplicate universal resource locators that point to a same content resource, a second portion for eliminating universal resource locators that are not relevant to a certain degree to searched subject matter, and a third portion for appending network path information to the universal resource locators to enable invocation of the links for initiating streaming of or download and display of the associated content.  
         [0015]     In one embodiment the filtering application may be used in a proxy content search operation initiated from a cable or satellite television terminal using a remote control device. Also in one embodiment, the portion of the network path appended to a universal resource locator may be derived manually by viewing source code data associated with the information page containing the final path to the stored content. Further in one embodiment the final path information may be appended by automated process based on knowledge of the stored location of the content. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0016]      FIG. 1  is an architectural overview of a network adapted for content searching according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating components of an intelligent search link server according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is an architectural overview illustrating possible locations for distributed server components according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating an example of a consumer menu pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram illustrating intelligent search link server function according to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram illustrating smart link population into a remote program menu according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is an architectural overview of a network  100  adapted for content searching according to an embodiment of the present invention. Network  100  includes an Internet network  101 , a cable network  102 , and a satellite network  103 . Internet network  101  has an Internet backbone  104  illustrated therein. Backbone  104  logically represents all of the lines, access points, and network equipment that make up the Internet network as a whole. Therefore, there are no geographic limitations to the practice of the present invention except where geographic limitations exist in connected networks, which shall only apply to those networks.  
         [0023]     A plurality of link servers (LS) is illustrated within Internet network  101 . These are LS  120 , LS  121 , and LS  122 . In one embodiment, LS  120 - 122  may be servers that provide universal resource locator (URL) links to search engine interfaces operated as client software applications on nodes having connection to Internet network  101 , more specifically to backbone  104 . LS  120 - 122  may be hosted by one or more than one enterprise that may provide Internet search services to consumers. In the just-mentioned embodiment, LS  120 - 122  may all be hosted by a single enterprise, or each may be hosted by a separate competing enterprise. Yahoo™, Google™, and Altavista™, represent well-known examples in this embodiment, of enterprises that may host and maintain LS  120 - 122 .  
         [0024]     In another embodiment, LS  120 - 122  may be servers operated by any third-party enterprise adapted to provide content to consumers. In this case, links themselves may comprise complete network paths to downloadable and, or streaming media content.  
         [0025]     In typical application where a LS host is a search engine provider, LS  120 , for example, may serve a list of URL results to a Web-browser-based search engine interface (client) after having received a search query from the client and after having used the submitted query as a base for returning the URL results. The URLs may be obtained from vast databases containing such URL entries that are aggregated and maintained by the service provider. When a client, typically an Internet-connected PC, uses the search engine client and submits a query, eventually the search engine service provider returns a list of links to the client interface.  
         [0026]     Cable network  102  is, in this embodiment, connected to and has access to Internet-based content. Cable network  102  has a cable network backbone  114  illustrated therein that represents all of the cabling and connection points that make up network  102  as a whole. A cable service provider CSP  107  is illustrated within cable network  102  and represents an enterprise adapted to provide cable-programming services to subscribers. CSP  107  has service equipment  111  provided therein and representative of all of the cable equipment required for delivering cable network programming to viewers. Equipment  111  has connection to cable backbone  114  to facilitate content delivery.  
         [0027]     A plurality of consumer stations is illustrated as having connection to cable backbone  114  for receiving cable programming from CSP  107 . These are consumer station  115   a  and consumer station  116   a . Consumer stations  115   a  and  116   a  are assumed to be television sets in this example and have respective cable set-top boxes associated therewith, which enable the stations to initiate cable programming subscription and subsequently to receive delivered content from CSP  107 . Consumer station  115   a , including the illustrated set-top cable box component may be operated using a set-top remote control device  115   b . Likewise, consumer station  116   a , including the illustrated set-top cable box component may be operated using a set-top box remote control unit  116   b.    
         [0028]     CSP  107  includes an intelligent search link server (ISLS)  112  as a novel component thereof, which is adapted according to a preferred embodiment, to provide URLs of Web-based content for integration thereof into cable menus accessible to consumer stations  115   a  and  116   a  through remote control devices  155   b  and  116   b  respectively.  
         [0029]     Server  112  has an ISLS server application  113   a  installed thereon, which is adapted to enable searching of Web-based content from the points of stations  115   a  and  116   a  using respective remotes  115   b  and  116   b  wherein the search results, namely URLs, are provided smartly to the respective stations  115   a  and  116   a  for integration with and display on their respective program guides. Server  112  has access to Internet backbone  104  through an Internet access line  105  and therefore has Internet access to LS  120 - 122 . Consumer stations  115   a  and  116   a  have cable access to content from server  112  through cable backbone  114  and cable provider equipment  111 .  
         [0030]     Satellite network  103  is, in this embodiment, connected to and has access to Internet-based content. Network  103  has a satellite service provider (SSP)  108  illustrated therein and adapted to provide satellite network programming to subscribers. SSP  108  has service provider equipment  109  illustrated therein, which represents all of the equipment required in order to deliver program services via at least one satellite, illustrated herein as satellite  118  to consumers.  
         [0031]     A plurality of consumer stations is illustrated as having satellite connection to SSP  108 . These are a consumer station  117   a  and a consumer station  119   a . Consumer stations  117   a  and  119   a  are assumed in this example to be adapted to receive satellite network programming by way of associated equipment, namely a set-top box and satellite receiver dish. Each consumer station may be controlled via a set-top box remote control device. A remote control device  117   b  is operable for station  117   a  and a remote control device  119   b  is operable for station  119   a . Basic interaction between provider  108  and consumers  117   a  and  119   a  is very similar to that described within cable network  102  except that the method of carrying the signal is satellite communication instead of physical cabling associated with network  102 .  
         [0032]     SSP  108  includes an ISLS  110 , which is adapted in a similar fashion as that described above with respect to ISLS  112  within CSP  107 . Server  110  has an ISLS application  113   b  installed thereon, which is analogous to ISLS  113   a  installed on server  112 . Consumers operating at stations  117   a  and  119   a  may use their respective remote control devices  117   b  and  119   b  to initiate a content search whereupon Web-based content may be searched according to consumer input and wherein returned results in the form of URL hyperlinks may be filtered smartly at server  110  using software  133   b  and subsequently delivered to the appropriate consumer stations  117   a  and  119   a  whereupon such results may be displayed within respective satellite program menus.  
         [0033]     In this embodiment, severs  112  and  110  are centralized proxy servers running ISLS software instances  113   a  and  113   b  respectively for the purpose of integrating Web-results (URLs) into the normal programming information for access using the respective remotes  1176   b  and  119   b . However, in other embodiments, ISLS  113   a  and  113   b  may comprise a plurality of distributed software components including a client application for consumer stations, a provider application for provider locations, and perhaps a client application distributed to search service providers without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The inventor illustrates the present centralized implementation for explanatory purposes only.  
         [0034]     In one embodiment, service provision may be centralized at one location in the broader network using video-enabled Internet service, such as digital service line (DSL), Internet cable modem etc. In this embodiment, the separate carrier networks, including wired or wireless satellite, telephone, Internet, and cable are, for the purpose of the present invention, considered one physical network wherein the multimedia service provider may be reached from all CPE stations capable of video-enabled Internet service access. In this case, backbones  104 ,  118 , and  114  including any other carrier networks may be logically blurred and considered one seamless network.  
         [0035]     ISLS has two main functions with regard to performing content searches that may be initiated and advanced using a remote control device. Firstly, ISLS  113   a - b  quantifies and derives a meaning from a series of user menu selections (clicks) made while the menu is displayed and using the appropriate remote control device scroll arrows and select button provided on the device and adapted for the purpose. Therefore, if device  119   b  is used to traverse a particular menu or menus containing selection options, ISLS records and interprets those selections and converts the defined aggregate into a useable search engine query that may be used to return search provider or third party provided hyperlinks display.  
         [0036]     Secondly, ISLS may process hyperlinks returned from a search service provider, for example, in order to streamline and optimize the results so that they may be dynamically appropriated to the menu display in a fashion as to enable incorporation or invocation of those links to order or otherwise retrieve the Web content pointed to and defined by those links. Result optimization may include but is not limited to negation of results or hyperlinks that do not enable complete access to the media content. Likewise, duplicate hyperlinks, which may point to a same content, may be resolved during result optimization. Eventually during processing, only a handful of the most relevant hyperlinks would be provided and inserted dynamically into the cable or satellite program guide for selection.  
         [0037]     In one preferred embodiment, local content searches may be performed first before any query is constructed for submission to any Internet-based service provider. The likely content that would be allowed for any content search using a remote control device may be broadly defined as video content, audio content, image content, and in some cases, electronic information files or Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) files typically available to PC users.  
         [0038]     In practice of the present invention, a consumer operating a remote control device, such as device  115   b  associated with station  115   a  may initiate a content search by navigating, using an indicia provided on device  115   b  to display a starting menu or starting point in a displayed menu. Such a starting menu may contain selectable topics linearly disposed for easy navigation such as in a vertical column. The start menu may be provided as a default starting point for the interaction. The broad starting titles may comprise video, audio, images, each of which is separately selectable using the arrow and selection buttons already existing on device  115   b . In one extended embodiment, the title information may be added if HTML pages are included in the allowable search content.  
         [0039]     If the consumer navigates to and selects “video” for example, a category grouping may appear to enable continuance of the interaction. For example, the titles in this grouping, which may also be vertically disposed, might read movies, movie trailers, news clips, and sports. The ISLS server “knows” that whatever category is selected next the content links to be retuned are limited to provision of video content. If the consumer navigates the list and selects movie trailers, the next category of titles may include actor/actress, movie title, top 5, and back. It is noted herein that all categories appearing may include an option for canceling the content search and/or for navigating back to the start menu.  
         [0040]     If the consumer navigates to and selects top 5, a content search may be triggered. ISLS has recorded and interpreted the selections of the interaction to help it formulate the instruction needed to perform the search. What is known about the interaction of this example is that the consumer is looking for the top 5 movie trailers that may exist. The meaning of “top” in top 5 may be understood by the system by default rule as “current movies bringing in the most revenue at the box office”. Therefore a constructed search query (submitted by proxy) may be formulated somewhat like movies+now playing+top 5+trailers. It is important to note herein that different search engine services have varying input rules for conducting searches, including varying text input for refining searches and searching by specific categorical constraints including video, audio, and images.  
         [0041]     It is well known in the art that traditional search results returned for a search conducted for video, audio or other content using a traditional PC-based search interface may not define complete URL links that may be used to invoke the associated media. ISLS may, in one embodiment, be adapted to append a last portion of a network path required to invoke the associated media from a remote control device, in effect creating a shortcut to the associated media. In one embodiment, search provider hosts may cooperate by simply maintaining links that are invoke-able to immediately initiate downloading or streaming of the media from the remote control device. Therefore, ISLS may include provided navigation rules that correspond with rules and capabilities of a cooperating search service provider that mitigate navigational obstacles that may otherwise inhibit efficiency of using a remote to select and invoke results. These rules enable provision of optimized hyperlinks that may also be renamed with simple titles for inclusion into a cable or satellite-programming guide instead of displaying full navigation paths.  
         [0042]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating components of ISLS  113  of  FIG. 1  according to an embodiment of the present invention. ISLS  113  ( a,b ) as previously described above may be distributed over several hosts instead of residing in one host without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The example of ISLS  113  illustrated on a single host is meant to be logical only and may be considered as one possible implementation of several possible implementations.  
         [0043]     ISLS  113  has a service port  200  illustrated therein and adapted with all of the required circuitry and memory components to enable bi-directional data communication with programming provider equipment responsible for delivering cable and/or satellite programming to consumers. One service port  200  is illustrated in this example however there may be more than one port without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0044]     ISLS has a proxy port  201  illustrated therein and adapted with all of the required circuitry and memory components to enable bi-directional network communication between server  113  and any third party network-based serve analogous to LS  120 - 122  described with reference to  FIG. 1 . In practice of the present invention, local interaction by consumers at their respective consumer stations that may result in one or more necessary search operations are submitted to ISLS  113  through port  200  for analysis.  
         [0045]     ISLS has a processing component  203  provided therein and adapted to analyze incoming requests for information relevant to a consumer&#39;s local interaction or “click results” made using a remote control device analogous to device  115   b , for example, of  FIG. 1 . The click results contain all of the information required by the processor to formulate a search query using an automated query generator. System rules may also be locally accessible to processor  203 .  
         [0046]     For each active consumer, an automated query  204  is generated and submitted to proxy port  201 . The query may be configured according to third-party preferences for submitting search queries, those preferences contained in rules accessible by processor  203 . Each generated query is submitted to one or more third-party servers, in this case, over the Internet network through port  201 . Each query is identified to a specific consumer through consumer ID parameters, which may include a unique consumer station or CPE identification number. In some cases the identification may be a telephone number and zip code pair, or some other unique parameter.  
         [0047]     The search service node or link server (LS) receives the queries and returns the search results based on the queries received. In one embodiment, the resulting hyperlinks returned may already be optimized to provide full media paths to the associated media selections. In this case, a cooperating search service provider may have a database adapted to contain only links, which provide full media paths or “shortcuts” to the media. In this embodiment, the links may be manually appended as part of database maintenance.  
         [0048]     In one embodiment, an ISLS component adapter (not illustrated) may be provided to run at a third-party location and may be adapted to append links with the required URL information for directly invoking the media associated with the link. This information is readily available by accessing HTML source data for each URL. The source data defines the media that is embedded in the information page of the URL.  
         [0049]     In one embodiment, URL results returned from third-party servers are fed into an in-server processor  202  running an instance of link relevancy filter  205 . Link relevancy filter  205  may be adapted according to one embodiment to apply URL information required to make links fully invoke able with respect to associated media instead of performing this process at third-party service nodes. In addition, filter  205  may be adapted to ignore certain returned links, which may be duplicate links or multiple links that point to a same media item. Otherwise, many other links may be eliminated from search results if those links do not comply with existing enterprise rules for forwarding to consumers. In-server processor  202  may consult with a rules base for each returned link that is associated to each query processed.  
         [0050]     It is important to note herein that components of ISLS may also be provided to program provider equipment and at consumer locations in order to verify that content searched is not stored locally at a consumer station or already available at the program providers premise. In a preferred embodiment, ISLS  113  receives and processes returned results by relevancy and against a set of rules in order to narrow the quantity results forwarded to consumers down to a handful of most relevant links.  
         [0051]     Many Web-based media services already have Web-based video channels and audio stations that may be accessed for streaming media content. These services may advertise their content by making it available through an ISLS content search interaction consumer-by-consumer. If the content is rich and popular, further integration can be achieved like enabling consumers to incorporate these Web-based services by subscription modification or one-time purchase through the programming provided acting as a service broker much in the same way existing Internet services are brokered.  
         [0052]     In one embodiment, links that are kept for forwarding to consumers are deposited in a server database  206  adapted to contain the links for a pre-determined period of time. In this way, future searches by consumers may be quickly handled if the search involves results previously delivered. Database  206  then may be searched for relevant links before queries are constructed for network submission.  
         [0053]     ISLS has a server application  207  provided therein and adapted to serve the most relevant hyperlinks back to consumers through service port  200  and the appropriate programming providers. One ISLS server may be configured to work with more than one cable or satellite-programming provider without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
         [0054]      FIG. 3  is an architectural overview  300  illustrating possible locations for distributed ISLS components according to an embodiment of the present invention. As previously described above, ISLS may be a distributed system of cooperating components without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this example, a search provider  304  and a third party node  302  are illustrated having connection to an Internet network  301 . Servers  304  and  302  are analogous to LS  120 - 122  described with reference to  FIG. 1 .  
         [0055]     Search provider  304  may have an ISLS application  307   c  provided thereto and adapted for aggregating existing links by media type associated. Application  307   c  may also include the capability of optimizing URLs that would otherwise simply define Web pages containing embedded media or links to media. As previously described, optimization may include modifying those links to include the network paths directly to the media so that invoking the link initiates download or streaming of the associated media content. Therefore, a URL that contains more than one media offering may be broken up into several URLs, one for each media offering.  
         [0056]     Third party server  302  may contain an ISLS application  307   b  adapted to aggregate existing links and provide them by media category and to create and maintain third party Web channels that may provide media content by schedule. In this regard, a media offering like a movie or music album offered through a subscribe able video channel or music channel can be provided to a consumer along with subscriber information such as in a pay-per-view model. In this case, a consumer may add the Web-based channel directly to his or her cable-programming guide or the like and may be charged accordingly through his or her cable provider.  
         [0057]     Connection provider  305  may have an ISLS application  307   b  provided thereto and adapted to populate a consumer&#39;s most relevant links into a navigable menu list. In one embodiment, a consumer menu listing the most relevant selections may be integrated with selections provided locally or through normal cable programming. An additional menu list item may be reserved as well for enabling the consumer to navigate to a next group of results returned. For example, a list of 5 hyperlinks may appear in the menu with a space reserved for calling in the next 5 links.  
         [0058]     ISLS  307   b  may also include links that include Web-channels aggregated by topic wherein those channels may include scheduled programming and content information, which may be dynamically populated into the cable programming interactive guide alongside generic programming. More detail about programming information integration will be provided below.  
         [0059]     A consumer station  306  is illustrated in this example and is analogous to those described with reference to  FIG. 1 . Station  306  may have a client ISLS application  307   a  provided thereto and adapted, among other things, for keeping a consumer&#39;s search history, maintaining a search results cache. Additionally, application  307   a  may provide a programming extension adapted to provide the integration of typical cable programming information and Web-sourced content programming information into the same interactive user menu or guide.  
         [0060]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram  400  illustrating an example of a consumer menu pattern for initiating a content search according to one embodiment of the present invention. Diagram  400  illustrates a content-search starting menu  402 . The cable or satellite programmer may provide menu  402  as a generic menu item accessible using a remote control device. The topics for this starting menu are purposefully broad such as Video, Images, and Audio content. A consumer may highlight and select any of these provided options to continue. A remote control reference  401  is illustrated in this example and represents the minimum controls that may be required in menu navigation according to this embodiment. The directional and selection or enter buttons are controls that are already present on a typical remote control device.  
         [0061]     In this example, the consumer selects the broad category of video. The action causes a next option menu  403  to appear. This menu is narrower in topic than the last menu providing a drill-down to more specific content. Menu  403  lists, from top to bottom, movies/trailers, shows/series, and news/music. The common theme of menu  403  is that all available options define video content selected menu  402 .  
         [0062]     In this example, the consumer selects news/music causing a next menu  404  to appear containing news or music video options. Thus far, menus  402 - 404  are relative static menus generic to the program guide. In menu  404 , the options are news clips, music video channels, and video by artist or title. In this example, the consumer chooses news clips. At this point, all local sources may be searched for video+news/music+news clips before any network search is initiated. If any local content is found then it may be provided in a next menu for consideration.  
         [0063]     In this example, no local content is found so an Internet search is performed according to the query. After query submission by proxy and after the most relevant links are isolated and optimized, a dynamic results menu  405  may appear. Menu  405  is not entirely dynamic because of one option that is a static part of the programming service, channel 165—news and weather, which may already be part of the consumer&#39;s current viewing guide. However, CNN.com/audio update and NPR.com/audio update are dynamic, optimized links defining Internet-sourced content.  
         [0064]     In this example, the consumer highlights and selects NPR.com/audio update resulting in the appearance of a next dynamic menu  406 . Menu  406  includes a link to NPR home, a link back to the start menu  402 , and a link, which invokes the automatic streaming of NPR audio update into the consumers receiving and display equipment. In one embodiment, menus  405  and  406  may be combined in a single menu wherein one click of NPR.com/audio update initiates connection to and download or streaming of the content.  
         [0065]     It is noted herein that there may be more than 3 list items for each menu without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, at menu  404 , had the consumer selected video/artist/title, a next menu may have appeared listing numerous possible titles and artist names for the consumer to select from. Such a menu might contain tens to hundreds of titles and/or artist names to choose from.  
         [0066]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram  500  illustrating intelligent search link server functions according to an embodiment of the present invention. A server-processing module  501  illustrates processing of both input and results. Module  501  may be construed to incorporate the functions of components  203 ,  202 , and  205  described with reference to  FIG. 2 .  
         [0067]     In practice, click results  502  are received from a consumer&#39;s menu interaction. These are interpreted and sent to an automated query generator  503 . Generator  503  forms a usable search query for network submission. Such a query may take various forms and may be transferred using a variety of protocols without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. XML-based queries may be used in some cases where XML communication over simple object application protocol (SOAP) is supported. Simple text queries may also be constructed that emulate user typed input. There are many possibilities.  
         [0068]     The third party provider returns results in the form of hyperlinks, which may undergo link relevancy filtering. Link relevancy filtering may occur both at the search provider node and within module  501  without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In addition to link provision, a third party service may also provide service subscription information for enabling a consumer to subscribe to services through the prevalent programming provider functioning as a service broker. This data is illustrated herein as dynamic service integration data  505 . This additional data may be provided as XML-based instruction data that may be incorporated with a link into a menu option. For example, highlighting an option, which may include service information, may cause the service information to display. Simple option selection using the enter button may also display pay-per-view information telling the consumer how to integrate the Web programming into his or her service package.  
         [0069]     A sever application  506  delivers the top relevant links and any associated service integration data to the consumer menu. In one embodiment, a sample media selection may be provided along with subscription information including how to add the channel or service to existing program options. This in effect may allow consumers to flexibly configure their own program menus to always show available or subscribed Web-service options. Therefore, externally sourced media channels may be discovered and then added to existing program channel options such as through reservation of certain channel slots and then populating those slots with the Web-channel hyperlink and description data. Further, program scheduling associated with the content offerings available through an integrated Web channel may be incorporated into normal theme or schedule guides that list individual programs and scheduled times for viewing.  
         [0070]     Web-based services formerly restricted to PC-based viewing audiences may now compete for television-based viewing audiences through the content search capability of the present invention thereby increasing viewer membership and revenue. Likewise, cable and satellite service providers may increase revenue by brokering subscriptions to Web-based services through dynamic subscription packages that may be changed by consumers through addition of Web-based media channels and pay-per-view content. Instead of, or in addition to providing a typical Web access requiring a key board and mouse function, program providers may provide integration options for including Web-content in with regularly offered programs and channels eliminating much navigation work and extra peripheral hardware required to disseminate normal Web content.  
         [0071]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram  600  illustrating smart link population into a remote program menu according to an embodiment of the present invention. Diagram  600  illustrates how a content search may result in dynamic program modification to include Web-based content. A content search interaction  601  begins with a start menu defining the broad categories of video, images, and audio as was previously described before. Consumer selection of video brings up a next category group defining Web, programming, and stored. In this example, a consumer may isolate the search to Web content, programming content already available through his or her service, or to media content the consumer may have already stored locally.  
         [0072]     Consumer selection of Web brings up a next category of options including movies, sports, news, music, science, and adult. These broad categories may be provided statically every time a consumer selects Web. These then may be the only available categories for Web searching. By selecting sports, the consumer orders a next category including the options basketball, football, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, and wrestling. At this point the aggregation of selections in this interaction inform the system that it is looking for video; constrained to Web videos; constrained to sports videos; constrained to soccer videos. No local searching or searching at the service intermediary is required because of the specific constraint of Web. Therefore, a query to search the Web for soccer videos is submitted to an appropriate third party service or services.  
         [0073]     After the results are received, filtered, and optimized, a result category  602  may be dynamically inserted into the consumer&#39;s menu guide that may include the top most relevant hits, in this case, Argentina vs. Brazil (soccer game; Americas), Women&#39;s World Cup (soccer game International), and Chelsa vs. United (soccer game; European). An additional option cancels the search and takes the consumer back to the start menu.  
         [0074]     The consumer highlights or selects Argentina vs. Brazil. In this instance, the selection brings up service information  603  informing the consumer that his or her selection is associated with a Web-based service provider (I-Link Video), which has a media channel that provides international live soccer programming. By selecting the item again, additional information may be revealed like subscription information including pricing. Selecting the item a third time might confirm purchase of the programming and may automatically add the programming as a channel in a menu guide or theme guide  604 .  
         [0075]     Theme guide  604  lists all available programming categories that are selectable to view the current times that programs may be viewed. Selecting the category sports reveals the current channels, programs and schedules. Sports schedule  605  includes the just-added Web content on channel  190  showing Argentina vs. Brazil and identifying I-Link Video as the content source. The viewing start time for the soccer game Argentina vs. Brazil is 7:00 PM. Future soccer programming times and program definitions are automatically integrated into the sports schedule now that the consumer has added the content by selecting and confirming the purchase. For example, channel  190  shows a program World Soccer Show airing at 10:00 PM immediately after Argentina vs. Brazil. It is noted also that channel  179  has been reserved for an audio sports programming, Sports Talk Radio, also provided by I-Link. Other available programs include the regular cable or satellite programming channels. Navigation then through the normal scheduling guide enables one touch selection and viewing of the Web-based content.  
         [0076]     The methods and apparatus of the present invention may be applied to cable and satellite programming services having connection ability to larger wide-area-networks including the Internet network. A variety of ISLS implementations may be deployed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, including client, intermediary, and source location application components.  
         [0077]     In one embodiment, electronic information pages may also be optionally displayed resulting from consumer highlight and selection of a searched hyperlink. Optionally, scrolling and information page navigation can be achieved using remote control function, or keyboard input may be activated to enable browsing. In preferred application the methods and apparatus of the invention provide an efficient and simple way to access and consume Web-sourced media content including video channels and audio channels using only the directional buttons and select buttons on the remote.  
         [0078]     The present invention, in light of the many embodiments possible, should be afforded the broadest possible interpretation under examination. The present invention is limited only by the following claims.

Technology Category: 5