Method and apparatus for filtering data concerning an electronic program guide for a television receiver
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsPascal Voyer, Marc Mondeteguy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The method of filtering data concerning an electronic program guide (EPG) in a television receiver having a device for automatically searching television channels includes supplying a list of CNI codes of all or some of the channels received by the television receiver to a memory. The method includes obtaining, from the SUMMARY of the guide, a MODIFIED SUMMARY containing only the information of the SUMMARY concerning all or some of the channels received by the television receiver, and recording only the data blocks of the CONTENTS of the guide in a memory when they correspond to all or some of the channels received by the television receiver.
Claims17
A method of filtering data for an electronic program guide (EPG) in a television receiver and sent in the form of a summary followed by contents, the summary indicating for each channel the code of the channel and identification numbers of data blocks sent with the contents, the television receiver comprising a device for searching television channels and storing a list of codes for all or some of the channels received by the television receiver to a first memory, the method comprising:
- (I) obtaining, from the summary, a modified summary containing only the data of the summary concerning all or some of the channels received by the television receiver as identified in the first memory, and storing the modified summary in a second memory;
- and
- (II) recording only data blocks of the contents of the guide in a third memory when they correspond to identification numbers of the modified summary contained in the second memory.
A method of filtering electronic program guide (EPG) data in a television receiver, the EPG data including a summary followed by contents, the summary indicating the code for each channel and identification numbers of data blocks of the contents, the method comprising:
- searching television channels and storing codes for at least some of the channels received by the television receiver to a first memory;
- generating, from the summary, a modified summary containing only the codes and identification numbers of the channels identified in the first memory;
- storing the modified summary in a second memory;
- and
- recording data blocks of the contents of the EPG data in a third memory when they correspond to identification numbers of the modified summary contained in the second memory.
A device for filtering electronic program guide (EPG) data in a television receiver, the EPG data including a summary followed by contents, the summary indicating the code for each channel and identification numbers of data blocks of the contents, the device comprising:
- a first memory;
- a channel detection device for automatically searching channels and storing a list of codes of at least some of the channels received by the television receiver in the first memory;
- a buffer memory for storing at least one data block of the contents and its identification number received during a field flyback of the television image;
- a second memory for storing a modified summary;
- a third memory for recording, via the buffer memory, the EPG data;
- a display for displaying television images and EPG data;
- a microcontroller for controlling the memories;
- first comparison means for comparing each code of the summary with the list of codes recorded in the first memory;
- first recording means, controlled by the first comparison means, for recording the modified summary containing only the codes and identification numbers of the channels identified in the first memory, in a second memory;
- second comparison means for comparing the identification number of the data block recorded in the buffer memory with the identification numbers recorded in the second memory;
- second recording means, controlled by the second comparison means, for recording data blocks of the contents of the EPG guide data in a third memory when they correspond to identification numbers of the modified summary contained in the second memory.
A device for filtering electronic program guide (EPG) data in a television receiver, the EPG data including a summary followed by contents, the summary indicating the code for each channel and identification numbers of data blocks of the contents, the device comprising:
- a buffer memory for storing at least one data block of the contents and its identification number;
- a first memory;
- a channel detection device for searching television channels and storing codes for at least some of the channels received by the television receiver in the first memory;
- a first comparison unit for comparing each code of the summary with the codes recorded in the first memory;
- a second memory for storing a modified summary containing only the codes and identification numbers of the channels identified in the first memory;
- and
- a second comparison unit for comparing the identification number of the data block recorded in the buffer memory with the identification numbers recorded in the second memory;
- and
- a third memory for storing data blocks of the contents of the EPG guide data when they correspond to identification numbers of the modified summary contained in the second memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.