Television viewer interface system

• US 9,686,591 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, David Avraham, Bedard, Karen, Van Stam, Wijnand, Look, Howard, Vallone, Robert, McKendrick, Ain
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US13/544,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• 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 21/42204 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4532 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A television viewer interface system provides a viewer interface that allows the viewer to access different functions of a system. A highlight bar is responsive to the user'"'"'s commands and is used to indicate the current menu item that can be selected by the user. Information is presented in a successive disclosure format where the user navigates through menus by moving the highlight bar to the right to obtain more information or to the left to see less information and return to the previous location. The background colors of each set of menus remains consistent throughout the user'"'"'s experience such that the user intuitively knows what menu area he is in through the color cues. The invention provides indicators that tell the user that more information is available in a particular direction for a menu item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffering at least a first portion of the media stream in one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device, the first portion containing at least a portion of a program that is currently showing in the media stream;

while buffering the first portion of the media stream, receiving a request to record the program that is currently showing in the media stream;

responsive to the request, saving a recording of the program on one or more storage devices, by writing a second portion of the media stream to the recording of the program on the one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion comprising at least part of a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request; and

adding the first portion that was buffered in the one or more buffers to the recording of the program by pre-pending the first portion to the recording of the program;

after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, outputting the combined first portion and second portion to the display device;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the request to record the program, providing trick play functionality with respect to the part of the first portion outputted to the display device using the one or more buffers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a request to switch channels, discarding all contents of the one or more buffers and temporarily buffering a new media stream received over a new input channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the media stream comprises receiving the media stream in one of:

a broadcast transmission, a satellite transmission, or a cable transmission.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are stored as MPEG streams.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the program comprises a third portion, prior to the first portion, that was outputted to the display device while the media stream was received, but no longer buffered in the one or more buffers when the request was received.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein pre-pending the first portion comprises copying the first portion from the one or more buffers to the one or more storage devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more buffers are stored in a memory that is different than the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more buffers are of limited size.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more storage devices are one or more hard disks, and the recording is a file in a file system stored on the one or more hard disks.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while the program is currently showing in the media stream, allowing a user to submit an instruction to save the program as it is currently showing, or record the program a next time that the program is scheduled to show, or obtain a season pass for the program;

wherein receiving the request to record the program that is currently showing in the media stream is responsive to said allowing.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of:

while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffering at least a first portion of the media stream in one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device, the first portion containing at least a portion of a program that is currently showing in the media stream;

while buffering the first portion of the media stream, receiving a request to record the program that is currently showing in the media stream;

responsive to the request, saving a recording of the program on one or more storage devices, by writing a second portion of the media stream to the recording of the program on the one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion comprising at least part of a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request; and

adding the first portion that was buffered in the one or more buffers to the recording of the program by pre-pending the first portion to the recording of the program;

after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, outputting the combined first portion and second portion to the display device.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processes, further cause:

prior to the request to record the program, providing trick play functionality with respect to the part of the first portion using the one or more buffers.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processes, further cause:

responsive to a request to switch channels, discarding all contents of the one or more buffers and temporarily buffering a new media stream received over a new input channel.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein receiving the media stream comprises receiving the media stream in one of:

a broadcast transmission, satellite transmission, or cable transmission.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the first portion and the second portion are stored as MPEG streams.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the program comprises a third portion, prior to the first portion, that was output to the display device while the media stream was received, but no longer buffered in the one or more buffers when the request was received.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein pre-pending the first portion comprises copying the first portion from the one or more buffers to the one or more storage devices.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the one or more buffers are stored in a memory that is different than the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more buffers are of limited size.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the one or more storage devices are one or more hard disks, and the recording is a file in a file system stored on the one or more hard disks.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processes, further cause:

while the program is currently showing in the media stream, allowing a user to submit an instruction to save the program as it is currently showing, record the program a next time that the program is scheduled to show, or obtain a season pass for the program;

wherein receiving the request to record the program that is currently showing in the media stream is responsive to said allowing.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a first component, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, while receiving a media stream, temporarily buffer at least a first portion of the media stream in one or more buffers, and outputting at least part of the first portion to a display device, the first portion containing at least a portion of a program that is currently showing in the media stream;

a second component, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, while the first portion of the media stream is buffered, receive a request to record the program that is currently showing in the media stream;

a third component, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, responsive to the request, save a recording of the program on one or more storage devices, by writing a second portion of the media stream to the recording of the program on the one or more storage devices as the second portion is received in the media stream, the second portion comprising at least part of a remaining portion, of the program that is currently showing, that had not been received in the media stream prior to the request; and

adding the first portion that was buffered in the one or more buffers to the recording of the program by pre-pending the first portion to the recording of the program;

a fourth component, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, after the media stream has been received, responsive to a request to view the program, output the combined first portion and second portion to the display device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a fifth component, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, prior to the request to record the program, provide trick play functionality with respect to the part of the first portion using the one or more buffers.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a fifth component, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, responsive to a request to switch channels, discard all contents of the one or more buffers and temporarily buffering a new media stream received over a new input channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein receiving the media stream comprises receiving the media stream in one of:

a broadcast transmission, satellite transmission, or cable transmission.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first portion and the second portion are stored as MPEG streams.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program comprises a third portion, prior to the first portion, that was output to the display device while the media stream was received, but no longer buffered in the one or more buffers when the request was received.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein pre-pending the first portion comprises copying the first portion from the one or more buffers to the one or more storage devices.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more buffers are stored in a memory that is different than the one or more storage devices, wherein the one or more buffers are of limited size.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more storage devices are one or more hard disks, and the recording is a file in a file system stored on the one or more hard disks.

30. The apparatus of claim 21:

wherein the second component is further configured to, while the program is currently showing in the media stream, allow a user to save the program as it is currently showing, record the program a next time that the program is scheduled to show, or obtain a season pass for the program;

wherein the second component is further configured to, receive the request to record the program that is currently showing in the media stream responsive to said allowing.