METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHING TELEVISION CHANNELS

• US 20090064221A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Stevens, Clarke
• Granted Patent: US 9,848,157 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

Method for automatically switching television channels or other content sources. The method may be used with any electronic media to facilitate switching between channels or other content sources based on events or other occurrences in non-viewed channels, such as but not limited to switching channels based on sporting event occurrences (goals, ending of game, etc.), news event occurrence (breaking news, health tips, etc.), and other any number of other identifiable events.

Claims

1. A method of automatically switching television channels, the method comprising:

monitoring live event data generated proximate in time to live events occurring in a number of programs showing on a number of television channels being broadcasted in real-time, the live event data changing in real-time to reflect ongoing changes in the programs; and

automatically switching from a first channel to a second channel as a function of the live event data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching from the first channel to the second channel if the live event data of the second channel matches with previously stored channel change event preferences.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching from the first channel to the second channel as a function of the live event data of the second channel.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching from the first channel to the second channel as a function of the live event data of the first channel.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically switching back from the second channel to the first channel as a function events occurring in the program showing on the first channel while switched to the second channel.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording a portion of the program showing on the first channel while switched to the program showing on the second channel to facilitate playback of the portion of the program showing on the first channel.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after switching to the second channel, recording a portion of the program showing on the second channel prior to switching to the second channel in order to facilitate playback of the portion of the program showing prior to switching to the second channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein switching from the first channel to the second channel includes switching channels showing in a picture-in-picture window.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising issuing a wireless channel change signal to facilitate switching from the first channel to the second channel, the wireless channel change signal issuing from a wireless device in wireless communication with a television used to view the program.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising instructing the wireless device to issue the wireless channel change signal via instructions carried to the wireless device over a home network of a user associated with the television.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising issuing a channel change signal from a cable headend unit to facilitate switching from the first channel to the second channel.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the live event data from closed-captioned data included with broadcasts of the programs, the closed-caption data being determined after occurrence of the events.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the live event data from manually entered comments of a system operator entered after occurrence of the events.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching from the first channel to the second channel after the program on the second channel has begun.

15. A method of automatically switching accessed content, the method comprising:

monitoring live event data generated proximate in time to live events occurring for a number of content sources, the live event data changing in real-time to reflect ongoing changes in the content sources; and

automatically switching from a first content source to a second content source as a function of the live event data.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating the live event data after events occurring in the content sources have occurred.

17. A system for of automatically switching television channels, the method comprising:

a channel change device configured for monitoring live event data generated to reflect ongoing changes for a number of programs showing on a number of television channels being broadcasted in real-time, the channel change device being configured to direct switching of a television on which the television channels may be viewed from a first channel to a second channel based on the live event data.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a wireless device connected to a home network associated with a television on which the television channels may be viewed, the wireless device being located remotely from the television and configured to emit signals for automatically switching the television from the first channel to the second channel as a function of instruction received from the channel change device.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the wireless device is further configured to issue wireless signals to a recorder associated with the television, the recording having capabilities to record the television channels, wherein the wireless device issues signals to the recorder to record the program showing on the second channel prior to switching to the second channel.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the wireless device issues signals to the recorder to record the program showing on the first channel after the television is switched to the second channel.