System and method for dynamic channel management of a television based on media center set-top box tuner availability

• US 8,051,458 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2004
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Jutzi, Curtis E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepard; Justin E
• Application Number:
  US10/823,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20050229203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,758 Days
• Field of Search: 348723-725, 348/731, 348/734, 725/14, 725/15
• US Class Current: 725/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A method and system for dynamic channel management of a television based on media center set-top box tuner availability. The method includes determining a last channel a television was tuned to prior to being turned off. Then it is determined whether the last channel is a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel. If the last channel is a RF-remodulated channel, then sending a signal to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel. If a tuner is not available for the television, then receiving an indication of a cable channel that was last RF-remodulated to the RF-remodulated channel for the television. Finally, changing the television to the cable channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a remote control, a last channel to which a television was tuned prior to the television being turned off;

determining, by the remote control, whether the last channel tuned to prior to being turned off was a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel via a media center set-top box;

if the last channel was an RF-remodulated channel, then sending, from the remote control, a signal to the media center set-top box to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel;

if a tuner in the media center set-top box is not available for the television, then receiving at the remote control, from the media center set-top box, an indication identifying a cable channel that was most recently RF-remodulated for transmission on the RF-remodulated channel for the television; and

automatically changing the television with the remote control to the identified cable channel to satisfy expectations of a user when the tuner is not available for the television, wherein the remote control is separate from the media center set-top box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control, a channel up signal; and

changing the television to an adjacent cable channel one above the cable channel with the remote control.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control, a channel down signal; and

changing the television to an adjacent cable channel one below the cable channel with the remote control.

4. A system, comprising:

a television;

a remote control coupled to the television; and

a media center set-top box, wherein the remote control determines a last channel to which the television was tuned prior to the television being turned off, wherein the remote control determines whether the last channel tuned to prior to being turned off was a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel, wherein the remote control sends a signal to the media center set-top box to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel if the last channel was a RF-remodulated channel, wherein the remote control receives an indication from the media center set-top box, the indication identifying a cable channel that was most recently RF-remodulated for transmission on the RF-remodulated channel for the television if a tuner in the media center set-top box is not available for the television, and wherein the remote control automatically changes the television to the identified cable channel to satisfy expectations of a use when the tuner is not available for the television,

wherein the remote control is separate from the media center set-top box.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote control receives a channel up signal, and wherein the remote control changes the television to an adjacent cable channel one above the cable channel.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the remote control receives a channel down signal, and wherein the remote control changes the television to an adjacent cable channel one below the cable channel.

7. A non-transitory medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

determining, by a remote control, a last channel to which a television was tuned prior to the television being turned off;

determining, by the remote control, whether the last channel tuned to prior to being turned off was a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel via a media center set-top box;

if the last channel was an RF-remodulated channel, then sending, from the remote control, a signal to the media center set-top box to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel;

if a tuner in the media center set-top box is not available for the television, then receiving at the remote control, from the media center set-top box, an indication, the indication identifying a cable channel that was most recently RF-remodulated for transmission on the RF-remodulated channel for the television; and

automatically changing the television with the remote control to the identified cable channel to satisfy expectations of a user when the tuner is not available for the television, wherein the remote control is separate from the media center set-top box.

8. The non-transitory medium of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control, a channel up signal; and

changing the television to an adjacent cable channel one above the cable channel with the remote control.

9. The non-transitory medium of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote control, a channel down signal; and

changing the television to an adjacent cable channel one below the cable channel with the remote control.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a remote control, wherein the remote control determines a last channel to which a television was tuned prior to the television being turned off, wherein the remote control determines whether the last channel tuned to prior to being turned off was a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel via a media center set-top box, wherein the remote control sends a signal to the media center set-top box to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel if the last channel was a RF-remodulated channel, wherein the remote control receives an indication from the media center set-top box, the indication identifying a cable channel that was most recently RF-remodulated for transmission on the RF-remodulated channel for the television if a tuner in the media center set-top box is not available for the television, and wherein the remote control automatically changes the television to the identified cable channel to satisfy expectations of a use when the tuner is not available for the television,

wherein the remote control is separate from the media center set-top box.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the remote control receives a channel up signal, and wherein the remote control changes the television to an adjacent cable channel one above the cable channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the remote control receives a channel down signal, and wherein the remote control changes the television to an adjacent cable channel one below the cable channel.