TV PROGRAM DATABASE
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- maintaining a plurality of show identifiers (IDs) that each represent a television (TV) program that may, at some future time, be scheduled for broadcast;
associating a primary request ID with a particular one of the show IDs to indicate a user'"'"'s interest in the TV program represented by the particular show ID;
receiving programming guide data that identifies TV programs scheduled for broadcast during an upcoming time period, where the TV programs that are scheduled for broadcast comprise a subset of the TV programs represented by the show IDs;
identifying the TV program associated with the primary request ID in the programming guide data, wherein the programming guide data indicates that the TV program associated with the primary request ID is scheduled to be broadcast from a broadcast start time through a broadcast end time on a broadcast channel;
automatically generating a program event, thereby scheduling the TV program associated with the primary request ID to be recorded according to the programming guide data; and
automatically recording the TV program associated with the primary request ID at the broadcast start time based on the program event.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Before a programming guide is created, a unique code is assigned to each TV program that can be identified in the programming guide. Prior to the creation of the programming guide, a viewer selects the unique code corresponding to the TV show that the viewer would like to record whenever that TV show is broadcast. When the programming guide is created, the corresponding unique codes are associated with each TV program in the programming guide. The TV program corresponding to the viewer-selected unique code is then scheduled to be recorded in accordance with the announced broadcast schedule in the programming guide. A recording is made of the TV program corresponding to the viewer-selected unique code as the TV program is broadcast in accordance with the announced broadcast schedule in the programming guide.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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maintaining a plurality of show identifiers (IDs) that each represent a television (TV) program that may, at some future time, be scheduled for broadcast; associating a primary request ID with a particular one of the show IDs to indicate a user'"'"'s interest in the TV program represented by the particular show ID; receiving programming guide data that identifies TV programs scheduled for broadcast during an upcoming time period, where the TV programs that are scheduled for broadcast comprise a subset of the TV programs represented by the show IDs; identifying the TV program associated with the primary request ID in the programming guide data, wherein the programming guide data indicates that the TV program associated with the primary request ID is scheduled to be broadcast from a broadcast start time through a broadcast end time on a broadcast channel; automatically generating a program event, thereby scheduling the TV program associated with the primary request ID to be recorded according to the programming guide data; and automatically recording the TV program associated with the primary request ID at the broadcast start time based on the program event. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to perform a method comprising:
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associating a request ID with a show ID among a plurality of show IDs each being unique to a corresponding TV program in a universe of TV programs that can be broadcast; receiving, after associating the request ID with the show ID, a subset of the universe of TV programs that can be broadcast with a respective channel, start time and duration for each said TV program of the subset; and scheduling for recording one said TV program of the subset to which the request ID corresponds according to the respective channel, start time and duration thereof. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. An apparatus comprising a processor in communication with a video recorder, a receiver, and a memory containing a programming guide, the processor executing an application to:
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identify a TV program in the programming guide that is to be broadcast from a broadcast start time through a broadcast end time on a broadcast channel, the TV program corresponding to a primary request ID in a database in the memory; and create a program event to record the TV program from the broadcast start time through the broadcast end time on the broadcast channel, wherein the database includes; a plurality of show IDs each representing a TV program that can be identified in the programming guide; and a plurality of said primary request IDs each representing a request to identify the TV program corresponding to one said show ID. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A client device comprising:
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means for identifying in a programming guide a TV program that is to be broadcast from a broadcast start time through a broadcast end time on a broadcast channel and that corresponds to a primary request ID in a database; means for creating a program event to record the TV program from the broadcast start time through the broadcast end time on the broadcast channel, wherein the database includes; a plurality of show IDs each representing a TV program that can be identified in the programming guide; and a plurality of said primary request IDs each representing a request to identify the TV program corresponding to one said show ID; and means for recording the TV program from the broadcast start time through the broadcast end time on the broadcast channel based on the program event. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A TV broadcasting system comprising:
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a TV broadcast network for broadcasting video signals on a plurality of channels; a network resource including; a content database storing content of a plurality of video broadcast events; a content serving module to serve the video broadcast events by broadcasting on the TV broadcast network; a guide database storing event schedules each including one said channel, a start time, and a duration corresponding to one said video broadcast event on the broadcast network; and a guide serving module to serve the event schedules by broadcasting on the TV broadcast network; a client device including; a receiver to receive a video signal and to receive the event schedules broadcast on the TV broadcast network; a memory to store the event schedules and to store video data received in a video signal by the receiver; a video recorder to create a recording of video data in the memory and to play back the recording of video data in the memory; a processor executing an application to; identify one said video broadcast event by a corresponding one said event schedule in the memory that corresponds to a primary request ID in a database in the memory; and create a program event to record the one said video broadcast event corresponding to the primary request ID, wherein the database includes; a plurality of show IDs each representing a video broadcast event that can be identified in the event schedules; and a plurality of said primary request IDs each representing a request to identify the video broadcast event corresponding to one said show ID. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A system comprising:
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means for content distribution including; means for broadcasting video signals on a plurality of channels; means for storing content of a plurality of video broadcast events; means for serving the video broadcast events by broadcasting on the means for broadcasting video signals; means for storing event schedules each including one said channel, a start time, and a duration corresponding to one said video broadcast event; and means for serving the event schedules by broadcasting on the means for broadcasting video signals; means for receiving content distribution including; means for receiving the event schedules and a video signal; means for storing in a memory an application and, as received by the means for receiving, the event schedules and video data received in the video signal; means for recording the video data in the memory; means for playing back the video data recorded in the memory; means for executing the application to; identify one said video broadcast event by a corresponding one said event schedule in the memory that corresponds to a primary request ID in a database in the memory; and create a program event to record the one said video broadcast event corresponding to the primary request ID, wherein the database includes; a plurality of show IDs each representing a video broadcast event that can be identified in the event schedules; and a plurality of said primary request IDs each representing a request to identify the video broadcast event corresponding to one said show ID; and means for recording the one said video broadcast event corresponding to the primary request ID based on the program event. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, direct a client device to:
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identify in a programming guide a TV program that is to be broadcast from a broadcast start time through a broadcast end time on a broadcast channel and that corresponds to a primary request ID in a database; and create a program event to record the TV program from the broadcast start time through the broadcast end time on the broadcast channel, wherein the database includes; a plurality of show IDs each representing a TV program that can be identified in the programming guide; and a plurality of said primary request IDs each representing a request to identify the TV program corresponding to one said show ID. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A database comprising:
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a plurality of show identities (IDs) each representing an audio-visual content item, wherein the plurality of show IDs respectively represent a universe of all audio-visual content items that can be broadcast; and a plurality of primary request IDs each representing an operation by a requestor upon the audio-visual content item corresponding to one said show ID, wherein each primary request ID indicates a particular audio-visual content item that has been, or that is desired to be, watched or recorded, and Wherein the requestor is selected from a group comprising a household, a client device in the household, and a viewer in the household. - View Dependent Claims (53, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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52. (canceled)
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54. (canceled)
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59. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to maintain a database comprising:
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a plurality of show IDs each representing a TV program, wherein the plurality of show IDs collectively represent the universe of all TV programs; one or more first tags, each associated with a respective one said show ID, and representing an acknowledgement that there had been made either a recording of the corresponding TV program or a play back of the corresponding TV program; and one or more second tags, each associated with a respective one said show ID, and representing a request to record the corresponding TV program. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64)
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60. (canceled)
Specification