System and method for using television information codes
First Claim
1. A video recording system comprising:
- a data store that stores media guidance data for a plurality of television programs, the media guidance data including a first filter criteria associated with a first subset of the plurality of television programs and a second filter criteria associated with a second subset of the plurality of television programs, wherein the first subset and the second subset each comprise more than one program;
a microprocessor coupled to the data store, wherein the microprocessor;
receives input from a user that selects a symbol that is presented to the user in a form that prevents the user from identifying which of the first and second subsets of programs is associated with the symbol without referencing a look-up table, wherein the symbol includes an information code, the information code comprising one of the first and second filter criteria;
decodes the information code to identify a user filter criteria;
compares the user filter criteria to the first and second filter criteria, wherein the first and second filter criteria are each determined without user input;
determines that the user filter criteria matches the first filter criteria;
and without user input,identifies the first subset of the plurality of television programs associated with the first filter criteria for recording, andstores instructions to record the identified first subset of the plurality of television programs as a result of the identifying.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for using information codes for recording television programs. Information codes may be published in magazines, newspapers, and the like, much like VCR Plus+™ codes. When a user desires to record one or more television programs based on information codes, the user selects an appropriate command button on his or her input device, and enters the information code that identifies a desired filter category (e.g. an actor filter represented as “01”) followed by a desired filter identifier (e.g. Richard Gere represented as “1234”). A processor receiving the user input searches an electronic program guide database for programs matching the filter information. The identified programs are then stored in a record memory for recording at an appropriate time. The identified programs may be further displayed for verification prior to storage in the record memory. Programs recommended to the viewers may also be identified via information codes.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A video recording system comprising:
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a data store that stores media guidance data for a plurality of television programs, the media guidance data including a first filter criteria associated with a first subset of the plurality of television programs and a second filter criteria associated with a second subset of the plurality of television programs, wherein the first subset and the second subset each comprise more than one program; a microprocessor coupled to the data store, wherein the microprocessor; receives input from a user that selects a symbol that is presented to the user in a form that prevents the user from identifying which of the first and second subsets of programs is associated with the symbol without referencing a look-up table, wherein the symbol includes an information code, the information code comprising one of the first and second filter criteria; decodes the information code to identify a user filter criteria; compares the user filter criteria to the first and second filter criteria, wherein the first and second filter criteria are each determined without user input; determines that the user filter criteria matches the first filter criteria; and without user input, identifies the first subset of the plurality of television programs associated with the first filter criteria for recording, and stores instructions to record the identified first subset of the plurality of television programs as a result of the identifying. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 20)
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12. A computer-implemented method for selecting video programs for recording, the method comprising:
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storing media guidance data for a plurality of programs, the media guidance data including a first filter criteria associated with a first subset of the plurality of programs and a second filter criteria associated with a second subset of the plurality of programs, wherein the first subset and the second subset each comprise more than one program; receiving from a user input that selects a symbol that is presented to the user in a form that prevents the user from identifying which of the first and second subsets of programs is associated with the symbol without referencing a look-up table, wherein the symbol includes an information code, the information code comprising exactly one of the first and second filter criteria; decoding the received information code to identify a user filter criteria; comparing the user filter criteria to the first and second filter criteria, wherein the first and second filter criteria are each determined without user input; determining that the user filter criteria matches the first filter criteria; and without user input, identifying the first subset of the plurality of programs associated with the first filter criteria for recording, and storing instructions to record the identified first subset of the plurality of programs as a result of the identifying. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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21. A method for recording video programs in a data communications network including a web server hosting a website and a system including a video recorder coupled to the web server, the method comprising:
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generating a display of information on a plurality of recommended video programs on the website; associating a first non-human readable filter criteria with a first subset of the plurality of recommended video programs and associating a second non-human readable filter criteria with a second subset of the plurality of recommended video programs, wherein the first subset and the second subset each comprise more than one recommended video program; receiving input from a user that selects a symbol that is presented to the user in a form that prevents the user from identifying which of the first and second subsets of programs is associated with the symbol without referencing a look-up table, wherein the symbol identifies more than one of the recommended video programs; comparing, using control circuitry, the symbol to the first filter criteria and the second filter criteria; determining that the user filter criteria matches the first filter criteria; transmitting from the website to the system a command to record the first subset of recommended video programs as a result of the determining, the first subset of recommended video programs being identified by an information code included in the symbol that includes the first filter criteria; and causing the video recorder to be automatically invoked to record the first subset of recommended video programs based on the first filter criteria. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification