Remotely controlling a video recorder

• US 8,046,800 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Daniels, John J
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, Y YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/993,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20020100044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,630 Days
• Field of Search: 725/39, 725/40, 725/48, 725/51, 725/54, 725/59, 725/61, 725/37, 725/38, 725/58, 725/91, 725/93, 725/114, 725/116, 725/101, 725/110, 725/49, 386/1, 386/83, 386/299, 379/102.03
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/812 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 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 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• 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 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A client system for remotely controlling a video recorder receives program data from a remote server in response to user input selecting a time sequential signal from a program schedule guide provided by the remote server, via the Internet, email, a computer-readable medium, or a broadcast signal. The user input is transmitted to the remote server over the Internet from the client system or a remote location. The client system determines when it is time to record the time sequential signal based at least in part upon the program data, which includes broadcast time, channel, and duration. Upon determining it is time to record, the client system tunes to, receives, and records the transmission of the time sequential signal.

Claims

1. In a network server that communicates over a network with a recording apparatus that is configured to record television programs, a method for enabling the server to control the recording of one or more selected television programs by the recording apparatus, the method comprising the acts of:

storing a programming schedule at a server;

storing recording control information at the server, the recording control information including at least one record command that is transmittable over a network to a recording apparatus that is configured to record television programming;

the server receiving a user request, which is transmitted to the server through the Internet, for a webpage containing the programming schedule and that identifies one or more television programs;

in response to the user request, the server providing a user Internet access to the programming schedule in the form of a navigable webpage and from which a particular television program can be selected by the user for recording;

receiving, at the server, a user selection of the particular television program to be recorded, the selection of the particular television program to be recorded being made from the navigable webpage provided to the user through the Internet; and

in response to the particular television program being selected for recording, the server transmitting recording control information to the recording apparatus over the network, the recording control information comprising recording instructions that are configured to cause the recording apparatus to record the particular television program and such that the recording apparatus will thereafter be set up to record the particular television program, and wherein the recording instructions are transmitted to the recording apparatus from the server through at least one of a television signal and the Internet.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the act of receiving information representing a television signal provider that is to broadcast the one or more television programs to be recorded by the interactive television system.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising, prior to the act of receiving information representing a television signal provider, the act of transmitting information identifying a plurality of television signal providers that are capable of broadcasting television programs to the interactive television system.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the server transmits the recording instructions through the Internet.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming schedule includes a time, date and duration of a plurality of television programs, including the particular television program to be recorded.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming schedule includes transmission source information that identifies at least one of a television broadcast channel, a cable channel, and a satellite channel.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus comprises a VCR.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording instructions include the time, date and duration of the particular television program to be recorded.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for a programming schedule is received at an Internet web site through the use of a conventional Web browser.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming schedule is provided through a web page of the server that is customized for the user.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein prior to providing the programming schedule, user input is received at the web page identifying a television programming provider.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording instructions are embedded in and received with the television signal.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the recording instructions are inserted in special television channel.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming information is made available to the user based on a determination of at least one of a caller ID, area code and phone number of the user.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the locality of the user'"'"'s modem is determined according to a phone number.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the recording instructions are received as a binary ASCII-format character string that is assigned specific control functions.

17. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming schedule is based on determining a locality of a user'"'"'s modem.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the locality of the user'"'"'s modem is determined according to a caller ID.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein subsequent to downloading recording instructions, the server transmits data comprising an end-of VCR control information to the computing system.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server, a request from a computing system to access a programming homepage;

in response to the request to access the programming homepage, providing the computing system access to the programming homepage, the programming homepage identifying a plurality of television signal providers;

receiving, at the server, a selection of an appropriate one of the plurality of television signal providers; and

in response to the computing system selecting the appropriate television signal provider, and upon receiving a request from the computing system for a corresponding program schedule, the server providing the programming schedule.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein access to the programming homepage is accessible only after screening a user password.

22. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording instructions are received through the Internet.

23. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further includes the server sending data comprising about to send VCR control information prior to actually transmitting the recording control information.

24. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recording control information comprises VCR control information.

25. In a recording system that is configured to record television programs and that is communicably connectable to a server through a network, a method for enabling the server to control the recording of one or more selected television programs by the recording system, the method comprising the acts of:

sending a request from the recording system to the server for a program schedule that identifies television programs that can be received and recorded by the recording system;

receiving, at the recording system, the program schedule from the server through the Internet and in response to the request, the program schedule being provided as a webpage;

displaying, at the recording system, the program schedule after it is received from the server;

receiving, at the recording system, a user selection from the program schedule of a particular television program to be recorded;

sending a request from the recording system to the server for the selected and particular television program to be recorded;

receiving, at the recording system, and directly in response to the request for the particular television program to be recorded, recording instructions that will cause the recording system to record the particular television program, wherein the recording instructions from the server are received by the recording system through at least one of a television signal and the Internet.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the acts of

prior to sending the first request, receiving user input at the computing system selecting a television signal provider associated with a location of the interactive television system;

and

transmitting information representing the selection of the television signal provider to the server.

27. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the recording instructions include a record command for the recording system.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the recording system includes a VCR.

29. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the recording instructions include at least one of the time, date, duration and tuning instructions corresponding to the particular television program to be recorded.