System and method for managing television tuners

• US 20060174279A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Marc Andrew, Kortum, Philip Ted, Williams, Alyssa Lenorah Noll, Cansler, James L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/993,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42221 Transmission circuitry, e.g. infrared [IR] or radio frequency [RF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for managing a first television tuner and a second television tuner is provided. The method includes detecting when a channel request is received at the first television coupled to the first television tuner and detecting whether a recording is scheduled for the first television tuner. Thereafter, a user is queried via a second television to determine whether the second television tuner is available to record a scheduled recording.

Claims

1. A method for managing at least a first television tuner and at least a second television tuner, the method comprising:

detecting when a channel request is received at a first television coupled to the first television tuner;

detecting whether a recording is scheduled for the first television tuner; and

querying a user via a second television to determine if the second television tuner is available to record a scheduled recording.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating that a recording is scheduled at the first television tuner via the first television.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting a cancel recording option at the first television.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising canceling a schedule recording when the cancel recording option is selected.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising tuning the first television tuner to a requested channel.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting a send recording option at the first television.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising indicating at the second television that a scheduled recording has been sent to the second tuner when the send recording option is selected.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising presenting a return recording option at the second television.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising indicating at the first television that the scheduled recording sent to the second television has been rejected.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising presenting a cancel recording option at the first television.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising canceling the scheduled recording when the cancel recording option is selected.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising tuning the first television tuner to a requested channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting a watch recording option at the first television.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising tuning the first television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising transferring the scheduled recording to the second tuner when no response is received via the second television.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising tuning the second television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising tuning the first television tuner to a requested channel.

18. The method of claim 7, further comprising presenting a watch recording option at the second television.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising tuning the second television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transferring the scheduled recording to the second television tuner.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising tuning the first television tuner to a requested channel.

22. The method of claim 2, further comprising presenting a watch recording option at the first television.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising tuning the first television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

24. A home entertainment system comprising:

at least two television tuners comprising a first television tuner and a second television tuner;

a processor coupled to the first television tuner and the second television tuner;

a memory device accessible to the processor; and

a computer program embedded within the memory device, the computer program comprising;

instructions to detect when a channel request is received at a first television coupled to the first television tuner;

instructions to detect whether a recording is scheduled for the television tuner for which the channel request is detected; and

instructions to display a query at a second television coupled to the second television tuner to determine whether the second television tuner is available to record a scheduled recording.

25. The home entertainment system of claim 24, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display an indication at the first television that a recording is scheduled for the first television tuner.

26. The home entertainment system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display a cancel recording option at the first television.

27. The home entertainment system of claim 26, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to cancel a schedule recording when the cancel recording option is selected.

28. The home entertainment system of claim 27, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the first television tuner to a requested channel.

29. The home entertainment system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display a send recording option at the first television.

30. The home entertainment system of claim 29, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display an indication at the second television that a scheduled recording has been sent to the second tuner when the send recording option is selected.

31. The home entertainment system of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display a return recording option at the second television.

32. The home entertainment system of claim 31, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display an indication at the first television that a user at the second television has rejected the scheduled recording.

33. The home entertainment system of claim 32, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display a cancel recording option at the first television.

34. The home entertainment system of claim 33, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to cancel the scheduled recording when the cancel recording option is selected.

35. The home entertainment system of claim 34, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the first television tuner to a requested channel.

36. The home entertainment system of claim 32, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display a watch recording option at the first television.

37. The home entertainment system of claim 36, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the first television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

38. The home entertainment system of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to transfer the scheduled recording to the second tuner when no response is received.

39. The home entertainment system of claim 38, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the second television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

40. The home entertainment system of claim 39, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the first television tuner to a requested channel.

41. The home entertainment system of claim 30, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to display a watch recording option at the second television.

42. The home entertainment system of claim 41, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the second television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.

43. The home entertainment system of claim 42, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to transfer the scheduled recording to the second television tuner.

44. The home entertainment system of claim 43, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the first television tuner to a requested channel.

45. The home entertainment system of claim 25, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to indicate a watch recording option at the first television.

46. The home entertainment system of claim 45, wherein the computer program further comprises instructions to tune the first television tuner to a channel associated with the scheduled recording.