Broadcast program recording overrun and underrun scheduling system
First Claim
1. A process for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
- accepting user input, the user indicates a program to record and the program has a start availability time and an end availability time listed in an electronic program guide;
displaying at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time;
scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time;
recording the program on at least one storage device in a digital format;
andwherein the scheduling step further comprises;
adjusting the scheduled start recording time for the program using the first relative amount of time specified by the user in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the program using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A broadcast program recording overrun and underrun scheduling system provides a system for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program'"'"'s recording schedule that has a predetermined start and end broadcast time. An on screen program guide is displayed to the viewer via a monitor or television and lists the predetermined scheduled broadcast times and channels of a plurality of broadcast programs. The viewer selects a particular broadcast program to record from the program guide using a remote input device. The invention schedules the broadcast program to be recorded by inserting the program'"'"'s information such as program identifier, start and end times, and storage duration into a recording schedule database. The invention allows the viewer to adjust the scheduled start and/or end recording times for a broadcast program by specifying the time increment to add or subtract from the start and/or end recording times of a specific program or series of programs. The invention adjusts the recording schedule to the viewer'"'"'s modifications. Broadcast programs are recorded onto a persistent storage device when the recording schedule indicates that it is time to do so. The viewer is allowed to adjust the end recording time of a program while the program is being recorded. The viewer can randomly access the recorded programs on the persistent storage device for play back.
60 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A process for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
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accepting user input, the user indicates a program to record and the program has a start availability time and an end availability time listed in an electronic program guide; displaying at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time; scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; recording the program on at least one storage device in a digital format; and wherein the scheduling step further comprises; adjusting the scheduled start recording time for the program using the first relative amount of time specified by the user in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the program using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An apparatus for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
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a subsystem that accepts user input, the user indicates a program to record and the program has a program guide start availability time and a program guide end availability time listed in an electronic program guide; a subsystem that displays at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time; a subsystem that schedules a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; a subsystem that records the program on at least one storage device in a digital format; and wherein the scheduling subsystem further comprises; a subsystem that adjusts the scheduled start recording time for the program using the first relative amount of time specified by the user in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the program using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:
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accepting user input, the user indicates a program to record and the program has a program guide start availability time and a program guide end availability time listed in an electronic program guide; displaying at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s start availability time and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the program'"'"'s end availability time; scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; recording the program on at least one storage device in a digital format; and wherein the scheduling step further comprises; adjusting the scheduled start recording time for the program using the first relative amount of time specified by the user in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the program using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A process for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
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accepting user input, the user indicates a program to record and the program has a start availability time and an end availability time listed in an electronic program guide; scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; and displaying a user interface that contains a first entry field and allows the user to specify a relative amount of time in the first entry field to be added to or subtracted from the scheduled end recording time while the program is being recorded, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the relative amount of time in the first entry field to be added to or subtracted from the scheduled end recording time. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
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a subsystem that accepts user input, the user indicates a program to record and the program has a start availability time and an end availability time listed in an electronic program guide; a subsystem that schedules a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; and a subsystem that displays a user interface that contains a first entry field and allows the user to specify a relative amount of time in the first entry field to be added to or subtracted from the scheduled end recording time while the program is being recorded, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the relative amount of time in the first entry field to be added to or subtracted from the scheduled end recording time. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:
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accepting user input, wherein the user indicates a program to record and the program has a start availability time and an end availability time listed in an electronic program guide; scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for the program using the program'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; and displaying a user interface that contains a first entry field and allows the user to specify a relative amount of time in the first entry field to be added to or subtracted from the scheduled end recording time while the program is being recorded, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the relative amount of time in the first entry field to be added to or subtracted from the scheduled end recording time. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A process for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
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accepting user input, the user indicates a particular program series that the user desires to record multiple episodes of and each episode of the program series has a start availability time and an end availability time; displaying at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust start availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust end recording availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the start availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the end recording availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded; scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for an episode of the program series using the episode'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; recording the episode of the program series on at least one storage device in a digital format; and wherein the scheduling step further comprises; adjusting the scheduled start recording time for the episode of the program series using the first relative amount of time specified in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the episode of the program series using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An apparatus for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising:
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a subsystem that accepts user input, the user indicates a particular program series that the user desires to record multiple episodes of and each episode of the program series has a start availability time and an end availability time; a subsystem that displays at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust start recording availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust end availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the start availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the end availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded; a subsystem that schedules a start recording time and end recording time for an episode of the program series using the episode'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; a subsystem that records the episode of the program series on at least one storage device in a digital format; and wherein the scheduling subsystem further comprises; a subsystem that adjusts the scheduled start recording time for the episode of the program series using the first relative amount of time specified in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the episode of the program series using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for adjusting start and end times of a program recording schedule in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:
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accepting user input, the user indicates a particular program series that the user desires to record multiple episodes of and each episode of the program series has a start availability time and an end availability time; displaying at least one input screen to the user that contains a first entry field and a second entry field and allows the user to specify a first relative amount of time in the first entry field to adjust start recording availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded and/or specify a second relative amount of time in the second entry field to adjust end availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded, the first relative amount of time is displayed in the first entry field when the user specifies the first relative amount of time to adjust the start availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded and the second relative amount of time is displayed in the second entry field when the user specifies the second relative amount of time to adjust the end availability times for all episodes of the program series to be recorded; scheduling a start recording time and end recording time for an episode of the program series using the episode'"'"'s start availability time and end availability time; recording the episode of the program series on at least one storage device in a digital format; and wherein the scheduling step further comprises; adjusting the scheduled start recording time for the episode of the program series using the first relative amount of time specified in the first entry field and/or adjusting the scheduled end recording time for the episode of the program series using the second relative amount of time specified by the user in the second entry field. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification