Management of television presentation recordings

• US 7,218,839 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 05/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Plourde, Harold J. Jr., Adams, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ATALA, JAMIE JO
• Application Number:
  US10/073,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/83, 386 94- 95, 386/96, 386/1, 386/45, 725 39- 55, 725/21, 348/731
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A method for managing television presentation recordings includes determining if a television presentation corresponding to a television presentation listing is scheduled to be recorded, assigning a color to the television presentation listing responsive to determining that the television presentation is scheduled to be recorded, and presenting the television presentation listing to a user.

Claims

1. A method that is implemented via a digital home communication terminal for managing television presentation recordings comprising:

determining if a television presentation corresponding to a television presentation listing is scheduled to be recorded;

assigning a first color to the television presentation listing if the television presentation is scheduled to be recorded, wherein the color can be selected from a selectable option by a user;

determining whether the television presentation has a time scheduling conflict with another television presentation that is scheduled to be recorded;

assigning a second color responsive to determining that the television presentation has a time scheduling conflict with the another television presentation that is scheduled to be recorded; and

presenting the television presentation listing as part of an interactive program guide (IPG) having the second color as a background color for the television presentation listing, wherein the IPG includes a main program display area that contains the television presentation listing that is assigned the second color and information corresponding to the availability of the television presentation listing for viewing during at least one time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the color is used as a foreground color for the television presentation listing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the color is determined based on a color scheme.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the color is determined based on whether the television presentation was scheduled to be recorded by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the color is determined based on a television presentation storage capacity that is expected to be available.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the color is determined based on whether data will need to be deleted from a data storage device in order for the television presentation to be recorded in its entirety.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation is edited in response to receiving input from a user while the user is being presented with the television listing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation is resolved of data storage conflict in response to receiving input from a user while the user is being presented with the television listing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation is resolved of a time scheduling conflict in response to receiving input from a user while the user is being presented with the television listing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation is cancelled in response to receiving input from a user while the user is being presented with the television listing, wherein the user input corresponds to the activation of one of a record button, a stop button, and a select button.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the television presentation listing is highlighted at the time that the input is received.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation was implemented in response to receiving input from a user while the user was being presented with the television listing, wherein the user input corresponds to the activation of one of a record button and a select button.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the television presentation listing is highlighted at the time that the input is received.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the television presentation listing is presented via a television as part of a list of recorded television presentations.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the television presentation listing is presented via a television as part of a list of scheduled program recordings.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented via a digital home communication terminal (DHCT).

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an IPG color selection screen for selecting colors for designating characteristics of the television presentation listing.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an IPG color priority selection screen for selecting priorities for IPG listing colors.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a color scheme selection screen for supplying color scheme information that determines the colors of various IPG recording listings.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a recording listing screen that provides information about scheduled recordings, the information including one of recording time conflict and storage capacity conflict.

21. A system for managing television presentation recordings comprising:

determination logic for determining if a television presentation corresponding to a television presentation listing is scheduled to be recorded;

assignment logic for assigning a color to the television presentation listing in response to the determination logic determining that the television presentation is scheduled to be recorded and has a time scheduling conflict with another television presentation that is scheduled to be recorded, wherein the color can be selected from a selectable option by a user; and

presentation logic for presenting the television presentation listing having the color that indicates that the television presentation has the time scheduling conflict and is scheduled to be recorded, the television presentation listing being presented as part of a requested interactive program guide (IPG), wherein the IPG includes a main program display area that contains the television presentation listing that is assigned the color and information corresponding to the availability of the television presentation listing for viewing during at least one time period.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the color is used as a background color for the television presentation listing.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the color is used as a foreground color for the television presentation listing.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the color is determined based on a color scheme.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the color is determined based on whether the television presentation was scheduled to be recorded by a user.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the color is determined based on a television presentation storage capacity that is expected to be available.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the color is determined based on whether data will need to be deleted from a data storage device in order for the television presentation to be recorded in its entirety.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the television listing is presented to the user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation is cancelled in response to receiving input from a user while the user is being presented with the television listing, wherein the user input corresponds to the activation of one of a record button, a stop button, and a select button, wherein the television presentation listing is highlighted at the time that the input is received.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the scheduling of the recording of the television presentation was implemented in response to receiving input from a user while the user was being presented with the television listing.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the user input corresponds to the activation of one of a record button and a select button.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the television presentation listing is highlighted at the time that the input is received.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the television presentation listing is presented via a television as part of a list of recorded television presentations.

34. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is a digital home communication terminal (DHCT).

35. The system of claim 21, further comprising presentation logic for presenting an IPG color selection screen for selecting colors for designating characteristics of the television presentation listing.

36. The system of claim 21, further comprising presentation logic for presenting an IPG color priority selection screen for selecting priorities for IPG listing colors.

37. The system of claim 21, further comprising presentation logic for presenting a color scheme selection screen for supplying color scheme information that determines the colors of various PG recording listings.

38. The system of claim 21, further comprising presentation logic for presenting a recording listing screen that provides information about scheduled recordings, the information including one of recording time conflict and storage capacity conflict.

39. A method for managing television presentation recordings comprising:

presenting selectable options for selecting and assigning colors to a television presentation listing that is scheduled to be recorded;

determining if the television presentation corresponding to a television presentation listing is scheduled to be recorded;

assigning a color to the television presentation listing if the television presentation is scheduled to be recorded; and

presenting the television presentation listing as part of an interactive program guide (IPG) having the color as a background color for the television presentation listing, wherein the IPG includes a main program display area that contains the television presentation listing that is assigned the color and information corresponding to the availability of the television presentation listing for viewing during at least one time period.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein assigning a color can be accomplished by a subscriber.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein assigning a color can be accomplished by a system operator.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein presenting the selectable option comprises presenting an IPG color selection screen for selecting colors for designating characteristics of the television presentation listing, the designating characteristics including scheduled recording, recording time conflict, storage capacity conflict, and time and capacity conflict.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein presenting the selectable options comprises presenting an IPG color priority selection screen for selecting priorities for the colors selected to be assigned to the designating characteristics of the television presentation listing.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein presenting the selectable options comprises presenting a color scheme selection screen for supplying color scheme information that determines the colors of various IPG recording listings.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein presenting the selectable options comprises presenting a recording listing screen that provides information about scheduled recordings, the information including one of recording time conflict and storage capacity conflict.