Interactive television program guide system having multiple devices within a household

• US 9,185,449 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L., Lemmons, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US12/780,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 725/47, 725/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/47 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• 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 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. The system coordinates the operation of the interactive television program guides so that the program guide settings that were adjusted with the given interactive television program guide are used by the other interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings); etc. The operation of applications such as web browser applications; home shopping applications, home banking applications, game applications, etc. may also be coordinated.

Claims

1. A method for using an interactive program guide system based on first and second user equipment devices located in a single household, wherein the first and second user equipment devices are interconnected by a communications path, the method comprising:

generating for display, with a first interactive program guide implemented on the first user equipment device, an option for recording a program by a second interactive program guide implemented on the second user equipment device, wherein;

the first and second user equipment devices are located at first and second locations within the household respectively; and

the first interactive program guide is interactive independently of the second interactive program guide;

receiving, with the first interactive program guide a user selection of the displayed option to record the program;

in response to receiving the user selection, determining which of the first and second user equipment devices includes a recording device; and

in response to receiving the user selection and in response to determining that the second user equipment device includes the recording device, directing over the communications path, using the first interactive program guide, the second interactive program guide to schedule for recording the program selected with the first interactive program guide;

wherein instructions from the second interactive program guide are provided to the recording device in the second user equipment device to record the program selected with the first interactive program guide.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording device is at least one of a videocassette recorder and a personal video recorder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second interactive program guides are each configured to independently generate a display of a plurality of program listings.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving a user selection comprises receiving a selection of one of the plurality of program listings.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the user to select the second location from the first location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second user equipment devices comprises a set-top box and at least a television and the other one of the first and second user equipment devices comprises a television but not a set-top box.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the set-top box comprises an embedded hard disk and wherein recording the selected program comprises using the hard disk.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected program is recorded at a future time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected program comprises a series of programs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user equipment device is configured to output to a first display and the second user equipment device is configured to output to a second display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a display of the first interactive program guide is generated by the first interactive program guide based on program guide information received by the first user equipment device, from a data provider, independently from the second user equipment device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating for display, with the first interactive program guide, simultaneous indications of;

a program selected for recording using the second interactive program guide; and

the program selected with the first interactive program guide.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second interactive program guide is directed to schedule for recording the program selected with the first interactive program guide in response to determining that the first user equipment device does not include a recording device.

14. An interactive program guide system based on first and second user equipment devices located in a single household, wherein the first and second user equipment devices are interconnected by a communications path, the system comprising:

a first interactive program guide implemented on the first user equipment device,

wherein the first program guide is configured to;

generate a display of an option for recording a program by a second interactive program guide implemented on the second user equipment device;

receive a user selection of the displayed option to record the program;

in response to receiving the user selection, determine which of the first and second user equipment devices includes a recording device; and

in response to receiving the user selection and in response to determining that the second user equipment device includes the recording device, direct, over the communications path, the second interactive program guide to schedule for recording the program selected with the first interactive program guide;

wherein the second interactive program guide is configured to provide instructions to the recording device in the second user equipment device to record the program selected with the first interactive program guide;

wherein the first and second user equipment devices are located at first and second locations within the household respectively; and

wherein the first interactive program guide is interactive independently of the second interactive program guide.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the recording device is at least one of a videocassette recorder and a personal video recorder.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first and second interactive program guides are each configured to independently generate a display of a plurality of program listings.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein receiving a user selection comprises receiving a selection of one of the plurality of program listings.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first interactive program guide is configured to allow the user to select the second location from the first location.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the first and second user equipment devices comprises a set-top box and at least a television and the other one of the first and second user equipment devices comprises a television but not a set-top box.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the set-top box comprises an embedded hard disk and wherein the second user equipment device is configured to record the selected program using the hard disk.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected program is recorded at a future time.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected program comprises a series of programs.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein a display of the first interactive program guide is generated by the first interactive program guide based on program guide information received by the first user equipment device, from a data provider, independently from the second user equipment device.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the first interactive program guide generates, for display, simultaneous indications of:

a program selected for recording using the second interactive program guide; and

the program selected with the first interactive program guide.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the second interactive program guide is directed to schedule for recording the program selected with the first interactive program guide in response to determining that the first user equipment device does not include a recording device.

26. Non-transitory computer readable media for using an interactive program guide system based on first and second user equipment devices located in a single household, wherein the first and second user equipment devices are interconnected by a communications path and wherein the second user equipment device comprises a recording device, the non-transitory computer readable media comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions encoded thereon for:

generating for display, with a first interactive program guide implemented on the first user equipment device, an option for recording a program by a second interactive program guide implemented on the second user equipment device, wherein;

the first and second user equipment devices are located at first and second locations within the household respectively; and

the first interactive program guide is interactive independently of the second interactive program guide;

receiving, with the first interactive program guide a user selection of the displayed option to record the program;

in response to receiving the user selection, determining which of the first and second user equipment devices includes a recording device; and

in response to receiving the user selection and in response to determining that the second user equipment device includes the recording device, directing over the communications path, using the first interactive program guide, the second interactive program guide to schedule for recording the program selected with the first interactive program guide;

wherein instructions from the second interactive program guide are provided to the recording device in the second user equipment device to record the program selected with the first interactive program guide.

27. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the recording device is at least one of a videocassette recorder and a personal video recorder.

28. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the first and second interactive program guides are each configured to independently generate a display of a plurality of program listings.

29. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 28, wherein receiving a user selection comprises receiving a selection of one of the plurality of program listings.

30. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, further comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions recorded thereon for allowing the user to select the second location from the first location.

31. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein one of the first and second user equipment devices comprises a set-top box and at least a television and the other one of the first and second user television equipment devices comprises a television but not a set-top box.

32. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 31, wherein the set-top box comprises an embedded hard disk and wherein recording the selected program comprises using the hard disk.

33. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the selected program is recorded at a future time.

34. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the selected program comprises a series of programs.

35. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, further comprising non-transitory computer readable instructions recorded thereon for generating for display, with the first interactive program guide, simultaneous indications of:

a program selected for recording using the second interactive program guide; and

the program selected with the first interactive program guide.

36. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 26, wherein the second interactive program guide is directed to schedule for recording the program selected with the first interactive program guide in response to determining that the first user equipment device does not include a recording device.