Broadcast receiver capable of autonomous format-scanning, program identification and searching

• US 5,732,338 A
• Filed: 04/11/1994
• Issued: 03/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PRS Corporation
• Original Assignee: PRS Corporation
• Inventors: Schwob, Pierre R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US08/225,779
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 455/158.4, 455/158.5, 455/184.1, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 455/186.2, 455/161.2, 348/570, 348/731
• US Class Current: 455/158.5
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0058 provided with channel identification means arrangements for monitoring the use made of broadcast services H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0075 where the receiving frequencies of the stations are stored in a permanent memory, e.g. ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A broadcasting system capable of automatically or semi-automatically updating its database and using the database to identify received broadcasting stations, and search for stations according to user-chosen attributes and current data. The receiver is capable of receiving current location information within the received data stream, and also of determining the current location of the receiver by using a received station attribute. The receiver is capable of identifying and searching for, any station in any band the receiver is capable of receiving.

A broadcasting/receiving system, including a factory or user installed database containing a skeleton of scheduling information, provides a generic format-scanning ability to the user without forcing him or her to subscribe to an updating service, and provides an automatic identification means to that user. Although these two functions can only be rudimentary in their applications if the system is not receiving updating or complementary data, they are nevertheless of great benefit compared to the complete lack of any such services from normal receivers, or to those system which are equipped with detailed schedule data receiving means but which have not actually, for one reason or another, received such data.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a broadcast signal receiver to allow user selection of received programs, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of program signals;

tuning means for tuning said receiver to one of the plurality of program signals for receipt thereof;

memory means, in which is stored prior to an initial operation of said system a skeleton database of program schedule information corresponding to a plurality of geographical regions, the skeleton database including at least the data needed by said tuning means to tune automatically said receiver to one of the plurality of program signals;

selecting means for selecting one of the geographical regions;

determining means for determining the program schedule information in the skeleton database that corresponds to the selected one of the geographical regions;

input means for inputting a datum representing a desired program;

searching means responsive to the inputted datum for searching the determined program schedule information in the skeleton database for schedule information matching the desired program;

display means for displaying the schedule information identified by said searching means; and

data receiving means for receiving updated broadcast schedule information.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data receiving means receives updated data which has been input manually.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data receiving means receives updated data automatically by transmission.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the updated data is stored in a memory means separate from said memory means containing the skeleton database.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the updated data overrides the skeleton data if there is a conflict.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said broadcast receiver is a television signal receiver.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said broadcast receiver is a television signal recorder.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said broadcast receiver is a radio signal receiver.