Schedule system with enhanced recording capability

• US 20030031465A1
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starsight Telecast Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Blake, Todd
• Application Number:
  US10/241,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20030031465A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• 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 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a television schedule guide with enhanced recording capability. Specifically, the invention allows a user to schedule the recording of a television program from a remote location. In one embodiment, a user may call via telephone to schedule the recording. In another embodiment, the user may access a website to remotely schedule the recording.

Claims

1. A television schedule system with enhanced recording capability, comprising:

a processor electrically coupled to a computer network and capable of receiving and processing user input to determine program data associated with a television program desired to be recorded;

an input device in an out-of-sight location from said processor, electrically coupled to said computer network, and capable of accessing a website on the computer network from the out-of-sight_location for accepting user input for selecting a television program from the website to be recorded; and

a recording device electrically coupled to said computer network and said website for recording programs, wherein said processor receives the user input from the website and causes said recording device to record said program selected from the website.

2. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said input device is a computer.

3. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said program data includes the channel, date, time and length information for said program.

4. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said user input includes the channel, date, time and length information for said program.

5. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said user input includes the title of said program.

6. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said user input includes a code corresponding to the channel, date, time and length information for said program.

7. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said user input includes theme data relating to said program.

8. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said processor is in a location remote from said recording device.

9. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said program data includes the starting time of said program, and wherein said processor causes said recording device to activate when said starting time coincides with the present time.

10. The television schedule system of claim 1, wherein said program data includes the channel of said program, and wherein said processor causes said recording device to switch to said channel.

11. A method of recording a television program, comprising the steps of:

accessing a website on a computer network and remote from a television receiver for entering user input via an input device for selecting a television program to be recorded;

receiving user input for a selected television program to be recorded from the website in an out-of-sight location relative to said television receiver via the computer network;

processing the user input received from the website via said computer network using a processor included with said television receiver to determine program data associated with said selected television program;

transmitting commands associated with said program data from said processor to a recording device electrically coupled to said computer network; and

recording said television program by said recording device in response to said commands.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of transmitting said user input using a computer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said program data includes channel, date, time and length information for said program.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said user input includes channel, date, time and length information for said program.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said user input includes a code corresponding to the starting time, ending time, channel and date of said program.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said user input includes a title of said program.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said user input includes theme data relating to said program.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said program data includes the starting time of said program, further comprising the step of activating said recording device when said starting time coincides with the present time.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said program data includes the channel of said program, further comprising the step of switching an input on said recording device to receive said channel.

20. A television schedule system with enhanced recording capability, comprising:

an input device capable of transmitting user input related to a television program desired to be recorded via a computer network from a remote location to a website coupled to said computer network;

a receiver in a first location out-of-sight from said input device for receiving said user input from said website via said computer network;

a processor, coupled to said receiver and out-of-sight from said input device, for processing said user input received from said website via said computer network to determine program data associated with said television program desired to be recorded;

a memory, coupled to said processor, for storing said program data; and

a recording device for recording said program in response to commands from said processor and said stored program data.

21. The television schedule system Of claim 20, wherein said processor is coupled to said recording device.

22. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said recording device is located in a second location remote from said first location, the system further comprising a transmitter, coupled to said processor, for transmitting said commands to said recording device.

23. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said commands include at least one of an activation command, a channel select command, and a record command.

24. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said input device is a computer.

25. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said program data includes the channel, date, time and length information for said program.

26. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said user input includes the channel, date, time and length information for said program.

27. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said user input includes the title of said program.

28. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said user input includes a code corresponding to the channel, date, time and length information for said program.

29. The television schedule system of claim 21, wherein said user input includes theme data relating to said program.

30. A method of scheduling recordings in a television scheduling system, comprising the steps of:

displaying television scheduling system on a website coupled to a communication network;

transmitting user input related to a television program desired to be recorded to said website via said communication network using an input device located in a remote location;

receiving said user input from said website via said communication network by a processor in a first location out-of-sight from said input device;

processing said user input by said processor to determine program data associated with said television program desired to be recorded; and

storing said program data in a memory coupled to said processor;

transmitting commands associated with said program data to a recording device; and

recording said program with said recording device in response to said commands.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said commands include at least one of an activation command, a channel select command, and a record command.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said recording device is in a second location remote from said first location.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said input device is a computer.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein said program data includes channel, date, time and length information for said program.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein said user input includes channel, date, time and length information for said program.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein said user input includes a code corresponding to the starting time, ending time, channel and date of said program.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein said user input includes a title of said program

38. The method of claim 31, wherein said user input includes theme data relating to said program.