SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING TRANSPORT CONTROL

• US 20100175086A1
• Filed: 11/11/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Reichardt, M. Scott, Gaydou, Danny R., Ellis, Michael D., Day, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/47 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A transport control interface may be provided by an interactive television program guide application to provide information, control or both for live and recorded video programming. The transport control interface may indicate to the user the time duration of a live or recorded program and any time segments of the program that have been recorded. The transport control interface may automatically adjust the start and end time shown to accommodate various factors such as continuous viewing on a particular channel, multiple recorded segments, buffer size, etc. Various information associated with the live or recorded video programming may be displayed in the transport control interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about a currently broadcasting program, the method comprising:

displaying the currently broadcasting program;

receiving a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time associated with the currently broadcasting program;

receiving an adjusted start time and an adjusted end time based on at least one change in a running time of the currently broadcasting program; and

displaying a transport control interface, wherein the transport control interface indicates;

a time length of the currently broadcasting program based on the adjusted start time and on the adjusted end time, and

at least one time segment of the time length of the currently broadcasting program that has been recorded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the transport control interface comprises displaying a transport control bar.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein displaying the transport control bar comprises displaying the adjusted start time on one end of the transport control bar and the adjusted end time on an opposite end of the transport control bar.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one time segment is represented by at least one region of the transport control bar.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one region of the transport control bar is visually distinguishable from at least one other region of the transport control bar that is associated with non-recorded content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program that has been automatically recorded into buffer memory.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program that has been recorded in response to a specific user command to record the currently broadcasting program.

8. A method for providing information about at least two broadcasting programs, the method comprising:

displaying a currently broadcasting program;

displaying a transport control interface that indicates a first time segment associated with a recording of the currently broadcasting program; and

when playing of the currently broadcasting program is finished,

determining that playing of the currently broadcasting program is finished;

displaying a subsequent broadcasting program, and

modifying the transport control interface in response to determining that playing of the currently broadcasting program is finished, wherein the transport control interface is modified to display the first time segment and a second time segment associated with a recording of the subsequent broadcasting program.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein displaying the transport control interface comprises displaying a transport control bar.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein displaying the transport control bar comprises displaying a start time on one end of the transport control bar and an end time on an opposite end of the transport control bar.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one time segment is represented by at least one region of the transport control bar.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one region of the transport control bar is visually distinguishable from at least one other region of the transport control bar that is associated with non-recorded content.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program or at least one portion of the subsequent broadcasting program that has been automatically recorded into buffer memory.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program or at least one portion of the subsequent broadcasting program that has been recorded in response to a specific user command to record the currently broadcasting program.

15-34. -34. (canceled)

35. A system for providing information about a currently broadcasting program, the system comprising:

a user input interface;

a display; and

control circuitry configured to;

display the currently broadcasting program;

receive a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time associated with the currently broadcasting program;

receive an adjusted start time and an adjusted end time based on at least one change in a running time of the currently broadcasting program; and

display a transport control interface, wherein the transport control interface indicates;

a time length of the currently broadcasting program based on the adjusted start time and on the adjusted end time, and

at least one time segment of the time length of the currently broadcasting program that has been recorded.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display a transport control bar.

37. The system of claim 36

wherein displaying the transport control bar comprises displaying the adjusted start time on one end of the transport control bar and the adjusted end time on an opposite end of the transport control bar.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein the at least one time segment is represented by at least one region of the transport control bar.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the at least one region of the transport control bar is visually distinguishable from at least one other region of the transport control bar that is associated with non-recorded content.

40. The system of claim 35 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program that has been automatically recorded into buffer memory.

41. The system of claim 35 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program that has been recorded in response to a specific user command to record the currently broadcasting program.

42. A system for providing information about at least two broadcasting programs, the system comprising:

a user input interface;

a display; and

control circuitry configured to;

display a currently broadcasting program;

display a transport control interface that indicates at least one time segment associated with a recording of the currently broadcasting program; and

when playing of the currently broadcasting program is finished,

determine that playing of the currently broadcasting program is finished;

display a subsequent broadcasting program; and

modify the transport control interface in response to determining that playing of the currently broadcasting program is finished, wherein the transport control interface is modified to display the first time segment and a second time segment associated with a recording of the subsequent broadcasting program.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display a transport control bar.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display a start time on one end of the transport control bar and an end time on an opposite end of the transport control bar.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein the at least one time segment is represented by at least one region of the transport control bar.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the at least one region of the transport control bar is visually distinguishable from at least one other region of the transport control bar that is associated with non-recorded content.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program or at least one portion of the subsequent broadcasting program that has been automatically recorded into buffer memory.

48. The system of claim 42 wherein the at least one time segment represents at least one portion of the currently broadcasting program or at least one portion of the subsequent broadcasting program that has been recorded in response to a specific user command to record the currently broadcasting program.

49-68. -68. (canceled)