System and method for controlling the broadcast and recording of television programs and for distributing information to be displayed on a television screen

• US 6,052,145 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Macrae, Douglas B., Westberg, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): KOSTAK, VICTOR R
• Application Number:
  US08/942,253
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 348/460, 348/906, 348/563, 348/723, 348/734, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 345/327, 345/328
• US Class Current: 725/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A system is disclosed for providing programming and other information to television viewers for enabling them to control their respective television receivers. A central broadcasting computer and associated memory gathers and stores the information to be provided, and broadcasts it in a viewing area. An information receiver positioned in close proximity to the television is linked to said central broadcasting computer to receive signals representing said information from said central broadcasting computer. The received signals are converted video displays viewable on the television receiver'"'"'s screen, and the user can use the displays to control the television receiver and other devices, such as video cassette recorders, used with the television receiver.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

A. A central facility for periodically broadcasting television program scheduling information, the television program scheduling information being broadcast separate and apart from television programming;

B. a control unit for use in connection with a television receiver for receiving television programming on a plurality of channels, the television receiver having a wireless remote control input for receiving a wireless remote control signal for controlling the television receiver and a program input for receiving program information, the control unit being further for use in connection with an auxiliary television program receiving device for receiving television programming on a plurality of channels, the television receiver having a wireless remote control input for receiving a wireless remote control signal for controlling the television receiver and a program input for receiving program information, the control unit comprising;

i. a program scheduling receiver for receiving and storing said television program scheduling information;

ii. a switch for connection to said television receiver and responsive to operator input for selectively providing said stored television program scheduling information and program signals from a program source to said program input as said program information to be displayed by said television receiver;

iii. a program identifier for receiving operator input relative to said displayed television program scheduling information identifying a program, and

iv. a television receiver control signal generator for generating a wireless remote control signal for transmission to the wireless remote control input to control the channel of said television receiver in response to the identified program as determined by said program identifier;

wherein the control unit receives programming signals from said auxiliary television program receiving device for provision as said program information to the program input of said television receiver, the television receiver control signal generator generating a wireless remote control signal for transmission to the wireless remote control input of said auxiliary television program receiving device to control the channel of said auxiliary television program receiving device in response to the identified program as determined by said program identifier.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein central facility includes a pager terminal for transmitting said television program scheduling information in the form of radio frequency signals, and said program scheduling receiver receives radio frequency signals.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein said radio frequency signals have a frequency within a range reserved for nationwide pagers.

4. The system as defined in claim 2 wherein said radio frequency signals have a frequency of approximately 931 MHz.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said program scheduling receiver information receiving means comprises an RF receiver for receiving signals from said central facility.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said central facility further broadcasts at least one additional type of information, the programming scheduling receiver further receiving and storing said additional type of information, said switch being further responsive to operator input for providing said stored additional type of information to be displayed by said television receiver.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein said system further includes a video cassette recorder, and said program identifier receives operator input relative to said displayed television program scheduling information identifying a program to be recorded, the control unit further including a video cassette recorder control for controlling said video cassette recorder to record said identified program.

8. The system as defined in claim 7 in which said video cassette recorder receives recording control information by an electromagnetic signaling link, the video cassette recorder control including a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic signals for controlling said video cassette recorder to record said program identified to be recorded.

9. The system as defined in claim 1 in which said television receiver receives channel control information by an electromagnetic signaling link, the television receiver control including a transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic signals for controlling said television receiver to display said identified program.

10. A system as defined in claim 1 in which the auxiliary television program receiving device is a cable box.

11. A method for setting a channel selector of a television receiver to a desired channel by using a display monitor with a screen, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on the screen a plurality of tiles;

displaying in the respective tiles ongoing scores of sporting events that are being telecast on different channels;

highlighting one of the tiles; and

setting the selector to receive the channel on which the sporting event displayed in the highlighted tile is telecast.

12. The method of claim 11, in which some of the ongoing scores displayed in the tiles are for sporting events not being telecast, the method additionally comprising the step of displaying an icon in each tile in which an ongoing score for a sporting event being telecast is displayed.

13. The method of claim 12, additionally comprising the steps of displaying on the screen an information area and displaying in the information area information relevant to the sporting event displayed in the highlighted tile.

14. The method of claim 13, additionally comprising the steps of changing the highlighted tile and changing the information displayed in the information area to correspond to the sporting event displayed in the changed highlighted tile.

15. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising the steps of displaying on the screen an information area and displaying in the information area information relevant to the sporting event displayed in the highlighted tile.

16. The method of claim 15, additionally comprising the steps of changing the highlighted tile and changing the information displayed in the information area to correspond to the sporting event displayed in the changed highlighted tile.

17. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising the steps of generating a television mode switching command to which the setting step responds and displaying the television program telecast on the received channel on the screen instead of the tiles.

18. The method of claim 11, additionally comprising the steps of generating a recording command to which the setting step responds and recording the television program telecast on the received channel on a VCR responsive to the recording command.