Scheduling the recording of a program via an advertisement in the broadcast stream

• US 9,106,881 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, Jim, Smith, Kevin, Chamberlin, David, Look, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): HARVEY, DAVID E
• Application Number:
  US13/459,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20120213494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 286/248, 386/248, 386/291
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/44016 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/47 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 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 21/84 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 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 : Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 : the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A tagging system provides a mechanism for inserting tags into an audio or video television broadcast stream. The tags contain command and control information that the receiver translates and acts upon. The receiver receives the broadcast stream and detects and processes the tags within the broadcast stream which is stored on a storage device that resides on the receiver. Program material from the broadcast stream is played back to the viewer. The receiver performs the appropriate actions in response to the tags. A one-touch recording option is provided. An icon is displayed to the viewer telling the viewer that an advertised program is available for recording at a future time. The viewer presses a single button on an input device causing the receiver to schedule the program for recording.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling a recording of a program, comprising:

receiving a broadcast stream comprising an advertisement for a future showing of the program;

playing the advertisement;

receiving one or more tags in the broadcast stream while playing the advertisement, the one or more tags comprising a program ID of the program and information indicating a duration of time for which an icon is to be displayed for notifying a viewer that the program is available to record;

responsive to receiving the one or more tags, displaying the icon overlaid onto the advertisement for the duration of time;

accepting the viewer'"'"'s single key press from a remote input device;

displaying a menu of recording options responsive to the single key press; and

scheduling a recording time for the program based on the program ID in response to an interaction with the menu of recording options;

wherein the method is performed by one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the program on a storage device at the scheduled recording time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the storage device comprises one or more hard disks.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting that streaming of the program has ended prior to a scheduled ending time during the storing of the program;

responsive to detecting that the streaming of the program has ended, automatically terminating the storing of the program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the duration of time, for which the icon is to be displayed, comprises a number of frames.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the one or more tags in one or more of:

an extended data services field, a private data channel, an in-band tag, a stream feature, a time-based tag, a closed caption field, or a vertical blanking interval line.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

a tuner configured to receive a broadcast stream comprising an advertisement for a future showing of the program;

a decoder configured to cause playing of the advertisement;

a parser configured to detect one or more tags in the broadcast stream the advertisement is played, the one or more tags comprising a program ID of the program and information indicating a duration of time for which an icon is to be displayed for notifying a viewer that the program is available to record;

an on-screen display generator configured to, responsive to receiving the one or more tags, cause display of the icon overlaid onto the advertisement for the duration of time;

a control object component configured to accept the viewer'"'"'s single key press from a remote input device;

wherein the on-screen display generator is further configured to cause display of a menu of recording options responsive to the control object component accepting the single key press; and

program logic configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, schedule a recording time for the program based on the program ID in response to an interaction with the menu of recording options.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the program logic, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to cause recording of the program on a storage device at the scheduled recording time.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage device comprises one or more hard disks.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the program logic, when executed by the one or more processors, is further configured to:

detect that streaming of the program has ended prior to a scheduled ending time during the storing of the program;

responsive to detecting that the streaming of the program has ended, automatically terminate the storing of the program.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the information indicating the duration of time, for which the icon is to be displayed, comprises a number of frames.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the parser is further configured to detect the one or more tags in one or more of:

an extended data services field, a private data channel, an in-band tag, a stream feature, a time-based tag, a closed caption field, or a vertical blanking interval line.

13. A non-transitory program storage medium comprising instructions for scheduling a recording of a program, the instructions when executed by one or more processors, causing performance of:

receiving a broadcast stream comprising an advertisement for a future showing of the program;

playing the advertisement;

receiving one or more tags in the broadcast stream while playing the advertisement, the one or more tags comprising a program ID of the program and information indicating a duration of time for which an icon is to be displayed for notifying a viewer that the program is available to record;

responsive to receiving the one or more tags, displaying the icon overlaid onto the advertisement for the duration of time;

accepting the viewer'"'"'s single key press from a remote input device;

displaying a menu of recording options responsive to the single key press; and

scheduling a recording time for the program based on the program ID in response to an interaction with the menu of recording options.

14. The program storage medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for storing the program on a storage device at the scheduled recording time.

15. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the storage device comprises one or more hard disks.

16. The program storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause:

detecting that streaming of the program has ended prior to a scheduled ending time during the storing of the program;

responsive to detecting that the streaming of the program has ended, automatically terminating the storing of the program.

17. The program storage medium of claim 13, wherein the information indicating the duration of time, for which the icon is to be displayed, comprises a number of frames.

18. The program storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause receiving the one or more tags in one or more of:

an extended data services field, a private data channel, an in-band tag, a stream feature, a time-based tag, a closed caption field, or a vertical blanking interval line.