Client-server based interactive television program guide system with remote server recording

• US 7,870,585 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Lemmons, Thomas R., Thomas, William L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US11/894,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 725 40- 50, 725/52, 725/87, 725/53
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2318 using striping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 : for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 21/643 : Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.

Claims

1. A method of using user equipment to search for programs, comprising:

receiving search information at the user equipment, wherein the search information is a program title;

searching for program listings associated with the search information; and

displaying with the user equipment program listings associated with the search information, wherein the program listings include at least one scheduled program listing for a broadcast television program and at least one on-demand program listing for a program available on-demand from a remote server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying with the user equipment program listings further comprises:

displaying at least one on-demand program listing for a program stored on a local digital storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one on-demand program listing for a program stored on a local digital storage device is displayed at the beginning of a list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one on-demand program listing for a program stored on a remote server is displayed at the beginning of a list.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a program listing; and

in response to receiving the user selection, displaying a broadcast television program or a program available on-demand from a remote server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the program listings are displayed in a list.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying selectable advertisements associated with the search information.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a user selection to delete an on-demand program listing; and

in response to receiving the user selection, deleting a program available on-demand from a remote server.

9. An interactive television program guide system that provides users with access to programs, the interactive television program guide system comprising:

a remote server; and

user equipment, wherein the user equipment is configured to;

receive search information at the user equipment, wherein the search information is a program title;

search for program listings associated with the search information; and

display program listings associated with the search information, wherein the program listings include at least one scheduled program listing for a broadcast television program and at least one on-demand program listing for a program available on-demand from a remote server.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising:

a local digital storage device, wherein the user equipment is further configured to;

display at least one on-demand program listing for a program stored on the local digital storage device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one on-demand program listing for a program stored on the local digital storage device is displayed at the beginning of a list.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one on-demand program listing for a program stored on a remote server is displayed at the beginning of a list.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

receive a user selection of a program listing; and

in response to receiving the user selection, display a broadcast television program or a program available on-demand from a remote server.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the program listings are displayed in a list.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

display selectable advertisements associated with the search information.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

receive a user selection to delete an on-demand program listing; and

in response to receiving the user selection, delete a program available on-demand from a remote server.