Broadcast program recording overrun and underrun scheduling system

• US 20020191954A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Beach, Brian, Waterman, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/294
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A broadcast program recording overrun and underrun scheduling system provides a system for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program'"'"'s recording schedule that has a predetermined start and end broadcast time. An on screen program guide is displayed to the viewer via a monitor or television and lists the predetermined scheduled broadcast times and channels of a plurality of broadcast programs. The viewer selects a particular broadcast program to record from the program guide using a remote input device. The invention schedules the broadcast program to be recorded by inserting the program'"'"'s information such as program identifier, start and end times, and storage duration into a recording schedule database. The invention allows the viewer to adjust the scheduled start and/or end recording times for a broadcast program by specifying the time increment to add or substract from the start and/or end recording times of a specific program or series of programs. The invention adjusts the recording schedule to the viewer'"'"'s modifications. Broadcast programs are recorded onto a persistent storage device when the recording schedule indicates that it is time to do so. The viewer is allowed to adjust the end recording time of a program while the program is being recorded. The viewer can randomly access the recorded programs on the persistent storage device for play back.

Claims

1. A process for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

accepting user input;

wherein the user indicates a particular broadcast program to record;

wherein said broadcast program has a predetermined start and end broadcast time;

scheduling said broadcast program to be recorded; and

adjusting said start and/or said end recording time for said broadcast program as indicated by the user.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a program guide to the user;

wherein said program guide lists the scheduled broadcast times of a plurality of broadcast programs; and

wherein the user selects said broadcast program from said program guide.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the user specifies the time increment to be added or subtracted from said start or said end recording time.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the user is allowed to modify said end recording time while said broadcast program is being recorded.

5. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a storage device;

recording said broadcast program on said storage device; and

wherein said broadcast program is recorded beginning at said start time and ending at said end time.

6. The process of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

playing back said broadcast program stored on said storage device to the user.

7. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a recording schedule;

wherein said recording schedule contains the program identifiers and start and end times of broadcast programs to be recorded; and

wherein said recording step records broadcast programs on said storage device according to said recording schedule.

8. An apparatus for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:

a module for accepting user input;

wherein the user indicates a particular broadcast program to record;

wherein said broadcast program has a predetermined start and end broadcast time;

scheduling said broadcast program to be recorded; and

adjusting said start and/or said end recording time for said broadcast program as indicated by the user.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a module for displaying a program guide to the user;

wherein said program guide lists the scheduled broadcast times of a plurality of broadcast programs; and

wherein the user selects said broadcast program from said program guide.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user specifies the time increment to be added or subtracted from said start or said end recording time.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user is allowed to modify said end recording time while said broadcast program is being recorded.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a storage device;

a module for recording said broadcast program on said storage device; and

wherein said broadcast program is recorded beginning at said start time and ending at said end time.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a module for playing back said broadcast program stored on said storage device to the user.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a recording schedule;

wherein said recording schedule contains the program identifiers and start and end times of broadcast programs to be recorded; and

wherein said recording module records broadcast programs on said storage device according to said recording schedule.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

displaying a program guide to the user;

wherein said program guide lists the scheduled broadcast times of a plurality of broadcast programs; and

wherein the user selects said broadcast program from said program guide.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user specifies the time increment to be added or subtracted from said start or said end recording time.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the user is allowed to modify said end recording time while said broadcast program is being recorded.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

providing a storage device;

recording said broadcast program on said storage device; and

wherein said broadcast program is recorded beginning at said start time and ending at said end time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

playing back said broadcast program stored on said storage device to the user.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

providing a recording schedule;

wherein said recording schedule contains the program identifiers and start and end times of broadcast programs to be recorded; and

wherein said recording step records broadcast programs on said storage device according to said recording schedule.

15. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

accepting user input;

wherein the user indicates a particular broadcast program to record;

wherein said broadcast program has a predetermined start and end broadcast time;

scheduling said broadcast program to be recorded; and

adjusting said start and/or said end recording time for said broadcast program as indicated by the user.