Television schedule system and method of operation for multiple program occurrences

• US 6,247,176 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Schein, Steven M., King, Molly K., Alba, Theresa A., Warden, David P., Russman, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US09/344,274
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.550, H04/N.5445, 348/563, 348/564, 348/569, 348/600, 348/906, 348/589, 345/327, 725/43, 725/141, 725/45, 725/49, 725/53, 725/58, 725/39, 725/40, 725/48
• US Class Current: 725/43
• 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 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

An improved television guide system. According to one embodiment of the invention, television guide information is provided that includes multiple occurrences of a single show. The guide system of the present invention allows the user to identify a show and, thereafter, identify when the identified show will be played again. Accordingly, the user may more easily select shows for viewing or recordation.

Claims

1. A method of generating a television guide information for a viewer for use in a television guide system having a television unit and at least one television signal source, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a television program guide comprising listings of television programs stored in an electronic program guide database;

receiving viewer selection of a particular show from the television program guide;

identifying for the viewer other times when the particular show will be shown and other sources of the particular show; and

displaying to the viewer the identified other times and the other sources of the particular show.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the other instances include an Internet source.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the other instances include information about the particular show.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

storing the viewer selection of the particular show if other instances of the show are not found; and

alerting the viewer when another instance of the show is added to the electronic program guide database.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving viewer selection of one of the displayed instances; and

recording a program represented by the selected instance.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving viewer selection of one of the instances of the particular show; and

automatically switching an input of the television unit to a television signal carrying the other instance.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising and receiving the television program guide information from an Internet source.

8. A method of generating a television guide information for a viewer for use in a television guide system having a television unit and at least one television signal source, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a consolidated television program guide, the program guide comprising listings of television programs stored in an electronic program guide database, the program guide further comprising a source identifier for each listing;

receiving viewer selection of a particular show from the guide;

searching the electronic program guide database for all other instances of the particular show;

displaying to the viewer all the other instances of the particular show;

receiving viewer selection of one of the instances of the particular show; and

automatically switching an input of the television unit to a television signal carrying the selected instance.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

mixing and sorting the television guide information in a desired order; and

generating a display with the television guide information presented in the desired order in the consolidated television program guide.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the other instances include an Internet source.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the other instances include information about the particular show.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

storing the viewer selection of the particular show if other instances of the show are not found; and

alerting the viewer when another instance of the show is added to the electronic program guide database.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:

receiving viewer selection of one of the displayed instances; and

recording a program represented by the selected instance.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising and receiving the television program guide information from an Internet source.

15. A television guide system for generating television guide information for a viewer, the system capable of receiving television signals from a plurality of sources, the system comprising:

a memory storing an electronic program database comprising listings of television programs and a source identifier for each listing;

a display, coupled to the memory, for displaying some of the program listings in a guide format;

a remote control for selecting one of the displayed program listings; and

a microprocessor, coupled to said memory, for receiving an indicator signal associated with the selected program listing from the remote control, the microprocessor further searching the electronic program database for all other times and all other sources of the program represented by the program listing, the other times and the other sources for being displayed to the viewer on the display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the microprocessor mixes and sorts the program listings in a desired order, and the display displays some of the program listings in the desired order in a television guide format.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a controller, coupled to the memory, for receiving the indicator signal from the remote control, the indicator signal being associated with one of the instances selected from the display;

an emitter, coupled to the controller, for transmitting a control signal, the control signal automatically coupling a television signal from the source corresponding to the selected instance to the input of a television appliance, wherein the coupled signal carries the program represented by the selected listing.

18. The system of claim 17, in which the appliance is a television unit and the emitter couples the television signal to the television unit for display on a television monitor.

19. The system of claim 17, in which the appliance is a VCR and the emitter couples the television signal to the VCR for recording.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising a coordinator configured to receive the television program guide information from an Internet source.