Intelligent electronic program guide

Abstract

A subscriber unit for use in a television system including a television network and transmitting apparatus for transmitting program schedule information, the subscriber unit including a receiving unit for receiving the program schedule information from said television network, an icon-based guide generator for producing a program guide including an icon-based hierarchical program guide including the program schedule information, and display apparatus for displaying the program guide, the icon-based hierarchical program guide including a plurality of hierarchically-arranged screens each including at least one icon. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

1 . A method for providing real-time audience information to a subscriber unit of a television system comprising a headend and a multiplicity of subscriber units, the method comprising:
 collecting real-time viewing data from said multiplicity of subscriber units;   computing real-time audience information from the collected real-time viewing data, said real-time audience information comprising a real-time indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program; and   transmitting said real-time computed audience information to said subscriber unit.   
     
     
         2 . A method of providing real-time audience information to a viewer of a television system, said television system comprising a headend and a plurality of subscriber units, said method comprising:
 receiving, at one subscriber unit of said plurality of subscriber units, real-time computed audience information from said headend, said real-time computed audience information comprising an indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program; and   displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer as an on-screen alert. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer as a graph. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer throughout the viewing of a program by said viewer. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer for a time when said viewer tunes to a program. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said displaying comprises displaying said real-time computed audience information to the viewer on demand from said viewer. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 2  and wherein said indication comprises an indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program which is the same as a program being viewed by said viewer. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 2  and wherein said indication comprises an indication of a proportion of subscriber units currently tuned to a program which is not the same as a program being viewed by said viewer. 
     
     
         10 . A subscriber unit for use in a television system comprising a television network and transmitting apparatus for transmitting program schedule information, the subscriber unit comprising:
 a receiving unit for receiving said program schedule information;   a profile storage unit for storing at least one viewer preference profile of at least one television viewer using said subscriber unit;   viewer preference profile loading apparatus for providing a recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer to the profile storage unit for storage;   an intelligent agent for customizing said program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile using said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer, to produce a program guide comprising customized program schedule information; and   display apparatus for displaying the program guide.   
     
     
         11 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said intelligent agent comprises an intelligent agent customizing said program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile using said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer as an anti-profile, to produce a program guide comprising customized program schedule information. 
     
     
         12 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 11 , wherein said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer is used as an anti-profile such that customizing said program schedule information is opposite to customizing said program schedule information using said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer. 
     
     
         13 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 10 , wherein a particular program preferred according to said recorded viewer preference profile of another viewer is deemphasized. 
     
     
         14 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said another viewer comprises a viewer who has used another subscriber unit. 
     
     
         15 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said viewer preference profile loading apparatus receives said recorded viewer preference profile via said television network. 
     
     
         16 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said customizing comprises one of the following: emphasizing at least a portion of said customized program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile; and deemphasizing at least a portion of said customized program schedule information based, at least in part, on said viewer preference profile. 
     
     
         17 . A subscriber unit according to  claim 10 , wherein said another viewer comprises a well-known famous person.