Interactive television systems with conflict management capabilities

Abstract

An interactive television system is provided in which a user can use an interactive television application to establish time-based settings. The user may set television program reminders, advance-order pay-per-view programs, schedule programs for recording, and establish parental controls to prevent television viewing during certain times on certain channels. The interactive television application may be used to support video recorder functions such as personal video recorder functions implemented locally on the user's set-top box or other equipment and network-based video recorder functions implemented using servers at cable television headends and other network locations. The interactive television application may also be used to deliver video-on-demand content. When the user requests that video be delivered, conflicts may arise between the requested video delivery and the previously-established time-based settings. The interactive television application may provide the user with on-screen options that allow the user to select how to resolve these conflicts.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for using an interactive television application that is implemented using user equipment, comprising: 
 providing a user with an opportunity to use the interactive television application to create a time-based setting in the interactive television application;    providing the user with an opportunity to request delivery of on-demand content;    using the interactive television application to determine whether there is a conflict between the requested on-demand content and the time-based setting; and    providing the user with an opportunity to instruct the interactive television application how to resolve the conflict between the requested on-demand content and the time-based setting.    
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the time-based setting is selected from the group consisting of: a program reminder setting, an ordered pay-per-view program, a scheduled recording setting, and a parental control setting.  
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the requested on-demand content is selected from the group consisting of video-on-demand content and video recorder content.  
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising using the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to cancel the time-based setting and to receive the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising using the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the user instructs the interactive television application how to resolve the conflict in advance of the conflict.  
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the user instructs the interactive television application how to resolve the conflict as the conflict occurs.  
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the time-based setting is a television programming parental control setting, the method further comprising using the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to override the parental control setting to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         9 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the user equipment comprises user television equipment, the method further comprising displaying a screen for the user on the user television equipment that notifies the user of the conflict and that contains multiple options for the user to select to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         10 . The method defined in  claim 1  further comprising using the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to defer delivery of the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         11 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the requested on-demand content is video-on-demand content from network equipment, the method further comprising using the interactive television application to provide the user with an on-screen option on the user equipment to cancel delivery of the video-on-demand content from the network equipment to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to reschedule the time-based setting.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to begin delivery of on-demand content and to pause the delivery of the on-demand content for the duration of the time-based setting.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the time-based setting is a reminder for a program, the method further comprising providing an option for the user to record the program selected for the reminder.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the time-based setting is for a local recording, the method further comprising providing an option to change the local recording to a network-based recording.  
     
     
         16 . User equipment for use in an interactive television system in which television programming is delivered to a plurality of users over communications paths, the user equipment for each user comprising: 
 control circuitry;    a user input interface for providing the user with an opportunity to provide user inputs to the control circuitry; and    a display for displaying video and screens generated by an interactive television application to the user, wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are configured to: 
 provide the user with an opportunity to use the interactive television application to create a time-based setting in the interactive television application;  
 provide the user with an opportunity to request delivery of on-demand content;  
 use the interactive television application to determine whether there is a conflict between the requested video and the time-based setting; and  
 provide the user with an opportunity to instruct the interactive television application how to resolve the conflict between the requested video and the time-based setting.  
   
     
     
         17 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is selected from the group consisting of: a program reminder setting, a scheduled recording setting, and a parental control setting  
     
     
         18 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the requested on-demand content is selected from the group consisting of video-on-demand content and video recorder content.  
     
     
         19 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is a television program reminder and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to cancel the program reminder and to receive the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         20 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is a television program reminder and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an on-screen option to cancel the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         21 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is for a scheduled recording of a television program and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to cancel the recording of the program and to watch the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         22 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is a scheduled recording of a television program and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         23 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is a television programming parental control setting and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to override the parental control setting to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         24 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is a television programming parental control setting and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an option to cancel the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         25 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to display a screen for the user on the display that notifies the user of the conflict and that contains multiple options from which the user can select to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         26 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to display an on-screen option for the user on the display that the user may select to defer delivery of the requested on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         27 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the requested on-demand content is video-on-demand content from network equipment and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an on-screen option on the display to cancel delivery of the video-on-demand content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         28 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the requested on-demand content is network-based video recorder content from network-based video recorder equipment and wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to use the interactive television application to provide the user with an on-screen option on the display to cancel delivery of the network-based video recorder content to resolve the conflict.  
     
     
         29 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry includes a hard drive for recording a television program for which a given reminder was set when the requested on-demand content conflicts with that reminder.  
     
     
         30 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to resolve the conflict in advance of the conflict.  
     
     
         31 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to resolve the conflict as the conflict occurs.  
     
     
         32 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to reschedule the time-based setting.  
     
     
         33 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the control circuitry, user input interface, and display are further configured to provide the user with an opportunity to begin delivery of on-demand content and to pause the delivery of the on-demand content for the duration of the time-based setting.  
     
     
         34 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is a reminder for a program, the method further comprising providing an option for the user to record the program selected for the reminder.  
     
     
         35 . The user equipment defined in  claim 16  wherein the time-based setting is for a local recording, the method further comprising providing an option to change the local recording to a network-based recording.