JP2005176305A - Printer with radio or television program extraction and formatting - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system and method for fetching schedule information or recording media contents in order to generate media representation. <P>SOLUTION: The system of the present invention includes an output device for generating media representation of media content extracted from a media receiver. The methods of the present invention include the steps of extracting media content from a media receiver, generating a representation of media content, and communicating with the media receiver through a media transfer interface. Methods of the system further include the steps of scheduling actions of the media receiver to occur at predefined times, and generating a schedule display of media programs by performing optical character recognition on the schedule displayed on a schedule channel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system and method for capturing multimedia content. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for controlling an external multimedia receiver to record multimedia programs and capture multimedia schedule information.

  Home entertainment systems have become a large market in today's society where both watching the latest television programs and listening to radio programs are very common forms of entertainment. However, as entertainment systems develop more and more, viewers / listeners are less costly, more flexible, more convenient, and require control when viewing or listening to multimedia.

  Modern entertainment systems allow users to have some control in any multimedia (eg, radio or television) program they listen to or watch and allow users to tailor the entertainment to their preferences. With respect to television, for example, some modern technologies (eg, digital video recorders manufactured and sold by TiVo®) do not allow users to view regularly scheduled programs, The television viewer can set up a system for automatically and periodically recording all television programs selected by the viewer so that the desired program configuration can be created. However, such techniques for recording program schedules require the viewer to download multimedia schedule information from a multimedia provider (eg, cable provider, digital cable provider, or satellite television provider). Using these recent technologies, viewers also need to pay a subscription fee to access and download program schedule information. Any recent mechanism by which a user can obtain multimedia schedule information (in digital or paper-based formats) directly from a multimedia schedule channel (ie, directly from a television channel displaying television program scheduling information) There is no mechanism and there is no mechanism to eliminate the charge for downloading this schedule information.

  Furthermore, for many users, the digital format is not the optimal format in terms of what multimedia information to view. While it is appropriate for some users to view multimedia information in digital form, many users find it easier to understand the information when it is printed on paper media. ing. This is also true with respect to multimedia program schedule information (eg, television program schedule guidance). Paper-based multimedia program schedules are recently available, but those schedules tend not to be up-to-date as digital schedules, or programming that is not accurate for all viewers / listeners in all areas Tend to contain information. For example, digital program information, such as information downloaded from a multimedia service provider or television program schedule information displayed in a viewer's television scheduling channel, is typically very Latest and accurate. However, no mechanism has recently been available for easily creating a paper-based version of this accurate and up-to-date digital program schedule.

  Furthermore, the program schedule information that is available to the viewer / listener on the paper medium in the latest does not provide the user specific information and cannot provide an easy interface for accessing the specific information. Is troublesome. For example, it is not possible for a user to create a paper-based version of the schedule information tailored to the viewer / listener, only displaying programs that the user is interested in. In addition, none of the paper program schedules are available up-to-date, providing an interface for easy access to multimedia information corresponding to the scheduled program. The viewer / listener cannot refer to the latest paper schedule to record the program directly or to request the program to play.

  Thus, what is needed is a system and method that allows a user to control multimedia content and to enable convenient viewing and to generate multimedia representations that access multimedia information. is there.

  The present invention overcomes the limitations and deficiencies in the prior art by providing a system and method for generating media displays and capturing schedule information or recording media content. The system of the present invention includes an extraction module that extracts media content from a media receiver. The present invention also includes a printer or output device for generating a media representation of media content extracted from the media receiver, the present invention to enable communication between the output device and the media receiver. Media transfer interface. The present invention has media content recognition software for recognizing features in media content including faces, utterances, texts and the like. Processing logic also controls the generation of the media representation. The representation can be generated in a paper-based format, a digital format, and any other representation format. In addition, the present invention includes an external user interaction device that allows users to interact with the output device remotely.

  The method of the present invention includes extracting media content from a media receiver and generating a representation of the media content. Further, the method of the present invention includes the step of communicating with a media receiver over a media transfer interface. The method of the present invention involves scheduling an action (eg, generating a media representation) to be performed by an output device to occur at a predetermined time, and performing optical character recognition in a schedule displayed in a schedule channel. Generating a program schedule display. Furthermore, the method of the present invention includes recording media content and storing the content in a storage medium so that the content can be played in the media display.

  A system and method for controlling an external multimedia receiver 104 for recording multimedia information in the form of a multimedia program and capturing schedule information is described. For the purposes of the present invention, the terms “multimedia”, “multimedia content”, “multimedia data” or “multimedia information” refer to text information, graphic information, animation information, audio (audio) information, video information. Any one of these information or a combination thereof. Further, the term “multimedia program” or “program” can be used to describe, for example, any length of a television broadcast program, a movie, a radio broadcast program, music broadcast on the radio, or any other multimedia content. A type of multimedia composed of segments of multimedia content such as user-defined segments.

  For the purposes of the present invention, the term “printing” or “printing” is intended to include printing, writing, drawing, imprinting, embossing, etc. when referring to printing on a certain type of media. Also, for the purposes of the present invention, the output generated by the system refers to “multimedia document”, “multimedia representation”, “document”, “paper document” or “video paper” or “audio paper”. . While word documents and paper are referred to in the above terms, the output of the system in the present invention is not limited to a physical medium such as a paper medium. Instead, the above term can refer to any output that is fixed to some tangible medium. In some embodiments, the output of the system of the present invention can be a representation of multimedia content printed in a physical paper document. In paper format, multimedia documents take advantage of the high resolution and portability of paper to provide a readable representation of multimedia information. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a multimedia document can also select, retrieve, and access multimedia information. In other embodiments, the system can output to a digital format or some other tangible medium. Further, for the output of the present invention, any storage unit (eg, file) that stores multimedia information in digital format can be referenced.

  A variety of different formats can be used to store multimedia information. Those formats are MPEG format (for example, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4, MPEG7, etc.), MP3 format, SMIL format, HTML + TIME format, WMF (Windows (registered trademark) Media Format), RM (Real Media) format, Quicktime format, Includes formats developed by the Shockwave format, various streaming media formats, engineering communities, proprietary and conventional formats, and other formats.

  In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of the present invention. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. For example, the present invention is mainly described with reference to recording a television program and capturing television program schedule information. However, the present invention can be applied to recording any type of multimedia information and capturing any type of multimedia scheduling data.

Criteria in defining “one embodiment” or “embodiment” mean that a particular feature, configuration, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. ing. Where there is a representation “in one embodiment” in various parts of the specification, not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

  Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary system 100 for controlling an external multimedia receiver 104 for capturing schedule information or recording programs operated by the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the multimedia receiver 104 of FIG. 1 is shown as a radio or television (TV) receiver. However, the multimedia receiver 104 is also comprised of other types of receivers or devices that can transfer other types of multimedia information. Examples of multimedia receivers include cable TV set-top boxes, satellite broadcast receivers, broadcast TV receivers, digital video receivers, web servers, mobile phones, portable digital terminals (PDAs), video recording devices, or video cameras, Including but not limited to digital cameras or webcams or including pass-through devices.

In FIG. 1, an extended output device or printer 102 includes a conventional printer 103, control software 110, audio and video content recognition software 112, processing logic 114, digital media storage and output 116, and user interaction and control hardware 118. However, it is not limited to these. The conventional printer 103 components of the printer 102 may include some or all of the capabilities of a standard or conventional printing device, such as, for example, an ink jet printer, laser printer, or other printing device. Thus, the conventional printer 103 has the capability to print paper documents and can have the capabilities of fax machines, copiers, and other devices for creating physical documents. More information about the printing system
Entitled “Networked Printing System Having Embedded Functionality for Printing Time-Based Media” and provided in US Patent Application Publication No. 10 / 814,948, filed March 30, 2004 by Hart et al. This document is replaced by a part of the description of the invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 102 includes other modules such as control software 110 and hardware to control the multimedia receiver 104. The printer 102 receives data on a signal line 106 that includes schedule information and multimedia programs from the multimedia receiver 104, which is a type of hardware between the printer 102 and the multimedia receiver 104. Transferred at cable connection 108. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, this connection 108 is shown as a series control line, but this connection can also be a parallel cable connection or other type of connection. The control software 110 can send instructions to the multimedia receiver 104 to cause the multimedia receiver 104 to take a specific action. The control software 110 can also execute other types of software that control specific actions by the multimedia receiver 104. For example, the control software 110 includes other software for controlling the scheduling of actions by the multimedia receiver 104, software for extracting multimedia content frames from the multimedia receiver 104, software for recognizing the content of a still multimedia frame , Software for monitoring instructions from an external computer (not shown) connected to the system 100, software that affects the recording and playback of video or audio content, and software that executes a web server. The control software 110 and its functions are described in detail below.

  The printer 102 includes multimedia content recognition software 112 that recognizes certain features of the multimedia content received from the multimedia receiver 104. For example, the multimedia content recognition software 112 may include speech recognition software, speaker recognition software, optical property recognition software, face detection software, key frame selection software, and the like.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the printer 102 further comprises processing logic 114 that controls the interaction of the printer 102 with the user via a print driver interface 122, and controls the generation of the printer 102 for the multimedia document 120. For example, the processing logic 114 may be a print driver interface that allows a user to control certain printer actions, such as scheduling weekly time to print a television program schedule or scheduling event recording. 122 display is managed. Also, the functionality of the print driver interface 122 can be provided by a web interface that allows the user to manage printer actions such as event scheduling. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the print driver interface 122 has made a selection that includes a printing of a television schedule document that is limited to displaying only the scheduled broadcast times of the television program “West Wing”. It shows that. In this example, the user has chosen to get a weekly “West Wing” schedule that is automatically printed every Friday. Therefore, the system 100 is set to automatically print out the “West Wing” schedule for each week without any further interaction from the user, until the user says otherwise. Continue this weekly printing. The system 100 can also be configured to create a collection schedule determined by the user of each weekly television program according to user preferences. As another example, a user can also request a printed document showing the overall television program schedule for a week or month without any user preference filtering.

  In addition, the print driver interface 122 allows the user to set a preferred format for the created multimedia document 120. Users can format and layout the document, font type and size, information displayed in each line, information displayed in the header, schedule column size and position, font color, line spacing, number of characters per line, bold Preferences for capitalization and capitalization techniques, language in which documents are printed, paper size, paper type, etc. can be set. For example, the user can choose to obtain a multimedia document 120 that includes a header in large bold font that indicates the week in which the scheduling information is included and the name of the television program displayed in the schedule. It is. As another example, the user may choose to specify a particular document layout that displays information indicating the particular television program, the channel on which the program is broadcast, and the date and time that the program is broadcast. It is possible.

  The multimedia document 120 generated by the printer 102 can be composed of various formats. For example, the multimedia document 120 may be composed of a paper document such as video paper or audio paper in the form shown in FIG. The multimedia document 120 generated by the printer 102 can also be stored on digital media. As shown in FIG. 1, this printer 102 embodiment includes digital media storage and output 116. The digital media writing hardware can include, for example, a network interface card, a DVD (Digital Video Disc) writer, a secure digital (SD) writer, a CD (Compact Disc) writer, and the like.

  Multimedia document 120 has many different types of layouts and can display various types of information. As described above, the multimedia document 120 can include program schedule information tailored to the user's preferences. FIG. 1 shows an example of a video paper document that displays scheduling information for the television program “West Wing” for the week of November 24. The video paper document 120 in the example of FIG. 1 includes a document header 130 that lists the type of document (television program schedule), the program name in which schedule information is displayed, and the time zone in which schedule information is displayed. In the example of FIG. 1, multimedia document 120 further includes a schedule information header 132 that displays information about each schedule of the television program. In this example, the schedule information header 132 includes channels (Channel 48 and Channel 11) on which “West Wing” is broadcast, and a television network that broadcasts “West Wing” in the week of November 24, ie Bravo and CBS. Is displayed. The schedule information header 132 also indicates the date and time for the week, day and time of each broadcast of “West Wing”.

  The user also chooses to include in the multimedia document 120 some of the audio information about the program displayed as text or some other type of text information about the program. For example, the user may choose to have a portion of a TV or radio program record displayed next to scheduling information for the program. As another example, the user may choose to include a text description of each program in the print schedule, for example, a scheduled summary of a particular episode, a review of a particular movie, and the like. The user prints the voice information as text information (ie, a technique for generating a text record for the voice information), ie, a voice record (which can be the same as printing the text information). The print driver interface 122 can be used to specify the style and format to be used, the technology used to convert the summary text about the program to the style and format to be printed, and the like.

  The paper version of multimedia document 120 generated by printing a printable representation on paper media also provides an interface for accessing or retrieving multimedia information in electronic forms. Paper documents can therefore be used as an index and search tool for searching multimedia information. In one embodiment, the user selectable identifier is printed in the multimedia document 120. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the user selectable identifier is printed as a barcode including a broadcast barcode 136 and a recording barcode 134. As an example in FIG. 1, a barcode is printed for each schedule segment that is printed on a page. For example, there are a recording barcode 134 and a broadcasting barcode 136 corresponding to a schedule of a program “West Wing” broadcast on a television network, Bravo, and a recording barcode 134 and a broadcasting barcode 136 corresponding to a CBS schedule. There is. In other embodiments of the present invention, various other techniques other than barcodes can be used to represent user selectable identifiers.

  User selectable identifiers provide a mechanism for readers of multimedia paper documents to use multimedia paper documents to access or retrieve multimedia information. As shown in FIG. 1, the broadcast barcode 136 corresponds to a control that allows the user to request playback of multimedia information corresponding to a user selected segment. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the recording barcode 134 corresponds to a control that can be used by the user to schedule the recording of multimedia information corresponding to the user selected segment. The user scans the appropriate barcode in the printed document using that device with a barcode scanner built into any type of device, such as a cell phone or PDA, so that the user “records” or “ Select “Broadcast”. As another example, a user can also guide the system 100 to operate by typing a numeric identifier 140 printed on a paper document into a remote control or other device. The identifier 140 listed in the broadcast barcode 136 causes the program to be broadcast when typed on the keypad, and the numeric identifier 140 listed in the recording barcode 134 is typed on the keypad. When scheduling program recording.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the user can select a broadcast barcode 136 to broadcast the program. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, when selecting broadcast barcode 136 control, a signal is sent to the printer 102 from a user selection device (eg, a barcode scanner). The printer 102 can retrieve multimedia information corresponding to the user selected segment. The signal 102 communicated from the selection device to the printer 102 is the schedule segment selected by the user, the location of the multimedia content to be broadcast, the multimedia paper document from which the segment is selected, the preference and / or the user selected 1 It is possible to specify information related to one or more multimedia display devices (eg, television sets) and other information to facilitate retrieval of the requested multimedia information. For example, the system 100 can access a program stored in the printer 102 pre-recorded by the user, and the system can broadcast individual programs with respect to the user's instructions. The system 100 can also access programs that are not pre-recorded by the user, but instead store them remotely on the user's computer, on the web, on a server, or elsewhere. Is possible. As another example, the user can generate a document summarizing the content of the video collection from the system, from which the user can select the video to be broadcast.

  In the example of FIG. 1, the user can also select a record barcode 134 to record the program. When scanning the recording barcode 134, if a program is currently being broadcast, a signal is communicated to the printer 102 so that the printer 102 begins to record the selected program. If the selected program is not currently being broadcast, the printer 102 instead schedules automatic recording of the program to be broadcast at a later time when the program is scheduled to be broadcast.

  Beyond generating a printable representation of the multimedia program schedule, the system 100 can also generate printable information for other types of multimedia information, including video and audio data. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a printable representation of video information (eg, video paper) includes key frames of video content that are displayed with respect to the representation and extracted from the video information. In this embodiment, the layout and format information includes the sampling rate for extracting key frames, the number of key frames adapted to be extracted from video information, the order and arrangement of key frames in the media, and other It is possible to specify from the information. For video information, the printer 102 can extract key frames (or key frames that provide information) that capture salient features of the video for a particular segment of multimedia information. In addition, the printer 102 may have a feature recognition capability that allows a user to search within a video segment for an item of interest, such as a specific face image, a specific word displayed as text, etc. (eg, face Recognition, face detection, OCR, etc.). For example, the printer 102 can use a face recognition technique to extract key frames that display images of a particular person's face that the user is interested in in the television program.

  The user can also generate a printable representation of the audio information that can include the above key frames or other data. For example, the user can generate a radio news program printable representation, such as a one-hour broadcast on the US National Public Radio (NPR) or a 30 minute program of KCBS broadcast. In this example, the printer 102 uses an utterance recognition technique for identifying the utterances of a well-known radio announcer. Further, the printer 102 can use a variable vocabulary for speech recognition based on current news determined by online newspapers or other sources. In this example, the printer 102 also segments the broadcast into logical parts and constructs a printable representation (eg, audio paper), typical news broadcast features (ie, within a limited time). A speech detection technique based on a plurality of speakers each speaking) can be used. The printer 102 can extract key frames of audio data containing information that the user is interested in, and the printer 102 can generate a printable representation of the data. This printable representation can be a paper summary for the radio news program, or the representation can be stored digitally for later access, depending on the quality of the recognition results. Is possible. In another embodiment, the user can generate a printable representation of a radio program, such as NPR's car criticism, that includes significantly more conversation between participants than a news broadcast. The printer 102 can again use speech detection based on typical characteristics of radio programs and speech recognition for known announcers to segment broadcasts and construct printable representations.

  In another embodiment of the invention, the printer 102 performs a web search to provide very detailed information about the audio or video program. For example, a user can generate a printable representation of a radio program, and further generate and segment the printable representation, and the printer can also be identified for personal name recognition. Apply the technology. The printer 102 then performs a web search using an image search engine, such as Google's image search engine or other similar engine, to find facial images for the person described in the radio program. can do. In this example, the image can be generated as a printable representation, such as an audio paper format, and / or displayed to the user in a print dialog box. As another example, a user can select to generate a printable representation of a radio program, in which the user finds a home page for a person listed in the radio program. In addition, by performing a web search using a search engine such as Google (registered trademark), a specific technique for tracking personal name recognition is applied. Such a home page can be generated as a printable representation and / or displayed to the user in a print dialog box, such as in an audio paper format. In addition, a barcode can be included in the printable representation, and the barcode is provided for indirect search of the home page or single digital encoding of the content of the home page.

  The printer 102 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 also allows a user to interact with the printer 102 and thus control the operation of the multimedia receiver 104 and user interaction and control hardware 118 and software. Consists of For example, the user can control broadcast or recording functions using standard remote control devices (not shown) such as infrared control, 802.11 bar code scanner, Bluetooth wireless technology, and the like.

  Now referring to FIG. 2, the architecture of an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the system 200 consists of a multimedia receiver that is a cable TV set-top box 102. As described above, multimedia data is transferred from the multimedia receiver 104 to the printer 102 over the hardware connection 106. In this embodiment, the multimedia data is composed of video data transferred from the cable TV set top box to the printer 102. FIG. 1 also shows a printer 102 that sends and controls commands to the multimedia receiver 104 over a hardware connection 108. This control can occur on the same hardware connection to which the video data is transferred or can occur on a separate hardware connection.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the system 200 is comprised of a hardware interface or a media transfer interface that allows a connection between the printer 102 and the multimedia receiver 104. The hardware interface 202 can be configured by a serial interface such as an RS232 interface, an infrared interface such as an infrared blaster, or the like. The hardware interface 202 has the ability to capture multimedia data from the multimedia receiver 104. The hardware interface 202 also allows the printer 102 to send commands to and control the multimedia receiver 104. For example, the printer 102 can turn the multimedia receiver 104 on or off, cause the multimedia receiver 104 to change channels, and so forth. The processor 216 can transfer instructions to the multimedia receiver 104 from the user to the bus 258 via a hardware interface.

  System 200 further comprises control software (not shown) at printer 102 that manages the operation of multimedia receiver 104. Control software (not shown) sends instructions to the multimedia receiver 104 that cause the multimedia receiver 104 to take some defined action. For example, the multimedia receiver 104 may request to advance the channel, return the channel, etc.

  In one embodiment, the system 200 has the ability to automatically extract program schedule information from a schedule channel on a TV and consists of a TV program schedule database or memory. The multimedia extraction module or video frame grabber 204 captures one or more video frames from the multimedia data that are transferred from the multimedia receiver 104 to the printer 102 to the bus 106. Each frame can be forwarded over bus 260 to a processor 216 that controls the operation of each printer 102 and forwards the data to the appropriate portion of printer 102 for further processing. For squeeze juice generation, control software (not shown) in the printer 102 executes content recognition software that performs optical character recognition (OCR) processing on the content of the sperm frame provided by the video frame grabber 04. The content recognition software is provided with information about the expected layout and content of the schedule screenshot. For example, a cable TV set top box can be set to a scheduling channel that displays a television program schedule. Video frame grabber 204 can capture still frames of the scheduling page, and content recognition software (not shown) can perform OCR on the contents of the frame. This allows the user to generate a user-confident program guide that shows the schedule of the television program. The user can store the program guide, print the guide, customize the guide for the user's preferences, update the guide periodically, and so on. These operations are described in further detail below.

  The system 200 further comprises control software (not shown) in the printer 102 that executes the scheduling software to configure a schedule that determines when an action will occur and to keep time tracking. For example, the printer 102 can be set on in the multimedia receiver 104 at a particular day and at a particular day's time. Once the printer 102 has turned on the multimedia receiver 104, the printer 102 can instruct the multimedia receiver 104 to display a schedule page for the television program. Further, the printer 102 can be configured to operate on a recurring schedule. For example, the printer 102 can command the multimedia receiver 104 to capture a new schedule page at midnight every Thursday.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the system 200 also consists of a television video recorder having recording and playback hardware 218. Control software (not shown) in the printer 102 writes the multimedia data to the disc and plays back the multimedia data in response to instructions received from the printer keypad and touch screen 206 or from the external interface 212. And playback software. Multimedia data received by the printer 102 from the multimedia receiver 104 can be transferred to recording and playback hardware 218 via the bus 262. The data can be A / D converted and written to some other storage 220 or disk in the printer 102. The data is transferred to the storage 220 over the bus 256. The storage 220 is not limited to the printer 102, but can also be located somewhere in, for example, a personal computer (PC) 230 or server. The processor 216 is coupled to and controls the recording and playback hardware 218, and the processor 216 can transfer data to the recording and playback hardware 218 via the bus 272.

  The storage 220 can store data structures and basic programming that provide the functionality of the present invention and computer system. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, software that performs the functions of the present invention can be stored in the storage 220. The software can be executed by the processor 216 and its corresponding memory (not shown). In a distributed environment, software can be stored in multiple computer systems and executed by processors in multiple computer systems. The software 220 can also include a repository for various databases and files that can be used in accordance with the present invention. For example, the multimedia document can be stored in the storage device 220. The storage device 220 may include a number of memories including a main RAM (Random Access Memory) for storing instructions and data during program execution and a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which fixed instructions are stored. Is possible. The storage device 220 also includes, for example, a hard disk drive, a floppy (registered trademark) disk drive corresponding to removable media, a CD-ROM (Compact Digital Read Only Memory) drive, an optical drive, a removable media cartridge, and other storage media. It is possible to have permanent (non-volatile) storage for data files and programs. One or more drivers can be located at a remote location on the connected computer.

  The processor 216 is also coupled to and controls the digital media input / output 108. The processor 216 transfers information to the digital media input / output unit 108 via the bus 252 and receives information from the digital media input / output unit 108. The generated multimedia document can be converted to some type of digital format as described above. The digital media writing hardware can include, for example, a network interface card, a DVD writer, a secure digital (SD) writer, a CD (Compact Disc) writer, and the like. Digital output documents can be stored on digital media including CD, DVD, flash media, and the like. Thus, the user can generate a digital output version of the input audio or video file, which can be viewed on a specific purpose device, such as a PC, cell phone or PDA, for example.

  When a user requests recording or playback of data, the data stored as digital media can therefore be transferred back to the storage 220 over the data bus 254 and recorded and stored via the bus 256. It can be accessed by playback software and hardware 218. When the user commands the command system 200 to play multimedia, the recording and playback hardware 218 transfers data to the display device 222 on the bus 280 and the multimedia content is played on the display device 222. . When the user commands the system 200 to record multimedia, the recording and playback hardware 218 uses the digital media input / output device 116 to record the designed multimedia content. In this embodiment, the display device 222 is a TV, but the multimedia data may also be displayed on other devices such as, for example, a mobile phone screen, a computer screen, a PDA or other display device. . The display device 222 includes a flat panel device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) and a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a projection device, and the like. For example, a user can use a remote control, or can enter instructions on a printer keypad or touch screen to play a particular movie. The recording and playback software then accesses the pre-stored movie data from the storage device 220 and then plays the movie on the TV that the user watches.

  The processor 216 can comprise various computing architectures, including a CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) architecture, a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture, or an architecture that executes a combination of instruction sets. It is. Although only a single processor is shown in FIG. 2, multiple processors may be included. Main memory (not shown) may store instructions and / or data that can be executed by processor 216 including software and other components of system 200. The instructions and data may consist of code for performing any and / or all of the techniques described herein. The main memory (not shown) can be a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) device, an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) device, or other memory device known in the art.

  In another embodiment, the system 200 further comprises control software running a web server having a CGI (Common Gateway Interface) that controls the schedule for recording and playback. This control software, for example, allows a user to request a web page that displays a list of movies or television programs that are available. The user may instruct the printer to, for example, list and download and search for all movies in which a particular actor has played a leading role or all movies that have won the Oscar as the best movie. Is possible.

The embodiment in FIG. 2 also allows a user to interact with the system 200. A user control device such as a keypad or touch screen 206 can be incorporated into the printer 102 that allows the user to communicate directly with the printer 102. The keypad or touch screen 206 allows a user to enter information into the printer 102, and the instructions are then sent over the bus to the processor 216, which manages the execution of those instructions. To do. For example, a user requests printing of a TV schedule by entering instructions on a keypad or touch screen 206. The printer 102 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2 may also include, for example, a personal computer (PC) 230, portable computer, work The printer interacts with external devices such as stations, computer terminals, network computers, mainframes, kiosks, standard remote controls, PDAs, game controllers, communication devices such as cell phones or any other data processing system An external interface 212 is included. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, infrared (IR) transceiver 214 receives IR signals from an external device, which can be transmitted to external interface 212 via signal line 270. In this way, as an alternative to the keypad or touch screen 206 in the printer 102, the user can use a remote control or other device to transfer commands to the printer 102. For example, a user can request printing of a TV schedule by typing a specific command into a standard IR remote control, or the user can record a program by scanning a barcode in a printed document. Can be requested. Examples of other input devices include pointing devices, mice, trackballs, touchpads, graphic tablets, scanners, barcode scanners, touch screens embedded in display devices, voice input devices such as voice recognition systems, and other types However, the present invention is not limited to these. As described above, the control software in the printer 102 executes recording and reproduction software that writes multimedia data to a disc and reproduces the multimedia data in accordance with instructions received from the external interface 212. Examples of some external interfaces 212 include IR remote control, network interfaces, Bluetooth interfaces, and the like.

  As described above, the user also uses PC 230 to send instructions to printer 102 via bus 274, which interacts with external interface 212. The control software in the printer 102 executes monitoring software that responds to a command from the PC. For example, the user can request that the printer 102 print a schedule in paper format, and the user can set specific parameters for the print job. When the schedule is printed in the video paper format, the video paper format controls each bar code, web link, key code for remote control, or scheduling, recording and playback of a TV program as described above. Including other marker schemes below the video frame. In the example, the print instructions are transferred to the processor 216 via the external interface 212, which is coupled to the print engine 224 via the bus 278 and transmits information to the print engine 224. The print engine 224 sends information to the bus 276 to guide the printing of the multimedia document 120, which in the example is a paper document. The monitoring software also updates an internal table that stores the correspondence between the codes printed on the paper and the actions that can be performed on the printer 102 in response to those codes.

  The system shown in FIG. 2 further includes printer control software 208 executed on the PC 230. The printer control software 208 can be used for scheduling TV program recording, schedule printing, and the like in the printer 102. This functionality can be provided by a stand-alone software application, for example, controlled using a normal web browser such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer, Netscape® Navigator, Mozilla, Opera Internet Browser, etc. Can be provided by a CGI interface of a web server in a printer capable of printing. In addition, the PC 230 shown in the embodiment in FIG. 2 also executes print driver software that includes dialog interface support. The user can interact with the system 200 through a print driver dialog, and the user can request, for example, the printer 102 to generate video paper with certain parameters.

  The embodiment of FIG. 2 shows software and specific components included in the printer 102 and other components included in the connected PC 230. However, any software and other components shown as part of the printer can instead be located on the PC 230 in other embodiments. Further, in some embodiments, the printer control software and the print driver software shown on the PC 230 can instead be incorporated into the printer 192. Thus, in some embodiments, the PC 230 is any part of the system, and the printer 102 provides a user interface, includes a multimedia receiver 104 for capturing schedule information and recording programs. It is a stand-alone device that provides all of the functions corresponding to the control.

  The printer 102 described in this embodiment of the invention includes all television video recorders as described above in addition to performing all the functions of a normal printer. In summary, the system 200 is a number of functions including recording a TV program as commanded by a user, automatically extracting program schedule information from a schedule channel, and configuring a program database. Although not limited to these, it is comprised of control and scheduling software capable of executing functions. The system 200 has further functions including generating a paper document that summarizes the recorded program and summarizes the schedule of the next program and provides a user interface for recording and playing back the program. Execute. In addition, the system 200 responds to instructions from the user requesting the printer 102 to print the schedule, record the program, and play the recorded program. The operation of the system 200 is described in further detail below with reference to FIGS. 4a-12.

  In operation, the “update schedule” instruction allows the user to obtain current information about the scheduling of multimedia content. With respect to system 200, the “update schedule” instruction provides updated information about TV program scheduling. When the user enters this command (or the printer automatically executes this command), the printer 102 reads the schedule channel from the profile 300 stored at the printer. An example of such a profile 300 is shown in FIG. Profile 300 can be generated at the time of installation of system 200. The user can select from a library of layouts, the layout of which is best adapted to the schedule shown in the user's scheduling channel. As an alternative to the user-defined profile 300, the system can also adapt the screen in the schedule channel to the input in the library of predicted layouts, and then automatically select the format to adapt. is there.

  Here, referring to FIG. 3, an example of a profile 300 for a schedule is shown. Profile 300 lists the number of channels that broadcast the schedule. In the example of FIG. 3, the schedule channel is listed as TV channel 28, which is shown in profile 300 as “<Schedule_Channel> 028 </ Schedule-Channel>”. This profile 300 further lists the times at which schedule updates occur, and this timing for updates can be done periodically, for example. For example, in the profile 300 of FIGS. 4a and 4b, the schedule is updated every day at 2 o'clock, which is indicated in the profile 300 as “<Schedule_UPDATE_TIME> 0200GMT daily <// ScheduleUPDATE_TIME>”. Profile 300 also includes a predicted layout of the schedule, which is selected from a library of predicted layouts of the schedule, such as a library that includes many standard layouts used by the TV program scheduling service. For example, in the profile 300 of FIG. 3, the expected layout is defined under “<LAYOUT-DESCRIPTION>”, which not only shows the box that bounds the information displayed about the schedule, but also the program's Indicates information included in the schedule, such as information about time, program description, channel number, ID number, etc.

  Now referring to FIG. 4a, an example of a schedule screen 400 is shown. In this example, the schedule screen displays information about TV program scheduling. The schedule screen 400 includes a date field 402 that lists the date of the schedule, which in this example is Friday, February 6th. The schedule screen 400 further includes a program field 408 that lists the name or type of each TV program. The time field 404 in the schedule lists the scheduled time for each TV program that appears on the TV. Furthermore, the schedule screen 400 includes a channel field 406 indicating a channel on which each TV program is displayed. The network field 410 indicates the TV station or network to which each TV program is associated. 4a and 4b, the schedule screen 400 further comprises a preview field 412 that displays preview information for the selected program. In the example of FIGS. 4a and 4b, the preview field 412 is information about the selected TV program “Tech Live” and includes the title of the program, the start and end times of the program, the channel, the TV network, and the program. Information including evaluation and program photos and a short description are displayed.

  Referring now to FIG. 4b, a layout 450 is shown as an example of the schedule screen of FIG. 4a. In this example, the layout shown has a similar format to the layout of the schedule screen 400 shown in FIG. 4a. The layout 450 includes a program field 408 in which program names or titles can be listed, and a time field 404 in which program times can be listed. The layout 450 further includes a channel field 406 for the TV program channel and a network field 410 for the TV program network or TV station. The preview field 412 shows a program description field 456 where a short description text of the program is given. In addition, the preview field 412 includes a start time field 452, an end time field 454, a preview program channel field 458, and a preview program network field 460, each listing the items of the program to be previewed.

  The OCR process uses the description of the schedule layout 500 to restrict the process. A video frame containing a portion of the TV schedule is provided and the OCR process generates instructions to update the schedule input database for each time and channel. FIG. 5 shows an example of a database update instruction 500 generated from the schedule fragment shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b. Similar to the fields of FIGS. 4 a and 4 b are a channel field 406, a network (ID) field 410, a start time field 452, an end time field 454, a program field 408 and a program description field 502. The output of the OCR process is a set of instructions that update the data structure representing the timeline of the TV program. This data structure can be a structured query language (SQL) database, or it can be stored as a flat file in MPEG7 (Moving Picture Experts Group, Version 7) format. This data structure can also be stored in a TV-anytime format. The data structure includes a slot for a block of time, and in each block of time there is a block of space available for the channel. Each of those time / channel slots can be filled with program information including a title, an identifier, and a text description for the program. The software of the printer 102 can generate an identifier by reading a counter such as a barcode_id counter. Further, it is possible to generate an identifier by examining a video cassette recorder (VCR) plus code (Plus-code). In either example, the identifier can eventually be part of a barcode that is printed on a paper document generated by the system.

  Referring now to FIG. 6, a flowchart illustrating the “update schedule” instruction is shown. System 200 is coupled to a control program that performs subroutine processing as described below. The user enters an “update schedule” instruction into the system 200, or the system executes the “update schedule” instruction, possibly according to a schedule. The system 200 reads the profile and looks up the schedule channel 604 where the multimedia receiver 104 needs to be set up. The printer 102 commands the multimedia receiver 104 to change 602 for the schedule channel. The video frame grabber 204 of the printer 102 captures 606 a video frame from the multimedia receiver 104. The printer 102 probably performs OCR 608 on the video frame that has information about the expected format of the schedule frame. If such profile information is available, the printer 102 reads the profile information 610 to determine the schedule channel layout. However, if the profile 300 for the schedule screen 400 is not pre-defined by the user, the printer 102 does not yet have a schedule format at this point, and the format needs to be determined automatically. After the OCR process is performed, the printer 102 updates the schedule database 612 storing the update in the storage unit 614, and the printer 102 advances the schedule display 616. To advance the schedule display, printer 102 reads 618 to determine schedule advance and to change channel commands. If the schedule cannot proceed during this process, the process is interrupted at this point, which means that the current effective schedule has already been updated for most current schedules. If the schedule is advanced, the process is restarted from the beginning and the printer captures the video frame again and continues to update by OCR, scheduling the pre-stage until the schedule is advanced to the current effective schedule.

  Referring now to FIG. 7, a flowchart representing the “update schedule database” instruction 612 is shown. System 200 is coupled to a control program that performs subroutine processing, as described below. The system 200 obtains the next channel number, channel network or ID, start time, end time, program title and program description from the list of OCR results 702. If the resulting list is empty, the printer 102 sends a return result to the control program, the printer 102 returns to its previous state and ends the command. If the result list is not empty, the printer 102 generates 704 a barcode where barcode_id = barcode_id + 1. The printer 102 adds 708 the barcode_id, channel number, channel network or ID, start time, end time, program title and program description to the database, and this information is sent to the storage 710. The process is then restarted from the beginning to obtain the next set of information from the list of instructions resulting in the OCR, and the process continues until the result is empty.

  FIG. 8 shows a flowchart for explaining the “display advance schedule” command 616. System 200 is coupled to a control program that performs a scheduling process, as described below. Printer 102 reads profile 802 and looks up a schedule advance command for system 200. The printer 102 then captures 804 the first video frame. The printer 102 sends a schedule advance command to the set top box 808. The printer 102 then captures 810 the second video frame. If there is no change from frame 1 to frame 2 from left to right, the printer 102 rewinds 812 and proceeds to the next channel. If there is a left-to-right change in content from frame 1 to frame 2, printer 102 returns a true result to the control program whose schedule has been advanced. Thus, the user continues to advance the displayed schedule time by performing a left-to-right update of the schedule until no more data is displayed. For example, when the schedule is updated and there is no more schedule information to be updated, the user recognizes when the user presses the right arrow remotely and there are no further changes to the schedule.

  Referring now to FIG. 9, a flowchart illustrating an example of a “Rewind and Advance to Next Channel” instruction 812 is shown. System 200 is coupled to a control program that performs subroutine processing, as described below. The user inputs a “rewind and advance to the next channel” command to the printer 102. The printer 102 reads the profile 902 and examines the schedule backward command and the channel advance command. The printer 102 then captures the first video frame from the multimedia receiver 104 904. The printer then sends 906 a schedule back command to the set top box, and the printer 102 follows 908 to capture 908 a second video frame. If there is a change from right to left in the content from frame 1 to frame 2, the printer 102 captures 904 the first video frame, and starts again from the beginning. If there is no change from right to left in the content from frame 1 to frame 2, the printer 102 sends 910 a channel advance command to the set top box. The printer captures the third video frame 912 and compares frames 2 and 3. If there is a change from frame 2 to frame 3 from top to bottom, the printer 102 returns a true response to the control program. If there is no change from top to bottom, or if the channel number at the bottom of the screen is less than the channel number above it, and therefore the display indicates that the display has returned to the start of the channel list, the printer 102 Returns an incorrect response to the control program.

  Here, referring to FIG. 10, an embodiment of the present invention is shown in which the printer 102 includes a print button 1000 displayed on the printer display unit 1002. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the print button 1000 is shown as a “PrintTV Schedule” box in the printer display section. The user prints the schedule by selecting the print button 1000 in the printer 102. For example, a print button 1000 can be included on the touch screen of a printer that the user selects by touching the print button in the clone. As another example, the print button 1000 can be included in a printer keypad and the user presses the print button 1000 on the keypad to request a print schedule.

  FIG. 11 shows a flowchart describing the “PrintTV Schedule” instruction. The user inputs a “PrintTV Schedule” command to the printer 102. The printer 102 responds by reading 1102 today's date and current time from the system clock. The printer 102 reads 1104 a SCHEDULE-RECORD and PLAY code from the BARCODE-COMMANDS section of the profile. The printer 102 retrieves 1106 all information about the program scheduled today that is currently playing or will play later today. The information 1106 retrieved by the printer 102 includes a barcode ID, a channel number, a channel ID (eg, program title or type), a start time, an end time, a title, a description, and the like. The printer 102 checks 1110 for each channel number in the information list. If the program shown in the channel is already finished, the printer 102 returns to checking other channels in the information list. If the program shown in the channel is not finished, the printer 102 generates a page header 1112 for the schedule, which includes the channel number and channel ID. Printer 102 also adds other information to the schedule for channel number 1112, including barcode ID, start time, end time, title, description, and the like. If the printer 102 has not yet finished preparing a schedule for all channel numbers requested by the user to be included in the document, the printer 102 will continue until all the schedule information for all channels is included in the document. The printer 102 returns to the selection of another channel number in the information list. The printer 102 then generates 1116 a barcode having a SCHEDULE-RECORD and PLAY code added to the barcode ID. The printer 102 plays a version pre-recorded in the corresponding program and prints a line indicating the start time, end time, title, description, and barcode for each program 1118 for scheduling the program to be recorded. . After the barcode is added to the document for one channel, the printer then returns to generate and print a barcode for the next channel to be included in the schedule.

  Turning now to FIG. 12, an embodiment of a multimedia document 120 that can be generated by the printer 102 is shown. The multimedia document 120 in this example is a schedule document indicating a program schedule that is a broadcast of TECH TV on February 10, 2004. Multimedia document 120 includes a document header 1214 that includes a network name and schedule date information. Multimedia document 120 further includes a number of columns, each containing information about a TECH TV program. In this example, a start time column 1202 and an end time column 1204 that display the start time and end time of each program are shown. The example of FIG. 12 also shows a title column 1206 indicating the title of each program broadcast on TECH TV on February 10. In addition, this example includes a description column 1208 that provides a title with a gist or description of each of the programs. The example of FIG. 12 also includes a schedule recording column 1210 and a play column 1212. In both the schedule recording column 1210 and the play column 1212, a barcode for each program is shown. The user can scan a bar code 1220 below the schedule record column 1210 for a particular program to instruct the printer 102 to schedule the recording of the program when the particular program is broadcast. The user can also scan a bar code in a particular program noplay column 1212. A program is played if it is pre-recorded and stored in the printer 102, or if the program is otherwise valid or accessible to the printer 102 . In both the schedule recording column 1210 and the play column 1212, the numerical identifier 1222 of each program is shown. As an alternative to scanning a bar code 1220 to schedule program recording or to play the program, the user can type in the numeric state shown in the numeric identifier 1222 for the particular program. The input in the state of the numeric identifier 1222 in the schedule recording column 1210 causes the program to be recorded, while the input in the state of the numerical identifier in the play column 1212 causes the program to be played.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications are possible. Variations and improvements to the preferred embodiment are provided by the present invention, which is defined only by the appended claims.

1 is a block diagram of a system for controlling an external multimedia receiver to record multimedia content and capture schedule information. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram for an exemplary architecture of one embodiment of the system of FIG. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary profile for a multimedia schedule that can be stored in a printer. FIG. 6 illustrates a graphical display for an exemplary multimedia schedule that can be copied. FIG. 4b is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary format for the multimedia schedule of FIG. 4a. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary format for a multimedia schedule that includes multimedia schedule information. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for a method for updating a multimedia schedule. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for a method for updating a multimedia schedule database. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for a method for advancing multimedia schedule display. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram for a method for returning to and proceeding to the next channel in a multimedia schedule display. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a graphic display of buttons on a printer keypad for printing a multimedia schedule. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for a method for printing a multimedia schedule. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a graphical display for an exemplary multimedia schedule on a printer output medium.

Explanation of symbols

100 system 102 printer 103 conventional printer 104 external multimedia receiver 106 signal line 108 hardware cabling 110 control software 112 multimedia content recognition software 114 processing logic 116 digital media storage and output 118 user interaction and control hardware 120 multi Media Document 122 Print Driver Interface 130 Document Header 132 Schedule Information Header 134 Recording Bar Code 136 Broadcast Bar Code 140 Numeric Identifier 192 Printer 200 System 202 Hardware Interface 204 Video Frame Grabber 206 Printer Keypad and Touch Screen 208 Printer Control Software 210 Print Driver Software 212 External interface 214 IR transceiver 216 processor 218 recording and reproducing hardware 220 storage 222 display unit 224 print engine 230 a personal computer (PC)
252 bus 254 data bus 256 bus
258 Bus 260 Bus 262 Bus 270 Signal line 274 Bus 276 Bus 278 Bus 280 Bus 300 Profile 400 Schedule screen 402 Date field 404 Time field 406 Channel field 408 Program field 410 Network field 412 Preview field 452 Start time field 454 End time field 456 Program Description Field 458 Preview Program Channel Field 460 Preview Program Network Field 500 Schedule Layout 502 Program Description Field 614 Storage 710 Storage 1000 Print Button 1002 Printer Display 1108 Schedule Database 1112 Page Header = Channel Number and Channel ID
1202 Start time column 1204 End time column 1206 Title column 1208 Description column 1210 Schedule record column 1212 Play column 1220 Bar code 1222 Numeric identifier

Claims (39)

A system for recording media content and generating media representations:
An extraction module for extracting media content from a media receiver;
An output device for generating a media representation of media content extracted from the media receiver, wherein the output device is coupled to the extraction module; and the output device and the media receiver; A media transfer interface for enabling communication between the media transfer interface coupled to the media receiver;
A system characterized by comprising.   The system of claim 1, further comprising media content recognition software for recording features in the media content.   The system of claim 2, wherein the media content software is further comprised of speech recognition software.   The system of claim 2, wherein the media content recognition software further comprises optical property recognition software.   The system of claim 2, wherein the media content recognition software further comprises face detection software.   The system of claim 2, wherein the media content recognition software further comprises speaker detection software.   The system of claim 2, wherein the media content recognition software further comprises key frame selection software.   The system of claim 2, wherein the media content recognition software further comprises face recognition software.   The system of claim 1, further comprising processing logic for controlling display of a user interface, wherein the user interface further comprises processing logic that allows a user to control actions of the output device. A system characterized by that.   The system of claim 1, further comprising processing logic for controlling the generation of a media representation.   The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage medium for storing the media representation in electronic format.   The system of claim 1, wherein the media representation generated by the output device is stored on a digital storage medium.   The system of claim 1, wherein one or more user interaction devices allow a user to interact with a printer and control actions of the printer, the user interaction device being external to the printer. And further comprising a user interaction device.   The system of claim 1, wherein the media representation is generated in a paper format that includes at least one user selectable identifier that allows a user to access and control media content. System. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one user selectable identifier is comprised of at least one barcode that is printed with respect to the media representation.   16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one barcode is further comprised of at least one recording barcode that can be scanned to record a corresponding media program. System.   16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one barcode is further comprised of at least one recorded barcode that can be scanned to play a corresponding media program. System.   15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one user selectable identifier comprises at least one numeric identifier that a user can type into an external device to access and control media content. A system characterized by that.   The system of claim 1, wherein the media representation is a document that displays scheduling information about a media program. A method for recording media content and for generating a media representation comprising: extracting media content from a media receiver;
Generating a media representation of the media content; and communicating with a media receiver via a media transfer interface, wherein an output device communicates with the media receiver;
A method comprising:   21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of using a media content recognition technique for the output device to recognize media content extracted from the media receiver.   21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of an output device sending instructions to the media receiver to control actions of the media receiver.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein the media receiver scheduling action further comprises the steps occurring at a predetermined time.   24. The method of claim 23, wherein the scheduling action is a procedure for scheduling the generation of a media representation, the generation further comprising a procedure that is scheduled to occur in a user-defined time period. Feature method.   25. The method of claim 24, wherein the procedure for scheduling the generation of a media representation further comprises the step of inputting a preferred scheduling into a profile that controls an action of the output device that controls an action of the media receiver. A method characterized by that.   The method of claim 20, wherein generating a media representation is a procedure for generating a schedule representation of a list of media programs, the schedule representation including specific information about each media program. A method characterized in that it further comprises a procedure.   27. The method of claim 26, wherein generating a schedule representation of a list of media programs further comprises formatting the schedule representation based on a predetermined user preference profile. And how to.   27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of generating a schedule representation of a list of media programs further comprises updating a schedule representation generated to include current schedule information. And how to. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the procedure for generating a schedule representation of a list of media programs is:
Setting a media display on a channel including a schedule display indicating media program scheduling information; and performing optical character recognition in the schedule display of the media display to read schedule information content and generate a representation of the schedule display Step;
The method further comprising:   27. The method of claim 26, wherein the procedure for generating a schedule representation of a list of media programs further comprises a stage for searching for specific user-defined features in the media content and a stage for displaying search results. A method characterized by that.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein monitoring instructions from an external interface, the instructions include a request to generate a media program schedule representation having user-defined parameters. A method characterized in that it is further configured.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein monitoring instructions from an external interface, wherein the instructions are user selectable identifiers printed with respect to a media representation and the output device in response to the user selectable identifiers. A method further comprising the steps comprising: a request to update an internal table storing associations between actions that can be performed at.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein recording media content and storing media content on a storage medium, wherein the stored media content is played in response to instructions received from an external device interface. The method further comprising the steps of:   21. The method of claim 20, wherein the web server having a common gateway interface further comprises the step of controlling a schedule for recording and playing media content.   21. The method of claim 20, wherein generating the media representation further comprises a procedure for printing media schedule information in a paper-based format.   36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of selecting a user selectable identifier in a paper-based format of media schedule information to record a corresponding media program.   36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the step of selecting a user selectable identifier in a paper based format of media schedule information for playing the corresponding media program.   27. The method of claim 26, further comprising updating a database that stores current schedule information and corresponding user selectable identifier information. 27. The method of claim 26, the procedure for advancing a schedule display:
Capturing the first frame of the current schedule display in the schedule channel;
Sending a command to advance the schedule display by the media receiver in the schedule channel;
Capturing the second frame of the advanced schedule display in the schedule channel; and the first frame and the second frame to determine whether the schedule is changed and the schedule display needs to be advanced. Stage to compare;
The method further comprising: