System and method of assigning a home channel

• US 20030093815A1
• Filed: 11/10/2001
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Morrison, Hugh Boyd
• Application Number:
  US10/011,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093815A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/140
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A television signal receiver is operative to allow the assigning of a home channel and to tune to that home channel upon power-up of the television signal receiver. The home channel may be selected according to a channel label that identifies the broadcaster, broadcast affiliate or broadcast channel type regardless where the channel is assigned in the area or system of the receiver. The channel label is transmitted as auxiliary data. In one form, the manufacturer of the television signal receiver selects or sets the home channel, which may or may not be changeable by a user of the television signal receiver. In another form, the user of the television signal receiver selects or sets the home channel. The home channel feature may be disabled if desired.

Claims

1. A method of providing a home channel in a video apparatus, comprising the steps of:

storing a selected channel label corresponding to a provider;

acquiring channel information from a source;

determining from the acquired channel information, the broadcast channel frequency corresponding to the selected channel label; and

tuning to the corresponding channel frequency when the video apparatus is turned on.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected channel label is selected before the video apparatus is sold to a retailer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected channel label is selected by a user of the video apparatus.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the channel label is selected via an on-screen menu.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring step is accomplished via one of data contained in a vertical blanking interval of the television signal and of data contained in a packet of the television signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of permitting a user to disable and enable the completion of the steps.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel information source is an electronic program guide.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected channel label is selected before the video apparatus is sold to a retailer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected channel label is selected by a user of the video apparatus.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the channel label is selected via an on-screen menu.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel information is acquired via one of data contained in a vertical blanking interval of the television signal and of data contained in a packet of the television signal.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for permitting a user to disable and enable the completion of the steps.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel information source is an electronic program guide.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of charging the provider a fee.

8. A system for providing a home channel in a video apparatus, comprising:

means for storing a selected channel label corresponding to a provider;

means for acquiring channel information from a source;

means for determining from the acquired channel information, the broadcast channel frequency corresponding to the selected channel label; and

means for tuning to the corresponding channel frequency when the video apparatus is turned on.

15. A system for providing a home channel in a video apparatus, comprising:

memory operative to store a selected channel label corresponding to a provider;

data processor operative to acquire channel information from a source;

controller operative to determine from the acquired channel information, the broadcast channel frequency corresponding to the selected channel label; and

a tuner operative to tune to the corresponding channel frequency when the video apparatus is turned on.