SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTIVELY CONTROLLING THE RECORDING OF PROGRAM MATERIAL USING A PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20100180307A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Arling, Paul D., Hayes, Patrick H., Lilleness, Robert P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/47 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In response to the establishment of a communication connection between an appliance capable of effecting a recording of a program and a portable device capable of displaying to a user in a display of the portable device a program guide including a listing for the program the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program receives data indicative of a request to record the program that is stored in a memory of the portable device via user interaction with the program guide prior to establishment of the communication connection and the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program then functions to record the program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to effect a recording of a program, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between an appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program and a portable device capable of displaying to a user in a display of the portable device a program guide including a listing for the program;

in response to the communication connection being established, receiving at the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program via the communication connection data indicative of a request to record the program that is stored in a memory of the portable device via user interaction with the program guide prior to establishment of the communication connection; and

causing the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program to record the program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication connection is indirectly established between the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program and the portable device via an intermediate computing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication connection is established directly between the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program and the portable device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the communication connection between the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program and the portable device comprises a wireless communication connection.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the wireless communication connection utilizes RF transmissions.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the wireless communication connection utilizes IR transmissions.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program comprises an appliance adapted to record the program on a magnetic storage medium.

16. The storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the appliance locally records the program on a magnetic storage medium.

8. A readable media in an appliance having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor for enabling a user to effect recording of a program, the instructions performing steps comprising:

establishing a communication connection with a portable device capable of displaying to a user in a display of the portable device a program guide including a listing for the program;

receiving via the communication connection data indicative of a request to record the program that is stored in a memory of the portable device via user interaction with the program guide prior to establishment of the communication connection; and

causing the program to be locally recorded in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program.

9. The readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the communication connection is indirectly established between the appliance and the portable device via an intermediate computing device.

10. The readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a personal computer.

11. The readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises an Internet gateway device.

12. The readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the communication connection is established directly between the appliance and the portable device.

13. The readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the communication connection between the appliance and the portable device comprises a wireless communication connection.

14. The readable media as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless communication connection utilizes RF transmissions.

15. The storage media as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless communication connection utilizes IR transmissions.