System and method for adaptively controlling the recording of program material using a program guide

• US 8,250,608 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Hayes, Patrick H., Arling, Paul D., Lilleness, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rabovianski, Jivka
• Application Number:
  US12/732,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20100180307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/47, 725/51, 725/54, 725/133, 725/91, 348/74
• US Class Current: 725/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In response to the establishment of a communication connection between an appliance capable of effecting a recording of a program and a portable device capable of displaying to a user in a display of the portable device a program guide including a listing for the program the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program receives data indicative of a request to record the program that is stored in a memory of the portable device via user interaction with the program guide prior to establishment of the communication connection and the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program then functions to record the program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user to effect a recording and playback of a program, the method comprising:

providing to a portable device having a display a program guide which includes a listing for the program;

receiving at an appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program a request to record the program wherein the request to record the program is created via user interaction with the program guide displayed in the display of the portable device;

causing the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program to record the program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program;

providing to the portable device having the display a supplement to the program guide which includes the listing for the program as recorded by the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program; and

receiving at the appliance capable of effecting the playback of the recorded program a request to playback the recorded program wherein the request to playback the recorded program is created via user interaction with the supplement to the program guide displayed in the display of the portable device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, comprising routing the request to record the program from the portable device to the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program via an intermediate computing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the intermediate computing device routes the request to playback the recorded program from the portable device to the appliance capable of effecting playback of the recorded program.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the intermediate computing device provides to the portable device the program guide and the supplement to the program guide.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the intermediate computing device polls the appliance capable of effecting the recording the program to determine that the recorded program is to be included in the supplement to the program guide.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program that is caused to record the program is designated within the request to record the program from a plurality of appliances capable of effecting the recording of the program.

7. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the request to playback the recorded program comprises a designation of the appliance on which a playback of the recorded program is to be rendered.

8. A readable media embodied in a non-transitory memory device having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor for enabling a user to effect recording and playback of a program, the instructions performing steps comprising:

providing to a portable device having a display a program guide including a listing for the program;

receiving from the portable device data indicative of a request to record the program wherein the request to record the program is created via user interaction with the program guide;

causing an appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program to record the program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to record the program;

providing to the portable device having the display a supplement to the program guide including the listing for the program as recorded by the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program;

receiving from the portable device data indicative of a request to playback the recorded program wherein the request to playback the recorded program is created via user interaction with the supplement to the program guide displayed in the display of the portable device; and

causing the appliance capable of effecting playback of the record program to playback the recorded program in accordance with the received data indicative of the request to playback the recorded.

9. The readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein an intermediate computing device in communication with at least the appliance capable of effecting a recording of the program and the portable device includes the non-transitory memory device having the stored instructions.

10. The readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises a personal computer.

11. The readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the intermediate computing device comprises an Internet gateway device.

12. The readable media as recited in claim 9, wherein the instructions route the request to record the program from the portable device to the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program.

13. The readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions route the request to playback the recorded program from the portable device to the appliance capable of effecting playback of the recorded program.

14. The readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the instructions poll the appliance capable of effecting the recording the program to determine that the recorded program is to be included in the supplement to the program guide.

15. The readable media as recited in claim 12, wherein the appliance capable of effecting the recording of the program that is caused to record the program is designated within the request to record the program from a plurality of appliances capable of effecting the recording of the program.

16. The readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the request to playback the recorded program comprises a designation of the appliance on which a playback of the recorded program is to be rendered.