SERIES REMINDERS AND SERIES RECORDING FROM AN INTERACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20100284666A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Lemmons, Thomas R., Knudson, Edward B., Satterfield, Kevin D., Allison, Donald W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,555,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/230
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

An interactive media guidance system with program series reminder and recording capabilities is provided. The system allows a user to set a reminder or schedule a recording for a single episode or for each episode of a program series. Options may be provided that allow the user to schedule reminders/recordings for episodes on all or selected channels for some or all episodes including reruns, new episodes, network or syndicated episodes, on all or only on selected days.

Claims

1. A method for recording programs on user equipment, using an interactive media guidance application implemented at least partially on control circuitry configured for:

receiving, with the interactive media guidance application, program listing data for a plurality of programs, wherein the program listing data includes series information indicating which programs are an episode of a series of programs;

allowing a user to select a program for recording from a display of program listings using the interactive media guidance application;

determining, using the interactive media guidance application, whether the selected program is an episode of a series of programs based on the series information; and

in response to the determination that the program is not an episode of a series of programs;

providing an option to record the program that is not an episode of a series of programs; and

omitting an option to record a series of programs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an option to schedule a reminder for the program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising omitting an option to schedule a reminder for a series of programs.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the determination that the program is an episode of a series of programs, providing an option to record the program that is an episode of a series of programs to a storage device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing an option to record the series of programs related to the program to the storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a program recording update screen that provides at least one additional option to the user, wherein the at least one additional option comprises an option selected from the group of:

an option that allows the user to delete a scheduled recording, and an option that allows the user to update a scheduled recording.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a program recording update screen that provides at least one additional option to the user, wherein the at least one additional option comprises an option selected from the group of:

an option that allows the user to delete a scheduled recording, an option that allows the user to update a scheduled recording, an option that allows the user to delete the scheduled recording of a single episode, and an option that allows the user to delete the scheduled recording for the entire series of programs.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the omitting the option to record the series of programs comprises preventing the selection of the option to record the series of programs.

9. A system for recording programs on user equipment of a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a display device;

a user interface;

user television equipment on which an interactive media guidance application is at least partially implemented, wherein the interactive television program guide is configured to;

receive program listing data for a plurality of programs, wherein the program listing data includes series information indicating which programs are an episode of a series of programs;

display on the display device at least one program listing related to at least one program currently scheduled to be recorded;

allow a user using the user interface to select a program listing from the at least one displayed program listing;

determine whether a program that corresponds to the program listing is an episode of a series of programs based on the series information; and

in response to the determination that the program is not an episode of a series of programs;

provide an option to record the program that is not an episode of a series of programs; and

omit an option to record a series of programs.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to provide an option to schedule a reminder for the program.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to omit an option to schedule a reminder for a series of programs.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to, in response to the determination that the program is an episode of a series of programs, provide an option to record the program that is an episode of a series of programs to a storage device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to provide an option to record the series of programs related to the program to the storage device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the media guidance application is further configured to display a program recording update screen that provides at least one additional option to the user, wherein the at least one additional option comprises an option selected from the group of:

an option that allows the user to delete a scheduled recording, and an option that allows the user to update a scheduled recording.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the interactive media guidance application is further configured to display a program recording update screen that provides at least one additional option to the user, wherein the at least one additional option comprises an option selected from the group of:

an option that allows the user to delete a scheduled recording, an option that allows the user to update a scheduled recording, an option that allows the user to delete the scheduled recording of a single episode, and an option that allows the user to delete the scheduled recording for the entire series of programs.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the interactive media guidance application omits the option to record the series of programs by preventing the selection of the option to record the series of programs.