Short term surfing channel list

• US 20040172651A1
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasilewski, Anthony J., Rovira, Luis A.
• Application Number:
  US10/376,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172651A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/46
• 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 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A system for recalling surfed channels includes functionality that stores identifications of surfed channels and recalls each of the surfed channels in response to a user pressing a button on a device.

Claims

1. A method for recalling surfed channels, the method comprising the steps of:

storing identifications of surfed channels; and

recalling each of the surfed channels in response to a user pressing a button on a device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recalling includes the step of highlighting a program entry associated with at least one of the surfed channels in an interactive programming guide screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of recalling includes the step of tuning to a presentation screen associated with at least one of the surfed channels, wherein the presentation screen includes a display of a content instance.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing a user interface screen to enable a user to configure at least one of the surfed channels that can be recalled, the chronological order that the surfed channels can be recalled, a minimum threshold duration that a channel should be tuned to in order to be considered a surfed channel eligible for being recalled, and a duration of storing the identifications of the surfed channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the button includes a Last channel button.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing includes the step of storing the identifications in a data structure in memory.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of storing and recalling includes the steps of storing at least three identifications and recalling at least three surfed channels corresponding to the three stored identifications.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the step of recalling each of the surfed channels corresponding to the stored identifications in an opposite chronological order in response to a user pressing a second button on the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of a remote control device, a digital home communication terminal, an analog home communication terminal, and a television set.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of identifications to store is configurable.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifications include at least one of a surfed channel number and a service identifier corresponding to at least one of the surfed channels.

12. A method for recalling surfed channels, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a pointer to a configured number of surfed channels; and

recalling each of the configured number of surfed channels in response to a user pressing a button on a remote control device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of recalling includes the step of highlighting a program entry associated with the configured number of surfed channel in an interactive programming guide screen.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of recalling includes the step of tuning to a presentation screen associated with the configured number of surfed channels, wherein the presentation screen includes a display of a content instance.

15. A method for recalling surfed channels, the method comprising the steps of:

storing at least three identifications of surfed channels in a short term surfed channel list; and

recalling each of the surfed channels corresponding to the at least three identifications in response to a user pressing a button on a device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of storing includes the step of storing a user configurable number of identifications of surfed channels in a data structure in memory.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of recalling includes the step of highlighting a program entry associated with at least one of the surfed channels in an interactive programming guide screen.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of recalling includes the step of tuning to a presentation screen associated with at least one of the surfed channels, wherein the presentation screen includes a display of a content instance.

19. The method of claim 15, further including the step of providing a user interface screen to enable a user to configure at least one of the surfed channels that can be recalled, the chronological order that the surfed channels can be recalled, a minimum threshold duration that a channel should be tuned to in order to be considered a surfed channel eligible for being recalled, and a duration of storing the identifications of the surfed channels.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the device is at least one of a remote control device, a digital home communication terminal, an analog home communication terminal, and a television set.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the identifications include at least one of a surfed channel number and a service identifier corresponding to at least one of the surfed channels.

22. A method for recalling surfed channels, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a user interface screen to enable a user to configure at least one of a number of surfed channels that can be recalled, a chronological order that the surfed channels can be recalled, a minimum threshold duration that a channel should be tuned to in order to be considered a surfed channel eligible for being recalled, and a duration of storing identifications of the surfed channels;

storing the identifications of the surfed channels; and

recalling each of the surfed channels corresponding to the stored identifications in response to a user pressing a button on a remote control device.

23. A system for recalling surfed channels, the system comprising:

a memory with logic; and

a processor configured with the logic to store identifications of surfed channels, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall each of the surfed channels in response to a user pressing a button on a device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic recall by highlighting a program entry associated with at least one of the surfed channels in an interactive programming guide screen.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic recall by tuning to a presentation screen associated with at least one of the surfed channels, wherein the presentation screen includes a display of a content instance.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a user interface screen to enable a user to configure at least one of the surfed channels that can be recalled, a chronological order that the surfed channels can be recalled, a minimum threshold duration that a channel should be tuned to in order to be considered a surfed channel eligible for being recalled, and a duration of storing the identifications of the surfed channels.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the button includes a Last channel button.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to store the identifications in a data structure in memory.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to store at least three identifications and recall at least three surfed channels corresponding to the three stored identifications.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall the surfed channels corresponding to the stored identifications in an opposite chronological order in response to a user pressing a second button on the device.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the device is at least one of a remote control device, a digital home communication terminal, an analog home communication terminal, and a television set.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein a number of identifications to store is configurable.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the identifications include at least one of a surfed channel number and a service identifier corresponding to at least one of the surfed channels.

34. A system for recalling surfed channels, the system comprising:

a memory with logic; and

a processor configured with the logic to store a pointer to a configured number of surfed channels, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall each of the configured number of surfed channels in response to a user pressing a button on a remote control device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall by highlighting a program entry associated with the configured number of surfed channel in an interactive programming guide screen.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall by tuning to a presentation screen associated with the configured number of surfed channels, wherein the presentation screen includes a display of a content instance.

37. A system for recalling surfed channels, the system comprising:

a memory with logic; and

a processor configured with the logic to store at least three identifications of surfed channels in a short term surfed channel list, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall each of the surfed channels corresponding to the stored identifications in response to a user pressing a button on a device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic store a user configurable number of identifications of surfed channels in a data structure in memory.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall by highlighting a program entry associated with at least one of the surfed channels corresponding to the stored identifications in an interactive programming guide screen.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall by tuning to a presentation screen associated with at least one of the surfed channels, wherein the presentation screen includes a display of a content instance.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a user interface screen to enable a user to configure at least one of the surfed channels that can be recalled, a chronological order that the surfed channels can be recalled, a minimum threshold duration that a channel should be tuned to in order to be considered a surfed channel eligible for being recalled, and a duration of storing the identifications of the surfed channels.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the device is at least one of a remote control device, a digital home communication terminal, an analog home communication terminal, and a television set.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein the identifications include at least one of a surfed channel number and a service identifier corresponding to at least one of the surfed channels.

44. A system for recalling surfed channels, the system comprising:

a memory with logic; and

a processor configured with the logic to provide a user interface screen to enable a user to configure at least one of a number of surfed channels that can be recalled, a chronological order that the surfed channels can be recalled, a minimum threshold duration that a channel should be tuned to in order to be considered a surfed channel eligible for being recalled, and a duration of storing identifications of the surfed channels, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to store the identifications of the surfed channels, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to recall each of the surfed channels corresponding to the stored identifications in response to a user pressing a button on a remote control device.