Enhanced television services for digital video recording and playback

• US 20020166123A1
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simms, Andrew M., Crawford, Jeffrey D., Schrader, Joseph A., Crow, William M., Scott, Samuel T., Lee, Alvin P., San Jule, Todd B.
• Application Number:
  US10/052,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20020166123A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/372 Programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4722 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• 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 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A television service enables enhance Digital Video Recording (DVR) capability by providing content in conjunction with broadcast television programming. The content is associated with the broadcast television programming to enable record and/or playback one or more programs in various modes of operation.

Claims

1. A method for digitally recording a broadcast television program in an audio/video entertainment system comprising the steps of:

receiving enhanced content including preview information concerning at least one broadcast television program and an event identifier associating the enhanced content with the at least one broadcast television program;

presenting the preview information and a selector button on a video display;

in response to viewer selection of the selector button, causing the entertainment system to automatically tune to the broadcast television program associated with the event identifier when the program is actually broadcast; and

digitally recording the broadcast television program on a storage medium.

2. The invention as in claim 1 further comprising the step of tuning to a second broadcast television program while the digitally recording step is being performed.

3. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the video display is a television receiver.

4. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the preview information corresponds to future sports television programming.

5. A computer program product for use in a network environment having at least one client system and one broadcast server coupled to said network environment, wherein said network environment is a distributed environment capable of delivering broadcast television programming, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing the client system to receive the television programming and to receive dynamic content including plurality of program indices corresponding to predetermined time logs for at least one of the programs in the television programming;

computer readable code for causing the client system to store at least a portion of the television programming as at least one program segment on a storage medium;

computer readable program code for associating one of the program indices with the at least one program segment;

computer readable program code for performing a search for the at least one program segment based on the associated program index; and

computer readable program code for causing said client system to display, the at least one television program segment.

6. The invention as in claim 5 wherein the dynamic content includes control data associating the dynamic content with at least one user interface.

7. The invention as in claim 6 further including computer readable program code for creating a plurality of program segments based on the program indices.

8. The invention as in claim 7 further including computer readable program code for automatically skipping forward from the end of a first program segment to the beginning of a second program segment in a skip-forward mode of operation.

9. The invention as in claim 8 further including computer readable program code for automatically skipping backward from the end of a second program segment to the beginning of a first program segment in a skip-backward mode of operation.

10. The invention as in claim 5 wherein the dynamic content received by the client system further includes an event-based indicator, and wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable program code for adjusting the record time of a television program based upon the event-based indicator.

11. The invention as in claim 10 wherein the computer program product comprises computer readable program code for extending the record time based on the event-based indicator.

12. The invention as in claim 10 wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable program code for reducing the record time of a television program based upon the event-based indicator.

13. The invention as in claim 5 wherein the dynamic content received by the client system includes an event-based indicator, and wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable program code for causing the client system to automatically record a television program based upon the receipt of the event-based indicator.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program event log indices are created as the program is broadcast.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein the program event log indices are transmitted to the client system in real-time.

17. The invention of claim 15 wherein the program log indices are transmitted to the client system after the recording of a show.

18. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program-specific rules relate to sporting events.

19. The invention of claim 18 wherein the program-specific rules relate to football.

20. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program-specific rules relate to news events.

21. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program-specific rules relate to televised music programs.

22. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program-specific rules relate to televised movies.

23. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program-specific rules relate to preview programs.

24. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program specific rules relate to infomercials.

25. The invention of claim 16 wherein the event log indices are transmitted in a format that enables the client system to define multiple playback modes of operation.

26. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program event log indices are formatted in the Extensible Markup Language.

27. The invention of claim 14 wherein the program event log indices are transmitted to the client system in a batch mode.

28. The invention as in claim 16 wherein additional versions of the program log indices are transmitted to the client system in a batch mode.

29. The invention as in claim 16 wherein the event log indices are transmitted in a peer-to-peer networking environment.

30. The invention as in claim 16 wherein the one or more control files are used to create a playback application by the client system.

14. A method for creating digital video recording enhancements for a television program comprising the steps of:

creating program event log indices marking events in the program meeting program-specific rules;

creating one or more control files associated with the program event log indices to facilitate receipt of user input at a client system; and

transmitting the program event log indices and the one or more control files to the client system to enable the client system to perform an intelligent filter based on processing of the program event log indices in response to user input.

31. A method for processing video recording enhancements in a client system adapted to receive television programming comprising the steps of:

receiving the television programming;

storing the television programming as a recorded program;

receiving program event indices developed according to one or more defined rules applied to the television programming; and

associating the program event indices with corresponding segments in the recorded program.

32. The invention of claim 31, wherein at least one of the plurality of defined rules requires an event log to be captured upon the occurrence of a certain action in the television programming.

33. A method for enabling an intelligent skip feature in digital video recording apparatus that is capable of storing one more recorded programs comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of program event log indices developed in accordance with program-specific rules;

associating at least certain ones of the event log indices with corresponding intervals in a recorded program; and

locating the corresponding interval in the recorded program.

34. The method as in claim 33 wherein the receiving step includes receiving an index file including the plurality of program event indices.

35. The method as in claim 34 wherein the index file further includes control data.

38. The invention as in claim 37 further comprising the step of recording broadcast television programming while the interactive user interface is being presented.

39. The invention as in claim 37 wherein the playback application includes Markup language files, graphics files, picture files, scripting files, index files and other data.

40. The invention as in claim 37 wherein the steps of receiving enhanced content and the step of receiving index information occur after the programming has been broadcast.

41. The invention as in claim 37 wherein the steps of receiving enhanced content and the step of receiving index information occur during a broadcast of programming.

36. A digital recording device operable to perform an intelligent skip comprising:

a storage medium containing a recording; and

a Digital Video Recording engine executing on a data processing device adapted to receive a plurality of context sensitive program indices, to associate at least certain ones of the program indices with corresponding segments of the recording, and to locate the corresponding segment in the recording.

37. A method for playing back digitally recorded programming in an audio/video entertainment system comprising the steps of:

receiving enhanced content concerning the recorded programming;

receiving index information concerning the digitally recorded program;

associating the enhanced content with the index information;

creating a playback application from the enhanced content including functionality for creating an interactive user interface on a video display;

presenting the interactive user interface including at least one selector button on the video display;

in response to viewer selection of the selector button, causing the entertainment system to automatically locate at least one of the plurality of indices; and

presenting digitally recorded programming corresponding to the at least one located index.

42. A computer program product for use in a network environment having at least one client system and one broadcast server coupled to said network environment, wherein said network environment is a distributed environment capable of delivering broadcast television programming, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing the client system to store recorded television programming, to store dynamic content including plurality of program indices corresponding to predetermined time logs for at least one of the programs in the television programming, and to store one or more control and data files;

computer readable code for causing the client system to create a playback application program based on the received one or more control and data files;

computer readable program code for causing the application program to associate one of the program indices with a location in recorded television programming; and

computer readable program code for performing a search for at least one program location based on the associated program index.

43. The invention as in claim 42 wherein the application program includes Markup language files, scripting files and index files.

44. The invention as in claim 43 wherein the application program further includes graphics files, picture files, and other data.

45. The invention as in claim 42 wherein the application program includes computer readable program code for searching a plurality of recorded programs in accordance with a user preference.

46. A method for extending the record time of a broadcast program being recorded by Digital Video Recording apparatus comprising the steps of:

receiving an enhanced user alert during the broadcast program and at least one unique event identifier associating the user alert with the broadcast program;

processing the user alert to determine an extended record time for the broadcast program; and

automatically changing the record time of the broadcast program to the extended record time.

47. A method for altering a determined record time of a televised sporting event in a Digital Video Recording system comprising the steps of:

receiving a user alert containing metadata concerning the duration for the sporting event and a unique event identifier associating the user alert with the televised sporting event;

processing the user alert to determine an altered record time for the televised sporting event; and

automatically recording the televised sporting event for the altered record time.

48. A method for automatically recording a televised event in a Digital Video Recording system comprising the steps of:

receiving a speculative user alert concerning a televised event and at least one event identifier associating the speculative user alert with the televised event;

processing the speculative user alert by the Digital Video Recording system;

determining by the Digital Video Recording system that the event is to be recorded based on information contained in the speculative user alert; and

automatically recording the televised event.