Remotely controlling a video recorder

• US 20020100044A1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Published: 07/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Daniels, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A client system for remotely controlling a video recorder receives program data from a remote server in response to user input selecting a time sequential signal from a program schedule guide provided by the remote server, via the Internet, email, a computer-readable medium, or a broadcast signal. The user input is transmitted to the remote server over the Internet from the client system or a remote location. The client system determines when it is time to record the time sequential signal based at least in part upon the program data, which includes broadcast time, channel, and duration. Upon determining it is time to record, the client system tunes to, receives, and records the transmission of the time sequential signal.

Claims

1. In a server that communicates with a remote interactive television system, a method of causing the interactive television system to record a selected program, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, from a remote computer, information representing a program listing corresponding to a television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system, wherein the program listing has been selected at the remote computer in response to input received at the remote computer; and

in response to the information, transmitting control information to the interactive television system causing the interactive television system to record the television program.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, prior to the act of receiving information, the act of transmitting a program schedule to the remote computer, the program schedule including a plurality of program listings.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the act of receiving, from the remote computer, information representing a television signal provider that is to broadcast the television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system, wherein the television signal provider has been selected at the remote computer in response to input received at the remote computer.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising, prior to the act of receiving information representing a television signal provider, the act of transmitting, to the remote computer, information identifying a plurality of television signal provider that are capable of broadcasting television programs to the interactive television system.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the server communicates with the remote computer through an Internet connection.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the control information specifies a time, date and duration of the television program that is to be recorded.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the control information comprises transmission source information that enables the interactive television system to tune to a signal in which the television program is encoded.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the transmission source information identifies at least one of a television broadcast channel, a cable channel, and a satellite channel through which the signal is to be received by the interactive television system.

9. In a computer that receives a programming schedule from a server, a method of causing a remote interactive television system to record a selected program, the method comprising the acts of:

displaying a program schedule that includes a plurality of program listings;

receiving user input selecting a program listing of the plurality of program listings; and

in response to the user input, transmitting information representing the selection of the program listing to the server, so as to enable the server to cause the interactive television system to record a television corresponding to the selected program listing.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the act of transmitting information representing the selection of the program listing occurs over the Internet.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the act of transmitting information representing the selection of the program listing occurs only upon receiving a password from a user.

12. A method as recited in claims 9, further comprising the act of receiving the program schedule from the server.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of receiving the program schedule comprises the act of accessing a web page of the server.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the web page of the server identifies at least one television signal provider corresponding to a location of the remote interactive television system.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising the acts of:

prior to receiving input selecting the program listing, receiving input selecting a television signal provider associated with a location of the interactive television system; and

transmitting information representing the selection of the television signal provider to the server.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the server communicates with the remote computer through an Internet connection.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of recording the television program is performed based on the control information, wherein the control information identifies a time and date at which the television program is to be recorded.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising the act of using at least one of a system clock and a calendaring application to determine a current time and date for comparison with the time and date identified by the control information.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of recording the television program is performed based on the control information, wherein the control information identifies a television signal in which the television program is encoded.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the act of recording the television program is performed based on the control information, wherein the control information identifies a transmission source from which a television signal in which the television program is encoded is to be broadcast.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the transmission source is associated with one of a television broadcast channel, a cable channel, and a satellite channel.

23. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of recording the television program comprises the act of tuning the interactive television system to a channel identified by the control information.

24. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the control information has been generated by the server in response to the server receiving, from a remote computer, information representing a program listing corresponding to the television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system, wherein the program listing has been selected at the remote computer in response to input received at the remote computer.

26. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the method further comprises, prior to the act of receiving information, the act of transmitting a program schedule to the remote computer, the program schedule including a plurality of program listings.

27. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the control information specifies a time, date and duration of the television program that is to be recorded.

28. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the control information comprises transmission source information that enables the interactive television system to tune to a signal in which the television program is encoded.

29. A computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the transmission source information identifies at least one of a television broadcast channel, a cable channel, and a satellite channel through which the signal is to be received by the interactive television system.

30. A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein the server communicates with the remote computer through an Internet connection.

16. In an interactive television system that communicates with a remote server, a method of recording a television program, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving, from the server, control information that has been generated by the server in response to the server receiving from a remote computer information representing a program listing corresponding to a television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system; and

in response to the control information, recording the television program.

25. A computer program product for implementing, in a server that communicates with a remote interactive television system, a method of causing the interactive television system to record a selected program, wherein the computer program product comprises:

a machine-readable medium carrying executable instructions that, when executed, cause the server to perform the method, including the acts of;

receiving, from a remote computer, information representing a program listing corresponding to a television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system, wherein the program listing has been selected at the remote computer in response to input received at the remote computer; and

in response to the information, transmitting control information to the interactive television system causing the interactive television system to record the television program.

31. An interactive television system, comprising:

a recording device;

means for receiving, from the server, control information that has been generated by the server in response to the server receiving from a remote computer information representing a program listing corresponding to a television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system;

means for recording the television program to the recording device in response to the control information.

32. An interactive television system as recited in claim 31, wherein the means for receiving control information comprise an Internet connection.

33. An interactive television system as recited in claim 31, wherein the means for recording the television program operate in response to a time and date identified by the control information.

34. An interactive television system as recited in claim 31, wherein the control information identifies a television signal in which the television program is encoded, and wherein the means for recording the television program comprise means for tuning to the television signal.

35. An interactive television system as recited in claim 31, wherein the control information identifies a transmission source of a television signal in which the television program is encoded, and wherein the means for recording the television program comprise means for tuning to the television signal.

36. An interactive television system as recited in claim 31, wherein the control information has been generated by the server in response to the server receiving, from a remote computer, information representing a program listing corresponding to the television program that is to be recorded by the interactive television system, wherein the program listing has been selected at the remote computer in response to input received at the remote computer.