System and method for recording broadcasting programs

• US 7,369,751 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation), Omega S.A. (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Son, Hyeong Ho, Kim, Eunsam
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks-Harold; Marsha D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Findley; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US10/242,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/83, 386/125, 386/95, 370/260, 725/142
• US Class Current: 386/291
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and a method for recording digital broadcasting programs are disclosed. The system executes the clipping function that allows a user to select a portion of a recorded video signal, time-shifted video signal, or real-time broadcasting video signal through a guide bar in an OSD form, and stores only the video signal of the selected portion in an HDD. This prevents the HDD from being unnecessarily wasted and allows the user to easily perform the clipping function. Even a time-shifted program is stored in the HDD through the clipping function so that the user can reproduce the time-shifted program whenever he wants to watch it.

Claims

1. A broadcasting program recording system, comprising:

a storage medium for storing a corresponding broadcasting signal when a recording or time shift function is set;

a key input unit through which a user inputs a clipping start key and a clipping completion key at a start position and end position of a clipping region, respectively, in order to set the clipping region in a broadcasting signal being displayed;

an application for controlling the recording system in order to perform operations according to commands input on the key input unit;

an OSD (on-screen display) unit for displaying a guide bar in an OSD form on a predetermined position of a screen under the control of the application in order to display a state of the broadcasting signal currently being displayed on the screen, the clipping region being distinctively set and indicated on the guide bar;

an engine for processing a broadcasting signal reproduced from the storage medium or a real-time broadcasting signal to display the processed signal under the control of the application, the engine controlling broadcasting signals of the clipping region to be stored in the storage medium when the user sets the clipping region through the guide bar, the engine detecting program guide information of the clipping region from the broadcasting signal and providing the detected program guide information to the OSD unit; and

a file system for managing information about files stored in the storage medium, the file system generating a new file name and correcting existing file information when the broadcasting signals of the clipping region have been stored,

wherein the OSD unit displays the program guide information on the guidebar.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user uses the key input unit to move a cursor to a desired clipping start point on the guide bar and inputs the clipping start key for clipping, and then to move the cursor to a desired clipping completion point and inputs the clipping completion key for clipping, to thereby set the clipping region, the user setting a plurality of clipping regions by repeating the above-described process, the guide bar being displayed, being linked with the displayed broadcasting signal.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the OSD unit displays the clipping region and other regions in different colors under the control of the application, to allow the user to recognize the clipping region.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clipping start key and clipping completion key for clipping are allocated to one key of the key input unit and the clipping region is set by toggling the one key.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clipping start key and clipping completion key for clipping are respectively allocated to different keys of the key input unit, to set the clipping region.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting signal corresponding to the clipping region is a broadcasting signal that is stored in the storage medium through the recording function and then reproduced.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting signal corresponding to the clipping region is a broadcasting signal that is stored in the storage medium through the time shift function and then reproduced.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the broadcasting signal corresponding to the clipping region is a broadcasting signal received through a channel in real time.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engine deletes broadcasting signals excluded from the clipping region, among reproduced broadcasting signals, when the displayed broadcasting signal is a broadcasting signal stored in the storage medium through the recording function and, simultaneously, updates file information of the file system.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the OSD unit displays file information stored in the storage medium in a list form with reference to the file system under the control of the application, and the user uses the key input unit to select files the user wants to merge into one file from files of the list and to determine a merging order of the selected files.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the key input unit transmits input commands either wirelessly to the application.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the OSD unit further displays identification information for a plurality of different programs on the guide bar such that the user can select a plurality of clipping regions within the plurality of different programs.

13. A method of recording broadcasting programs of a digital TV system including a storage medium for storing a corresponding broadcasting signal when a recording or shift time function is set and a file system for managing information of files stored in the storage medium, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a guide bar on a predetermined position on a TV screen of the digital TV system in an OSD (on-screen display) form and indicating a state of a broadcasting signal currently being displayed on the TV screen;

(b) inputting, by a user, a clipping start key and a clipping completion key for clipping at a desired clipping start point and an end point on the guide bar, respectively, to set a clipping region;

(c) discriminating the clipping region from other regions on the guide bar when the clipping region is set in the step (b);

(d) detecting program guide information of the clipping region from the broadcasting signal and displaying the program guide information on the guide bar; and

(e) storing the broadcasting signal of the clipping region in the storage medium and updating file information of the file system when the clipping region is set in the step (b).

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the step (b), the user moves a cursor to a desired clipping start point on the guide bar and inputs the clipping start key for clipping, and then moves the cursor to a desired clipping completion point and inputs the clipping completion key for clipping, to thereby set the clipping region, the user setting a plurality of clipping regions by repeating the above-described process, the guide bar being displayed, being linked with the displayed broadcasting signal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in the step (b), the user inputs the clipping start key for clipping when the cursor is placed at a desired clipping start point, and inputs the clipping completion key for clipping when the cursor is located at a desired clipping completion point, to thereby set the clipping region, the user setting a plurality of clipping regions by repeating the above-described process, the guide bar being displayed, being linked with the displayed broadcasting signal.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step (c) differentiates a color of the clipping region from a color of other regions on the guide bar, to allow the user to recognize the clipping region.

17. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the broadcasting signal of the clipping region is a broadcasting signal that is stored in the storage medium through the recording function and then reproduced, and the reproduced broadcasting signal is continuously being stored in the storage medium when the clipping function is cancelled.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein broadcasting signals excluded from the clipping region, among reproduced broadcasting signals, are deleted from the storage medium and, simultaneously, the file system is updated.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the broadcasting signal of the clipping region is a broadcasting signal that is stored in the storage medium through the time shift function and then reproduced, and the reproduced broadcasting signal is deleted from the storage medium when the clipping region is not set.

20. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the broadcasting signal of the clipping region is a broadcasting signal received through a channel in real time.

21. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a displaying file information stored in the storage medium in a list form with reference to the file system, and selecting, by the user, the files the user wants to merge into one file from files of the list and determining a merging order of the selected files.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the displaying step further displays identification information for a plurality of different programs on the guide bar such that the user can select a plurality of clipping regions within the plurality of different programs.

23. A method of recording broadcasting programs of a digital TV system including a storage medium for storing a corresponding broadcasting signal when a recording or shift time function is set and a file system for managing information of files stored in the storage medium, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a guide bar on a predetermined position of a TV screen in an OSD (on-screen display) form and indicating a state of a broadcasting signal currently being displayed on the TV screen, wherein the guide bar displays the detected program guide information when the clipping region is set;

(b) inputting, by a user, a clipping start key and a clipping completion key for clipping at a desired clipping start point and a completion point on the guide bar, respectively, to set a clipping region, if the user wants to set the clipping region when a broadcasting signal stored in the storage medium is reproduced, the user repeating this process to set a plurality of clipping regions;

(c) discriminating a color of the clipping region from a color of other regions on the guide bar when the clipping region is set in the step (b); and

(d) detecting program guide information of the clipping region from the broadcasting signal and displaying the program guide information on the guide bar; and

(e) storing the broadcasting signal of the clipping region in the storage medium and updating the file information of the file system when the clipping region is set in the step (b)

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein, in the step (b), the broadcasting signal that is stored in the storage medium and then reproduced is a broadcasting signal previously stored through the recording function, a broadcasting signal excluded from the clipping region, among the reproduced broadcasting signal, is deleted from the storage medium, and the reproduced broadcasting signal is continuously being stored in the storage medium when the clipping function is cancelled.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the broadcasting signal that is stored in the storage medium and then reproduced is a broadcasting signal stored through the time shift function, and the reproduced broadcasting signal is deleted from the storage medium when the clipping region is not set.

26. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the displaying step further displays identification information for a plurality of different programs on the guide bar such that the user can select a plurality of clipping regions within the plurality of different programs.