Claims
- 1-22. (Canceled).
- 23. A partially-connected receiver unit comprising:
configuration data stored in a local memory, including connectivity information; means for receiving and identifying connected-content triggers; means for selectively ignoring the connected-content triggers during a prescribed period of time and for selectively executing the connected-content triggers at a time other than the prescribed period of time.
- 24. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein executing the connected-content triggers includes establishing and maintaining a bi-directional connection to a remote information store to access content identified by the connected-content triggers.
- 25. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein the connectivity information defines the prescribed period of time.
- 26. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein ignoring the connected-content triggers includes storing at least a portion of a connected-content trigger that includes a link to connected content that can be accessed by accessing a remote information store.
- 27. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 26, wherein a viewer can execute the link at any time, including the prescribed period of time.
- 28. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein selectively ignoring a connected-content trigger comprises preventing a display of information associated with the trigger during the prescribed period of time.
- 29. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein means for receiving and identifying connected-content triggers includes means for identifying a connectivity value of one or more triggers.
- 30. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 29, wherein the means for selectively ignoring the connected-content triggers includes determining that the connectivity value of the one or more triggers is set to a value of later.
- 31. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 29, wherein the prescribed period of time is for at least a day.
- 32. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein means for receiving and identifying connected-content triggers includes means for identifying one or more triggers that can only be executed at a time other than the prescribed period of time.
- 33. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, further comprising means for receiving and executing one or more disconnected-content triggers.
- 34. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 33, wherein executing disconnected-content triggers includes accessing content associated with the disconnected-content trigger without having to establish and maintain a bi-directional connection to a remote information store.
- 35. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 33, wherein at least one disconnected-content trigger is executed during the prescribed period of time.
- 33. A method for executing triggers from a partially-connected receiver, comprising:
receiving one or more connected-content triggers and one or more disconnected-content triggers; selectively ignoring the one or more connected-content triggers during a prescribed period of time; selectively executing the connected-content triggers only at a time after the prescribed period of time; and executing the one or more disconnected-content triggers at any time, including during the prescribed period of time.
- 34. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein executing the one or more connected-content triggers includes establishing and maintaining a bi-directional connection to a remote information store to access content identified by the one or more connected-content triggers.
- 35. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein connectivity information stored by the partially-connected receiver defines the prescribed period of time.
- 36. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein ignoring the one or more connected-content triggers includes storing at least a portion of a connected-content trigger that includes a link to connected content that can be accessed by accessing a remote information store at a later time.
- 37. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein selectively ignoring the one or more connected-content triggers comprises preventing a display of information associated with the one or more connected-content triggers during the prescribed period of time, and wherein executing the one or more disconnected-content triggers includes displaying information associated with the one or more disconnected-content triggers.
- 38. A method as recited in claim 33, further including:
upon receiving the one or more connected-content triggers and the one or more disconnected-content triggers, identifying a connectivity value of one or more triggers.
- 39. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein upon identifying a connectivity value of a particular trigger is set to a value of later, the method further includes determining that the particular trigger can be executed only at a time other than the prescribed period of time.
- 40. A partially-connected receiver unit as recited in claim 23, wherein means for receiving and identifying connected-content triggers includes means for identifying one or more triggers that can only be executed at a time other than the prescribed period of time.
- 41. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method recited in claim 33.
- 42. A computer program product as recited in claim 41, wherein ignoring the one or more connected-content triggers includes storing at least a portion of a connected-content trigger that includes a link to connected content that can be accessed by accessing a remote information store at a later time.
- 43. A computer program product as recited in claim 41, wherein selectively ignoring the one or more connected-content triggers comprises preventing a display of information associated with the one or more connected-content triggers during the prescribed period of time, and wherein executing the one or more disconnected-content triggers includes displaying information associated with the one or more disconnected-content triggers.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation application of commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/467,851 filed Dec. 20, 1999, entitled “Providing Multiple Levels of Interactive Television Service Using Triggers and Trigger Filters”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09467851 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Child |
10893518 |
Jul 2004 |
US |