Transparent object management for removable media recorders

• US 20020007488A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan, Kamen, Yakov
• Application Number:
  US09/858,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47

Abstract

A removable storage medium with the ability to receive recorded programs as well as objects related to those programs is provided. When a user chooses to record a movie or other program (e.g., from a television system), or to transfer a recording to the removable storage medium, associated objects such as overlays, annotations, and links are copied along with it, so that they will be available over time. The removable storage medium may be used in connection with an EPG system that displays programming information in a variety of ways including using 3-D images, alphanumeric text, and video data and that can allow viewers and/or programmers to select between varying programming worlds.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first unit to generate an interactive 3-D electronic programming guide (EPG); and

a removeable storage medium to store data associated with past programming events.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a set-top box, a television, or a VCR.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system includes a plurality of drivers, one of the drivers communicating with a separate unit to replenish programming information.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein a memory in the system contains a plurality of objects associated with current programming events, a first class of objects providing plurality of virtual worlds included in the 3-D EPG.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the memory in the system includes a second set of objects that includes at least one of a schedule times, channel identification, or title, corresponding to a program.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the second set of objects includes localized content.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the memory in the system includes a third set of non-EPG objects including objects used for e-commerce.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the 3D EPG includes a presentation of a virtual world related to content selected by a user.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a subset of the virtual world is displayed as a matrix of rectangular boxes containing current program information.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the localized interactive content of the third set of objects is uploaded in real time.

11. The system of claim 10 further including a user interface for a user to interact with the localized interactive content of the 3D EPG.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video and associated objects.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the associated objects includes at least one object selected from a group consisting of programming guide information, trailers, annotations, video clips, overlays, and links to Web sites.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the associated objects include expirations.

31. The method of claim 14 wherein the associated objects include expirations.

16. A method, comprising:

generating an interactive 3-D electronic programming guide (EPG); and

providing a removeable storage medium to store data associated with past programming events.

17. The method of claim 16 further including storing in a memory of a system a plurality of objects associated with current programming events.

18. The method of claim 17 performed by a set-top box, a television system, or a VCR.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the plurality of objects includes a first set of objects providing plurality of virtual worlds included in the 3-D EPG.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the plurality of objects includes a second set of objects that includes at least one of a schedule times, channel identification, or title, corresponding to a program.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the second set of objects includes localized content.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the plurality of objects includes a third set of non-EPG objects including objects used for e-commerce.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the 3D EPG includes a presentation of a virtual world related to content selected by a user.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein a subset of the virtual world is displayed as a matrix of rectangular boxes containing current program information.

25. The method of claim 24 further including uploading the localized interactive content of the third set of objects in real time.

26. The method of claim 25 providing a user interface coupled to the EPG for a user to interact with the localized interactive content.

27. The method of claim 26 further including providing a user interface for a user to interact with the localized interactive content of the 3D EPG.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video and associated objects.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the associated objects includes at least one object selected from a group consisting of programming guide information, trailers, annotations, video clips, overlays, and links to Web sites.

32. A machine-readable storage medium tangibly embodying a sequence of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing for a 3-D enabled electronic programming guide (EPG), the method comprising:

generating an interactive 3-D electronic programming guide (EPG); and

providing a removeable storage medium to store data associated with past programming events.

44. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video.

45. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 32, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video and associated objects.

46. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 45 wherein the associated objects includes at least one object selected from a group consisting of programming guide information, trailers, annotations, video clips, overlays, and links to Web sites.

47. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 46 wherein the associated objects include expirations.

33. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33 stored in a set-top box, a television, or a VCR.

34. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 34 further including instructions to provide a plurality of drivers, one of the drivers communicating with a separate unit to replenish programming information.

35. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 34 further including instructions to provide a plurality of objects associated with current programming events, including a first class of objects providing plurality of virtual worlds included in the 3-D EPG.

36. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 35 wherein the plurality of objects includes a second set of objects that includes at least one of a schedule times, channel identification, or title, corresponding to a program.

37. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 36 wherein the memory in the system includes a third set of non-EPG objects including objects used for e-commerce.

38. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 37 wherein the 3D EPG includes a presentation of a virtual world related to content selected by a user.

39. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 38 wherein a subset of the virtual world is displayed as a matrix of rectangular boxes containing current program information.

40. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 39 wherein a user of the system chooses a virtual world to display programming information.

41. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 40 wherein the second set of objects includes localized content.

42. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 41 wherein the localized interactive content of the third set of objects is uploaded in real time.

43. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 42 further including a user interface for a user to interact with the localized interactive content of the 3D EPG.

48. A System, comprising:

a first unit to generate an interactive 3-D electronic programming guide(EPG);

a removable storage medium to store data associated with past programming events, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video and associated objects, wherein the associated objectd includes at least one object selected from a group consisting of programming guide information, trailers, annotations, video clips, overlays, and links to Web Sites;

a plurality of drivers, one of the drivers communicating with a separate unit to replenish programming information; and

a memory in the system contains a plurality of objects associated with current programming events, a first class of objects providing plurality of virtual worlds included in the 3-D EPG, a second set of objects that includes at least one of a schedule times, channel identification, or title, corresponding to a program, and a third set of non-EPG objects including objects used for e-commerce.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein the system comprises a set-top box, a television, or a VCR.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the second set of objects includes localized content.

51. The system of claim 48 wherein the 3D EPG includes a presentation of a virtual world related to content selected by a user.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein a subset of the virtual world is displayed as a matrix of rectangular boxes containing current program information.

53. The system of claim 48 wherein the localized interactive content of the third set of objects is uploaded in real time.

54. The system of claim 48 further including a user interface for a user to interact with the localized interactive content of the 3D EPG.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein the associated objects include expirations.

56. A system, comprising:

a first unit to generate an interactive 3-D electronic programming guide (EPG); and

a removeable storage medium to store data associated with past programming events, wherein the data to be stored on the removeable storage medium includes digital video and associated objects, wherein the associated objects includes at least one object selected from a group consisting of programming guide information, trailers, annotations, video clips, overlays, and links to Web sites.