Program guide with a digital storage device

• US 20080189745A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Hassell, Joel G., Berezowski, David M., Hedges, L. Joe, Knudson, Edward B.
• Application Number:
  US11/894,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20080189745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/002 Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/102 Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/327 Table of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/328 on a tape [TTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 : by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4335 : Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 : Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4358 : for generating different versions, e.g. for different peripheral devices
• 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 21/43622 : Interfacing an external recording device
• 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 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/47217 : for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• 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 21/482 : 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 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 : End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 : for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 : involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 : involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• 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 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system with digital storage is provided. The program guide gives users the ability to select a program for recording onto the digital storage device. The program guide may then provide the user a list of programs that includes at least one listing for a recorded program. The user may select a recorded program listing and the program guide will transfer the corresponding program from the digital storage device to a secondary storage device.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method of playing back a program using user equipment comprising:

storing a program on a digital storage device, wherein the program includes an advertisement and program material;

displaying one or more playback options, wherein one of the one or more playback options is a skip commercial playback option; and

in response to the skip commercial playback option being selected, playing back the program materials and skipping the advertisement.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

distinguishing the program materials from the advertisement based on data recorded with the program.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more playback options is a language option, wherein the language option allows a user to set a default language to play back the program materials;

and

in response to the language option being selected, playing back the program materials in the default language.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more options is a video format option, wherein the video format option allows a user to set a video format to play back the program materials;

and

in response to the video format option being selected, playing back the program materials in the video format.

28. A method of displaying program listings using user equipment comprising:

receiving an indication that a user desires to view program listings based on a theme; and

in response to receiving the indication;

accessing stored program data associated with a stored program, wherein the stored program is stored on a digital storage device included in the user equipment;

accessing broadcast program data associated with a broadcast program; and

displaying program listings associated with the stored program data and the broadcast program data that match the theme.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication that the user desires to access the stored program data, displaying a program listings information screen associated with the stored program data.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication that the user desires to access the broadcast program data, displaying a program listings information screen associated with the broadcast program data.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication that the user desires to play back the stored program, playing back the stored program.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication that the user desires to play back the broadcast program, playing back the broadcast program.

33. A method of determining that a program has been viewed using user equipment comprising:

storing a program on a digital storage device;

associating metadata with the program;

in response to a user playing back the program from the digital storage device, updating the metadata associated with the program; and

utilizing the updated metadata.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein utilizing the updated metadata comprises:

presenting a program listing associated with the program, wherein the program listing indicates that the program has been viewed.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein utilizing the updated metadata comprises:

automatically deleting the program from the digital storage device.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein deleting comprises:

deleting the metadata from the digital storage device.

37. A method of storing program data using user equipment, comprising:

receiving program data from a data source, wherein the program data is associated with a program;

generating a program listing information screen using the program data;

displaying the program listing information screen, wherein the program listing information screen includes user-editable fields;

in response to receiving in the user-editable fields additional information that a user desires to associate with the program, generating additional program data based on the additional information;

associating the additional program data with the program; and

storing the additional program data.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional information is received from a television remote control.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the additional information is entered by using “

up” and

“

down”

keys on the television remote control to select individual letters.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the additional information is received from a user input device that includes alphanumeric keys.

41. A method of editing a recorded program using user equipment comprising:

displaying a time bar indicator associated with the recorded program;

receiving a user request to mark a position of the recorded program;

in response to receiving the user request;

marking the position of the recorded program; and

displaying a marker in the time bar indicator, wherein the marker in the time bar indicator is associated with the position in the recorded program; and

playing the recorded program from the position in response to a user indication to view a portion of the recorded program associated with the marker.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein playing comprises:

playing the recorded program in a video feedback area.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein playing further comprises:

playing the recorded program in a fast-forward playback mode.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

receiving a user request to delete the portion of the recorded program; and

deleting the portion of the recorded program.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein deleting comprises:

enabling the user to confirm that the portion of the recorded program is properly defined.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein deleting further comprises:

deleting program data associated with the portion of the recorded program.