Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program

• US 20040202453A1
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Televentions LLC
• Original Assignee: Televentions LLC
• Inventors: Iggulden, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 6,856,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/908 Pause control, i.e. "commercial killers"

Abstract

The duration of a recording is automatically extended in the event that a televised program extends beyond the scheduled end of the television broadcast. Groups or “clusters” of commercial messages are detected. If no such group is found at the end of a scheduled broadcast, it is presumed that the broadcast has been extended and the recording is likewise extended. The invention again looks for a group of commercial messages at the next hour or half-hour. The recording is extended until such a group is found or until the recording has been extended by a predetermined maximum amount of time.

Claims

1. A method of recording a television program comprising:

receiving a television signal;

designating a recording start time and a scheduled recording end time;

beginning a recording of the television signal at the recording start time;

examining the television signal to detect a commercial group proximate in time to the scheduled recording end time;

ending the recording at the scheduled recording end time if the commercial group is detected, otherwise extending the recording.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, if the commercial group is not detected, extending the recording to a next time of day increment.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the next time of day increment is the first to occur of a next hour and a next half-hour.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the scheduled end time is designated by adding a recording duration to the recording start time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the recording start time and scheduled recording end time are designated by selecting a program on an on-screen program guide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein examining the television signal comprises detecting events therein.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the events comprise block frames.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the events comprise silent frames.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the events comprise flat frames.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the events comprise video cuts.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein examining the television signal further comprises analyzing time intervals between events.

12. A video recording device having internally stored instructions to execute a method comprising:

receiving a television signal;

designating a recording start time and a scheduled recording end time;

beginning a recording of the television signal at the recording start time;

examining the television signal to detect a commercial group proximate in time to the scheduled recording end time;

ending the recording at the scheduled recording end time if the commercial group is detected, otherwise extending the recording.

13. The video recording device of claim 12 wherein, if the commercial group is not detected, extending the recording to a next time of day increment.

14. The video recording device of claim 13 wherein the next time of day increment is the first to occur of a next hour and a next half-hour.

15. The video recording device of claim 12 wherein examining the television signal comprises detecting events therein.

16. The video recording device of claim 15 wherein the events comprise black frames.

17. The video recording device of claim 15 wherein the events comprise silent frames.

18. The video recording device of claim 15 wherein the events comprise flat frames.

19. The video recording device of claim 15 wherein the events comprise video cuts.

20. The video recording device of claim 15 wherein examining the television signal further comprises analyzing time intervals between events.