# US 2008/0187280 A1 · Television program guide with a digital storage device

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- Number: US 2008/0187280 A1
- Document ID: US20080187280A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/894,617
- Filed: 2007-08-20
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 1998-09-17
- Assignees: United Video Properties, Inc.
- Inventors: Joel G. Hassell; Edward B. Knudson; L. Joe Hedges; Michael D. Ellis; David M. Berezowski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187280A1

## CPC

- 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)}
- G11B 27/002: {Programmed access in sequence to a plurality of record carriers or indexed parts, e.g. tracks, thereof, e.g. for editing; (transfer of record carriers from magazine G11B15/68, G11B17/10; G11B17/22)}
- G11B 27/034: on discs (G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence)
- G11B 27/102: {Programmed access in sequence to addressed parts of tracks of operating record carriers (access by moving the head G11B3/08, G11B5/54, G11B7/085, G11B21/022; by moving the record carrier G11B15/005, G11B17/005, by driving of both record carrier and head G11B15/1816)}
- G11B 27/105: {of operating discs}
- G11B 27/107: {of operating tapes}
- G11B 27/11: by using information not detectable on the record carrier
- G11B 27/327: {Table of contents}
- G11B 27/328: {on a tape [TTOC]}
- G11B 27/329: {on a disc [VTOC]}
- G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)}
- H04N 5/765: Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
- H04N 5/775: between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
- H04N 7/163: {by receiver means only}
- H04N 21/2387: Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
- H04N 21/4147: PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40})
- H04N 21/42204: {User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor (constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205)}
- H04N 21/42224: {Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control}
- H04N 21/42661: {for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive}
- H04N 21/4312: {involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/4332: {by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository (interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739)}
- 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)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/4345: {Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream}
- H04N 21/4358: {for generating different versions, e.g. for different peripheral devices}
- H04N 21/43615: {Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805)}
- H04N 21/43622: {Interfacing an external recording device}
- 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)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/47: End-user applications
- H04N 21/47202: {for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content
- H04N 21/4755: {for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre (retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306)}
- H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection
- H04N 21/4821: {using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time}
- H04N 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists}
- H04N 21/485: End-user interface for client configuration
- H04N 21/4856: {for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles}
- H04N 21/6118: {involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem}
- H04N 21/6143: {involving transmission via a satellite}
- H04N 21/6587: Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/8455: {involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream}
- H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments}
- H04N 21/85406: {involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format}
- G11B 2220/2562: DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
- G11B 2220/41: Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
- G11B 2220/90: Tape-like record carriers
- H04N 5/77: between a recording apparatus and a television camera
- H04N 5/781: on disks or drums
- H04N 5/782: on tape
- H04N 5/85: on discs or drums
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

An interactive television program guide system with digital storage is provided. The program guide gives users the ability to select a program for recording onto the digital storage device. The program guide may then provide the user a list of programs that includes at least one listing for a recorded program. The user may select a recorded program listing and the program guide will transfer the corresponding program from the digital storage device to a secondary storage device.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-23. (canceled)

### Claim 24

A method of playing back programs using user equipment, comprising:
receiving programs with the user equipment from a server;
storing the programs on a digital storage device, wherein the digital storage device is included in the user equipment; and
creating a playback sequence with the user equipment, wherein the playback sequence includes two or more of the programs stored on the digital storage device and wherein the playback sequence specifies an order that the programs will be played back by the user equipment.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the two or more of the programs have a common theme.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24 further comprising:
generating a list of programs based on the playback sequence; and
displaying the list of programs, wherein the list of programs:
includes listings associated with the two or more programs, and
indicates to a user the playback sequence.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the order specified by the playback sequence is unrelated to when the programs were stored on the digital storage device.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24 further comprising:
receiving a user input indicating the user's desire to add another program to the playback sequence; and
adding the program to a user specified point in the playback sequence.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the user specified point is the end of the playback sequence.

### Claim 30 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24 further comprising playing back the programs in the playback sequence in the order specified.

### Claim 31 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24 further comprising storing the playback sequence.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The method of claim 31 further comprising transferring the playback sequence to a secondary storage device.

### Claim 33 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24 further comprising editing the playback sequence.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The method of claim 33, wherein editing the playback sequence comprises re-ordering the playback sequence.

### Claim 35

A system for playing back programs comprising:
a display screen;
a digital storage device for storing programs; and
an interactive program guide implemented at least partially on circuitry configured to:
create a playback sequence, wherein the playback sequence includes two or more of the programs stored on the digital storage device and wherein the playback sequence specifies an order that the programs will be played back.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the two or more of the programs have a common theme.

### Claim 37 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to:
generate a list of programs based on the playback sequence; and
display the list of programs, wherein the list of programs:
includes listings associated with the two or more programs, and
indicates to a user the playback sequence.

### Claim 38 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the order specified by the playback sequence is unrelated to when the programs were stored on the digital storage device.

### Claim 39 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to:
receive a user input indicating the user's desire to add another program to the playback sequence; and
add the program to a user specified point in the playback sequence.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

The system of claim 39, wherein the user specified point is the end of the playback sequence.

### Claim 41 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to play back the programs in the playback sequence in the order specified.

### Claim 42 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to store the playback sequence on the digital storage device.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The system of claim 42, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to transfer the playback sequence to a secondary storage device from the digital storage device.

### Claim 44 (depends on 35)

The system of claim 35, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to edit the playback sequence.

### Claim 45 (depends on 44)

The system of claim 44, wherein the interactive program guide is further configured to re-order the playback sequence.

### Claim 46

A method of playing back a program using user equipment comprising:
storing one or more programs on a digital storage device, wherein the digital storage device is included in the user equipment;
generating one or more non-sequential program segments from the one or more programs;
combining, in a specified order, at least two of the one or more non-sequential program segments into a super program; and
in response to receiving a command to playback the super-program, playing back the at least two of the one or more non-sequential program segments in the specified order.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

The method of claim 46, wherein the one or more non-sequential program segments exclude advertisements.

### Claim 48 (depends on 46)

The method of claim 46, wherein playing back further comprises:
providing program data associated with the super-program.

### Claim 49 (depends on 46)

The method of claim 46, further comprising:
in response to receiving a command to store the super-program, storing the super-program.