Interactive television program guide with remote access

• US 20060031883A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Hassell, Joel G., Lemmons, Thomas R., Berezowski, David M., McCoy, Robert H., Thomas, William L., Knee, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,006,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television program guide with remote access is provided. The interactive television program guide is implemented on interactive television program guide equipment. A remote program guide access device is connected to the interactive television program guide equipment by a remote access link to provide a user with remote access to program guide functions.

Claims

1. A system for selecting programs over a remote access link for recording, comprising:

interactive television program guide equipment on which a local interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the interactive television program guide equipment includes user television equipment located within a user'"'"'s home; and

a remote program guide access device located outside of the user'"'"'s home on which a remote access interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the remote access interactive television program guide is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to remotely select a program for recording by the local interactive television program guide over a remote access link; and

the local interactive television program guide is configured to record the television program selected by the user with the interactive television program guide equipment.

2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the local interactive television program guide is configured to record the television program selected by the user on the user television equipment.

3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein local interactive television program guide is configured to record the television program selected by the user at a television distribution facility.

4. A method for selecting programs over a remote access link for recording, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a user with an opportunity to select a program for recording over a remote access link by a local interactive television program guide implemented on interactive television program guide equipment having user television equipment located within the user'"'"'s home with a remote access interactive television program guide implemented on a remote program guide access device located outside of the user'"'"'s home; and

recording the program selected by the user with the local interactive television program guide on the interactive television program guide equipment.

5. The method defined in claim 4 wherein recording the program selected by the user with the local interactive television program guide on the interactive television program guide equipment comprises recording the program on the user television equipment.

6. The method defined in claim 4 wherein recording the program selected by the user with the local interactive television program guide on the interactive television program guide equipment comprises recording the program at a television distribution facility.

7. A machine-readable medium for selecting programs over a remote access link for recording, the machine-readable medium comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for:

receiving a user selection of a television program from a remote access interactive television program guide for recording by a local interactive television program guide over a remote access link, wherein the local interactive television program guide is implemented on interactive television program guide equipment that includes user television equipment located within the user'"'"'s home, and wherein the remote access interactive television program guide is implemented on a remote program guide access device located outside of the user'"'"'s home; and

recording the selected television program with the local interactive television program guide on the interactive television program guide equipment.

8. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 7 further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for recording the selected television program with the local interactive television program guide on the user television equipment.

9. The machine-readable medium defined in claim 7 further comprising machine program logic recorded thereon for recording the selected television program with the local interactive television program guide at a television distribution facility.