Apparatus and methods for synchronizing a clock to a network clock
First Claim
1. An apparatus for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising:
- a calendar clock;
means for receiving a first compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a first program on a first day and on a first channel currently tuned to and displayed on a television;
means for decoding the first compressed code into a first channel, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time;
means for receiving an end of program indication for the program on the first channel; and
means for loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods are provided for synchronizing a clock to a network clock. In one embodiment the apparatus includes a device for receiving a first compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a first program on a first day and on a first channel currently displayed on a television, a decoder for decoding the first compressed code into a first channel, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time, a device for receiving an end of program indication for the program, and a device for loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication.
542 Citations
35 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising:
-
a calendar clock; means for receiving a first compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a first program on a first day and on a first channel currently tuned to and displayed on a television; means for decoding the first compressed code into a first channel, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time; means for receiving an end of program indication for the program on the first channel; and means for loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. An apparatus for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising:
-
means for receiving a first compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a day, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a first program on a first channel currently tuned to and displayed on a television; means for receiving a second compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a day, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a second program immediately following the first program on the first channel and on the same day as the first program; means for extracting a day from the first compressed code and entering the day into a clock calendar; means for decoding as a function of the clock calendar, the first compressed code into a first channel, a first day, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time; means for decoding as a function of the clock calendar, the second compressed code into a second channel, a second day, a second time-of-day, and a second length of time; means for testing whether the decoded first channel equals the decoded second channel and whether a sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time equals the second time-of-day; means for receiving an end of program indication for the program on the first channel; and means for loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication, if the decoded first channel equals the decoded second channel and the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time equals the second time-of-day. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a first compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a first program on a first day and on a first channel currently tuned to and displayed on a television; decoding the first compressed code into a first channel, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time; receiving an end of program indication for a program on the first channel; and loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication for the program on the first channel. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising the steps of:
-
receiving a first compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a day, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a first program on a first channel currently tuned to and displayed on a television; receiving a second compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a day, a time-of-day, and a length of time for a second program immediately following the first program on the first channel and on the same day as the first program; extracting a day from the first compressed code and entering the day into a clock calendar; decoding as a function of the clock calendar, the first compressed code into a first channel, a first day, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time; decoding as a function of the clock calendar, the second compressed code into a second channel, a second day, a second time-of-day, and a second length of time; testing whether the decoded first channel equals the decoded second channel and whether a sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time equals the second time-of-day; receiving an end of program indication for the program on the first channel; and loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication for the program on the first channel, if the decoded first channel equals the decoded second channel and the sum of the first time- of-day and the first length of time equals the second time-of-day. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. An apparatus for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising:
-
means for displaying a reduced video display of a program currently being received on a tuned to channel on a first portion of a television screen; means for storing program schedules, the program schedules comprising for each program a compressed code for the program, the compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a time-of-day, and a length of time for the program; a clock calendar for providing a current day and a time; means for displaying on a second portion of the television screen a program schedule for the current day for the tuned to channel; means for selecting a program entry in the program schedule corresponding to the program on the tuned to channel currently being received and displayed on the first portion of the television screen; means for accessing from the stored program schedules, a first compressed code corresponding to the selected program entry; means for decoding the first compressed code into a decoded first channel, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time; means for receiving an end of program indication for the program on the tuned to channel; and means for loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method for synchronizing a clock to a network clock comprising the steps of:
-
displaying a reduced video display of a program currently being received on a tuned to channel on a first portion of a television screen; accessing stored program schedules, the program schedules comprising for each program a compressed code for the program, the compressed code representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel, a time-of-day, and a length of time for the program; displaying on a second portion of the television screen the accessed program schedule for the current day for the tuned to channel; selecting a program entry in the program schedule corresponding to the program on the tuned to channel currently being received and displayed on the first portion of the television screen; accessing from the stored program schedules, a first compressed code corresponding to the selected program entry; decoding the first compressed code into a decoded first channel, a first time-of-day, and a first length of time; receiving an end of program indication for the program on the tuned to channel; and loading the sum of the first time-of-day and the first length of time into the clock calendar in response to receiving the end of program indication. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification