SERIES REMINDERS AND SERIES RECORDING FROM AN INTERACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20100287590A1
• 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 8,464,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• 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 television program guide 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. In addition, other options may be provided that allow the user to determine, for example, whether to schedule reminders/recordings for episodes on all channels on which the program airs or only on a selected channels, whether to schedule reminders/recordings for all episodes including reruns or only new episodes, whether to schedule reminders/recordings for network or syndicated episodes, and whether to schedule reminders/recordings for episodes on all days or only on selected days of the week. Before the scheduled broadcast time of each episode of each selected program series, the system sends a reminder message to the user that reminds the user of the program episode or sends a record command to a videocassette recorder to initiate recording of the episode. The system allows a user to view a list of all currently requested program reminders and scheduled program recordings. The user may update, change, or cancel any entry in either list or the system may automatically update the lists to match new broadcast schedule information. If the user sets a reminder or schedules a recording that conflicts with an existing reminder or recording, the system may inform the user of the conflict and allow the user to resolve the conflict or the system may resolve the conflict.

Claims

1. A method for displaying television programs on user television equipment of a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

storing program listings for television programs associated with a plurality of television channels, wherein the program listings are stored by the user television equipment;

allowing a user to schedule a recording of a television program;

identifying a series of television programs associated with the television program scheduled for recording from the stored program listings, wherein the series is identified by the user television equipment; and

allowing the user to schedule a recording of a subset of the series, wherein the subset includes a plurality of television programs selected from the series based on a combination of criteria supplied by the user.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying an option to schedule a recording for a single episode of a series.

3. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on specific channels on which the television program is to be broadcast.

4. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on all channels on which the television program is to be broadcast.

5. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying one or more options to schedule a recording for a rerun, first-run, network, syndicated, or previously unrecorded broadcasts of given programs which are part of the series.

6. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising displaying a program recording update screen.

7. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising

determining whether the user television equipment is capable of supporting simultaneous recordings;

and

displaying conflicting recordings if the user television equipment does not support simultaneous recording, or

not displaying conflicting recordings if the user television equipment supports simultaneous recordings.

8. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising allowing the user or the system to resolve conflicts between scheduled recordings.

9. A system in which television programs are displayed on user television equipment of a plurality of users comprising:

a television distribution facility configured to provide the television programs;

user television equipment that receives the television programs from the television distribution facility, wherein the user television equipment is configured to;

store program listings for television programs associated with a plurality of television channels;

allow a user to schedule a recording of a television program;

identify a series of television programs associated with the television program scheduled for recording from the stored program listings; and

allow the user to schedule a recording of a subset of the series of television programs, wherein the subset includes a plurality of television programs selected from the series of television programs based on a combination of criteria supplied by the user.

10. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to display an option to schedule a recording for a single episode of a series.

11. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to display an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on specific channels on which the television program is to be broadcast.

12. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to display an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on all channels on which the television program is to be broadcast.

13. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to display one or more options to schedule a recording for a rerun, first-run, network, syndicated, or previously unrecorded broadcasts of given programs which are part of the series.

14. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to display a program recording update screen.

15. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to:

determine whether the user television equipment is capable of supporting simultaneous recordings; and

display conflicting recordings if the user television equipment is determined to not support simultaneous recording, or

not display conflicting recordings if the user television equipment is determined to support simultaneous recordings.

16. The system defined in claim 9 further configured to allow the user or the system to resolve conflicts between scheduled recordings.