Program guide for DBS and cable TV

• US 20030074664A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1996
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: E-Guide Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Guide Inc.
• Inventors: Kwoh, Daniel S.
• Application Number:
  US10/298,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074664A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/48
• 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 21/4334 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/84 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A system for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels includes a VCR (80) with an RF tuner. The RF signal carrying the over the air channels is connected to the RF input (64) of the DBS receiver (50), combined with an RF modulation on channel 3 (or 4) of the DBS channel tuned by the DBS receiver. The combined RF signal is sent to the RF tuner in the VCR, which tunes either channel 3 (or 4) for the DBS channel or the appropriate RF channel for a local over the air channel. The output of the RF tuner is output on the VCR'"'"'s baseband video output (84) which is connected to a baseband video input (66) on the DBS receiver. This system provides a baseband video signal for both over the air and DBS channels.

Claims

1. A system for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising:

a direct broadcast satellite receiver comprising;

a digital signal decoder for receiving a signal from a satellite dish input and outputting a video signal for a desired direct broadcast satellite channel;

a video output coupled to the digital signal decoder for outputting the video signal; and

a remote control receiver; and

a television comprising;

a television screen;

an RF input for receiving an RF signal comprising the signal for at least one over the air television channel;

a video input coupled to the video output of the direct broadcast satellite receiver for receiving the video signal from the direct broadcast satellite receiver;

a remote control transmitter for sending remote control signals to the remote control receiver for control of the operation of the direct broadcast receiver satellite;

an electronic program guide controller comprising;

means for sending satellite channel commands by the remote control transmitter, the satellite channel commands communicating the identity of a desired direct broadcast satellite channel to the digital signal decoder;

means for selecting the signal for a desired television channel from between the signal for at least one over the air television channel and the signal for a desired direct broadcast satellite channel;

means for displaying a program guide on the television screen for both over the air television channels and direct broadcast satellite channels including means for directing a movable selector to different ones of the over the air television channels and direct broadcast satellite channels;

means for displaying at least a portion of the picture from the over the air television channel or direct broadcast satellite channel directed to by the selector.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the direct broadcast satellite receiver further comprises:

an RF modulator with an input connected to the output of the digital signal decoder and having modulated RF output; and

a switch with one input connected to the output of the RF modulator, a second input connected to a RF signal comprising the signal for at least one over the air television channel and a switched RF output;

wherein the RF input of the television comprises the video input of the television; and

wherein the means for selecting the signal for a desired television channel further comprises means for sending remote control signals with the remote control transmitter to control the switch.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal for at least one over the air television channel comprises a signal from the output of a television antenna.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal for at least one over the air television channel comprises a cable television signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the video output of the direct broadcast satellite receiver includes electronic program guide data for one or more direct broadcast satellite channels.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for displaying the portion of the picture from the over the air television channel or direct broadcast satellite channel comprises means for displaying the portion of the picture in the electronic program guide.

7. In a television system including a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver and a television, the DBS receiver having a DBS digital signal decoder and a DBS video output, the television having an RF input, a video input coupled to the DBS video output, and an electronic program guide memory, a method for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising:

invoking the DBS digital signal decoder to receive a first video signal from a satellite dish, the first video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more DBS channels;

supplying the first video signal on the DBS video output;

receiving the first video signal supplied by the DBS video output on the television video input;

retrieving the program guide data associated with the DBS channels from the first video signal received on the television video input;

receiving a second video signal comprising the signal for at least one over the air television channel via the television RF input, the second video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more over the air channels;

retrieving the program guide data associated with the over the air channels from the second video signal;

storing the program guide data associated the over the air channels and the DBS channels in the electronic program guide memory of the television; and

displaying the stored program guide data in an electronic program guide format.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

controlling the tuning of both direct broadcast satellite channels and over the air channels based upon interactive inputs received in connection with the providing of the electronic interactive program guide.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a television antenna.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a cable television signal.

11. In a television system including a video cassette recorder (VCR) and a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver, the VCR having a VCR RF tuner with a VCR RF input and a VCR video output, and the DBS receiver having a DBS digital signal decoder, a DBS video input coupled to the VCR video output, and an electronic program guide memory, a method for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising:

invoking the VCR RF tuner to tune to a first video signal of an RF channel received via the VCR RF input, the first video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more over the air channels;

supplying the tuned first video signal on the VCR video output;

receiving the first video signal supplied by the VCR video output on the DBS video input;

retrieving the program guide data associated with the over the air channels from the first video signal received on the DBS video input;

invoking the DBS digital signal decoder to receive a second video signal from a satellite dish, the second video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more DBS channels;

retrieving the program guide data associated with the DBS channels from the second video signal;

storing the program guide data associated the over the air channels and the DBS channels in the electronic program guide memory of the DBS receiver; and

displaying the stored program guide data in an electronic program guide format.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

controlling the tuning of both direct broadcast satellite channels and over the air channels based upon interactive inputs received in connection with the providing of the electronic interactive program guide.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a television antenna.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a cable television signal.