Apparatus and method for providing data for a carousel

Abstract

An apparatus and method of providing data for a carousel from which iTV pages may be obtained including defining a plurality of information templates, each information template specifying content for an iTV page, defining a plurality of presentation templates, each presentation template specifying the presentational appearance for an iTV page, assigning a presentation template to an information template, and modifying the information template as required for presentation by the presentation template and outputting, for a carousel, data representing the presentation template and the modified information template, an iTV page being obtained from the carousel by displaying the content specified by the modified information template with the presentational appearance specified by the presentation template.

1 . A broadcast system for broadcasting interactive television pages to client receivers displaying received content, the system comprising:
 a content gateway configured to define a page to be displayed with content as an information template, the content gateway being configured to define the information template with links to other pages, the information templates having tags identifying respective links, wherein operation at a client receiver causes movement from display of a page of a first information template with content to a page of a second information template according to a selected link of the first information template.   
     
     
         2 . A broadcast system according to  claim 1  wherein operation of an operation key of a client receiver causes movement to the page of the second information template according to a link of the first information template identified by a tag associated with the operation key. 
     
     
         3 . A broadcast system according to  claim 1  wherein links of the first information template are provided as features of the displayed page in direct correspondence with particular operation keys. 
     
     
         4 . A broadcast system according to  claim 3  wherein the features are provided to correspond with number keys of a client control. 
     
     
         5 . A broadcast system according to  claim 1  wherein the displayed content and the information template interrelate in a defined manner. 
     
     
         6 . A broadcast system according to  claim 1  wherein the content is taken from external sources such as HTML pages or databases. 
     
     
         7 . A broadcast system according to  claim 1  wherein the information template defines 1) logos or icons and 2) positions and appearances of link symbols. 
     
     
         8 . A broadcast system according to  claim 1  wherein the information template is provided with tags or metadata relating to various aspects or portions of the content. 
     
     
         9 . A client receiver wherein:
 the client receiver is configured to display content received from a broadcast system broadcasting interactive television pages wherein a page to be displayed with content is defined as an information template with links to other pages, information templates having tags identifying respective links; and   the client receiver includes a client control configured to be operated to cause movement from display of a page of a first information template with content to a page of a second information template according to a selected link of the first information template.   
     
     
         10 . A client receiver according to  claim 9  including at least one operation key wherein operation of the operation key causes movement to the page of the second information template according to a link of the first information template identified by a tag associated with the operation key. 
     
     
         11 . A client receiver according to  claim 9  including operation keys wherein links of the first information template are provided as features of the displayed page in correspondence with particular operation keys. 
     
     
         12 . A client receiver according to  claim 11  wherein the features are provided to correspond with number keys of the client control. 
     
     
         13 . A client receiver according to  claim 9  wherein the displayed content and the information template interrelate in a defined manner. 
     
     
         14 . A client receiver according to  claim 9  wherein the content is taken from external sources such as HTML pages or databases. 
     
     
         15 . A client receiver according to  claim 9  wherein the information template defines 1) logos or icons and 2) positions and appearances of link symbols. 
     
     
         16 . A client receiver according to  claim 9  wherein the information template is provided with tags or metadata relating to various aspects or portions of the content. 
     
     
         17 . A method of broadcasting interactive television pages to client receivers displaying received content, the method comprising:
 defining pages to be displayed with content as information templates and defining the information templates with links to other pages and tags identifying respective links; and   at client receivers, moving from display of a page of a first information template with content to a page of a second information template according to a selected link of the first information template.