Method of broadcasting data for programming a receiver

• US 20020029386A1
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cell-Comm LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Robbins, Thomas Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An automatic reminding system for reminding a user or tuning a receiver, such as a television, radio, recording device, computer, etc. to a particular carrier based on a detected ID code broadcast on that particular carrier. A user first activates the system when a broadcast signal is broadcasting an ID code that corresponds to a program that is broadcast. The receiver will either automatically remind a user that a particular broadcast is being broadcast or tune to a carrier that broadcasts the broadcast that corresponds to the ID code that was previously stored. Further the ID code may alternatively program the receiver with a date/time stamp to automatically tune to a particular carrier at a particular time.

Claims

1. A method of programming a television receiver, the receiver operable to receive a plurality of television channels, the receiver comprising an automatic tuner, the automatic tuner being operable to automatically tune the receiver to a particular channel, the particular channel corresponding to an ID code, said method comprising:

receiving a first broadcast television program with the receiver, the first broadcast television program being received on a first channel during a first time period;

receiving a commercial corresponding to a second television program with the receiver, the commercial being received on the first channel during a second time period, the second time period being within the first time period;

receiving the ID code with the receiver, the ID code being received on the first channel during the second time period; and

activating the receiver during the second time period to extract and store the ID code;

wherein the ID code comprises a differentiating portion that enables the receiver to differentiate any one of a plurality of types of ID codes from one another and an information portion for use by the automatic tuner to automatically tune the receiver to a second channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of ID codes comprises repeating ID codes, bait ID codes, capture ID codes, and programming ID codes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the types of programming ID codes further comprise:

a first type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, and a start time;

a second type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a start time, and an end time;

a third type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, and a duration;

a fourth type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a start time, and a data stream;

a fifth type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a start time, an end time, and a data stream; and

a sixth type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a duration, and a data stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the differentiating portion of the ID code comprises two bits.

5. A method of transmitting comprising:

transmitting a first program during a first time period on a first data stream, the first program comprising a first main program, a sub-program, and a bait ID code, the sub-program being within the main program, and the bait ID code corresponding to the sub-program; and

transmitting a second program during a second time period on a second data stream, the second program comprises a second main program and a capture ID code, the second main program corresponds to the sub-program, and the capture ID code corresponds to the bait ID code.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein the first program and the sub-program include a first vertical blanking interval, and the bait ID code is in the first vertical blanking interval of the sub-program, and

wherein the second program includes a second vertical blanking interval, and the capture ID code is in the second vertical blanking interval.

7. A method of transmitting an ID code to be received by a receiver, the receiver operable to receive a plurality of data streams, the receiver comprising an automatic tuner, the automatic tuner being operable to automatically tune the receiver to a particular data stream, the particular data stream corresponding to the ID code, said method comprising:

transmitting a differentiating portion of the ID code that enables the receiver to differentiate any one of a plurality of types of ID codes from one another; and

transmitting an information portion of the ID code for use by the automatic tuner to automatically tune the receiver to the particular data stream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of types of ID codes comprises repeating ID codes, bait ID codes, capture ID codes, and programming ID codes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the types of programming ID codes further comprise:

a first type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, and a start time;

a second type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a start time, and an end time;

a third type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, and a duration;

a fourth type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a start time, and a data stream;

a fifth type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a start time, an end time, and a data stream; and

a sixth type of programming ID code including information relating to a start date, a duration, and a data stream.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the differentiating portion of the ID code comprises two bits.