Automatic characterization of a television signal

• US 6,064,449 A
• Filed: 10/31/1997
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Waserman, Steve, Kenyon, Lawrence A., White, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Sam
• Application Number:
  US08/961,711
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/10, 348/731, 348/732, 348/554, 348/555, 348/558
• US Class Current: 348/732
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4622 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27

Abstract

A method and apparatus in a client processing system are provided for characterizing an input television signal as broadcast television or cable television and, if the signal is cable television, as IRC cable, HRC cable, or standard cable. The client processing system includes processing circuitry configured to receive hypertext pages from a remote server and to display the hypertext pages on a display device, such as a conventional television set. The client system further includes a television tuner for receiving either cable television or broadcast television signals. When a television signal is initially provided to the client system, the client system executes a routine to automatically characterize the received television signal as broadcast, HRC cable, IRC cable, or standard cable. The characterization is made based upon one or more frequencies at which the incoming television signal is detected.

Claims

1. In a processing system that is configured to receive a plurality of television signal types including standard cable (STD), incremental coherent carrier (IRC) and harmonically related carrier (HRC), a method of characterizing an input television signal, the method comprising the following:

a step for tuning to a plurality of television channels in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

for each of the plurality of the television channels tuned to in the step for tuning, a step for determining which of the plurality of television signal types that the television channel frequency is closest to;

a step for maintaining a counter corresponding to each of the plurality of television signal types;

a step for incrementing a counter corresponding to a television signal type when the step for determining determines that a television channel corresponds to the television signal type; and

a step for automatically identifying the input television signal type as that having the highest counter.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a specific act of automatically determining whether the input television signal is a cable television signal or a broadcast television signal.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step for automatically identifying the input television signal type further comprises a specific act of automatically determining whether the input television signal is an IRC cable television signal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step for automatically identifying the input television signal type further comprises a specific act of automatically determining whether the input television signal is an HRC cable television signal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step for automatically identifying the input television signal type further comprises a step for automatically determining whether the input television signal is a standard cable television signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step for determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step for determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner comprises a specific act of determining that a valid signal for a television channel other than channel 3 or 4 was not tuned to in the step for tuning.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step for automatically identifying the input television signal type comprises the following:

a specific act of identifying the input television signal type as being either a standard cable or broadcast type;

a specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels other than in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

a specific act of determining that the television signal type of the input television signal is a broadcast if no valid channel are tuned to in the specific act of attempting to tune; and

a specific act of determining that the television signal type of the input television signal is standard cable if a valid channel is tuned to in the specific act of attempting to tune.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels other than in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13 comprises a specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels in the range of from channel 14 through channel 64.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the following:

a specific act of the processing system receiving information from a server over the Internet regarding what channels are available in the region where the processing system is located,

wherein the step for tuning to a plurality of television channels in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13 comprises a specific act of abstaining from tuning to channels when the information does not indicate that such channels are available in the region where the processing system is located.

11. In a processing system that is configured to receive a plurality of television signal types including standard cable (STD), incremental coherent carrier (IRC) and harmonically related carrier (HRC), a computer program product for implementing a method of characterizing an input television signal, the computer program product comprising the following:

a computer readable medium having storing thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following steps;

a step for tuning to a plurality of television channels in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

for each of the plurality of the television channels tuned to in the step for tuning, a step for determining which of the plurality of television signal types that the television channel frequency is closest to;

a step for maintaining a counter corresponding to each of the plurality of television signal types;

a step for incrementing a counter corresponding to a television signal type when the step for determining determines that a television channel corresponds to the television signal type; and

a step for automatically identifying the input television signal type as that having the highest counter.

12. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions for performing a specific act of determining whether is a standard broadcast television signal, an IRC cable television signal, an HRC cable television signal, or a standard cable television signal.

13. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions for performing a step for determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions for performing the step for determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner comprises computer-executable instructions for performing a specific act of determining that a valid signal for a television channel other than channel 3 or 4 was not tuned to in the step for tuning.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions for automatically identifying the input television signal type comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

a specific act of identifying the input television signal type as being either a standard cable or broadcast type;

a specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels other than in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

a specific act of determining that the television signal type of the input television signal is a broadcast if no valid channel are tuned to in the specific act of attempting to tune; and

a specific act of determining that the television signal type of the input television signal is standard cable if a valid channel is tuned to in the specific act of attempting to tune.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing the specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels other than in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13 comprises computer executable instructions for performing a specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels in the range of from channel 14 through channel 64.

17. The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

a specific act of the processing system receiving information from a server over the Internet regarding what channels are available in the region where the processing system is located,

wherein the computer executable instructions for performing the step for tuning to a plurality of television channels in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13 comprises computer-executable instructions for performing a specific act of abstaining from tuning to channels when the information does not indicate that such channels are available in the region where the processing system is located.

18. In a processing system that is configured to receive a plurality of television signal types including standard cable (STD), incremental coherent carrier (IRC) and harmonically related carrier (HRC), a method of characterizing an input television signal, the method comprising the following:

a specific act of the processing system tuning to a plurality of television channels in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

for each of the plurality of the television channels tuned to in the step for tuning, a specific act of the processing system determining which of the plurality of television signal types that the television channel frequency is closest to;

a specific act of the processing system maintaining a counter corresponding to each of the plurality of television signal types;

a specific act of the processing system incrementing a counter corresponding to a television signal type when the step for determining determines that a television channel corresponds to the television signal type; and

a specific act of the processing system automatically identifying the input television signal type as that having the highest counter.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a specific act of the processing system automatically determining whether the television signal is a cable television signal or a broadcast television signal.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a specific act of the processing system determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the specific act of the processing system determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner comprises a specific act of the processing system determining that a valid signal for a television channel other than channel 3 or 4 was not tuned to in the specific act of the processing system tuning.

22. In a processing system that is configured to receive a plurality of television signal types including standard cable (STD), incremental coherent carrier (IRC) and harmonically related carrier (HRC), a computer program product for implementing a method of characterizing an input television signal, the computer program product comprising the following:

a computer readable medium having storing thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the following;

a specific act of the processing system tuning to a plurality of television channels in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

for each of the plurality of the television channels tuned to in the specific act of the processing system tuning, a specific act of determining which of the plurality of television signal types that the television channel frequency is closest to;

a specific act of maintaining a counter corresponding to each of the plurality of television signal types;

a specific act of incrementing a counter corresponding to a television signal type when the step for determining determines that a television channel corresponds to the television signal type; and

a specific act of automatically identifying the input television signal type as that having the highest counter.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions for performing a specific act of determining whether is a standard broadcast television signal, an IRC cable television signal, an HRC cable television signal, or a standard cable television signal.

24. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the computer-readable medium further includes computer-executable instructions for performing a specific act of the processing system determining that the input television signal is provided by a device having its own tuner.

25. The computer program product according to claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions for automatically identifying the input television signal type comprises computer-executable instructions for performing the following:

a specific act of identifying the input television signal type as being either a standard cable or broadcast type;

a specific act of attempting to tune to valid channels other than in the range of from channel 2 to channel 13;

a specific act of determining that the television signal type of the input television signal is a broadcast if no valid channel are tuned to in the specific act of attempting to tune; and

a specific act of determining that the television signal type of the input television signal is standard cable if a valid channel is tuned to in the specific act of attempting to tune.