Method and apparatus for adaptively storing program guide data

• US 20030051244A1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Klopfenstein, Scott Edward
• Application Number:
  US10/091,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20030051244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Method and apparatus suitable for use within a television receiver for storing program guide information, wherein user interaction with a graphical object is used to determine the level of program information to be stored and the schedule length for the stored program guide information. User may select to store only basic program information, all extended program information, or a combination of basic program information with a desired degree of extended program information.

Claims

1. A method for storing program guide information for a plurality of programs in a receiver, said method comprising:

determining a program guide information level in response to user interaction with a graphical object indicative of said program guide information level;

determining, in response to said program guide information level, a program guide schedule length; and

storing program guide data according to said program guide information level and said program guide schedule length.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical object comprises one of a cursor, a slide bar, a dial and a pie object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said schedule length is increased if said program guide information level is decreased.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said schedule length is decreased if said program guide information level is increased.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said program guide information comprises basic program information and extended program information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said program guide information level is defined as a percentage of program guide schedule length containing extended program information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said extended program information provides information regarding at least one of a program description, an actor, a director and a production note for a corresponding program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of programs is broadcast from one of a satellite and a terrestrial broadcasting center.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of programs comprises at least one of a pre-recorded program, a live broadcast, and an advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said program guide information comprises Advanced Program Guide (APG) information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said program schedule comprises an earlier portion and a later portion.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying a reference time of a program object received for a program, where said program object comprises basic program information and extended program information for said a program; and

removing extended program information from said program object if said identified reference time is in said later portion of said program schedule;

wherein,

said program object is stored as at least a portion of said programming guide data.

13. An apparatus for providing program guide information for each of a plurality of channels, said apparatus comprising:

a tuner, for tuning a signal including program guide information;

a demodulator, for demodulating said tuned signal to extract therefrom program guide information;

a memory, for storing said extracted program guide information and instructions; and

a processor, for executing said instructions and performing thereby the following steps;

determining a program guide information level in response to user interaction with a graphical object indicative of said program guide information level;

determining, in response to said program guide information level, a program guide schedule length; and

storing program guide data according to said program guide information level and said program guide schedule length.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said graphical object comprises one of a cursor, a slide bar, a dial and a pie object.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said schedule length is increased if said level of program guide information is decreased.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said schedule length is decreased if said level of program guide information is increased.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said program guide information comprises basic program information and extended program information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said level of program guide information comprises a percentage of said program schedule containing extended program information.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said program guide information comprises Advanced Program Guide (APG) information.

20. An apparatus for storing program guide information for a plurality of programs in a receiver, said method comprising:

means for determining a program guide information level in response to user interaction with a graphical object indicative of said program guide information level;

means for determining, in response to said program guide information level, a program guide schedule length; and

means for storing program guide data according to said program guide information level and said program guide schedule length.