Visual DVR television interface

• US 20080063381A1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CEVA Technologies, Inc. (CEVA Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Hillcrest Laboratories Incorporated (CEVA Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moshiri, Negar, Witenstein-Weaver, Jason, Conroy, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US11/895,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20080063381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/124
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4583 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 21/47 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 21/4753 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Systems and methods according to the present invention provide a user interface for digital video recording (DVR) functionality.

Claims

1. A digital video recording (DVR) system comprising:

a television;

a storage device for storing video programs and selectively replaying said video programs on said television;

a user interface for controlling recording of said video programs, said user interface displayed on said television, wherein at least some of said video programs are selectable for recording and replaying via a corresponding selectable image; and

a 3D pointing device for providing pointing and selection inputs to said user interface.

2. The DVR system of claim 1, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a first view which provides at least one row of corresponding selectable images associated with recorded video programs which are currently stored in said storage device.

3. The DVR system of claim 2, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a second view which provides a schedule of upcoming video programs to be recorded.

4. The DVR system of claim 3, wherein said first view and said second view are alternately displayed by pointing and selecting corresponding tab elements displayed on said television.

5. The DVR system of claim 3, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a third view which provides an indication of recording priority of said video programs.

6. The DVR system of claim 2, wherein said first view further includes a disk meter which indicates storage space remaining for video recordings.

7. The DVR system of claim 3, wherein said second view provides an indication of whether a scheduled recording conflicts with another scheduled recording.

8. The DVR system of claim 7, further comprising:

a user selectable filter for selectively providing said indication of whether a scheduled recording conflicts with another scheduled recording.

9. A method for digital video recording (DVR) comprising:

displaying, on a television, a user interface for controlling recording and replay of video programs;

providing input to said user interface by pointing at images displayed on said user interface using a 3D pointing device; and

selectively recording and replaying said video programs based on said input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a first view which provides at least one row of corresponding selectable images associated with recorded video programs which are currently stored in said storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a second view which provides a schedule of upcoming video programs to be recorded.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first view and said second view are alternately displayed by pointing and selecting corresponding tab elements displayed on said television.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a third view which provides an indication of recording priority of said video programs.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said first view further includes a disk meter which indicates storage space remaining for video recordings.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said second view provides an indication of whether a scheduled recording conflicts with another scheduled recording.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selectively providing said indication of whether a scheduled recording conflicts with another scheduled recording.

17. A computer-readable medium containing instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform the steps of:

displaying, on a television, a user interface for controlling recording and replay of video programs;

providing input to said user interface by pointing at images displayed on said user interface using a 3D pointing device; and

selectively recording and replaying said video programs based on said input.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a first view which provides at least one row of corresponding selectable images associated with recorded video programs which are currently stored in said storage device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a second view which provides a schedule of upcoming video programs to be recorded.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein said first view and said second view are alternately displayed by pointing and selecting corresponding tab elements displayed on said television.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein said user interface further comprises:

a third view which provides an indication of recording priority of said video programs.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein said first view further includes a disk meter which indicates storage space remaining for video recordings.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein said second view provides an indication of whether a scheduled recording conflicts with another scheduled recording.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising:

selectively providing said indication of whether a scheduled recording conflicts with another scheduled recording.