System and method for generating video taping reminders

• US 8,265,458 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Index Systems Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Helmstetter, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, HEATHER RAE
• Application Number:
  US10/901,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,966 Days
• Field of Search: 386/52, 386/83, 386/95, 386/96, 725/36, 725/37, 725/39, 725 42- 47, 725/58, 725/60, 725/104, 725/109, 725/116, 360/69, 360/72.2
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• 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 27/309 Table of contents
• 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 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4334 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• 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 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Electronic Guide products give the user the ability to videotape selected programs. Once a program has successfully been taped a message is displayed, reminding the viewer that they have taped it. (E.g. “You taped Xxxxx; have you watched it yet?”) Information comprising information that shows are taped, the particular shows taped and viewer profiles allow advertisements targeted to the viewer who typically records a given type of programming to be presented. In an embodiment the display of the reminders is made conditional upon acceptance of advertising (for example, based on a piece of data transmitted along with other data related to that show), and can be sold to the broadcasters who transmitted the show. This information is marketed as a peculiarly well-targeted ad for the show, causing it to continue to produce value for the broadcaster after the broadcast is complete. Broadcasters, in turn, may offer the reminders to major advertisers as they sell commercial air time during the show, as a premium feature of the air time. The advertisement may be sent over channels comprising the video blanking interval, the Internet or on another channel.

Claims

1. A method for reminding a viewer that a video recording has been made, said method comprising:

displaying a program guide display;

receiving a user selection to record a program indicated on said program guide display;

causing said program to be recorded;

determining, a predetermined time after the recording, that said program has been recorded;

determining said recorded program has not yet been viewed after said recorded program has been recorded; and

in response to determining said program has been recorded and determining said recorded program has not yet been viewed after said recorded program has been recorded, automatically displaying a video recording reminder, said video recording reminder indicating that said program has been recorded and not yet viewed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprises automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising a title of the recorded program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprises automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising an advertisement.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the advertisement is associated with the recorded program.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the advertisement is selected based on viewer profile information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprises automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising a picture-in-picture (PIP) display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprises automatically displaying a portion of the recorded program in the PIP display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically displaying the video recording reminder comprises:

detecting when user equipment associated with the video recording reminder is reactivated after the program has been recorded; and

displaying the video recording reminder in response to detecting that the reactivation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically displaying the video recording reminder comprises:

receiving reminder data associated with programs indicated on said program guide display;

determining based on the received reminder data whether the program selected for recording is associated with a reminder; and

automatically displaying the video recording reminder for program if the program is associated with a reminder.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the video recording reminder is associated with a plurality of recorded programs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the video recording reminder is assigned to the program by a remote source.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the remote source assigns the video recording reminder to the program based on input from one of an advertiser and a sponsor.

13. Viewer television equipment for reminding a viewer that a video recording has been made, said viewer television equipment comprising:

a video recorder;

an electronic program guide implemented at least partially on said viewer television equipment, said electronic program guide configured to;

receive a viewer selection to record a program indicated on said program guide display;

cause said video recorder to record said program;

determine, a predetermined time after the recording, that said program has been recorded;

determine said program has not yet been viewed after said recorded program has been viewed; and

in response to determining said program has been recorded and determining said program has not yet been viewed after said recorded program has been recorded, cause said display device to automatically display a video recording reminder, said video recording reminder indicating that said program has been recorded and not yet viewed.

14. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the electronic program guide causes said display device to automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising a title of the recorded program.

15. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the electronic program guide causes said display device to automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising an advertisement.

16. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the electronic program guide causes said display device to automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising a picture-in-picture (PIP) display.

17. The viewer television equipment of claim 16, wherein the electronic program guide causes said display device to display a portion of the recorded program in the PIP display.

18. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the electronic program guide is further configured to:

detect when the viewer television equipment is reactivated after the program has been recorded; and

display the video recording reminder in response to detecting that the reactivation.

19. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the electronic program guide is further configured to:

receive reminder data associated with programs indicated on said program guide display;

determine based on the received reminder data whether the program selected for recording is associated with a reminder; and

automatically display the video recording reminder for program if the program is associated with a reminder.

20. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the video recording reminder is associated with a plurality of recorded programs.

21. The viewer television equipment of claim 13, wherein the video recording reminder is assigned to the program by a remote source.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in viewer television equipment for reminding a viewer that a video recording has been made, wherein the medium is encoded with computer readable instructions for:

displaying a program guide display;

receiving a user selection to record a program indicated on said program guide display;

causing said program to be recorded;

determining, a predetermined time after the recording, that said program has been recorded;

determining said recorded program has not yet been viewed after said recorded program has been viewed; and

in response to determining said program has been recorded and determining said recorded program has not yet been viewed after said recorded program has been recorded, automatically displaying a video recording reminder, said video recording reminder indicating that said program has been recorded and not yet viewed.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising a title of the recorded program.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising an advertisement.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for automatically displaying a video recording reminder comprising a picture-in-picture (PIP) display.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 further encoded with machine-readable instructions for displaying a portion of the recorded program in the PIP display.