Use of screensaver to mask EPG data capture

• US 20060090180A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LSI Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Uz, K. Metin
• Application Number:
  US10/970,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method for masking an electronic program guide data capture in a set-top box, comprising the steps of (A) determining whether the set-top box is active or inactive based on the frequency of user input, (B) if the set-top box is inactive, activating a screensaver, and (C) capturing the electronic program guide data.

Claims

1. A method for masking an electronic program guide data capture in a set-top box, comprising the steps of:

(A) determining whether said set-top box is active or inactive based on the frequency of user input;

(B) if said set-top box is inactive, activating a screensaver; and

(C) capturing said electronic program guide data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

after said electronic program guide data has been captured, deactivating said screensaver.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (C) further comprises:

tuning said set-top box to a predetermined channel to initiate said capture.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein step (A) determines said activity or inactivity by determining whether any use input has occurred in the last N minutes, where N is a variable.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prior to step (C), determining whether any user input has occurred in the last M minutes, where M is a variable.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

checking for user activity during said capture.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said capture is stopped if user activity occurs.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said capture continues if no user activity occurs.

9. An apparatus for masking an electronic program guide data capture in a set-top box, comprising:

means for determining whether said set-top box is active or inactive based on the frequency of user input;

means for if said set-top box is inactive, activating a screensaver; and

means for capturing said electronic program guide data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for deactivating said screensaver after said electronic program guide data has been captured.

11. An apparatus for masking an electronic program guide data capture in a set-top box, comprising:

a first section configured to determine whether said set-top box is active or inactive based on the frequency of user input;

a second section configured to (i) determine if said set-top box is inactive and (ii) activate a screensaver; and

a third section configured to capture said electronic program guide data.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus deactivates said screensaver after said electronic program guide data has been captured.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus tunes said set-top box to a predetermined channel to initiate said capture.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus determines said activity or inactivity by determining whether any use input has occurred in the last N minutes, where N is a variable.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus determines whether any user input has occurred in the last M minutes, where M is a variable.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus checks for user activity during said capture.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said capture is stopped if user activity occurs.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said capture continues if no user activity occurs.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said electronic program guide is captured on a separate media than one or more recorded programs.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said set-top box comprises a hard disc drive recorder.

21. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said set-top box comprises a DVD recorder.