Program viewing apparatus and method

• US 20050240962A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixel Instruments Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pixel Instruments Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, J. Carl, Anderson, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/04 Time compression or expansion
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/662 using a time/frequency relationship, e.g. time compression or expansion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42227 the keys being reprogrammable, e.g. soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

The present invention relates to improvements in program viewing apparatus and methods, some of which are now commonly referred to as personal video recorder (PVR) and program guide features in television sets, set top boxes and other video devices. The invention provides for a user display such as a flat panel program display device, a user remote for the user to control operations and features, program data storage for storing programs and related information, removable data storage for storing programs and related information on removable storage media. Also included is a data manager which functions include response to the user'"'"'s desires via the user remote to control receiving and storing programs and select received or stored programs to be displayed on the user display device. The data manager may also be responsive to receive, store and display other services such as programming guide services to provide enhanced program viewing and storage management as directed by the user.

Claims

1. A system for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) a user display,

b) digital data storage memory, which contains a first television program,

c) a user remote,

d) a delivery channel interface responsive to a delivery channel, which delivery channel provides data comprising a second television program that is being currently broadcast, without the user'"'"'s request, by a programming source,

e) a data manager responsive to said user remote and said data to cause said second television program to be stored in said digital data storage memory, and

f) wherein, said data manager operates in response to said user remote and at least one of said data and said digital data storage memory to allow the user to select said first or said second television program for display on said user display while said second television program is being stored.

10. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said programming source is a traditional broadcast television station and said delivery channel is the traditional television channel corresponding to that station.

11. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said programming source is a traditional broadcast television station and said delivery channel includes a cable television system.

12. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said programming source is a traditional broadcast television station and said delivery channel is a satellite television system.

13. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said programming source is a subscription based programming network and said delivery channel is a satellite television system.

14. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein the user may select, via said user remote, particular television programs that are to be broadcast in the future and said digital data storage memory will store said programs when they are broadcast.

15. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein the user may select, via said user remote, particular categories of television programs that are to be broadcast in the future and said digital data storage memory will store said television programs when they are broadcast.

16. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein, upon command from the user via said user remote, said data manager causes program guide information, about television programs to be broadcast in the future, to be displayed on said user display, said user selecting, via said user remote, individual ones of said television programs to be stored by said digital data storage memory when broadcast.

17. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein, upon command from the user via said user remote, said data manager causes program guide information, about television programs to be broadcast in the future, to be displayed on said user remote, said user selecting, via said user remote, individual ones of said television programs to be stored by said digital data storage memory when broadcast.

18. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein, upon command from the user via said user remote, said data manager causes program guide information, about television programs to be broadcast in the future, to be displayed on said user display, said user selecting, via said user remote, particular categories of said television programs to be stored by said digital data storage memory when broadcast.

19. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein, upon command from the user via said user remote, said data manager causes program guide information, about television programs to be broadcast in the future, to be displayed on said user remote, said user selecting, via said user remote, particular categories of said television programs to be stored by said digital data storage memory when broadcast.

20. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said data manager is operable to cause at least one of said television programs to be stored on removable data.

21. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein said data manager is operable to cause at least one television program previously stored in said digital data storage memory to be stored on removable data.

22. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein the television program stored in said digital data storage memory is in compressed form.

23. The system of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 wherein, upon command from the user via said user remote, said data manager causes program guide information, about television programs to be broadcast in the future, to be displayed on said user display, said user selecting, via said user remote, particular ones of said television programs to be stored on removable data storage.

2. A system for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) a user display,

b) digital data storage memory,

c) a user remote,

d) a delivery channel interface responsive to a plurality of delivery channels, each said delivery channel simultaneously providing data comprising a respective television program that is currently being publicly broadcast, without the user'"'"'s request, by a respective programming source,

e) a data manager responsive to said user remote and said data to cause a first of said television programs of d) to be displayed on said user display,

f) said data manager also responsive to said user remote and said data to cause a second of said television programs of d) to be stored in said digital data storage memory while said first television program is being displayed.

3. A system for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) a user display,

b) digital data storage memory with at least a first television program previously received from a delivery channel in d) and stored in said memory,

c) a user remote,

d) a delivery channel interface responsive to a plurality of delivery channels, each said delivery channel simultaneously providing data comprising a respective television program that is currently being publicly broadcast, without the user'"'"'s request, by a respective programming source,

e) a data manager responsive to said user remote and said data to cause at least one of said respective television programs of c) to be stored in said digital data storage memory simultaneously with the display of said first television program on said user display.

4. A system for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) a user display,

b) digital data storage memory,

c) a user remote,

d) a delivery channel interface responsive to a plurality of delivery channels, each said delivery channel simultaneously providing data comprising a respective television program that is currently being publicly broadcast, without the user'"'"'s request, by a respective programming source,

e) a data manager responsive to said user remote and to said data to provide a respective first television program of d) to said user display,

f) said data manager further responsive to said user remote and to said data to cause at least one other of said respective television programs of d) to be stored by said digital data storage memory simultaneously with the display of said first television program on said user display,

g) said data manager further responsive to a command, entered by a user via said user remote, to cause a pause in said first television program being provided to said user display.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein, at a time after the occurrence of the command of g), the user enters another command via said user remote to change the operation of said data manager such that the first television program continues from the point of said pause.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein said data manager operates to continue said first television program after said pause at an increased speed relative to its original speed and to pitch correct said audio portion to compensate for pitch errors resulting from said increased speed.

6. A system for receiving, storing and displaying a television program comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) a user display,

b) digital data storage memory,

c) a user remote,

d) a delivery channel interface responsive to a delivery channel, which delivery channel provides data comprising a television program that is being currently broadcast, without the user'"'"'s request, by a programming source,

e) a data manager responsive to said user remote and said data to provide said television program to said user display,

f) said data manager also responsive to said user remote and said data to cause said digital data storage memory to store said television program while it is being displayed on said user display,

g) said data manager further responsive to a command, entered by a user via said user remote, to change the operation of said data manager in e) above to pause said television program being provided to said user display.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein, at a time after the occurrence of the command of g), the user enters another command via said user remote for the purpose of changing the operation of said data manager such that said television program continues from the point of said pause.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said data manager operates to continue said television program after said pause at an increased speed relative to its original speed and to pitch correct said audio portion to compensate for pitch errors resulting from said increased speed.

24. A method for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) receiving at least one television program which is being currently broadcast, without any user request, by a programming source via a delivery channel,

b) storing said television program in a storage device, said storage device also containing a program previously received over a delivery channel and stored on said storage device,

c) in response to a user command transmitted by a user remote, providing at least one of said television programs of a) or said previously received television program from said storage device to a user display.

33. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein said programming source is a traditional broadcast television station and said delivery channel is a traditional television channel.

34. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein said programming source is a traditional broadcast television station and said delivery channel includes a cable television system.

35. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein said programming source is a traditional broadcast television station and said delivery channel includes a satellite television broadcasting system.

36. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein said programming source is a subscription based programming network and said delivery channel includes a satellite television broadcasting system.

37. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 whereby a television program of a) which is being currently broadcast was selected by the user from a plurality of individual programs, at a time before the current broadcast of said program, to be stored in said storage device while being currently broadcast.

38. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 whereby a particular category including a television program of a) which is being currently broadcast was selected by the user from a plurality of categories of programs, at a time before the current broadcast of said program, to be stored in said storage device while being currently broadcast.

39. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) receiving program guide information about television programs which are to be broadcast in the future,

r) upon command from the user, displaying various of the program guide information on said user display,

s) while the program guide information is being displayed, selecting individual ones of said television programs to be stored when being currently broadcast.

40. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) receiving program guide information about television programs which are to be broadcast in the future,

r) upon command from the user, displaying various of the program guide information on said user remote,

s) while the program guide information is being displayed, selecting individual ones of said television programs to be stored when being currently broadcast.

41. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) receiving program guide information about television programs which are to be broadcast in the future,

r) upon command from the user, displaying various of the program guide information on said user display,

s) while the program guide information is being displayed, selecting particular categories of said television programs to be stored when being currently broadcast.

42. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) receiving program guide information about television programs which are to be broadcast in the future,

r) upon command from the user, displaying various of the program guide information on said user remote, and

s) while the program guide information is being displayed, selecting particular categories of television programs, including a television program of a), at a time before the current broadcast of said program, to be stored in said storage device while being currently broadcast.

43. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further step of storing at least one said currently broadcast television program on removable data storage media.

44. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further step of storing at least one said previously received program on removable data storage media.

45. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) receiving program guide information about television programs which are to be broadcast in the future,

r) upon command from the user, displaying various of the program guide information for the user to view,

s) in response to a user command given while the program guide information is being displayed, at a time in the future storing at least one then current television program on removable data storage media.

46. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, displaying a menu on said user display, said menu including a listing of currently stored television programs in said storage device of step b),

r) highlighting a particular stored program shown on said listing in response to said viewer pressing one or more cursor arrow keys on said user remote, and

s) providing to said user display from said storage device said highlighted particular stored program in response to said viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote.

47. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, displaying menu on said user display, said menu including a listing of currently stored television programs in said storage device of step b),

r) highlighting a particular stored program shown on said listing in response to said viewer pressing one or more cursor arrow keys on said user remote, and

s) providing to said user display from said storage device said highlighted particular stored program in response to said viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote.

48. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, displaying a menu on said user display, said menu including a listing of television program types,

r) highlighting a particular television program type shown on said listing in response to said viewer pressing one or more cursor arrow keys on said user remote, and

s) in response to said viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, storing in said storage device of step b) television programs of the highlighted type when being currently broadcast and thereby become said current television programs.

49. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further steps of:

q) in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, displaying a menu on said user remote, said menu including a listing of television program types,

r) highlighting a particular television program type shown on said listing in response to said viewer pressing one or more cursor arrow keys on said user remote, and

s) in response to said viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, storing in said storage device of step b) television programs of the highlighted type when being currently broadcast and thereby become said current television programs.

50. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein television programs stored in said storage device of step b) are stored utilizing digital data compression.

51. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein television programs stored in said storage device of step b) are stored in an MPEG compressed form.

52. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32wherein television programs include HDTV video and are stored in said storage device of step b) in an MPEG compressed form.

53. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 wherein said television programs being broadcast by a programming source of step a) are broadcast utilizing digital data compression.

54. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32wherein said television programs being broadcast by a programming source of step a) are broadcast in an MPEG compressed form.

55. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32wherein said television programs being broadcast by a programming source of step a) include HDTV video and are broadcast in an MPEG compressed form.

56. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further step of:

in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, a phone call is initiated.

57. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further step of:

in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, a phone call is answered.

58. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further step of:

in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, a phone call is initiated and said television program being provided to said user display of step b) is paused.

59. The method of claim 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 or 32 including the further step of:

in response to a viewer pressing one or more keys on said user remote, a phone call is answered and said television program being provided to said user display of step b) is paused.

25. A method for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) receiving at least one television program which is being currently broadcast, without any user request, by a programming source via a delivery channel,

b) storing said television program in a storage device, said storage device also containing a program previously received over a delivery channel and stored on said storage device,

c) in response to a user command transmitted by a user remote, providing said previously received television program from said storage device to a user display.

26. A method for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) receiving a plurality of television programs which are being currently broadcast, without any user request, each from a respective programming source via a respective delivery channel,

b) storing said plurality of television programs in a storage device, said storage device also containing a program previously received over a delivery channel and stored on said storage device,

c) in response to a user command transmitted by a user remote, providing one of said television programs of a) to a user display.

27. A method for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) receiving a plurality of television programs which are being currently broadcast, without any user request, each from a respective programming source via a respective delivery channel, each of said television programs comprising program data,

b) storing a first of said television programs in a storage device, said storage device also containing a program previously received over a delivery channel and stored on said storage device,

c) in response to a user command transmitted by a user remote, providing said first television program to a user display in response to its respective program data,

d) in response to a user command transmitted by said user remote, changing the first television program so that it responds to said storage device rather than to said program data, causing a pause in said first television program being provided to said user display.

28. A method as claimed in claim 27 including the further step:

e) in response to the user entering another command via said user remote at a time after the occurrence of the command of d), causing the said first television program to be continued from said pause and provided to said user display, thereby ending the pause.

31. A method as claimed in claim 27 or 29 including the further step:

e) in response to the user entering another command via said user remote after the command of d), causing said first television program to be continued and provided to said user display, the continuing first television program occurring at an increased speed relative to its speed before said pause, with pitch correction of the audio portion thereof to compensate for pitch errors resulting from said increased speed.

29. A method for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) receiving at least a first television program which is being currently broadcast, without any user request, by a programming source via a first delivery channel,

b) storing said first television program in a storage device, said storage device also containing a program previously received over a delivery channel and stored on said storage device,

c) in response to a user command transmitted by a user remote, providing said first television program to a user display as it is received in response to said first delivery channel or after it is received in response to said storage device,

d) in response to a user command transmitted by said user remote, changing said first television program so that it responds to said storage device, thereby causing said first television program being provided to said user display to pause while said first television program is simultaneously being stored in said storage device.

30. A method as claimed in claim 29 including the further step:

e) in response to the user entering another command via said user remote after the command of d), causing said first television program to be continued from said pause and provided to said user display, thereby ending the pause.

32. A method for receiving, storing and displaying television programs comprised of video and audio portions including in combination:

a) receiving a plurality of television programs which are being currently broadcast, without any user request, by respective programming sources via respective delivery channels,

b) storing said plurality of television programs in a storage device, said storage device also containing a program previously received over a delivery channel and stored on said storage device,

c) in response to a user command transmitted by a user remote, providing one of said television programs of a) to a user display as it is received or immediately thereafter,

d) in response to another user command transmitted by said user remote, changing said television program of c) so that a still frame of said television program is provided from said storage device and displayed on said user display,

e) in response to another user command transmitted by said user remote, providing said previously received television program to the user display to play from the point of said still frame.