Interactive media guidance system having multiple devices

• US 20080141303A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Todd A., Knee, Robert A., Armaly, Samir B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/43615 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 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16

Abstract

When selecting a television program for recording, a user may configure the delivery of the selected television program and associated data and interactive applications to different user equipment devices in a home network, which may have different capabilities. Because the user equipment devices in the home network may have different capabilities, the user may wish to deliver different types and amount of content, different amounts of data, and different versions of interactive applications to the user equipment devices in the home network.

Claims

1. A method for delivering video programming to user equipment devices in a home network comprising:

making video programming available for play back by the user equipment devices in the home network;

receiving a request from a first user equipment device in the home network to play back the video programming;

identifying a first format of the video programming that is appropriate for the first user equipment device; and

delivering the video programming in the first format to the first user equipment device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from a second user equipment device in the home network to play back the video programming;

identifying a second format of the video programming that is appropriate for the second user equipment device; and

delivering the video programming in the second format to the second user equipment device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first and second user equipment devices have different capabilities and wherein the first and second formats of the video programming are different.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a first format comprises selecting from a plurality of formats based on the capabilities of the first user equipment device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein selecting from a plurality of formats comprises using an interactive program guide to select from the plurality of formats.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting from a plurality of formats further comprises providing a user with the ability to select the plurality of formats using the interactive program guide.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein selecting from a plurality of formats comprises automatically selecting from the plurality of formats using the interactive program guide.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of formats correspond to different versions of the video programming.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of formats include different versions of the video programming having different amounts of video content.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the plurality of formats include different versions of the video programming having different video characteristics.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording the video programming in a plurality of formats suitable for display by the user equipment devices in the home network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the selected video programming is made available in a plurality of formats by a provider of the selected video programming.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the plurality of formats of the video programming are made available simultaneously by the provider and wherein the plurality of formats of the video programming are recorded simultaneously.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the video programming is initially recorded in the first format and an interactive program guide within the home network searches for other formats of the video programming for recording at a later time.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising translating the video programming into a format that is appropriate for display by the first user equipment device.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of program data associated with the selected video programming to deliver to the user equipment device; and

delivering the selected associated program data to the user equipment device.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a selection of interactive applications associated with the selected video programming to deliver to the user equipment device; and

delivering the selected associated interactive applications to the user equipment device.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein delivering the selected associated interactive applications to the user equipment device comprises selecting the versions of the interactive applications that are compatible with the user equipment device.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein delivering the selected associated interactive applications to the user equipment device comprises modifying the interactive applications to run on the user equipment device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the selected associated interactive applications are implemented in platform-independent programming languages and are configured to adapt to the display of the user equipment device.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user equipment device includes any one or more of a high-definition television, a standard-definition television, a set-top box, a digital video recorder, an optical disc recorder, a cellular phone, and a handheld computer.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the first format of the video programming is at least one of a high-definition format, a standard-definition format, a low-resolution format, a summary format, a highlights format, a segment format, a condensed format, or an extended format.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the video programming is automatically delivered to the first user equipment device based on a user preference setting.

24. A system for delivering video programming to user equipment devices in a home network comprising:

a first user equipment device in the home network; and

a processor in communication with the home network configured to;

make video programming available for play back by the user equipment devices in the home network;

receive a request from the first user equipment device in the home network to play back the video programming;

identify a first format of the video programming that is appropriate for the first user equipment device; and

deliver the video programming in the first format to the first user equipment device.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

a second user equipment device in the home network and wherein the processor is further configured to;

receive a request from the second user equipment device in the home network to play back the video programming;

identify a second format of the video programming that is appropriate for the second user equipment device; and

deliver the video programming in the second format to the second user equipment device.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the first and second user equipment devices have different capabilities and wherein the first and second formats of the video programming are different.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein identifying a first format comprises selecting from a plurality of formats based on the capabilities of the first user equipment device.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein selecting from a plurality of formats comprises using an interactive program guide to select from the plurality of formats.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein selecting from a plurality of formats further comprises providing a user with the ability to select the plurality of formats using the interactive program guide.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein selecting from a plurality of formats comprises automatically selecting from the plurality of formats using the interactive program guide.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein the plurality of formats correspond to different versions of the video programming.

32. The system of claim 27 wherein the plurality of formats include different versions of the video programming having different amounts of video content.

33. The system of claim 27 wherein the plurality of formats include different versions of the video programming having different video characteristics.

34. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is further configured to record the video programming in a plurality of formats suitable for display by the user equipment devices in the home network.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the selected video programming is made available in a plurality of formats by a provider of the selected video programming.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the plurality of formats of the video programming is made available simultaneously by the provider and wherein at least two of the formats of the video programming are recorded simultaneously.

37. The system of claim 24 wherein the video programming is initially recorded in the first format and an interactive program guide within the home network searches for other formats of the video programming for recording at a later time.

38. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is further configured to translate the video programming into a format that is appropriate for display by the first user equipment device.

39. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a selection of program data associated with the selected video programming to deliver to the user equipment device; and

deliver the selected associated program data to the first user equipment device.

40. The system of claim 24 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a selection of interactive applications associated with the selected video programming to deliver to the user equipment device; and

deliver the selected associated interactive applications to the user equipment device.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein the processor is further configured to deliver the versions of the selected interactive applications that are compatible with the first user equipment device to the first user equipment device.

42. The system of claim 40 wherein the processor is further configured to modify the interactive applications to run on the first user equipment device.

43. The system of claim 40 wherein the selected associated interactive applications are implemented in platform-independent programming languages and are configured to adapt to the display of the first user equipment device.

44. The system of claim 24 wherein the first user equipment device includes any one or more of a high-definition television, a standard-definition television, a set-top box, a digital video recorder, an optical disc recorder, a cellular phone, and a handheld computer.

45. The system of claim 24 wherein the first format of the video programming is at least one of a high-definition format, a standard-definition format, a low-resolution format, a summary format, a highlights format, a segment format, a condensed format, or an extended format.

46. The system of claim 24 wherein the video programming is automatically delivered to the first user equipment device based on a user preference setting.

47. A method for delivering recorded television programs to user equipment devices in a home network comprising:

making a recorded television program available for play back by the user equipment devices in the home network;

receiving a request from a first user equipment device in the home network to play back the recorded television program, wherein an interactive program guide is implemented on the first user equipment device and a user requests to play back the television program using the interactive program guide;

identifying a first format of the recorded television program that is appropriate for the first user equipment device; and

delivering the recorded television program in the first format to the first user equipment device.

48. A method for recording high-definition television programs comprising:

allowing a user to select a high-definition television program for recording from a first user equipment device;

determining if the selected television program is available in standard definition;

recording the high-definition and standard-definition versions of the selected television program, wherein the standard-definition version is recorded if determined to be available;

allowing a user to request to view the recorded program from a second user equipment device, wherein the first user equipment and the second user equipment are connected via a communications path; and

receiving the standard-definition version of the recorded program at the second user equipment device if the second user equipment device is not configured to display high-definition television programs.

49. The method of claim 48 further comprising in response to determining that the standard definition version is not available, causing the high-definition version of the recorded television program to be converted into standard definition.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the converting is performed by a scaler and interlacer.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein the high-definition version of the recorded program is provided to the second user equipment device if the second user equipment device is capable of displaying high-definition television programs.

52. The method of claim 48 wherein the high-definition version is recorded on the first user equipment device.

53. The method of claim 48 wherein an interactive program guide is implemented on the first user equipment device and a user selects to record the high-definition television program using the interactive program guide.

54. The method of claim 48 wherein an interactive program guide is implemented on the second user equipment device and a user requests to view the recorded program using the interactive program guide.

55. A system for recording high-definition television programs comprising:

a first user equipment device configured to;

allow a user to select a high-definition television program for recording;

determine if the selected television program is available in standard definition; and

cause the high-definition and standard-definition versions of the selected television program to be recorded, wherein the standard-definition version is recorded if determined to be available; and

a second user equipment device that is connected to the first user equipment device via a communications path and is configured to;

allow a user to request to view the recorded program; and

receive the standard-definition version of the recorded program if the second user equipment device is not configured to display high-definition television programs.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein the first user equipment device is further configured to cause the high-definition version of the recorded television program to be converted into standard definition in response to determining that the standard definition version is not available.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the converting is performed by a scaler and interlacer.

58. The system of claim 55 wherein the high-definition version of the recorded program is provided to the second user equipment device if the second user equipment device is capable of displaying high-definition television programs.

59. The system of claim 55 wherein the high-definition version is recorded on the first user equipment device.

60. The system of claim 55 wherein an interactive program guide is implemented on the first user equipment device and a user selects to record the high-definition television program using the interactive program guide.

61. The system of claim 55 wherein an interactive program guide is implemented on the second user equipment device and a user requests to view the recorded program using the interactive program guide.