Television signal recording

• US 8,655,154 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony United Kingdom Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Moore, Nigel Stuart, Rose, Nicolas Pierre, George, Martin Selby
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wendmagegn, Girumsew
• Application Number:
  US12/756,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20100260475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 386/243, 386/291, 348/726, 715/719, 725/40
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 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 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A television signal recording apparatus comprises a recording unit that makes recordings of television signals and stores metadata representing information in respect of the recordings including the channel and the recording time. A graphical display of made recordings and scheduled recordings is produced in which graphical objects representing respective recordings are arranged in two dimensions, ordered in a first dimension on the basis of the channels and ordered in a second dimension on the basis of the recording times. In the second dimension, the graphical objects are arranged along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording is present, the discontinuities being graphically represented by graphical symbols that are different according to the period of the discontinuity. An electronic program guide is produced with a similar format, the programs being filtered to select programs and discontinuities being present at times where there is no selected program.

Claims

1. A television signal recording apparatus comprising:

a recording unit capable of making recordings of television signals, the television signal recording apparatus being arranged to store metadata representing information in respect of the recordings including a channel from which a recording was made and a recording time at which the recording was made; and

a recordings display generator arranged to generate a signal for display on a display device of a graphical display of the recordings, the graphical display comprising graphical objects representing respective recordings and arranged in two dimensions, the graphical objects being ordered in a first dimension on a basis of channels represented by the metadata in respect of the respective recordings and ordered in a second dimension on a basis of recording times represented by the metadata in respect of the respective recordings, along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording has been made, the discontinuities being graphically represented,

wherein the discontinuities are graphically represented by a graphical symbol positioned between the graphical objects representing respective recordings, and

wherein said graphical symbols are different according to a period of discontinuity.

2. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said graphical symbols are different in any combination of:

colour, shape, size or pattern.

3. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a receiver-decoder circuit capable of receiving and decoding the television signals.

4. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device, the recordings display generator being arranged to supply said signal for display of a graphical display of the recordings to the display device.

5. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a video output interface for outputting a video signal, the recordings display generator being arranged to supply said signal for display of a graphical display of the recordings to the video output interface.

6. A method of operating a television signal recording apparatus including a recording unit capable of making recordings of television signals, the television signal recording apparatus being arranged to store metadata representing information in respect of the recordings including a channel from which a recording was made and a recording time at which the recording was made,

the method comprising generating a signal for display on a display device of a graphical display of the recordings, the graphical display comprising graphical objects representing respective recordings and arranged in two dimensions, the graphical objects being ordered in a first dimension on a basis of channels represented by the metadata in respect of the respective recordings and ordered in a second dimension on a basis of recording times represented by the metadata in respect of the respective recordings, along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording has been made, the discontinuities being graphically represented,

wherein the discontinuities are graphically represented by a graphical symbol positioned between graphical objects representing respective recordings, and

wherein said graphical symbols are different according to a period of discontinuity.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said graphical symbols are different in any combination of:

colour, shape, size or pattern.

8. A television signal recording apparatus comprising:

a recording unit capable of making recordings of television signals;

a recordings controller arranged to maintain a list of scheduled recordings scheduled to be recorded at respective times and to operate the recording unit to record the recordings at the scheduled times; and

a recordings display generator arranged to generate a signal for display on a display device of a graphical display of the scheduled recordings, the graphical display comprising graphical objects representing respective scheduled recordings and arranged, on a basis of their respective times, along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording is scheduled to be made, the discontinuities being graphically represented,

wherein the discontinuities are graphically represented by a graphical symbol positioned between graphical objects representing respective recordings, and

wherein said graphical symbols are different according to a period of discontinuity.

9. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said graphical symbols are different in any combination of:

colour, shape, size or pattern.

10. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the television signal recording apparatus is arranged to store metadata representing information in respect of the recordings made by the recording unit including a recording time at which a recording was made, and the recordings display generator is further arranged to generate a signal for display on a display device of a graphical display of the recordings made by the recordings unit, the graphical display comprising graphical objects representing respective scheduled recordings and arranged, on a basis of their respective times, along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording has been made, the discontinuities being graphically represented.

11. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the recordings controller is arranged to maintain the list of scheduled recordings scheduled to be recorded from respective channels at respective times and to operate the recording unit to record the recordings from scheduled channels at the scheduled times, and

in the graphical display, the graphical objects are arranged in two dimensions with a time axis extending in a first dimension and the graphical objects being ordered in a second dimension on a basis of the scheduled channels.

12. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a receiver-decoder circuit capable of receiving and decoding the television signals.

13. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display device, the recordings display generator being arranged to supply said signal for display of a graphical display of the recordings to the display device.

14. A television signal recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a video output interface for outputting a video signal, the recordings display generator being arranged to supply said signal for display of a graphical display of the recordings to the video output interface.

15. A method of operating a television signal recording apparatus including a recording unit capable of making recordings of television signals, the method comprising:

maintaining a list of scheduled recordings scheduled to be recorded at respective times and operating the recording unit to record the recordings at the scheduled times; and

generating a signal for display on a display device of a graphical display of the scheduled recordings, the graphical display comprising graphical objects representing respective scheduled recordings and arranged, on a basis of their respective times, along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording is scheduled to be made, the discontinuities being graphically represented,

wherein the discontinuities are graphically represented by a graphical symbol positioned between graphical objects representing respective recordings, and

wherein said graphical symbols are different according to a period of discontinuity.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said graphical symbols are different in any combination of:

colour, shape, size or pattern.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein

the television signal recording apparatus is arranged to store metadata representing information in respect of the recordings made by the recording unit including a recording time at which a recording was made, and

the method further comprises generating a signal for display on a display device of a graphical display of the recordings made by the recordings unit, the graphical display comprising graphical objects representing respective scheduled recordings and arranged, on a basis of their respective times, along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no recording has been made, the discontinuities being graphically represented.

18. A method according to claim 15, comprising maintaining a list of scheduled recordings scheduled to be recorded from respective channels at respective times and to operate the recording unit to record the recordings from scheduled channels at the scheduled times, and

wherein, in the graphical display, the graphical objects are arranged in two dimensions with a time axis extending in a first dimension and the graphical objects being ordered in a second dimension on a basis of the scheduled channels.

19. A receiver-decoder apparatus comprising:

a receiver-decoder circuit capable of receiving and decoding broadcast television signals of different services to generate therefrom a video signal for display of an image on a display device; and

an EPG generator operative to extract signalling data from a broadcast television signal received by the receiver-decoder circuit, the signalling data indicating programs scheduled to be broadcast,

the EPG generator being operative to filter the programs scheduled to be broadcast to select programs meeting a predetermined criteria and to generate a signal for display on said display device of an electronic program guide comprising graphical objects representing selected programs arranged along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no selected program is scheduled to be broadcast, the discontinuities being graphically represented, the discontinuities being graphically represented by a graphical symbol positioned between graphical objects representing respective recordings, said graphical symbols being different according to a period of discontinuity.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said graphical symbols are different in any combination of:

colour, shape, size or pattern.

21. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 19, wherein, in the electronic program guide, the graphical objects are arranged in two dimensions with a time axis extending in a first dimension and the graphical objects being ordered in a second dimension on a basis of channels on which the selected programs are scheduled to be recorded.

22. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, in the electronic program guide, channels in which no selected programs are scheduled to be recorded are not included.

23. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said electronic program guide only includes a set of one or more predetermined channels.

24. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined criteria is defined by user-input.

25. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said predetermined criteria is whether a program falls in a particular genre or category.

26. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a recording unit capable of making recordings of television signals.

27. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a display device, the EPG generator being arranged to supply the signal for display of an electronic program guide to the display device.

28. A receiver-decoder apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a video output interface for outputting a video signal, the EPG generator being arranged to supply the signal for display of an electronic program guide to the video output interface.

29. A method of operating a receiver-decoder apparatus which comprises a receiver-decoder circuit capable of receiving and decoding broadcast television signals of different services to generate therefrom a video signal for display of an image on a display device, the method comprising

extracting signalling data from a broadcast television signal received by the receiver-decoder circuit, the signalling data indicating programs scheduled to be broadcast,

filtering the programs scheduled to be broadcast to select programs meeting a predetermined criteria, and

generating a signal for display on said display device of an electronic program guide comprising graphical objects representing selected programs arranged along a time axis which includes discontinuities at times when no selected program is scheduled to be broadcast, the discontinuities being graphically represented by a graphical symbol positioned between graphical objects representing respective recordings, said graphical symbols being different according to a period of discontinuity.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein said graphical symbols are different in any combination of:

colour, shape, size or pattern.

31. A method according to claim 29, wherein in the electronic program guide, the graphical objects are arranged in two dimensions with a time axis extending in a first dimension and the graphical objects being ordered in a second dimension on a basis of channels on which the programs are scheduled to be recorded.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein, in the electronic program guide, channels in which no selected programs are scheduled to be recorded are not included.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein said electronic program guide only includes a set of one or more predetermined channels.

34. A method according to claim 29, wherein said predetermined criteria is defined by user-input.

35. A method according to claim 29, wherein said predetermined criteria is whether a program falls in a particular genre or category.

36. A method according to claim 29, further comprising supplying the signal for display of an electronic program guide to the display device.