SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING PROGRAM CRITERIA REPRESENTING AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL PROGRAMMING

• US 20110013885A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Curtis, Drucker, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• 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 21/4334 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing program criteria representing a plurality of audio and/or visual programs. A plurality of tokens are stored in a database of one or more computers, each token having an identifier for identifying a predetermined audio and/or visual program. Each token may be a universal program identifier that represents a specific program in a global programming environment (e.g., the token may identify a program across multiple tuning spaces). Alternatively or additionally, a token may be a tuning-space specific program identifier that represents program criteria associated with a specific program for particular tuning space. The server is programmed to provide at least one token to a remote computer based on selection criteria.

Claims

1. A system for providing program criteria comprising:

means for storing token data representing a plurality of audio and/or visual programs; and

means for providing selected token data in response to a query identifying program selection criteria.

2. The system of claim 1 further including means for updating the token storing means in response to an update request.

3. The system of claim 2 further includes means for providing at least one of a token and updated programming data to a remote computer in response to receiving an update request that modifies program criteria for a program represented by a token previously provided to the remote computer.

4. The system of claim 1 further including means for translating a token into a useable format for programming a remote recording system to record a predetermined at least one of an audio and visual program in a tuning space associated with the recording system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for providing selected token data further includes means to send a message a remote computer based on the query, the message including selected token data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the message is a text email message, the selected token being operatively associated with the email message.

7. A method for providing program criteria to facilitate programming of a recording system that, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of tokens in a database at a first computer, each token identifying at least one of an audio and visual program;

receiving selection criteria from a second computer;

selecting at least one token based on the selection criteria; and

sending a message to a remote computer, the message having the selected at least one token associated with the message.

8. The method of claim 7 further including searching a program database for a token representing at least one of an audio and visual program corresponding to the selection criteria.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of sending further includes sending the message to the remote computer based on address data provided by the second computer, the remote computer being different from the second computer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the remote computer and the second computer are the same.

11. The method of claim 7 further including updating the database at the first computer in response to an update request received at the first computer.

12. The method of claim 11 further including providing at least one of a token and updated programming data to a remote computer in response updating the database so as to modify program criteria for a program represented by a token previously provided to the remote computer.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein, in response to a translation request, a token is translated into programming data having a useable format for programming a remote recording system to record a predetermined at least one of an audio and visual program in a tuning space associated with the recording system.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the message is a text email message, the selected token being operatively associated with the email message.

15. A method comprising:

receiving program content criteria from a user via a communication link;

selecting program content based on the program content criteria received from the user;

transmitting a programming component identifying the selected program content, the programming component being operable to effect recording of a program corresponding to the program content.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the programming component is transmitted to a computer associated with the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the programming component is transmitted to a recording system.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the programming component is transmitted to a server.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of claim 15.