Personal video recorder systems and methods
First Claim
1. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the interactive television system having user television equipment comprising:
- a personal video recorder compliant device, wherein an interactive television program guide and personal video recorder extensions are implemented on the personal video recorder compliant device; and
a personal video recorder device coupled to the personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the personal video recorder device comprises a full-port of the interactive television program guide and the personal video recorder extensions, and wherein substantially all interactive television program guide functionalities are provided by the personal video recorder device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an interactive television system for recording television programming. The interactive television system may include components for providing personal video recorder (PVR) functionality, such as an interactive television program guide (IPG), PVR extensions, PVR application programming interfaces (APIs), a PVR device, any suitable hardware or software, or a combination thereof. These components may be implemented in, for example, an arrangement having an integrated PVR-compliant device with a PVR device, or in an arrangement having a PVR-compliant device (e.g., a set-top box) coupled to PVR equipment (e.g., a remote PVR server or a PVR sidecar) with a PVR device. The PVR-compliant device may include software and hardware configured to implement the IPG. The PVR APIs may be a library of intelligent vendor-specific and vendor-independent APIs able to determine the type of PVR device being used. The PVR extensions and PVR APIs may be configured to provide a seamless integration of functionality associated with the PVR-compliant device and the PVR device. A full port of the IPG may be implemented in both the PVR-compliant device and the PVR device.
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Citations
71 Claims
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1. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the interactive television system having user television equipment comprising:
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a personal video recorder compliant device, wherein an interactive television program guide and personal video recorder extensions are implemented on the personal video recorder compliant device; and
a personal video recorder device coupled to the personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the personal video recorder device comprises a full-port of the interactive television program guide and the personal video recorder extensions, and wherein substantially all interactive television program guide functionalities are provided by the personal video recorder device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32)
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18. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the system comprising:
a personal video recorder compliant device that is used by the user to interact with the interactive television system, the personal video recorder compliant device comprising;
software and hardware configured to implement an interactive television program guide, software and hardware configured to implement personal video recorder extensions, and software and hardware configured to implement a plurality of application programming interfaces; and
a personal video recorder device coupled to the personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the application programming interfaces are configured to facilitate communications between the personal video recorder device and the personal video recorder compliant device, and wherein the application programming interfaces are used irrespective of where and how the personal video recorder device is implemented.
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29. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the system comprising:
a personal video recorder compliant device that is used by the user to interact with the interactive television system, the personal video recorder compliant device comprising;
software and hardware configured to implement an interactive television program guide, software and hardware configured to implement personal video recorder extensions, and software and hardware configured to implement a plurality of application programming interfaces; and
a personal video recorder device coupled to the personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the application programming interfaces are configured to facilitate communications between the personal video recorder device and the personal video recorder compliant device, and wherein the personal video recorder extensions and application programming interfaces are configured to provide a seamless integration of personal video recorder functionality with the interactive television program guide.
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33. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the system comprising:
a personal video recorder device that is used by the user to interact with the interactive television system, the personal video recorder device comprising;
software and hardware configured to implement personal video recorder extensions, and software and hardware configured to implement a plurality of application programming interfaces; and
a personal video recorder compliant device with software and hardware configured to implement an interactive television program guide, wherein the personal video recorder compliant device is coupled to the personal video recorder device, and wherein the application programming interfaces are configured to facilitate communications between the personal video recorder device and the personal video recorder compliant device, and wherein the personal video recorder extensions and application programming interfaces are used to provide a seamless integration of personal video recorder functionality to the interactive television program guide. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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37. A method for providing a user with interactive television program guide functionality using user television equipment having a personal video recorder compliant device and a personal video recorder device, which are coupled to one another, the method comprising:
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allowing the user to control the interactive television program guide functionality by sending a command to the personal video recorder compliant device;
generating a signal at the personal video recorded compliant device, wherein the signal corresponds to the command; and
communicating the signal to the personal video recorder device, wherein the signal is used by the personal video recorder device to execute the command.
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43. A method for providing a user with interactive television program guide functionality using user television equipment having a personal video recorder compliant device and a personal video recorder device, which are coupled to one another, the method comprising:
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allowing the user to control the interactive television program guide functionality by communicating a command to the personal video recorder device;
generating a signal at the personal video recorder device, wherein the signal corresponds to the command; and
communicating the signal to the personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the signal is used by the personal video recorded compliant device to execute the command. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51)
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49. A method for allowing a personal video recorder compliant device to communicate with a personal recorder device, the method comprising:
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coupling the personal video recorder device to the personal video recorder compliant device;
detecting the personal video recorder device being coupled;
determining the type of personal video recorder device being used based on information received from the personal video recorder device; and
establishing communications between the personal video recorder device and the personal video recorder compliant device.
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52. A machine readable medium having machine program logic recorded thereon for:
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allowing a user to control an interactive television program guide'"'"'s functionality by sending a command to a personal video recorder compliant device;
generating a signal at the personal video recorded compliant device, wherein the signal corresponds to the command; and
communicating the signal to a personal video recorder device, wherein the signal is used by the personal video recorder device to execute the command. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. A machine readable medium having machine program logic recorded thereon for:
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allowing a user to control an interactive television program guide'"'"'s functionality by communicating a command to a personal video recorder device;
generating a signal at the personal video recorder device, wherein the signal corresponds to the command; and
communicating the signal to a personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the signal is used by the personal video recorded compliant device to execute the command. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A machine readable medium having machine program logic recorded thereon for:
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coupling a personal video recorder device to a personal video recorder compliant device;
detecting the personal video recorder device being coupled;
determining the type of personal video recorder device being used based on information received from the personal video recorder device; and
establishing communications between the personal video recorder device and the personal video recorder compliant device.
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69. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the system comprising:
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means for allowing the user to control an interactive television program guide'"'"'s functionality by sending a command to a personal video recorder compliant device;
means for generating a signal at the personal video recorded compliant device, wherein the signal corresponds to the command; and
means for communicating the signal to a personal video recorder device, wherein the signal is used by the personal video recorder device to execute the command.
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70. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the system comprising:
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means for allowing the user to control an interactive television program guide'"'"'s functionality by communicating a command to a personal video recorder device;
means for generating a signal at the personal video recorder device, wherein the signal corresponds to the command; and
means for communicating the signal to a personal video recorder compliant device, wherein the signal is used by the personal video recorded compliant device to execute the command.
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71. An interactive television system for providing a user with the ability to record television programming, the system comprising:
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means for coupling a personal video recorder device to a personal video recorder compliant device;
means for detecting the personal video recorder device being coupled;
means for determining the type of personal video recorder device being used based on information received from the personal video recorder device; and
means for establishing communications between the personal video recorder device and the personal video recorder compliant device.
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Specification