# US 9,521,461 B2 · Series reminders and series recording from an interactive television program guide > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,461 B2 - Document ID: US9521461B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/703,645 - Filed: 2015-05-04 - Published: 2015-08-20 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 1998-06-11 - Assignees: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Applicants: Rovi Guides, Inc. - Inventors: Edward B. Knudson; Thomas R. Lemmons; Kevin D. Satterfield; Donald W. Allison; Michael D. Ellis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521461B2 ## CPC - 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 5/76: Television signal recording - H04N 5/782: on tape - H04N 9/79: Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording - H04N 21/4147: PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40}) - H04N 21/4583: {Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programmes in the same time slot} - H04N 21/47: End-user applications - H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection - H04N 21/4828: {for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739)} - H04N 21/4882: {for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders (arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895)} - H04N 21/6143: {involving transmission via a satellite} - H04N 21/6543: for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording {(remote booting in general G06F9/4416)} - 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 21/4334: {Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An interactive television program guide system with program series reminder and recording capabilities is provided. The system allows a user to set a reminder or schedule a recording for a single episode or for each episode of a program series. In addition, other options may be provided that allow the user to determine, for example, whether to schedule reminders/recordings for episodes on all channels on which the program airs or only on a selected channels, whether to schedule reminders/recordings for all episodes including reruns or only new episodes, whether to schedule reminders/recordings for network or syndicated episodes, and whether to schedule reminders/recordings for episodes on all days or only on selected days of the week. Before the scheduled broadcast time of each episode of each selected program series, the system sends a reminder message to the user that reminds the user of the program episode or sends a record command to a videocassette recorder to initiate recording of the episode. The system allows a user to view a list of all currently requested program reminders and scheduled program recordings. The user may update, change, or cancel any entry in either list or the system may automatically update the lists to match new broadcast schedule information. If the user sets a reminder or schedules a recording that conflicts with an existing reminder or recording, the system may inform the user of the conflict and allow the user to resolve the conflict or the system may resolve the conflict. ## Claims ### Claim 1 User equipment comprising: a storage configured to store program listings for programs associated with a plurality of channels; a user input interface configured to receive a user selection of a program; and control circuitry configured to: identify a series of programs associated with the selected program from the stored program listings; and schedule for recording a subset of the series of programs, wherein the subset includes a plurality of programs selected from the series of programs based on a combination of criteria supplied by the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an option to schedule a recording for a single episode of the series. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on specific channels on which the program is to be broadcast. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on all channels on which the program is to be broadcast. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display one or more options to schedule a recording for a rerun, first-run, network, syndicated, or previously unrecorded broadcasts of given programs which are part of the series. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display a program recording update screen. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: determine whether the user equipment is capable of supporting simultaneous recordings; and generate for display indications of conflicting recordings if the user equipment is determined to not support simultaneous recording. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to prompt the user to resolve conflicts between scheduled recordings. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically resolve conflicts between scheduled recordings. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the combination of criteria supplied by the user comprises at least one of: program source, program time, and program type. ### Claim 11 A server comprising: a storage configured to store program listings for programs associated with a plurality of channels; and control circuitry configured to: identify a series of programs associated with a selected program from the stored program listings; and schedule for recording a subset of the series of programs, wherein the subset includes a plurality of programs selected from the series of programs based on a combination of criteria supplied by a user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an option to schedule a recording for a single episode of the series. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on specific channels on which the program is to be broadcast. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an option to schedule a recording for given programs which are part of the series on all channels on which the program is to be broadcast. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display one or more options to schedule a recording for a rerun, first-run, network, syndicated, or previously unrecorded broadcasts of given programs which are part of the series. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display a program recording update screen. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to prompt the user to resolve conflicts between scheduled recordings. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically resolve conflicts between scheduled recordings. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The server of claim 11, wherein the combination of criteria supplied by the user comprises at least one of: program source, program time, and program type.