Video tape indexing system and method

• US 7,542,657 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Index Systems Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuen, Henry C., Leung, Wing P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio; Vincent F
• Application Number:
  US10/601,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20040086266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,174 Days
• Field of Search: 386/83, 386/95, 725/39, 725/58
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/655 Memory in cassette [MIC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3054 Vertical Interval Time code [VITC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/328 on a tape [TTOC]
• 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 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 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A video tape indexing system in which program broadcast identification information is entered into the system for use in recording the program. When the program is recorded, the system stores indexing information in an index memory. The system monitors a broadcast channel for electronic program guide information that includes titles and usually channel, date, time and length for the titles. The system matches the channel, date, time and length information from the broadcast channel with the identification information entered for the program to be recorded. The title in the broadcast channel associated with the channel, date, time and length information is then associated with the indexing information for the program.

Claims

1. A video system recorder controller for indexing programs recorded by a video recorder comprising:

a microprocessor, the microprocessor having;

a scheduling input port responsive to an input of one or more sets of broadcast scheduling information, including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length;

an identification input port responsive to data from a television broadcast including;

one or more titles;

one or more sets of broadcast identification information, each set including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length; and

associations between a plurality of the titles and a plurality of the sets of broadcast identification information;

a bidirectional memory port for sending data to an index memory and retrieving it from the index memory; and

wherein after one or more sets of broadcast scheduling information have been received by the scheduling input port and stored in the index memory by the microprocessor, and after one or more sets of broadcast identification information, titles and associations have been received by the identification input port, a title is selected by the microprocessor, stored in the index memory and associated with the set of stored broadcast scheduling information if the set of broadcast identification information having an association with the title matches the set of stored broadcast scheduling information.

2. The video system recorder controller of claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor having an output port that provides commands to one or more of a video recorder and a tuner to record a television program according to one of the sets of broadcast scheduling information.

3. The video system recorder controller of claim 2, wherein after a program associated with the set of broadcast scheduling information has been recorded the microprocessor discards the one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length indicators from a set of broadcast scheduling information stored in the index memory.

4. The video system recorder controller of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor compares a time component of the one or more sets of broadcast identification information with an output of a real time clock integral to the microprocessor to determine when to provide a command through the output port to record a television program.

5. The video system recorder controller of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor stores one or more tape locations in the index memory to mark a beginning and an end of a recording session.

6. The video system recorder controller of claim 1, wherein the identification input port responsive to data from a television broadcast is connected to a VBI decoder.

7. The video system recorder controller of claim 1, wherein the identification input port responsive to data from a television broadcast is connected to a wireless receiver.

8. A method for indexing programs recording by a video recorder comprising:

receiving an input of one or more sets of broadcast scheduling information, including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length;

storing the one or more sets of broadcast scheduling information in an index memory;

receiving data from a television broadcast including;

one or more titles,

one or more sets of broadcast identification information, each set including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length; and

associations between a plurality of the titles and a plurality of the sets of broadcast identification information;

matching the one or more sets of broadcast identification information with the one or more sets of stored broadcast scheduling information;

storing a title having an association with the one or more sets of broadcast identification information in the index memory if the one or more sets of broadcast identification information is matched to one or more sets of stored broadcast scheduling information to provide a stored title; and

associating the stared title in the index memory with the one or more sets of stored broadcast scheduling information matched to the one or more sets of broadcast identification information having an association with the title.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing commands through an output port to one or more of a video recorder and a tuner to record a television program according to one of the sets of broadcast scheduling information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

discarding the one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length indicators from a set of broadcast scheduling information stored in the index memory after a program associated with the set of broadcast scheduling information has been recorded.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein data is received from a television broadcast using a VBI decoder.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein data is received from a television broadcast using a wireless receiver.

13. A video system recorder controller for indexing programs recorded by a video recorder comprising:

a processing means for coordinating and processing video system recorder controller input and output;

a scheduling input means coupled to the processing means responsive to an input of one or more sets of broadcast scheduling information, including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length;

on identification input means coupled to the processing means responsive to data from a television broadcast including;

one or more titles;

one or more sets of broadcast identification information, each set including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length; and

associations between a plurality of the titles and a plurality of the sets of broadcast identification information;

a memory input-output means coupled to the processing means for sending data to an index memory and retrieving it from the index memory; and

wherein after one or more sets of broadcast scheduling information have been received by the scheduling input means and stored in the index memory by the processing means, and after one or more sets of broadcast identification information, titles and associations have been received by the identification input means, a title is selected by the processing means, stored in the index memory and associated with the set of stored broadcast scheduling information if the set of broadcast identification information having an association with the title matches the set of stored broadcast scheduling information.

14. The video system recorder controller of claim 13 wherein the processing means provides commands to one or more of a video recorder and a tuner to record a television program according to a set of broadcast scheduling information.

15. The video system recorder controller of claim 13 wherein the processing means discards site one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length indicators from a set of broadcast, scheduling information stored in the index memory after a program associated with the set of broadcast scheduling information has been recorded.

16. The video system recorder controller of claim 13 wherein the identification input means responsive to the data from a television broadcast is connected to a VBI decoder.

17. The video system recorder controller of claim 13 wherein the identification input means responsive to the data from a television broadcast is connected to a wireless receiver through a VBI decoder.

18. A video system recorder controller for indexing programs recorded by a video recorder comprising:

an input means for receiving one or more sets of television program broadcast scheduling information, including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length;

a controller means, coupled to the input means, for providing commands to one or more of a video recorder and a tuner to record a television program according to one of the sets of broadcast scheduling information;

an index memory means, coupled to the controller means, for storing video medium identification, video medium index information and the broadcast scheduling information for television programs recorded under control of the controller means;

a data receiver means, coupled to the controller means, for receiving data from a television broadcast, including titles, sets of television program broadcast identification information, each such set including one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length, and associations between a plurality of the titles and a plurality of the sets of television program broadcast identification information; and

wherein after one or more sets of television program broadcast scheduling information have been received by the input, the title of a television program scheduled to be recorded or having already been recorded is selected from a television broadcast being monitored by the data receiver, stored in the index memory, and associated with the previously stored broadcast scheduling information if the broadcast identification information associated with the title matches the broadcast scheduling information used to identify the program for recording.

19. The video system recorder controller of claim 18 wherein the controller means discards the one or more of channel, start time, end time, date, day of the week and length indicators from a set of broadcast scheduling information stored in the index memory after a program associated with the set of broadcast scheduling information has been recorded.

20. The video system recorder controller of claim 18 wherein the data receiver means for receiving data from a television broadcast is connected to a VBI decoder.

21. The video system recorder controller of claim 18 wherein the data receiver means for receiving data from a television broadcast is connected to a wireless receiver through a VBI decoder.