Systems and methods for providing a transport control interface

• US 9,621,956 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TV Guide Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaydou, II, Danny R., Reichardt, M. Scott, Ellis, Michael D., Day, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/725,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 725 52
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 21/4312 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/47 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A transport control interface may be provided by an interactive television program guide application to provide information, control or both for live and recorded video programming. The transport control interface may indicate to the user this time duration of a live or recorded program and any time segments of the program that have been recorded. The transport control interface may automatically adjust the start and end time shown to accommodate various factors such as continuous viewing on a particular channel, multiple recorded segments, buffer size, etc. Various information associated with the live or recorded video programming may be displayed in the transport control interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about a video program, the method comprising:

generating for display, using control circuitry, the video program and a transport control interface that indicates a time length of the video program, wherein the transport control interface indicates;

a first stored time segment of the video program which is recorded in response to a specific user command, and

a second stored time segment of the video program which is automatically recorded into buffer memory,

wherein the first stored time segment and the second stored time segment are visually distinguished.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the video program is a broadcast program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a change in running time of the video program, and modifying the transport control interface to indicate a second time length of the video program based on the change in running time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating for display the transport control interface comprises generating for display a transport control bar.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the control circuitry, instructions to record a second video program; and

recording the second video program.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the transport control bar covers a time period longer than the video program.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising, generating simultaneously for display, using the control circuitry, a second video program, wherein the transport control interface integrates information from the first and second video programs.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating simultaneously for display, using the control circuitry, a second video program; and

generating for display, using the control circuitry, a second transport control interface that indicates a second time length of the second video program.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating for display, using the control circuitry, a second transport control interface that indicates a second time length of the second video program, the second transport control interface indicating at least one recorded time segment of the second time length of the second video program.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transport control interface and the second transport control interface are displayed simultaneously over the video program.

11. A system for providing information about a video program, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

generate for display the video program and a transport control interface that indicates a time length of the video program, wherein the transport control interface indicates;

a first stored time segment of the video program which is recorded in response to a specific user command, and

a second stored time segment of the video program which is automatically recorded into buffer memory,

wherein the first stored time segment and the second stored time segment are visually distinguished.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the video program is a broadcast program.

13. The system of claim 11, the control circuitry further configured to receive a change in running time of the video program, and modifying the transport control interface to indicate a second time length of the video program based on the change in running time.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein generating for display the transport control interface comprises generating for display a transport control bar.

15. The system of claim 11, the control circuitry further configured to:

receive instructions to record a second video program; and

record the second video program.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the transport control bar covers a time period longer than the video program.

17. The system of claim 14, the control circuitry further configured to generate simultaneously for display a second video program, wherein the transport control interface integrates information from the first and second video programs.

18. The system of claim 14, the control circuitry further configured to:

generate simultaneously for display a second video program; and

generate for display a second transport control interface that indicates a second time length of the second video program.

19. The system of claim 15, the control circuitry further configured to:

generate for display a second transport control interface that indicates a second time length of the second video program, the second transport control interface indicating at least one recorded time segment of the second time length of the second video program.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the transport control interface and the second transport control interface are displayed simultaneously over the video program.