System and method for providing selection of timer recording

• US 6,424,791 B1
• Filed: 03/27/1998
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Saib, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/049,455
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5761, H04/N.57613, 386/83, 386/92, 386/109, 386/111, 386/112, 386/46, 386/1, 725/86, 725/87, 725/88, 725/89, 725/101, 725/102, 360/32
• US Class Current: 386/291
• 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 21/4334 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The present invention relates to a home entertainment system and method for selectively recording or purchasing a show broadcast for receipt by the home entertainment system. To perform selective recording or purchasing an electronic guide screen is initially produced. Upon viewing the electronic guide screen, a viewer may select a show to be entered into timer memory based on a search term. This selection prompts recording of the show or shows associated with the search term. Thereafter, the programming data associated with the show is loaded into timer memory.

Claims

1. A method for selectively recording a show capable of being received and displayed by an entertainment system, the method comprising:

receiving programming data associated with the show;

specifying at least one search term associated with the show to search for at least one show associated with that search term, the search term including a number of words associated with at least one of a title, a description, a time, and a channel of the show; and

automatically recording any shows associated with the search term.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying at least one search term includes specifying a title of the show.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying at least one search term includes specifying at least a search term associated with a title of the show.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying at least one search term includes selecting at least a search term associated with the show from a master program description.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving programming data includes receiving a digital bit stream including the programming data and sensory data corresponding to the programming data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying at least one search term includes

executing software by a central processing unit, implemented within the entertainment system, to produce a screen menu; and

selecting an option grid of the screen menu to prompt specification of the search term associated with the show.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein specifying at least one search term includes

executing software by the central processing unit to produce a search screen menu;

and

entering the search term associated with the show.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically recording any shows associated with the search term includes loading the programming data into the timer memory to indicate that a predetermined number of instances of the show having the specified search term associated with the show is scheduled to be recorded.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein automatically recording any shows associated with the search term includes recording the predetermined number of instances of the show over a predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein specifying at least one search term further includes

alternatively selecting a second option grid of the screen menu to cause a broadcast receiver to tune to a broadcast channel of the show;

and

alternatively selecting a third option grid to exit the screen menu.

11. An entertainment system comprising:

a broadcast receiver including

a front-end unit capable of receiving programming data associated with a show broadcast for viewing and including at least one search term associated with the show, the search term including a number of words associated with at least one of a title, a description, a time, and a channel of the show, the broadcast receiver executing software to search for at least one show associated with that search term and loading programming data associated with the show in accordance with the search term received so that the show associated with that search term is automatically recorded.

12. The entertainment system of claim 11, wherein the search term includes the title of the show.

13. The entertainment system of claim 11, wherein the search term is selected from a master program description.

14. The entertainment system of claim 11 further comprising a display monitor.

15. The entertainment system of claim 11, wherein the broadcast receiver includes an integrated receiver decoder.

16. The entertainment system of claim 11, wherein the broadcast receiver executes software to provide a screen menu, and wherein selection of an option grid of the screen menu signals the broadcast receiver to execute software to provide a search screen menu which prompts specification of the search term associated with the show.

17. The entertainment system of claim 16, wherein the broadcast receiver is configured to record a predetermined number of instances of the show having the specified search term.

18. The entertainment system of claim 17, wherein the broadcast receiver is configured to record the predetermined number of instances of the show over a predetermined period of time.

19. The entertainment system of claim 16, wherein the screen menu further comprises a second option grid which is selectable to cause the broadcast receiver to tune to a broadcast channel of the show.

20. The entertainment system of claim 16, wherein the screen menu further comprises a second option grid which is selectable to exit the screen menu.