Method of automatically switching television channels

• US 10,567,695 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2017
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Stevens, Clarke
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendoza, Junior O
• Application Number:
  US15/847,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20180115736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

Method for automatically switching television channels or other content sources. The method may be used with any electronic media to facilitate switching between channels or other content sources based on events or other occurrences in non-viewed channels, such as but not limited to switching channels based on sporting event occurrences (goals, ending of game, etc.), news event occurrence (breaking news, health tips, etc.), and other any number of other identifiable events.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a plurality of non-transitory instructions executable with a processor of a controller to facilitate switching between content, the non-transitory instructions being sufficient for:

instructing a device with signals carried over a network to access a first content for playback to a viewer;

determining a second content desired for recording based on user inputs manually input by the viewer to the controller;

while the first content is being viewed, instructing the device with signals carried over the network to generate a recording of the second content such that the recording records the second content while unviewed by the viewer;

monitoring event coding included within the second content to identify a plurality of events occurring in the second content while the first content is being viewed and the second content is being unviewed by the viewer, the event coding being different from and independent of closed-captioning included within the second content to identify the plurality of events;

determining one of the plurality of events to be associated with a first event specified by the viewer with the user inputs;

instigating a change operation after determining occurrence of the first event within the second content while the first content is being viewed and the second content is being unviewed, the change operation occurring after an initial event at a beginning of the second content and prior to a last event at an ending of the second content such that the change operation occurs after the beginning and prior to the ending of the second content, the change operation including;

i) instructing the device with signals carried over the network to cease playback of the first content to the viewer;

ii) instructing the device with signals carried over the network to rewind the recording to a point in the recording occurring before occurrence of the first event; and

iii) instructing the device with signals carried over the network to playback the recording beginning at the point.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the plurality non-transitory instructions are sufficient for instructing the device to access the first content via a first webpage.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the plurality non-transitory instructions are sufficient for instructing the device to record the second content via a second webpage.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the plurality non-transitory instructions are sufficient for instructing the device to record the second content via a cable or a wireless antenna associated therewith.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the plurality of non-transitory instructions are sufficient for instructing the device to record the second content from signaling streamed over the Internet.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the plurality of non-transitory instructions are sufficient for instructing the device to record the second content on a digital video recorder (DVR).

7. A method for switching content comprising:

instructing a device with signals carried over a network to access a first content for playback to a viewer;

determining a second content desired for recording based on user inputs manually input by the viewer to a controller;

while the first content is being viewed, instructing the device with signals carried over the network to generate a recording of the second content such that the recording records the second content while unviewed by the viewer;

monitoring event coding included within the second content to identify a plurality of events occurring in the second content while the first content is being viewed and the second content is being unviewed by the viewer, the event coding being different from and independent of closed-captioning included within the second content to identify the plurality of events;

determining one of the plurality of events to be associated with a first event specified by the viewer with the user inputs;

instigating a change operation after determining occurrence of the first event within the second content while the first content is being viewed and the second content is being unviewed, the change operation occurring after an initial event at a beginning of the second content and prior to a last event at an ending of the second content such that the change operation occurs after the beginning and prior to the ending of the second content, the change operation including;

i) instructing the device with signals carried over the network to cease playback of the first content to the viewer;

ii) instructing the device with signals carried over the network to rewind the recording to a point in the recording occurring before occurrence of the first event; and

instructing the device with signals carried over the network to playback the recording beginning at the point.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising instructing the device to access the first content via a first webpage.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising instructing the device to record the second content via a second webpage.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising instructing the device to record the second content via a cable or a wireless antenna associated therewith.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising instructing the device to record the second content from signaling streamed over the Internet.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising instructing the device to record the second content on a digital video recorder (DVR).