Gateway screen for interactive television

Abstract

A gateway screen for interactive television includes a television content panel and an internet content panel. The gateway screen is displayed by an interactive television (ITV), e.g., when the ITV is turned on. The gateway screen allows a user to quickly and easily view information from multiple sources, e.g., a Web site, a television signal source, and an ITV system server, at a glance. This allows a consumer to gain a quick overview of the information presented by the multiple sources. The gateway screen also allows a consumer to select commonly accessed sources. The gateway screen can be tailored to fulfill a specific consumer's needs and can be established based on preferences input by the consumer.

1 . A gateway screen for an interactive television, comprising: 
 at least one television content panel; and    at least one Internet content panel, the gateway screen allowing a consumer to simultaneously view television content and Internet content, the gateway screen being displayed when the interactive television initially is turned on and/or in response to the consumer toggling a gateway screen button.    
   
   
       2 . An interactive television, comprising: 
 a gateway screen displayed by the interactive television at least upon initial energization of the television, the gateway screen having:    at least one television content panel; and    at least one Internet content panel displaying content related to the content in the television content panel.    
   
   
       3 . The interactive television of  claim 2 , wherein the gateway screen is displayed when the interactive television is turned on.  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . The interactive television of  claim 2 , further comprising a gateway screen button and the gateway screen is displayed when the gateway screen button is toggled.  
   
   
       6 . The interactive television of  claim 2 , further comprising a remote control unit, the remote control unit having a gateway screen button and the gateway screen is displayed when the gateway screen button is toggled.  
   
   
       7 . The interactive television of  claim 2 , wherein the television content panel includes content from at least one television signal source.  
   
   
       8 . The interactive television of  claim 2 , wherein the internet content panel includes content from at least one Web server.  
   
   
       9 . An interactive television system comprising: 
 at least one Web server;    at least one interactive television system server;    at least one television signal source; and    at least one interactive television, the interactive television receiving information from the Web server, the interactive television system server, and the television signal source, the interactive television periodically displaying a gateway screen, the gateway screen having at least one television content region and at least one Internet content region, the gateway screen being automatically displayed upon energization of the television.    
   
   
       10 . The interactive television system of  claim 9 , wherein the gateway screen is displayed when the interactive television is turned on.  
   
   
       11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . The interactive television system of  claim 9 , further comprising a gateway screen button and the gateway screen is displayed when the gateway screen button is toggled.  
   
   
       13 . The interactive television system of  claim 9 , further comprising a remote control unit, the remote control unit having a gateway screen button and the gateway screen is displayed when the gateway screen button is toggled.  
   
   
       14 . The interactive television system of  claim 9 , wherein the television content panel includes content from the at least one television signal source.  
   
   
       15 . The interactive television system of  claim 9 , wherein the internet content panel includes content from the at least one Web server.  
   
   
       16 . A method of interactive television, comprising the acts of: 
 displaying a gateway screen in response to a user turning the television on; and    enabling a consumer to receive information from at least two of: at least one Web server, at least one interactive television system server, and at least one television signal source via the gateway screen.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the gateway screen includes at least one television content panel and at least one Internet content panel.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the gateway screen is displayed when the interactive television is turned on.  
   
   
       19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the gateway screen is displayed when a gateway screen button is toggled.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the television content panel includes content from the at least one television signal source.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the internet content panel includes content from the at least one Web server.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising the acts of: 
 receiving consumer input via a conventional TV control device; and    establishing the gateway screen based at least in part on the consumer input.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the gateway screen is stored in a memory within an interactive television.  
   
   
       25 . The gateway screen of  claim 1  wherein content in the Internet content panel is related to content in the television content panel.  
   
   
       26 . The gateway screen of  claim 25 , wherein content in the television content panel is received real-time from a broadcast.  
   
   
       27 . The gateway screen of  claim 25 , wherein content in the television content panel is received from a storage associated with the television.