Television chat system

Abstract

A television chat system is provided that allows television viewers to engage in real-time communications in chat groups with other television viewers while watching television. Users of the television chat system may engage in real-time communications with other users who are currently watching the same television program or channel. The system allows real-time communications in a chat group to be transmitted between users at user television equipment devices via a television distribution facility. The television chat system of the present invention permits users to join chat groups related to television programs, channels, or categories of programs that the user may be interested in. Real-time communications may be textual messages, audio communications, or video communications. The television chat system may also allow users to send chat requests to ask other users to enter a chat group. The system also permits users to establish chat groups that television viewers are permitted to join. The television chat system may be based on an interactive television program guide or set-top box application implemented on a set-top box.

1 . A chat system wherein a user at a user television equipment that is connected to a television distribution facility by a communications path may communicate with other users in chat groups, the chat system comprising:
 a storage device that maintains chat information data comprising a listing of currently available chat groups;   user television equipment that is operative to receive a first user selection of a particular television program, receive the listing from the storage device encoded digitally in band with the television program signal on a digital channel corresponding to the selected television program over the communications path, store the listing, determine whether there is at least one chat group from the listing that is available for the selected television program, provide the user with an opportunity to join the at least one chat group in response to determining that the chat group from the listing is available for the selected television program, receive a second user selection to join the chat group, and send and receive real-time communications for the chat group over the communications path; and   chat equipment in communication with, or located at, the television distribution facility that is operative to distribute the real-time communications for the chat group.   
     
     
         2 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the selected television program is a current television program being displayed on the user television equipment. 
     
     
         3 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the user television equipment is further operative to provide the user with an opportunity to send a chat request to the other users at other user television equipment to ask the other users whether they wish to join the chat group. 
     
     
         4 . The chat system defined in  claim 3  wherein the user television equipment is further operative to provide the user with an opportunity to send the chat request only to the other users who are currently watching the selected television program. 
     
     
         5 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the user television equipment is further operative to provide the user with an opportunity to block or to only allow a chat request asking whether the user wishes to join the chat group from at least one of the other users. 
     
     
         6 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein an interactive television program guide that allows the user to participate in the chat group with the other users is at least partly implemented on the user television equipment. 
     
     
         7 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the chat equipment comprises a chat server that is operative to handle real-time textual communications. 
     
     
         8 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the chat equipment is further operative to support real time audio communications or real-time video communications. 
     
     
         9 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the user television equipment is further operative to provide the user with an opportunity to record a chat session. 
     
     
         10 . The chat system defined in  claim 1  wherein the user television equipment is further operative to provide the user with an opportunity to set a chat reminder. 
     
     
         11 . A method for providing chat groups in a chat system in which a user at a user television equipment may communicate with other users in the chat groups, the user television equipment being connected to a television distribution facility by a communications path, comprising:
 receiving a first user selection of a particular television program;   receiving chat information data comprising a listing of a plurality of currently available chat groups related to television programming from a storage device and encoded digitally in band with the television program signal on a digital channel corresponding to the selected television program over the communications path;   storing the listing;   determining whether there is at least one chat group from the listing that is available for the selected television program;   providing the user with an opportunity to join the at least one chat group in response to determining that the chat group from the listing is available for the selected television program;   receiving a second user selection to join the chat group; and   sending and receiving real-time communications for the chat group to chat equipment in communication with, or located at, the television distribution facility over the communications path.   
     
     
         12 . The method defined in  claim 11  wherein the selected television program is a current television program being displayed on the user television equipment. 
     
     
         13 . The method defined in  claim 11  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to send a chat request to the other users at other user television equipment to ask the other users whether they wish to join the chat group. 
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 13  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to send the chat request only to the other users who are currently watching the selected television program. 
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 11  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to block or to only allow a chat request asking whether the user wishes to join the chat group from at least one of the other users. 
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 11  further comprising partly implementing an interactive television program guide on the user television equipment that allows the user to participate in the chat group with the other users. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 11  wherein the sending and receiving further comprises sending and receiving the real-time communications for the chat group to a chat server at the chat equipment that is operative to handle real-time textual communications. 
     
     
         18 . The method defined in  claim 11  wherein the sending and receiving further comprises sending and receiving the real-time communications for the chat group to the chat equipment that is operative to support real-time audio communications or real-time video communications. 
     
     
         19 . The method defined in  claim 11  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to record a chat session. 
     
     
         20 . The method defined in  claim 11  further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to set a chat reminder.