SERIES REMINDERS AND SERIES RECORDING FROM AN INTERACTIVE PROGRAM GUIDE

• US 20100287591A1
• 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 8,522,287 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 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 displaying programs on user equipment of a plurality of users 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;

displaying on a display device at least one program listing related to at least one program currently scheduled for recording;

allowing a user to select, with the interactive media guidance application, a program listing from the at least one displayed program listing;

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

in response to the determination that the program is an episode of a series of programs;

providing the user with at least one program recording option for the program; and

providing the user with at least one series recording option for the series of programs related to the program.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one program recording option includes an option to cancel the recording of the program.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option includes an option to cancel the recording of the series of programs, wherein the series of programs is scheduled for recording.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one program recording option includes an option to update the program which is scheduled for recording.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option includes an option to update the recording of the series of programs, wherein the series of programs is scheduled for recording.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on specific channels on which the episode is to be broadcast.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on all channels on which the episode is to be broadcast.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on specific days of the week on which the episode is to be broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on all days of the week on which the episode is to be broadcast.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option of the group comprising:

to schedule a recording for rerun, first-run, network, syndicated, and previously unrecorded broadcasts of episodes that are part of the series.

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

a display device;

a user interface;

an interactive media guide implemented at least partially on circuitry, wherein the interactive media 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, based on the series information, whether a program that corresponds to the program listing is an episode of a series of programs;

in response to the determination that the program is an episode of a series of programs;

provide the user with at least one program recording option for the program; and

provide the user with at least one series recording option for the series of programs related to the program.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one program recording option includes an option to cancel the recording of the program.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option includes an option to cancel the recording of the series of programs, wherein the series of programs is scheduled for recording.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one program recording option includes an option to update the program which is scheduled for recording.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option includes an option to update the recording of the series of programs, wherein the series of programs is scheduled for recording.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on specific channels on which the episode is to be broadcast.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on all channels on which the episode is to be broadcast.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on specific days of the week on which the episode is to be broadcast.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option to schedule a recording for particular episodes that are part of the series on all days of the week on which the episode is to be broadcast.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one series recording option is an option from the group comprising:

to schedule a recording for rerun, first-run, network, syndicated, and previously unrecorded broadcasts of episodes that are part of the series.