Portable recorded television viewer

• US 20040095516A1
• Filed: 11/16/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gregory Karel Rohlicek
• Original Assignee: Gregory Karel Rohlicek
• Inventors: Rohlicek, Gregory Karel
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/838
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

An approach to recording of television programming for later viewing makes use of a small and relatively inexpensive handheld portable viewer. One or more television programs are loaded into the viewer from a receiver, such as a cable television set-top box. Later, the user selects a loaded program for viewing on the handheld viewer

Claims

1. A method for portable viewing of television programs comprising:

receiving one or more television programs at a terminal coupled to a television system;

encoding a first of the television programs at the terminal, including digitally compressing the first of the television program;

establishing communication between a portable device and the terminal, including downloading the encoded first of the television programs from the terminal to the portable device; and

at the portable device when it is not in communication with the terminal, accepting a command from a user to play the downloaded first of the television programs and in response presenting the downloaded program to the user using a screen on the portable device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein encoding the first of the television programs includes digitally compressing said program, including reducing a resolution of said program.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the terminal comprises a television set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the terminal comprises a program recorder and the method further comprises storing the first of the television programs at the recorder prior to encoding said program.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the communication includes inserting the portable device into a cradle attached to the terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the communication includes establishing wireless communication between the portable device and the terminal.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the communication includes passing a recordable cartridge from the terminal to the portable device, and downloading the television program includes recording the encoded television program on the recordable cartridge at the terminal and reading the recorded cartridge at the portable device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the portable device comprises a programmable game console, and wherein downloading the television program includes passing code for execution on the portable game console on the recordable cartridge.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating encoding and downloading multiple of the television programs.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising accepting at the device coupled to the television system a command from a user identifying the first of the television programs.

11. A portable device for viewing of audio-video programs comprising:

a communication port for communicating with a terminal coupled to a television system;

a memory for storing digitally compressed audio-video programs received through the communication port from the terminal;

a screen for displaying video of the stored programming; and

a processor coupled to the communication port, the memory, and the screen, and programmed to control operation of the device by downloading digitally compressed audio-video programming from the communication port, storing the programming in the memory, accepting commands from a user, and playing the stored programming to the user according to the accepted commands.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the communication port includes a connector that mates with a slot in a cradle coupled to the terminal to provide communication with the terminal.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the communication port enables wireless communication with the terminal.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the communication port includes a portion for accepting a cartridge that is used to carry the digitally compressed programming from the terminal to the portable device.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the cartridge includes a component of the memory when the cartridge is inserted into the communication port.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the cartridge includes a component of a program that the processor uses for controlling the operation of the device when the cartridge is inserted into the communication port.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the portable device comprises a programmable game console.

18. A system for viewing of television programs comprising:

a terminal coupled to a television system, including a receiver for accepting television programs from the television system, a decoder for transmitting the programs to a television set, and an encoder for processing accepted television programs by digitally compressing the programs; and

a portable device for viewing television programs that includes

a communication port for communicating with the terminal,

a memory for storing digitally compressed television programs received through the communication port from the terminal,

a screen coupled for displaying video of the stored programming, and

a processor programmed to control operation of the device by downloading digitally compressed television programs from the communication port, storing the programs in the memory, accepting commands from a user, and playing the stored programs to the user according to the accepted commands.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the terminal comprises a set-top box.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the device coupled to a television system includes a video recorder with a storage for holding television programs prior to processing the programs using the encoder.