JP2000184352A - Remote interaction method for television system, device and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device which can easily select a program to record it by downloading a program schedule to a 1st device, navigating the program schedule on the 1st device and transmitting the signal corresponding to the program from the 1st device. SOLUTION: A program selecting device 42 has a viewer readable screen 43, an application program 68, a keyboard 70, a pointing device 72 and a data base 58. The device 42 communicates with the Internet 46 via a link 44 and also communicates with Internet service provider(ISP) 50 via a link 48. The links 44 and 48 and the internet 46 or the ISP 50 are connected together since both links 44 and 48 are connected to a server, i.e., a repository of the TV programming data. The TV programming data are downloaded to the device 42, stored in the data base 58 and then read out by an application program 68.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to television systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for viewer program selection and television program recording.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the advent of consumer satellite television antennas, fiber optic cables, and other significantly widened home bandwidth improvements, television programming has become a target of choice for home television viewers. The number has increased significantly. With such explosive improvements in program content, the familiar practice of "time-shifting" programs that make VCR recordings for later viewing allows viewers to take advantage of these improvements in television content. Has become even more important. However, this provides the user with a huge amount of program content to prepare for selecting a program and easily scheduling a portion of the selected program for recording as desired. This presents significant difficulties in providing viewers with an easy and user-friendly way that can be easily extracted in an intelligent and sophisticated manner.

[0003] The current technology available for VCR programming itself has not been rated very good. However, even if this problem of physically facilitating a simpler way of programming a VCR is solved, it itself is delivered to another significant problem with current consumer television: home. The increased bandwidth does not solve the aforementioned problem of selecting valuable television programs for recording or viewing from a surge of options.

Several approaches have been taken to solve the problem of helping viewers select programs. Probably the most familiar of these is "TV
It could be a hard copy television guide, such as "Guide", or a variety of program listings that appear in local newspapers. This method has obvious limitations, such as limited ability to convey details of each program and lack of a search function. Moreover, since some satellite systems have over 1000 channels, it is obvious to anyone that this method of providing television program information is quite inadequate for modern needs.

One attempt to overcome the weaknesses of hardcopy TV guides is to provide such TV guides via cable, Internet, or satellite providers themselves. This approach also has the disadvantage of a hardcopy system that lacks an active search function. Thus, the user has the difficulty of scanning a huge number of screens to find a program of interest while utilizing the more convenient physical form of listing programs by the program schedule displayed on the screen. You still have to do the work. Therefore, the viewer must also look at a lot of information and program listings that are not of interest to the viewer. In addition, such rich information is end-
Due to the logistics of providing to users, such hard copy versions and program guides on TV screens,
Only the program of the day can be shown.

[0006] In an effort to solve the problem of excerpting programs worth watching, as well as the aforementioned problem of allowing the end user to easily program the VCR for time shifting, Companies have emerged that provide video clip services for consumers. In this case, a profile for the content of interest to the user is completed. The company then periodically records programs that it believes match this user's profile, such as programs that are likely to be of interest and that match the user's interests, and tapes the programs that appear to be interesting to the physical To the end user. This method also has very significant and obvious drawbacks, such as the fact that the selection of the program is not only made by a third party, but it takes time and money for these physical tapes to reach the end user. .

[0007] Further, in the markets around consumers, various mechanisms have appeared such as "VCR +" which has attempted to simplify VCR programming. One such system uses an infrared (IR) link between the cable tuner box and the VCR to allow a user to select a program from an on-screen program guide so that the infrared signal is・ Sent from the box to the VCR with the corresponding manufacturer's unique code, and as a result, automatically
Is to try to program. Although this is a clever system to implement, it nonetheless still has many of the drawbacks mentioned above, i.e. the user still has a daily program of thousands of programs to be classified. Limited to guides only. A related method by other companies is to provide a program code number associated with a given program, which is physically printed on the program guide. In this case, the end user / viewer simply reads the physical program guide and uses the remote channel changer to enter the manufacturer's unique code number associated with the program when selecting the program of interest. Only. However, this method does not solve the need to simplify the task of extracting a desired program from a huge list in the first place, and it has been added to the other important and physical hard copy version program lists described. It has all the associated drawbacks.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a strong need for a consumer television system that allows the user to easily program the VCR to allow time shifting. In addition, such systems provide an efficient mechanism for end users to easily select and record programs that more accurately, more sophisticatedly, and more accurately reflect programs that best meet their viewing needs. A system that can be provided at low cost is strongly desired.

[0009]

A portable program selection device (PS)
D) stores data relating to a program schedule that can be downloaded to the device. The device includes a database and an application program, and an end user interface for querying the database. The database includes parameters associated with television programs, such as description, time, required time, genre, channel number, and unique program code associated with each program, and allows keyword searches. When a user selects a program, either by keyword search or by activating the program by looking at the program channel / time grid, the selected program is stored in a program code, which is transmitted via an infrared link to a remote VCR or television or Forwarded to both. The VCR is then automatically programmed to record the selected program at the appropriate time or, if the program selection involves a real-time program, automatically switches the television channel, Done in response to the code.

[0010]

FIG. 1 shows an improved GU of the present invention.
1 shows a preferred embodiment in which the I-control protection system can be used to advantage. This system uses C
PU 10, read-only memory (ROM) 11, random access memory (RAM) 12, input / output adapter 1
3, a user interface adapter 18, a communication adapter 14, and a display adapter 19, all of which are interconnected via a common address / data and control path or bus 16. The above components each include methods of accessing the common bus using conventional techniques well known to those skilled in the art, and having CPU 10 as the bus master and assigning specific address ranges exclusively to each component in the system. . Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an external device such as a DASD 15 is connected to a common bus 1
6 interface. Similarly, other external devices such as the display 21 are the display adapter 1
A respective adapter such as 9 is used to provide data flow between the bus 16 and the display 21 or other device. User interface adapter 1
Various user interface means are provided for interconnecting with and using the same. In the figure, the user interface adapter 18 has a joy
Stick 23, mouse 25, keyboard 17, and speaker and / or microphone 27
And other typical user input devices. The system further comprises a conventional operating system 29 adapted to execute one or more applications 31. Each of these units is well known and will not be described herein.

The present invention relates to IBM's RS / 6000 (TM), RISC-based workstations and personal computers running the AIX (TM) and OS / 2 (TM) operating systems, respectively, or other similar systems. It is possible to implement on essentially any computer system and corresponding microprocessor, such as this machine, eg RS / 60
604 PowerP for 00 workstation
C (TM) RISC chips are included. (RS / 600
0, IBM, AIX, OS / 2, and PowerPC
Is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation. )

The CPU 10 of FIG. 1 generally includes one or more microprocessors that perform the necessary system address, data, and control processing functions for the system of FIG. 1 to operate properly. . Although the present invention can be applied to various microprocessor designs, in the embodiment disclosed herein, the microprocessor is a risk computer (RIS).
C) Takes the form of a PowerPC604 microprocessor from IBM, a type of microprocessor known as a microprocessor. For more information on the architecture and operation of such a microprocessor, see
"PowerPC604 RISC Micr, which is hereby incorporated by reference and is copyrighted by IBM Corporation.
processor User's Manual ", document number MPC604UM / AD, November 1994.

In the context of the present invention, the user sees various objects on the display 21, such as a cursor and a pop-up or pop-down menu, which are various such as a mouse 25 and voice-activated navigation. Can be operated using a pointing device. Pointing device 25
The program code associated with the user interface adapter 18 by the device driver for the
Microphone 2 with application code residing on AM12 and / or DASD 15
7 facilitates and enables the movement of the cursor on the display screen 21 in response to and associated with the correlated voice command spoken towards 7.

Next, in FIG. 2, the program selection device (PS
D) is shown in simplified form at reference numeral 42.
This is Palmpilot, Personal Di
It can take the form of virtually any hand-held terminal, such as a digital assistant (PDA). In a general form, such a program selection device includes a miniature screen 43 that performs the function of the display 39 of FIG. This further includes an application program 68, a keyboard 70 in a partially restricted form that performs the same functions as the keyboard 24 of FIG.
It includes a pointing device 72 similar to device 26. In addition, a hard drive 58 or other form of mass read / write storage similar to the disk drive 20 of FIG. 1 is provided for the purposes described below.

One function of the PSD 42 is to use the Internet 4
6 to be able to communicate. This is indicated by a link 44 to the Internet, which may take the form of a telephone link, wherein the PSD 42 is connected to a cellular telephone function, or to a telephone jack of a computer system modem to access the Internet 46. Includes pluggable connectors. Alternatively, PSD 42 may be an adapter for communicating over a link 48 with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 50, which is also in the form of a telephone link to a computer system connected to the ISP. Can take. The purpose of these links 44, 48 and the Internet 46 or ISP 50 connection is that they connect to a server that is a repository of television programming data. This television programming data is downloaded to PSD 42, preferably in a compressed format, and stored in storage database 58, from which it can be read by application program 68.

The data preferably contains much more detailed content than is currently available in conventional hardcopy versions or on-screen TV program guides, and a representative sampling of such richer data is It is displayed on screen 60 and its components can be displayed on viewer readable screen 43 as desired. This dataset for each program available to viewers includes, for example, a more detailed description of the program, its date, time, duration, star, genre (comedy, drama, action, etc.), channels to be broadcast, and It may include a unique program code number associated with the program for the purposes described below.

In addition, screen 43 displays a programming grid 64 for daily data downloaded to PSD 42, which is a grid of blocks, each block associated with a particular time and channel. ing. Each grid block preferably includes a short title or description of the program with which it is associated, so that when using a pointing device 72 for a particular grid block and activating that block, it is displayed on screen 60. The information is displayed on the screen 43 of the PSD 42 of the end user.

When the viewer reviews the information in data set 60 and determines that the program is worth watching, the end
The user then wants to activate a block, such as block 61, using the pointing device 72 and cursor 62 to program the VCR 54,
Or, if a program is currently in progress, confirm the desire to switch TV 56 to the program in real time. This instruction, whether to program the VCR to record this program in the future or to have the television switch to the program immediately, requires the PSD 42 and VCR 54
And a conventional infrared link 52 between the TV and the TV 56.

One function of the present invention is to provide a keyword search function for the data set 60. Therefore,
By navigating on the screen 43 using the pointing device 72, the user can enter any keyword using the keyboard 70 to retrieve a program of interest to the user. For example, if the user wants to know if a John Wayne movie will be aired this week, the user can use keyboard 70, pointing device 72, and screen 43 to
Entering the keyword "John Wayne" and the desired week will display a grid similar to grid 64 listing all movies in which John Wayne appears.

The details of the program description allow the user to provide a more complex multi-word search method such as "animals, africa, science fiction" and query the database 58 for programs related to these three keywords. You can also. The present invention is not limited to any particular search method, but rather applies to several state-of-the-art databases and query methods such as artificial intelligence and full or partial searches using stored end-user profiles. Also applies. Further, it will be readily appreciated that the end user can enter keywords associated with any information in the data set 60. That is,
For example, as a keyword, the end user can enter a genre such as "comedy" or "movie" and a date or time, or if the viewer can only watch television at a later time, Only the time and date may be input as keywords. VCR
Due to the automatic programming capability using 54, data sets transmitted from the Internet 46, ISP 50, or other remote links are different from more common hardcopy and on-screen program listings, and are preferably forward-looking It is further desirable to include such a program listing over time. Thus, when the user selects a future program for programming, using the unique program code number associated with that program causes the VCR 54 to record those programs that will be aired in the future. Can be. The user can also query using the PSD 42 for programs that have already been selected to edit these options as desired.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation sequence of the system shown in FIG. 2 in order to achieve the object of the present invention.

Referring to this figure, the end user first uses the telecommunications functionality built into PSD 42 to provide the appropriate program schedule source (Internet 46, I
SP 50, or other source), and this step is indicated by block 80.

The end user then interacts with the PSD 42 to have the program scheduling data downloaded to the PSD 42 as appropriate using the links 44,48. This step is indicated by block 82 in FIG. It should be understood that the data is preferably in a compressed format, and that PSD42 processing functions can be used to decompress the data.

Next, as a result of this download, PSD4
A storage device 5 stores the program scheduling data in a database format that can be queried by a user.
8 is stored. This step is indicated by block 84. Recall that the query mechanism of the database 58 is preferably as user-friendly and smart as possible so that information can be retrieved using user profiles, keyword input, or other data points. In particular, the present invention provides for this to be done periodically and automatically by the user entering profile data into PSD
8 is retrieved, the database 58 is updated periodically, and the end
It is contemplated to be displayed to the user so that future programs meet the user profile criteria for future viewing and / or recording.

Continuing with FIG. 3, once the program scheduling data has been stored at block 84, the process proceeds to block 86 where the user may wish to program a future program or to select a desired program. Inquire whether to edit programs scheduled to be watched or pre-recorded, or both. In response, if the end user wishes to program for future recording, the process ends along path 88, after which the user enters search criteria for program scheduling data. This step is indicated by block 92. A user search, in addition to entering a keyword search if desired, requires the use of an application program 68 to query a database 58 where program scheduling data resides, and the results of such queries are selected by the user. It is displayed on the screen 43 so that the user can interact.

In response to the query and the display of the results, as shown at block 94, the user may perform a selection of a program to view or record (block 94).
If the program was selected for recording, this fact is stored in the storage device 58 as shown in block 96 and
At 8, the program code for this program is transmitted via infrared link 52 to VCR 54 for later recording. On the other hand,
If the program is currently airing, then the system of FIG. 2 transmits the program code to switch the TV 56 program content in real time, as shown in block 100.

Next, the application program 68
The system running with queries the user on screen 43 as shown in block 102 to further desire another selection for programming or viewing. If no further interaction is desired, the process proceeds to end 108 via path 106. On the other hand, if the user responds using keyboard 70 or pointing device 72 to indicate that he wishes to make another selection for programming or viewing, system flow exits via path 104 to block 86. The system then re-queries at block 86 whether it wishes to program for recording a future program or to view the selected program in real time or edit the list of queried programs for future recording. . The process then continues as before, and if the user wishes to program an additional program, flow exits block 86 to the left along path 88 to provide steps for future programming of another program. Do more. On the other hand,
In response to the query of block 86, if the user selects a program for viewing in real time or wishes to edit the program listing for future recording, flow proceeds through block 90 along path 90. Get out on the right. If it is indicated that it is desired to edit the program list, at block 110 the program list selected from the program schedule for recording is recalled and edited. On the other hand, in response to the query at block 86, if the viewer wishes to select the current program for viewing, a schedule is provided for selecting the currently broadcast program for viewing. (112). Then the process goes to path 1
Exiting along 14, the system queries again whether the user wants more interaction. If not, the process exits path 106 to the right and proceeds to end 108.

In summary, the following matters are disclosed regarding the configuration of the present invention.

(1) A method for remotely interacting with a television system, wherein a program schedule is downloaded to a first device, and wherein the first device is selected to select a program from the schedule. A method comprising navigating through the program schedule above and transmitting a signal corresponding to the program from the first device to the television system. (2) The method of (1) above, wherein navigating comprises performing a keyword search for keywords corresponding to the program on the program schedule. (3) The method according to (2), wherein the signal is a program identification signal corresponding to the program. (4) The method of (3) above, wherein the television system includes a program recorder, and wherein the signal causes programming of the program recorder to record the program. (5) The television system includes a television, and the signal transmits the program to the television in real time.
The method according to (3), wherein the selection is made by time. (6) the program schedule includes a plurality of program descriptions;
The method according to the above (5). (7) The method according to (6), wherein the program schedule is targeted for scheduling of the program over a plurality of days. (8) The method according to (7), wherein the download is performed from the Internet. (9) The method according to (8), wherein the download is performed via a wireless link between the first device and the Internet. (10) The method according to (9), further comprising the step of storing a next signal corresponding to the program in the first device. (11) An apparatus for remotely interacting with a television system, comprising: means for downloading a program schedule to a first apparatus; and selecting the program schedule on the first apparatus to select a program from the schedule. Means for navigating the program; and transmitting a signal corresponding to the program to the first
Means for transmitting from said device to said television system. (12) The apparatus according to (11), wherein the navigation means includes means for performing a keyword search for a keyword corresponding to the program on the program schedule. (13) The apparatus according to (12), wherein the signal is a program identification signal corresponding to the program. (14) The apparatus according to (13), wherein the television system includes a program recording device, and wherein the signal causes the means for programming the program recording device to record the program. (15) The apparatus according to (13), wherein the television system includes a television, and the signal causes the television to select the program in real time. (16) The apparatus according to (15), wherein the program schedule includes a plurality of program descriptions. (17) The above (16), wherein the program schedule is targeted for scheduling of the program over a plurality of days.
An apparatus according to claim 1. (18) The apparatus according to (17), wherein the download is performed from the Internet. (19) The above (1), wherein the download means includes a wireless link between the first device and the Internet.
The device according to 8). (20) The apparatus according to the above (19), further comprising means for storing a next signal corresponding to the program in the first apparatus. (21) program code means for downloading a program schedule to a first device on a computer usable recording medium having a computer program for remotely interacting with a television system; A program code means for navigating the program schedule on the first device to select a signal, and a signal for transmitting a signal corresponding to the program from the first device to the television system. A recording medium including program code means. (22) The recording medium according to (21), wherein the program code for navigation includes program code for executing a keyword search for a keyword corresponding to the program on the program schedule. (23) The recording medium according to (22), wherein the signal is a program identification signal corresponding to the program. (24) the television system includes a program recording device, and the signal causes the program code means for programming the program recording device to record the program;
The recording medium according to the above (23). (25) The recording medium according to (23), wherein the television system includes a television, and the signal causes the television to select the program in real time. (26) The recording medium according to (25), wherein the program schedule includes a plurality of program descriptions. (27) The program according to (26), wherein the program schedule is intended for scheduling of the program over a plurality of days.
A recording medium according to claim 1. (28) The recording medium according to (27), wherein the download is performed from the Internet. (29) The program code means for downloading is:
The recording medium according to (28), further including a wireless link between the first device and the Internet. (30) The recording medium according to (29), further comprising program code means for storing a next signal corresponding to the program in the first device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a high-level functional configuration diagram showing components of a program selection device used in the system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram showing components of a television schedule viewing and scheduling system of the present invention including the program selection device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

43 Viewer readable screen 44 Link 46 Internet 48 Link 50 Internet service provider (IS
P) 52 Infrared link 54 VCR 56 TV 58 Database 60 Data set 61 Block 62 Cursor 64 Programming grid 68 Application program 70 Keyboard 72 Pointing device #A Channel #B Time

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor William Joseph Tracy Second United States 78681 Round Rock, Texas Deepwood Drive 400 (72) Inventor Jonathan Mark Wagner United States 78864 Round Rock Cedar, Texas Crest Circle 2926

Claims (30)

[Claims] 1. A method for remotely interacting with a television system, the method comprising: downloading a program schedule to a first device; and selecting the first program from the schedule.
Navigating said program schedule on said device; and transmitting a signal corresponding to said program from said first device to said television system. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein navigating includes performing a keyword search for keywords corresponding to the program on the program schedule. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said signal is a program identification signal corresponding to said program. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the television system includes a program recorder, and wherein the signal causes programming of the program recorder to record the program. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein said television system includes a television, and wherein said signal causes said television to select said program in real time. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said program schedule includes a plurality of program descriptions. 7. The program schedule according to claim 6, wherein the program schedule covers scheduling of the program over a plurality of days.
The method described in. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said downloading is from the Internet. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said downloading occurs via a wireless link between said first device and said Internet. 10. A first signal corresponding to the program is transmitted to the first signal.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of storing on a device. 11. A device for remotely interacting with a television system, comprising: means for downloading a program schedule to a first device; and the first device for selecting a program from the schedule.
Means for navigating the program schedule on the device of claim 1, and means for transmitting a signal corresponding to the program from the first device to the television system. 12. The navigation unit according to claim 11, further comprising: executing a keyword search for a keyword corresponding to the program on the program schedule.
An apparatus according to claim 1. 13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said signal is a program identification signal corresponding to said program. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said television system includes a program recorder, and wherein said signal causes means for programming said program recorder to record said program. 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said television system includes a television, and wherein said signals cause said television to select said program in real time. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said program schedule includes a plurality of program descriptions. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the program schedule is for scheduling of the program over multiple days. 18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said downloading is from the Internet. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said download means includes a wireless link between said first device and said Internet. 20. A next signal corresponding to the program is transmitted to the first signal.
20. The device of claim 19, further comprising means for storing on the device. 21. Program code means for downloading a program schedule to a first device on a computer usable recording medium having a computer program for remotely interacting with a television system; To select a program from the first
A recording medium comprising: program code means for navigating the program schedule on the device; and program code means for transmitting a signal corresponding to the program from the first device to the television system. 22. The program code means for navigation includes: program code means for performing a keyword search for a keyword corresponding to the program on the program schedule.
The recording medium according to claim 21. 23. The recording medium according to claim 22, wherein said signal is a program identification signal corresponding to said program. 24. The recording medium of claim 23, wherein said television system includes a program recorder, and wherein said signal causes said program code means for programming said program recorder to record said program. 25. The recording medium of claim 23, wherein said television system includes a television, and wherein said signals cause said television to select said program in real time. 26. The recording medium according to claim 25, wherein said program schedule includes a plurality of program descriptions. 27. The recording medium according to claim 26, wherein said program schedule is intended for scheduling of said program over a plurality of days. 28. The recording medium according to claim 27, wherein said download is performed from the Internet. 29. The recording medium according to claim 28, wherein said program code means for downloading includes a wireless link between said first device and said Internet. 30. A next signal corresponding to the program is transmitted to the first signal.
Further comprising program code means for storing in the device of
A recording medium according to claim 29.