Video content recording apparatus with electronic program guide functionality

• US 20080080836A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Hutten, Matthijs C.
• Application Number:
  US11/540,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080836A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

A video content recording apparatus with electronic program guide functionality is disclosed. In one embodiment, a video content recording apparatus is disclosed comprising circuitry operative to receive electronic program guide data; operative to display, on a display device, an electronic program guide that uses the electronic program guide data; and operative to record, onto a removable memory device, video content selected using the electronic program guide. The electronic program guide data can be received from a removable memory device. In another embodiment, a video content recording apparatus is disclosed comprising circuitry operative to receive a scheduled recording file from a removable memory device and further operative to record, onto a removable memory device, video content specified in a scheduled recording file. Other embodiments are disclosed, and each of the embodiments can be used alone or together in combination.

Claims

1. A video content recording apparatus operative to record video content onto a removable memory device, the video content recording apparatus comprising:

a first input configured to receive video content;

a second input configured to receive a removable memory device; and

circuitry operative to receive electronic program guide data stored in a removable memory device;

operative to display, on a display device, an electronic program guide that uses the electronic program guide data; and

operative to record, onto a removable memory device, video content selected using the electronic program guide.

2. The video content recording apparatus of claim 1, further comprising firmware storing an electronic program guide application, wherein the electronic program guide data is stored as a file that is recognizable by the electronic program guide application as containing electronic program guide data.

3. The video content recording apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic program guide data comprises one or more of the following:

broadcast date, channel number, channel name, start time, end time, title, synopsis, actor, director, year of production, genre, parental control information, and duration.

4. The video content recording apparatus of claim 1, wherein the removable memory device that stores the electronic program guide data is different from the removable memory device that the circuitry records video content onto.

5. The video content recording apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic program guide data is provided to the removable memory device via a host device.

6. The video content recording apparatus of claim 5, wherein the electronic program guide data is downloaded from a website using the host device.

7. A video content recording apparatus operative to record video content onto a removable memory device, the video content recording apparatus comprising:

a first input configured to receive video content;

a second input configured to receive a removable memory device; and

circuitry operative to receive a scheduled recording file from a removable memory device and further operative to record, onto a removable memory device, video content specified in a scheduled recording file.

8. The video content recording apparatus of claim 7, wherein the scheduled recording file is stored in a manner that makes it recognizable by the circuitry as being a scheduled recording file.

9. The video content recording apparatus of claim 7, wherein the scheduled recording file comprises one or more of the following:

broadcast date, channel number, channel name, start time, end time, title, synopsis, actor, director, year of production, genre, parental control information, and duration.

10. The video content recording apparatus of claim 7, wherein the removable memory device that stores the scheduled recording file is different from the removable memory device that the circuitry records video content onto.

11. The video content recording apparatus of claim 7, wherein the scheduled recording file is provided to the removable memory device via a host device.

12. The video content recording apparatus of claim 11, wherein the scheduled recording file is downloaded from a website using the host device.

13. The video content recording apparatus of claim 7, wherein the scheduled recording file is provided to the removable memory device via a wireless device.

14. The video content recording apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless device comprises a mobile phone.

15. The video content recording apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scheduled recording file is provided to the removable memory device by sending a short message service (SMS) message to the wireless device.

16. A video content recording apparatus operative to record video content onto a removable memory device, the video content recording apparatus comprising:

a first input configured to receive video content;

a second input configured to receive a removable memory device; and

circuitry operative to receive electronic program guide data;

operative to display, on a display device, an electronic program guide that uses the electronic program guide data; and

operative to record, onto a removable memory device, video content selected using the electronic program guide.

17. The video content recording apparatus of claim 16, wherein the video content recording apparatus receives the electronic program guide data from a removable memory device storing the electronic program guide data.

18. The video content recording apparatus of claim 16, wherein the video content recording apparatus receives the electronic program guide data from a storage device in communication with the video content recording apparatus over a network.