Three patents filed five years ago by Rupert Murdoch’s British Sky
Broadcasting give it a legal monopoly on key features of digital TV systems
around the world, the company claims. The patents (EP 999 702, 999 703 and 999
704) cover the transmission of schedule information along with the programmes
themselves, so that viewers can select their programmes from a graphics menu
showing titles or a picture of what’s currently on each channel. Another
technique included uses the programme guide to look out for a particular
programme and switch on when it starts.
Technology
Sky's the limit
By Barry Fox
2 September 2000
