Multimedia recorder with enhanced EPG-related functions

• US 6,714,722 B1
• Filed: 03/02/1999
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsukidate, Ryota
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Onuaku, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US09/260,063
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/46, 386/83, 348/726, 348/731, 348/732, 725/38, 725/39, 725/44, 725/87, 360/15, 360/55, 360/60
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A digital multimedia recorder that makes good use of EPG data to have at least one of the following capabilities of: (a) selecting a program to be played from a displayed program guide for recorded programs; (b) including, in the displayed program guide, program information on programs relating to each of the recorded programs thereby to permit the user to program the recorder to record a selected one of the related program; (c) recording a plurality of programs broadcast at the same time; (d) record a multi-channel program whose channel configuration changes in the middle of the program so as to support the capability (a); and (e) playing a recorded program within a limit prescribed in a contract with a provider. The information includes information on related programs, if any (which are related with each program), and information on recommended programs which a broadcasting party recommends to the subscribers.

Claims

1. A method of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals,

wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a multiplexed plurality of channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the method comprising the steps of:

each terminal permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;

adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;

recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;

recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;

in response to reception of a playing request from the user, displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;

prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play; and

in response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),

wherein said step of permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs includes the step of permitting a user to select one of video channels and one of audio channels, said video and audio channels constituting said desired program,

wherein said recording step includes the steps of;

extracting video data of said selected video channel and audio data of said selected audio channel from a data stream including said video and audio channels;

converting said video data and said audio data into a time-division-multiplexed packet stream in a same form as said data stream; and

recording said time-division-multiplexed packet stream on said recording media, and

wherein, if a program varies in its channel configuration in a middle of duration thereof, said PI record of the program includes time periods for respective channel configurations of the program and a channel configuration for each of said time periods, each channel configuration indicating;

said video and audio channels that constitute the program for a time period associated with said each channel configuration;

said displaying step displays said time periods and corresponding channel configurations; and

said selecting one of video channels and one of audio channels includes selecting, for each time period, a video and a audio channel from a channel configuration associated with the time period.

2. A method of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals, wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the method comprising the steps of:

each terminal

permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;

adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;

recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;

recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;

in response to reception of a playing-request from the user, displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;

prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play; and

in response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),

wherein said recording medium is a removable tape medium,

wherein said step of recording a program includes the step of;

recording said program and PI record associated with said program in time-division-multiplexing; and

adjusting a recording frequency of said PI record according to a possible maximum recording rate minus a transmission rate required for said program.

3. A multimedia terminal capable of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals, wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the multimedia terminal comprising:

means for permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;

means for adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;

means for recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;

means for recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;

means, responsive to reception of a playing request from the user, for displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;

means for prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play; and

means, response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, for playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),

wherein said means for permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs includes means for permitting a user to select one of video channels and one of audio channels, said video and audio channels constituting said desired program,

wherein said recording means includes;

means for extracting video data of said selected video channel and audio data of said selected audio channel from a data stream including said video and audio channels;

means for converting said video data and said audio data into a time-division-multiplexed packet stream in a same form as said data stream; and

means for recording said time-division-multiplexed packet stream on said recording media, and wherein

if a program varies in its channel configuration in a middle of duration thereof, said PI record of the program includes time periods for respective channel configurations of the program and a channel configuration for each of said time periods, each channel configuration indicating said video and audio channels that constitute the program for a time period associated with said each channel configuration;

said displaying means includes means for displaying said time periods and corresponding channel configurations; and

said means for permitting a user to select one of video channels and one of audio channels includes means for selecting, for each time period, a video and a audio channel from a channel configuration associated with the time period.

4. A multimedia terminal capable of managing recorded programs recorded in a recording medium in a broadcasting system comprising at least one transmitter and a plurality of terminals, wherein each transmitter broadcasts a data stream, each data stream comprising a plurality of multiplexed channels, each channel comprising a plurality of programs and each data stream including program information comprising program information (PI) records associated with respective programs available in the broadcasting system, the multimedia terminal comprising:

means for permitting a user to select a desired one of said programs;

means for adding said selected program to a recording queue that keeps program-identifying data sets in order of broadcast start time;

means for recording on said recording medium a program identified by one of said program-identifying data sets in a first position of said recording queue;

means for recording a program information record of said recorded program in a predetermined area on said recording medium;

means, responsive to reception of a playing request from the user, for displaying a program guide for said recorded programs recorded on said recording medium;

means for prompting the user to select one of said recorded programs for play; and

means, response to the user selecting said one of said recorded programs, for playing said selected recorded program to provide video and/or audio output(s),

wherein said recording medium is a removable tape medium,

wherein said means for recording a program includes;

means for recording said program and PI record associated with said program on said recording medium; and

means for adjusting a recording frequency of said PI record according to a possible maximum recording rate minus a transmission rate required for said program.