Method and apparatus for recording program data without commercials

• US 6,483,987 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2000
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Christopher D., Goldschmidt Iki, Jean M., Lane, Kathleen, Shah-Nazaroff, Anthony Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/696,563
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.591, H04/N.700, 386/83, 386/46-52, 386/4, 386/54, 386/93, 386/95, 386/96, 358/908, 348/906, 348/722, 348/907, 348/460
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/908 Pause control, i.e. "commercial killers"

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing recording of broadcast data is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention includes providing the broadcast data to a video recording device and delaying the broadcast data that is provided to the video recording device sufficient to allow for the finding of an indicator and the transmitting of a command to the video recording device. The broadcast data is recorded using the video recording device and monitored for a commercial indicator and for a program indicator. If a commercial indicator is found, a command is transmitted to the video recording device to stop recording. If a commercial indicator is not found, recording continues. If a program indicator is found, a command is transmitted to the video recording device to resume recording and if a program indicator is not found, the recording stop continues.

Claims

1. A method for managing recording of broadcast data, comprising:

providing the broadcast data to a video recording device;

delaying the broadcast data that is provided to the video recording device sufficient to allow for the finding of an indicator and the transmitting of a command to the video recording device;

recording the broadcast data using the video recording device;

monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator;

if a commercial indicator is found, transmitting a command to the video recording device to stop recording;

if a commercial indicator is not found, continuing recording;

monitoring the broadcast data for a program indicator;

if a program indicator is found. transmitting a command to the video recording device to resume recording;

if a program indicator is not found, continuing the recording stop; and

transmitting a record of the recording of broadcast data to an external computer through a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator or a program indicator comprises reading a vertical blanking interval of the broadcast data for a message indicating whether the broadcast data is a commercial or a program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator or a program indicator comprises monitoring an amplitude of an audio signal of the broadcast data for an increase in volume level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator or a program indicator comprises monitoring an amplitude of a video signal of the broadcast data for a drop of the video signal to a black level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a command to the video recording device comprises instructing a wireless communication interface to transmit commands to a video recording device using infra-red signals.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to record a broadcast data program without commercials from a user through a user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a record of the recording of broadcast data to an external computer through a network.

8. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform:

providing the broadcast data to a video recording device;

delaying the broadcast data that is provided to the video recording device sufficient to allow for the finding of an indicator and the transmitting of a command to the video recording device;

recording broadcast data using the video recording device;

monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator;

if a commercial indicator is found, transmitting a command to the video recording device to stop recording;

if a commercial indicator is not found, continuing recording;

monitoring the broadcast data for a program indicator;

if a program indicator is found, transmitting a command to the video recording device to resume recording;

if a program indicator is not found, continuing the stop; and

transmitting a record of the recording of broadcast data to an external computer through a network.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator or a program indicator comprises reading a vertical blanking interval of the broadcast data for a message indicating whether the broadcast data is a commercial or a program.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator or a program indicator comprises monitoring an amplitude of an audio signal of the broadcast data for an increase in volume level.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein monitoring the broadcast data for a commercial indicator or a program indicator comprises monitoring an amplitude of a video signal of the broadcast data for a drop of the video signal to a black level.

12. A broadcast data recording manager, comprising:

a broadcast data analyzer that determines which part of broadcast data includes commercials by monitoring the broadcast data for commercial indicators and for program indicators;

a recorder interface, coupled to the broadcast data analyzer, that based on the commercial indicators and the program indicators transmits commands to a video recording device to generate a recording of the broadcast data without commercials;

a delay unit, coupled between the broadcast data and the video recording device for delaying the broadcast data sufficient to allow for the finding of an indicator and the transmitting of a command to the video recording device; and

a transaction processor coupled to the broadcast data analyzer that records a request to produce a recording of a program in broadcast data without commercials, the transaction processor comprising;

a log that records programming information about the broadcast data that is requested to be recorded; and

an external interface, coupled to the log, that transmits the programming information to an external computer system.

13. The manager of claim 12, further comprising a transaction processor coupled to the broadcast data analyzer that records a request to produce a recording of a program in broadcast data without commercials, the transaction processor comprising:

a log that records programming information about the broadcast data that is requested to be recorded; and

an external interface, coupled to the log, that transmits the programming information to an external computer system.

14. The manager of claim 12, wherein the broadcast data analyzer comprises a vertical blanking interval (VBI) analyzer that reads the VBI for a message indicating that a commercial is to be broadcasted.

15. The manager of claim 12, wherein the broadcast data analyzer comprises a volume analyzer that monitors an amplitude of an audio signal of the broadcast data for an increase in volume level.

16. The manager of claim 12, wherein the broadcast data analyzer comprises a background analyzer that monitors an amplitude of a video signal of the broadcast data for a drop of the video signal to a black level.

17. The manager of claim 12, wherein the recorder interface further comprises a wireless communication interface to transmit commands to the video recording device using infra-red signals.