Displaying a program guide responsive to electronic program guide data and program recording indicators

• US 7,325,244 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keen Personal Media, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Keen Personal Media, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Price, William P., Boyle, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F.
• Application Number:
  US09/961,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20050002649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,322 Days
• Field of Search: 725/37, 725/39, 725/58, 386/83
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/47 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A video component is disclosed for displaying a program guide on a monitor. The video component comprises an interface for receiving Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data, and a component controller for generating the program guide in response to the EPG data. The program guide comprises a plurality of program identifiers for identifying a plurality of programs, wherein at least one of the programs is not recorded locally. The program guide further comprises at least one recording indicator associated with one of the programs indicating that the program has been recorded locally. The video controller for displaying the program guide on the monitor.

Claims

1. A video component for displaying a program guide on a monitor, the video component comprising:

(a) a data interface for receiving Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data;

(b) a remote control (RC) interface for receiving commands from a video component RC; and

(c) a component controller for;

generating the program guide in response to the EPG data, the program guide comprising;

a plurality of program identifiers for identifying a plurality of programs, wherein at least one of the programs is not scheduled for recording locally; and

at least one recording indicator associated with one of the programs indicating that the program is scheduled for recording locally; and

the component controller for displaying the program guide on the monitor, wherein the video component communicates with a digital video recorder (DVR) through a DVR interface, the DVR comprises a RC interface for receiving commands from a DVR RC, and the recording indicator is generated using information received from the DVR through the DVR interface.

2. The video component as recited in claim 1, wherein the DVR further comprising a local memory for storing the programs scheduled for recording.

3. The video component as recited in claim 1, wherein the data interface receives the EPG data over a communication channel.

4. The video component as recited in claim 3, wherein the communication channel comprises a telephone line.

5. A computer program embodied on a computer readable storage medium for use in a video component for displaying a program guide on a monitor, the computer program comprising code segments for:

(a) receiving Electronic Program Guide (EPG) data;

(b) receiving remote control (RC) commands from a video component RC;

(c) generating the program guide in response to the EPG data, the program guide comprising;

a plurality of program identifiers for identifying a plurality of programs, wherein at least one of the programs is not scheduled for recording locally; and

at least one recording indicator associated with one of the programs indicating that the program is scheduled for recording locally; and

(d) displaying the program guide on the monitor, wherein the video component communicates with a digital video recorder (DVR) through a DVR interface, the DVR comprises a RC interface for receiving commands from a DVR RC, and the recording indicator is generated using information received from the DVR through the DVR interface.