Enhanced home entertainment system with removable long-term storage

• US 20020019986A1
• Filed: 06/05/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Original Assignee: JLB Ventures, LLC
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,330 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42669 the medium being removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

A method and apparatus for A set top box (STB) displaying an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) on a display, and in response to a single selection from a user, transferring a program and auxiliary data related to the program from a first storage device of the STB to a removable storage device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

A set top box (STB) displaying an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) on a display;

In response to a single selection from a user, transferring a program and auxiliary data related to the program from a first storage device of the stb to a removable storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the single selection includes a single pressing of a selected portion on a control panel of the STB.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the single selection includes a single pressing of a selected portion on a remote control apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, further including, in response to a single selection from the user, transferring a program and auxiliary data related to the program from the removable storage device to the first storage device of the STB.

5. The method of claim 4, further including maintaining an index of programs and related auxiliary data transferred from the first storage device to the removable storage device.

6. The method of claim 5, furthering including, in response to a user selecting a program transferred on to the removable storage device, the STB prompting the user to insert the removable storage device into the STB.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the removable storage device is a DVD-RAM.

8. A machine readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed causes a system to perform a method comprising:

A set top box (STB) displaying an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) on a display;

In response to a single selection from a user, transferring a program and auxiliary data related to the program from a first storage device of the STB to a removable storage device.

9. The machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein the single selection includes a single pressing of a selected portion on a control panel of the STB.

10. The machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein the single selection includes a single pressing of a selected portion on a remote control apparatus.

11. The machine readable medium of claim 8, further including, in response to a single selection from the user, transferring a program and auxiliary data related to the program from the removable storage device to the first storage device of the STB.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 11, further including maintaining an index of programs and related auxiliary data transferred from the first storage device to the removable storage device.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12, furthering including, in response to a user selecting a program transferred on to the removable storage device, the STB prompting the user to insert the removable storage device into the STB.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the removal n e storage device is a DVD-RAM.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the single selection includes a single pressing of a selected portion on a control panel of the STB.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the single selection includes a single pressing of a selected portion on a remote control apparatus.

18. The system of claim 15, further including, in response to a single selection from the user, the transfer unit transfers a program and auxiliary data related to the program from the removable storage device to the first storage device of the STB.

19. The system of claim 18, further including an index unit to maintain an index of programs and related auxiliary data transferred from the first storage device to the removable storage device.

20. The system of claim 19, furthering including a unit to prompt the user to insert the removable storage device into the STB in response to a user selecting a program transferred on to the removable storage device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the removable storage device is a DVD-RAM.

15. A system comprising:

A set top box (STB) to display an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) on a display;

In response to a single selection from a user, a transfer unit to transfer a program and auxiliary data related to the program from a first storage device of the STB to a removable storage device.