Television apparatus control system
AssigneeThomson Licensing
InventorsKeith Reynolds Wehmeyer, Robert Howard Miller, Jeffrey Philip Reavis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for controlling apparatus processing a signal representing a television program comprises a source of schedule data comprising at least data representing the time remaining in a television program. Television signal processing apparatus selectively processes the television program representative signal in response to a control signal. A control circuit generates the control signal to condition the processing apparatus to begin processing the television program signal in response to a user control signal, and to stop processing the television program signal when the time remaining in the television program has elapsed, in response to the program schedule data.
Claims14
Apparatus for processing a program signal representing a sequence of first and second video programs, the apparatus comprising:
- means for determining whether the program signal includes program schedule information indicating durations of the first and second video programs;
- a signal processor for processing the program signal;
- means for user activation of the signal processor;
- and
- control means being responsive to a determination that the program signal includes program schedule information for controlling the signal processor to process the program signal for the duration of the first video program in response to a first operation of the user activation means that generates a predetermined user input signal, and to process the program signal for the duration of the first and second video programs in response to consecutive first and second operations of the user activation means, which generate consecutive first and second transmissions of the predetermined user input signal, while the first video program is being received, the control means being further responsive to a determination that the program signal lacks program schedule information for controlling the signal processor to process the program signal for a first predetermined period of time in response to the first operation of the user activation means that generates the predetermined user input signal, and to process the program signal for a second predetermined period of time in response to the second operation of the user activation means that generates the predetermined user input signal for the second time subsequent to the first operation of the user activation means.
A method for controlling processing of a program signal representing a sequence of first and second video programs, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining whether the program signal includes program schedule information indicating durations of the first and second video programs;
- in response to a determination that the program signal includes program schedule information indicating durations of the first and second video programs, controlling a signal processor to process the program signal for the duration of the first program signal in response to a receipt of a predetermined user input signal, and controlling the signal processor to process the program signal for the duration of the first and second video program signals in response to consecutive first and second receipts of the predetermined user input signal while the first video program is being received;
- and
- in response to the determination that the program signal lacks program schedule information indicating the duration of the first and second video programs, controlling the signal processor to process the program signal for first and second consecutive predetermined periods of time in response to consecutive and first and second receipts of the predetermined user input signal while the first video program is being received.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.