US 5,047,867 AGranted

Interface for a TV-VCR system

AssigneeNorth American Philips Corporation

InventorsHugo J. Strubbe, Donald R. Gentner

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Abstract

A system for integrating the operation and control of a television receiver and a video cassette recorder (vcr), the television receiver being capable of receiving and displaying various television channels as well as other video signals, and the vcr being capable of recording programs at least from the broadcast channels and reproducing programs previously recorded on tapes and outputting the programs as video signals, the system having a device for enabling a user to control the system and thereby operate the television receiver and/or the vcr, and to enter information concerning the user's favorite broadcast programs and various particular broadcast programs into the system, the information including the program name, broadcast channel, starting time, length, repeat pattern in the case of favorite broadcast programs, and whether the user wants the program recorded; a first store for storing the favorite broadcast program information and the various particular broadcast program informantion; a second store for storing information concerning programs on a tape currently loaded in the vcr; a third store for storing information concerning programs on other tapes of the user; a devicd coupled to the vcr for controlling the recording and reproducing functions thereof in response to the information stored in the first and second stores and the enabling device; an output device coupled to the first, second and third stores for selectively providing to the television receiver an output of the system including the favorite broadcast program information, the program information of the current tape, and the program information of the other tapes; and a device coupled to the television receiver for selectively switching an input of the television receiver between the broadcast channels, the vcr output and the system output.

A system for integrating the operation and control of a television receiver and a video cassette recorder, said television receiver being capable of receiving and displaying various television broadcast channels as well as other video signals, and said video cassette recorder being capable of recording programs at least from said broadcast channels and reproducing programs previously recorded on tapes and outputting said programs as video signals, an output of said video cassette recorder being coupled to said television receiver, said system comprising:

means for enabling a user to control said system and thereby operate said television receiver and/or said video cassette recorder, and to enter information concerning said user's favorite broadcast programs and various particular broadcast programs into said system, said information including the program name, broadcast channel, starting time, length, repeat pattern in the case of favorite broadcast programs, and whether the user wants the program recorded;
first storing means for storing said favorite broadcast program information and said various particular broadcast program information, said information being stored in the form of program description pages and a menu page;
second storing means for storing information concerning programs on a tape currently loaded in said video cassette recorder, said information being stored in the form of program description pages and a menu page;
third storing means for storing information concerning programs on other tapes of said user, said information being stored in the form of menu pages;
means coupled to said video cassette recorder for operating the recording and reproducing functions thereof in response to said information stored in said first and second storing means and said enabling means;
output means coupled to said first, second and third storing means for applying to said television receiver an output of said system including said favorite broadcast program information, the program information of said current tape, and the program information of said other tapes, said output means outputting said program description pages and said menu pages as additional channels included in a television channel ring;
and
means coupled to said television receiver for switching said television receiver to selectively receive said broadcast channels, said video cassette recorder output and said system output.

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Abstract

Claims13