Method and apparatus for selective recording of television programs using event notifications

• US 6,792,617 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Gorbatov, Eugene, Rivero, Juan
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US09/910,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.7173, 386/83, 725/141, 725/142, 725/153, 725/110, 725/136, 725/137, 725/133, 725/134, 725/51, 725/109
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4725 using interactive regions of the image, e.g. hot spots details of information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94
• 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 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

Improved enhanced TV programming provides the capability for event driven recording of TV programs and program segments. Recording a selected program segment of a digital TV program includes receiving a digital TV stream including the digital TV program, automatically starting recording of the selected program segment of the digital TV program when a first event notification is received, and automatically stopping recording of the selected program segment when a second event notification is received.

Claims

1. A method of receiving and recording selected program segments of enhanced TV programs based on events occurring in the enhanced TV programs comprising:

receiving definitions of events, the events defining selected broadcast content of interest to a viewer occurring in discrete segments of the enhanced TV programs;

providing the event definitions to a viewer for selection of events of interest to be recorded;

receiving registrations for selected events of interest from the viewer for future recording of program segments corresponding to the selected events whenever the enhanced TV programs are broadcast;

receiving an enhanced television stream, the enhanced television stream comprising enhanced TV programs having a plurality of program segments and event notifications corresponding to events occurring in those segments; and

comparing the received event notifications to the registered events and recording only the selected program segments of the enhanced TV programs being broadcast corresponding to registered events matching received event notifications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the events occur in enhanced TV programs broadcast on a plurality of channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and ATVEF triggers represent the event notifications, the ATVEF triggers being communicated over the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing event definitions comprises broadcasting the event definitions on a selected TV channel dedicated to communicating event definitions to the viewer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing event definitions comprises identifying event definitions in an electronic program guide (EPG).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein events comprise occurrence of presentation of at least one of a national news report, a local news report, a national weather report, a local weather report, a sporting event score, a sporting event highlight, daily stock market information, and a scoring play in a sporting event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each event comprises a unique global identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced TV program represents a live broadcast and event notifications are generated in real-time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sending event definitions comprises broadcasting the event definitions on a selected TV channel dedicated to communicating event definitions to the viewer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein sending event definitions comprises identifying event definitions in an electronic program guide (EPG).

15. The method of claim 8, wherein broadcasting the enhanced television stream comprises communicating the event notifications over the Internet.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein broadcasting the enhanced television stream comprises communicating the event notifications over a selected television channel other than a channel on which the enhanced TV program is being broadcast.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the event notifications comprise ATVEF triggers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein event notifications are created in real-time.

11. An article comprising:

a storage medium having a plurality of machine readable instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by a processor, the instructions provide for receiving and recording selected program segments of enhanced TV programs based on events occurring in the enhanced TV programs, the instructions including receiving definitions of events, the events defining selected broadcast content of interest to a viewer occurring in discrete segments of the enhanced TV programs, providing the event definitions to a viewer for selection of events of interest to be recorded, receiving registrations for selected events of interest from the viewer for future recording of program segments corresponding to the selected events whenever the enhanced TV programs are broadcast, receiving an enhanced television stream, the enhanced television stream comprising enhanced TV programs having a plurality of program segments and event notifications corresponding to events occurring in those segments, and comparing the received event notifications to the registered events and recording only the selected program segments of the enhanced TV programs being broadcast corresponding to registered events matching received event notifications.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and the events occur in programs broadcast on a plurality of channels.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the enhanced television stream comprises a digital television stream and ATVEF triggers represent the event notifications, the ATVEF triggers being communicated over the Internet.

14. A method of broadcasting an enhanced TV program for selective recording of program segments based on events occurring in the enhanced TV program comprising:

defining events in the enhanced TV program, the events defining selected broadcast content of interest to a viewer occurring in discrete segments of the enhanced TV program, and being capable of being registered for future selective recording of those program segments at the direction of the viewer when the enhanced TV program is broadcast;

sending event definitions to a receiving device for registration by the viewer;

creating event notifications for the events occurring in the enhanced TV program;

creating an enhanced television stream comprising the enhanced TV program and the created event notifications; and

broadcasting the enhanced television stream.