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Locally stored content previews: representative of programming content in an electronic programming guide through a graphic image accessed from the hard drive of a set top box

  • US 8,499,321 B2
  • Filed: 05/03/2005
  • Issued: 07/30/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for displaying information to a user via a television, comprising:

  • a computer readable medium for storing a video file; and

    a first processing element adapted to receive programming broadcasted over and received from a communication medium, the first processing element communicatively coupled to the computer readable medium for retrieving the video file from the computer readable medium, and communicatively coupled to the television for displaying one of a television program and a graphic image on the television, wherein the graphic image is displayed in response to an execution of the video file by the first processing element, where the first processing element comprises a digital satellite system (DSS) processing element, an internet processing element communicatively connected with the internet, and a buffer logic circuit that coupled with both the DSS processing element and the internet processing element, where the DSS processing element is configured to receive the programming broadcasted over and received from the communication medium, the internet processing element is configured to transmit and receive data over the internet, wherein the buffer logic circuit comprises a video processor configured to process at least a portion of video data received from the DSS processing element, and wherein the buffer logic circuit is configured to facilitate communication between the DSS processing element and the internet processing element;

    the first processing element is configured to display, through the internet processing element, a graphical user interface displaying, on a single display screen, selectable representations of television programs that are currently being broadcast over the communication medium and selectable representations of television programs that are to be broadcast in the future, wherein the video file corresponds to one of the selectable representations that is currently selectable in the graphical user interface where the one of the selectable representations corresponds to a date and time indicated in the graphical user interface,the first processing element is configured to display a first television program on the television in response to a user selecting a selectable representation of a first television program if the first television program has been received from the communication medium,the first processing element is configured to display a first graphic image on the television and additional textual information about the content of the first television program in response to the user selecting the selectable representation of the first television program corresponding to and intended to be played back at the specific time and date indicated in the graphical user interface and corresponding to the selectable representation if the first television program has not been received from the communication medium;

    wherein the first processing element is configured to update the video file stored in the computer readable medium such that the updated video file corresponds to the one of the selectable representations that is currently selectable.

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