HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ITS OPERATION

• US 20010042246A1
• Filed: 08/04/1999
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: SHALKEY, ERIC, WARD, THOMAS EDWARD III, SCHOAFF, P. CHRISTOPHER, YUEN, HENRY C.
• Application Number:
  US09/355,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

An EPG database for a home entertainment system includes files that contain information about television programs retrievable by time and channel. The files are linked to each other so information about a future television program can be obtained by accessing a file about a current television program. A current television program displayed on the screen (20) of a home entertainment system includes an announcement or advertisement (56) of a future television program. The availability of an electronic program guide function (54) is signaled during, before, or after the announcement. A command is issued to invoke the EPG function (54). The information about the future television program is retrieved from the file about the current television program in the database. The EPG function (54) is executed with the retrieved information. The EPG function can be performed with respect to a future television program without embedding information about the future television program in the television signal.

Claims

1. A method for operating a home entertainment system that includes a display screen, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on the screen a current television program that includes an announcement or advertisement of another television program;

signaling the availability of an electronic program guide (EPG) function with respect to the other television program during, before, or after the announcement;

storing in memory an EPG data base including files containing information about television programs retrievable by time and channel, the files being linked to each other so information about the other television program can be obtained by accessing a file about the current television program;

retrieving from the file about the current television program in the data base by time and channel the information about the other television program; and

executing the EPG function with the retrieved information.

2. The method of

claim 1

, in which the EPG function is “

record”

, the information about the other television program is the time, day, channel, and length, the retrieving step retrieves the time, day, channel, and length of the other television program, and the executing step schedules the other television program for unattended recording.

3. The method of

claim 1

, in which the EPG function is “

watch”

, the information about the other television program is the time, day, channel, and length, the retrieving step retrieves the time, day, channel, and length of the other television program, and the executing step schedules the other television program to be displayed on the screen when telecast.

4. The method of

claim 1

, in which the EPG function is “

details”

, the information about the other television program is details about the other television program, the retrieving step retrieves the details, and the executing step displays the details on the screen.

5. The method of

claim 1

, additionally comprising the step of issuing a viewer command to invoke the retrieving and executing steps.

12. The method of

claim 1

, in which the other television program is concurrent with the current program.

13. The method of

claim 1

, in which the other television program is a future program.

14. The method of

claim 1

additionally comprising providing a network that concurrently broadcasts a plurality of programs on different channels, respectively, including the current and other television program.

15. The method of

claim 1

additionally comprising concurrently recording the other program and watching the current program.

16. The method of

claim 5

, in which the step of issuing a viewer command comprises selecting one of a plurality of icons appearing in an announcement, an advertisement, or a television program, each icon representing a different EPG function.

17. The method of

claim 5

, in which the step of issuing a viewer command comprises responding to an icon appearing in an announcement, an advertisement, or a television program.

18. The method of

claim 17

, in which the step of issuing a viewer command additionally comprises displaying an announcement or an advertisement.

19. The method of

claim 18

, in which the step of issuing a viewer command additionally comprises responding to the announcement or advertisement display to invoke the retrieving and executing steps.

20. The method of

claim 1

additionally comprising storing a program announcement while the television is turned off.

21. The method of

claim 20

additionally comprising turning the television on and displaying an icon to alert the viewer of the existence of the stored announcement.

22. The method of

claim 21

additionally comprising issuing a viewer command to view and display the stored announcement.

23. The method of

claim 22

, in which there is more than one stored announcement and the stored announcements are viewed in succession.

24. The method of

claim 22

additionally comprising responding to the display of the stored announcement to invoke the retrieving and executing steps.

6. A home entertainment system comprising:

a monitor having a display screen;

a television receiver adapted to display on the screen a current television program that includes an announcement or advertisement of another television program;

a memory in which is stored an EPG data base including files containing information about television programs retrievable by time and channel, the files being linked to each other so information about the other television program can be obtained by accessing a file about the current television program; and

a microprocessor configured to accept a viewer command to invoke an EPG function, to retrieve from the file about the current television program in the data base by time and channel the information about the other television program, and to execute the EPG function with the retrieved information.

7. The home entertainment system of

claim 6

, additionally comprising a signal of the availability of an electronic program guide (EPG) function with respect to the other television program during, before, or after the announcement.

8. The home entertainment system of

claim 7

, in which the signal displays an icon on the screen.

9. The home entertainment system of

claim 8

, additionally comprising a screen display of a list of choices of EPG functions responsive to a viewer command after the icon is displayed and an EPG function choice selector;

the microprocessor being configured to execute the selected EPG function.

10. The home entertainment system of

claim 7

, in which the signal displays a plurality of icons on the screen, each icon representing a different EPG function.

11. The home entertainment system of

claim 10

, additionally comprising a selector of one of the icons, the microprocessor being configured to execute the selected EPG function.

25. The home entertainment system of

claim 6

, in which the other television program is concurrent with the current program.

26. The home entertainment system of

claim 6

, in which the other television program is a future program.

27. The home entertainment system of

claim 6

additionally comprising a network that concurrently broadcasts a plurality of programs on different channels, respectively, the network broadcasts the current program and the other program.

28. The home entertainment system of

claim 6

, in which the current program is watched while the other program is recording.

29. The home entertainment system of

claim 6

additionally comprising a memory in which is stored a program announcement while the television is turned off.

30. The home entertainment system of

claim 29

additionally comprising an alert icon activated when the television is turned on, the alert icon signals the availability of an electronic program guide (EPG) function with respect to the other television program.

31. The home entertainment system of

claim 30

additionally comprising a screen display of a list of choices of EPG functions responsive to a viewer command in response to the alert icon, and an EPG function choice selector;

the microprocessor being configured to execute the selected EPG function.

32. The home entertainment system of

claim 31

, in which there is more than one stored announcement and the stored announcements are viewed in succession.