Apparatus and method for selecting, scheduling, and reproducing programs while accounting for scheduling gaps

• US 8,813,122 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sisvel S.p.A. (Fineur International S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Montie, Edwin A., Ten Kate, Warner R. T., Uittenbogaard, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raman, Usha
• Application Number:
  US09/469,875
• Time in Patent Office: 5,354 Days
• Field of Search: 725/8, 725/35, 725/58, 725/133, 725/134, 725/141, 725/142, 725/153, 725/34, 725/32, 725/46, 725/47, 725/56, 725/59, 725/87, 725/89, 386/1, 386/68, 386/83
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4622 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 21/482 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for reproducing programs, comprising storage means for storing a plurality of stored programs, for example, a television receiver comprising or controlling a video recorder. The apparatus comprises scheduling means for composing a personal reproduction schedule of a subset of said plurality of stored programs, in accordance with a user profile. If the apparatus is also capable of receiving broadcast programs, the scheduling means are adapted to include said broadcast programs in the reproduction schedule. A user-selectable virtual channel may be provided for easy inspection and execution of the reproduction schedule.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reproducing programs, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive broadcast programs from a plurality of channels;

a selector operable to select a subset of said received broadcast programs, wherein said broadcast programs are assigned a priority when an overlap in time of said broadcast programs is determined;

a digital video recorder or video cassette recorder for storing a plurality of stored programs, the digital video recorder or video cassette recorder being operable to simultaneously record one of the broadcast programs and reproduce a stored program;

a scheduler operable to select a subset of the plurality of stored programs and a subset of the plurality of broadcast programs and to compose and organize a reproduction schedule of the subsets in accordance with a user profile, said profile comprising at least one temporal duration, the scheduler being operable to avoid an overlap between a broadcast program of the reproduction schedule and a stored program of the reproduction schedule by time-shifting the broadcast program in conjunction with the digital video recorder or video cassette recorder by;

recording at least a part of the broadcast program while reproducing the stored program;

determining a time duration between an end of the reproduction of the stored program and a beginning of reproduction of the broadcast program,

filling said time duration with a part of at least one other stored program; and

reproducing the broadcast program after the reproduction of the other stored program, within the time duration, is completed; and

a presentation apparatus configured to present the subset of the plurality of stored programs and the subset of the plurality of broadcast programs in accordance with the reproduction schedule and create a virtual channel that is accessible through a preset number and visible in an EPG among a plurality of channels, the presentation apparatus operating in conjunction with the digital video recorder or video cassette recorder to time-shift the presentation of at least one broadcast program to comport with the at least one temporal duration.

2. A method of reproducing programs, comprising the steps of:

receiving broadcast programs from a plurality of channels;

selecting a subset of said received broadcast programs, wherein said broadcast programs are assigned a priority when an overlap in time of said broadcast programs is determined;

storing a plurality of programs, wherein the storing includes simultaneously recording one of the broadcast programs and reproducing a stored program;

selecting a subset of the plurality of stored programs and a subset of the plurality of broadcast programs and to compose and organize a reproduction schedule of the subsets in accordance with a user profile, said profile including at least one temporal duration, wherein said selecting step avoiding an overlap between a broadcast program of the reproduction schedule and a stored program of the reproduction schedule by time-shifting the broadcast program in conjunction with the storing step by, recording at least a part of the broadcast program while reproducing the stored program, determining a time duration between an end of the reproduction of the stored program and a beginning of reproduction of the broadcast program, filling said time duration with a part of at least one other stored program, and reproducing the broadcast program after the reproduction of the other stored program, within the time duration, is completed; and

presenting the subset of the plurality of stored programs and the subset of the plurality of broadcast programs in accordance with the reproduction schedule and create a virtual channel that is accessible through a preset number and visible in an EPG among a plurality of channels, wherein the presenting step operating in conjunction with the storing step to time-shift the presentation of at least one broadcast program to comport with the at least one temporal duration.