Bar code matrix television calendar

• US 6,137,950 A
• Filed: 07/25/1994
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gemstar Development Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/279,628
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/342, 360/33.1, 360/69, 348/906, 348/731, 348/732, 455/185.1, 455/186.1, 386/83, 386/46
• US Class Current: 386/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A television calendar arranged in a channel/time of day matrix for combined visual selection of programs for direct viewing and for use in automatic recording of programs for future viewing having a vertical column of bar codes that are encoded to represent and arranged adjacent to a vertical column of channel indicators and having a horizontal row of bar codes that are encoded to represent and arranged adjacent to a horizontal row of time of day indicators for the start of a television program. The arrangement of channels vertically and time of day horizontally can be reversed. A template overlay of just the vertical and horizontal bar codes can be used with a normal television program arranged in a matrix with a separate listing of day of month bar codes. Alternatively, the day of month bar code can be printed on every page of the television program arranged in a matrix and used with the template overlay of the vertical and horizontal bar codes.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a VCR with a television calendar having a rectangular grid of cells arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns, a television program descriptor located in each cell, a first set of bar codes arranged along one side of the grid, a second set of bar codes arranged along another side of the grid perpendicular to the first set so each cell lies at the intersection of a bar code in the one set that represents time and a bar code in the other set that represents channel, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a descriptor of a television program to be recorded on the VCR;

reading the bar code in one of the sets that corresponds to the cell in which the selected descriptor is located to identify the time of the selected descriptor;

reading the bar code in the other set that corresponds to the cell in which the selected descriptor is located to identify the channel of the selected descriptor;

converting the read bar codes to time and channel signals; and

applying the time and channel signals to the VCR to record the program represented by the selected descriptor.

2. The method of controlling a VCR of claim 1 wherein the step of reading the bar code in said one of the sets that corresponds to the cell in which the selected descriptor is located to identify the time of the selected descriptor further comprises the step of reading the bar code in said one of the sets that corresponds to the cell in which an adjacent descriptor is located to identify the time that the selected decriptor ends.