WO2001065843A1

WO2001065843A1 - Promotion-linked video recording scheduling system

Info

Publication number: WO2001065843A1
Application number: PCT/AU2001/000171
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Vogel
Original assignee: Right Hemisphere Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2000-02-29
Filing date: 2001-02-21
Publication date: 2001-09-07
Also published as: AUPQ590300A0

Abstract

A system and process which allows a user to preset a video recorder to record a program at a later time by activating a selection device at the time of viewing or after viewing a promotion for a program to be recorded. Activating a controller in the viewer's home causes data identifying which program is being promoted on a channel being viewed to be captured and used for video recorder programming.

Description

PROMOTION-LINKED VIDEO RECORDING SCHEDULING SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems for presetting video recorders for subsequent recording of particular television programs

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Video cassette recorders (VCRs) are commonly used in a domestic situation for recording of television programs for viewing at a later date. To enable unattended recording, most VCRs are equipped with a timer which automatically starts the machine recording a preselected channel at a preselected time and date and also stops recording after a preselected time has elapsed.

Conventionally, the user must enter channel, date, time, and program length (CDTL) information into the VCR's memory to facilitate this function This procedure is quite cumbersome, and it is well known that successfully programming a VCR to record a program still eludes many users.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide a system and process which allows a user to preset a video recorder to record a program at a later time by activating a selection device at the time of viewing or after viewing a promotion for a program to be recorded.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a video recorder programming system comprising an information receiver, a command receiver and a controller, said controller being adapted to receive information identifying a television program from said information receiver and commands from said command receiver and when a command is received, generate recording control information according to identifying information received In another aspect, the present invention provides a video recorder programming method including the steps of receiving a program promoting a program to be broadcast subsequently, receiving information identifying said program, receiving a command, and generating recording control signals according to identifying information received and the time at which said command is received.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the information receiver comprises a VBI (vertical blanking interval) data decoder.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the information receiver comprises a radio receiver.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the information receiver comprises a data receiver connected to the Internet.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the information receiver comprises an FM subcarrier receiver.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the information receiver comprises a modem.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the command receiver comprises a manually-operated switch.

According to some embodiments of the invention, the command receiver is voice- activated.

In some embodiments of the invention, the recording control signals comprise CDTL data which is transmitted to a recording device so that said recording device can use this data to schedule unattended recording.

In other embodiments, the recording control signals comprise recording start and stop- commands, and are generated by the controller of the invention at the moment of, or scheduled time of, commencement and completion respectively of broadcast of the program to be recorded.

In some embodiments of the invention, a timeout is provided so that if the command is received after a preset time window after completion of a program promotion, the command is ignored by the controller.

In some embodiments, the invention is further adapted so that the name of the program to be recorded is displayed for confirmation by the user when a command is received.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a video recorder programming method including the steps of receiving a command and, in response to said command, interrogating a remote data source, receiving information identifying a program and generating recording control signals according to said identifying information received. In some embodiments according to this aspect, the invention also takes into account the time at which the command was received so that a particular one of a plurality of programs can be identified as the one to be recorded.

The invention also consists in recording apparatus which includes the inventive features according to the foregoing description.

Furthermore, the invention also consists in a controller which provides the inventive features according to the foregoing description which is separate from a recording means and controls it by suitable signaling.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention using VBI conveyance of the program identifying signals; and Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention utilizing the internet for obtaining program identifying information

Referring now to Fig. 1 , there is shown a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention in which the program identifying information is transmitted in the VBI of the program promotion.

TV source 1 is a conventional television studio from which programs are sent to television transmitter 3. Identification source 2 generates VBI data which is combined with the TV source by television transmitter 3. When a promotion for a television program is being transmitted by TV source 1 , the VBI data generated by identification source 2 includes the CDTL information, program title, and program synopsis related to the program being promoted This can be achieved by automatic means, such as by data embedded in the recording of the program promotion, or can be generated manually by an operator inputting the relevant data to identification source 2.

The promotion is transmitted via antenna 4, along with the embedded VBI signals. The identifying signals are repeated frequently to improve reliability. The broadcast is received by VCR 6 via antenna 5 Video output of output 1 1 of VCR 6 is fed to TV 7 and VBI decoder 8 VBI decoder 8 recovers the identifying information, that is the CDTL data, program title and synopsis, from the video signal and feeds it to controller 9 Controller 9 is a microcontroller equipped with suitable software and peripheral components. Controller 9 stores this identifying data in its associated memory.

Command device 10 is a key on the VCR's remote controller labeled "Grab". If the user presses this key, controller 9 recognises the keystroke as a signal that the user wishes to record the program being promoted. The CDTL information that was last received from VBI decoder 8 is sent to VCR 6 in a format that causes the recording timer of VCR 6 to be set to the appropriate channel, time, date and length

To minimise risk of accidentally programming an unwanted recording, the software of controller 9 provides a timeout of say 30 seconds after the end of the promotion That is, if the "Grab" button is pressed more than 30 seconds after the program promotion, the keypress is ignored.

To improve the reliability of the system, the software is also arranged to allow for a "grab" key being activated before the identifying data is received. This can be useful if, for example, poor reception results in the identifying data not being successfully decoded as soon as it is received. In this case the "grab" request is stored for a time, say 30 seconds, and if valid identifying data is received within that window, recorder programming is carried out. The provision of such buffering also allows for situations where the identifying data is delayed relative to broadcast of the program promotion for other reasons. For example, the invention can be implemented without use of an automatic link between TV source 1 and identification source 2. In such cases program identification may be performed manually; that is, a person monitors the TV broadcast, and on noticing that a program promotion has occurred, enters the identifying information into identification source 2 via a keyboard. Transmission of identification data may therefore not occur until a short time after the promotion has finished. A viewer wishing to record the promoted program may have pressed the "grab" key during the promotion, at which time the identifying data was not available to controller 9. However, as the request had been buffered, when the identifying data arrives the VCR programming process can be completed.

In a further extension of this embodiment, when the "Grab" key is pressed, controller 9 first sends commands to VCR 6 which cause it to display a message on TV 7. This is conveniently achieved by means of the on-screen display system commonly used in modern VCRs. The message is a prompt for the user, and typically includes the name of the program to be recorded, as received as part of the VBI data. For example, the message might read "You have requested that The Sound of Music be recorded, Tuesday at 7.30pm Channel 2, duration 2 hours 20 minutes. Press Grab again to confirm". If the grab key is then pressed again within 5 seconds, controller 9 sends the appropriate CDTL information to VCR6.

Another useful extension of the invention allows the user to view a synopsis of the program by displaying text derived from the synopsis data transmitted along with the other identifying data. Another embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to fig. 2. The purpose and functionality of this embodiment is similar to that described above, however in this embodiment, identifying data is conveyed via the Internet.

Controller 22 is a microcontroller with associated software and peripherals. Controller 22 communicates with the Internet 21 ia TCP/IP link 27 In one convenient implementation of this embodiment, TCP/IP link 27 is effected via a cable modem, as typically incorporated into a cable conv erter box.

The user watches programs received via antenna or cable connection 26, VCR 24 and

TV 25

When the user issues a "grab" command via command device 23, controller 22 issues a request to a remote server (not shown), also connected to the Internet 21 The remote server responds with the identifying data relevant to the program being promoted, or recently promoted Controller 22 then programs VCR 24 to record the relevant program as described in relation to the embodiment of fig. 1 above.

In this embodiment, controller 22 must take into account which channel is being viewed when command device 23 is activated. For this reason controller 22 is connected to VCR 24 via a bi-directional control link. Controller 22 can issue commands to which VCR 24 responds with data indicating the channel being viewed. Controller 24 includes in its request to the remote server data specifying which channel's identifying information is being requested, and the server responds accordingly

This embodiment is well-suited to situations where a permanent internet connection is available However a variation of the invention is possible to permit operation even where only sporadic internet connection is available In such cases the software of controller 22 can be arranged so that if "grab" requests are received when the system is not online to the internet, the time of the request and the channel being viewed at that moment are stored, and the next time an internet connection is established, a request is made to a server which has an historical database from which the program identifying data relating to the promotion on a certain channel at a certain historical time can be retrieved. Alternatively, the invention can be arranged so that an internet connection is automatically established, for example by dialup modem, whenever a "Grab" request is made.

It will be understood that certain modifications and extensions of the inventive concept will be obvious to those skilled in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

While in the embodiments described above the command device is a "grab" key on a remote controller, any type of user input device can be used. For example voice activation techniques can be applied so that the user commands the invention by saying "Record it". Touch-screen technology can also be used with good results.

Whereas the preferred embodiments of the invention described herein refer to use for controlling a video cassette recorder, the invention is applicable to other recording means, including, for example DVD and hard-disk based recorders. The invention can also be used to control other types of devices, for example audio recorders.

Furthermore, various means of controlling the recorder can be used with good effect. In particular, if the VCR is equipped with a suitable control interface, such as a serial port, a direct connection can be made between the controller of the invention and the VCR to be controlled. Other forms of wireless control systems can also be used with good effect. For example, an infra-red control system can be implemented by emulating the recorder's usual remote-control device.

It will be understood that while the embodiment of Fig. 1 uses a VBI receiver for identifying data conveyance, a wide range of other media can be used with suitable receivers. For example, in some cases it will be convenient to use an FM subcarrier can be used. A telephone line or cable television cable can also be used.

The invention can also be incorporated into other equipment, for example built into a VCR, personal computer or television receiver. It will also be understood that while the controlling function in the embodiments of the invention described herein is located in a device in close proximity to the VCR, it is also possible to locate the controlling function in a remote computer. For example the functions of the invention could be performed remotely by a computer connected to the Internet, with programming of the VCR being effected by suitable signals over the Internet

Furthermore, whereas the exemplary embodiments utilise the unattended-recording timer mechanism of the VCR. it is also possible for the controller of the invention to provide this function itself In such cases the CDTL information is stored locally within the controller, and when the time of the program to be recorded arrives, the controller sends channel change signals to set the VCR to the correct channel, followed by record signals to start recording. In some embodiments such timer function is controlled by matching the scheduled program time against a clock/calendar incorporated into the controller. In other cases, realtime control signals can be used to indicate the beginning or end of a program, such signals being conveyed via VBI, Internet, radio or any other convenient means.

The invention can also be adapted to take advantage of an electronic TV guide. For example, instead of transmitting identifying data including CDTL. title and synopsis, the system can transmit more compact labels which refer to a locally-stored TV guide, from which further details can be looked up

Claims

1 . A method of unattended recording of programs including the steps of: receiving a broadcast promoting a program to be broadcast subsequently; receiving information identifying said program; receiving a command: and generating recording control signals according to identifying information received and the time at which said command is received.

2. A method of unattended recording of programs according to claim 1. in which said information identifying said program is received before said command is received.

3. A method of unattended recording of programs according to claim 1, in which said information identifying said program is received after said command is received.

4. A video recorder programming method including the steps of receiving a broadcast promoting a program to be broadcast subsequently, receiving a command and, in response to said command, interrogating a remote data source, receiving information identifying a program and generating recording control signals according to said identifying information received.

5. A video recorder programming method according to claim 4 in which the step of generating recording control signals according to said identifying information received includes the substep of selecting one of a plurality of program identifications by comparing the time at which said command is received with a historical record of program identifications stored by said remote data source.

6. A video recorder programming method according to claim 4 in which the step of generating recording control signals according to said identifying information received includes the substep of selecting one of a plurality of program identifications by comparing the channel being viewed at the time at which said command is received with a historical record of program identifications broadcast on a plurality of channels stored by said remote data source. 7 A program recording scheduling system comprising an information receiver adapted to receive information identifying a television program being promoted by a television broadcast, a command receiver, and a controller adapted to receive said identifying information from said information receiver and commands from said command receiver and, when a command is received, generate recording control information according to said received identifying information

8 A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the information receiver comprises a vertical blanking interval data decoder

9 A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the information receiver comprises a radio receiver.

10. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the information receiver comprises a data receiver connected to the Internet.

1 1 A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the information receiver comprises an FM subcarrier receiver

12. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the information receiver comprises a modem

13. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the command receiver comprises a manually-operated switch.

14. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which the command receiver is voice-activated

15. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which said recording control information signals comprise data identifying channel, date and time of a program to be recorded.

16. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which said recording control signals comprise recording start and stop commands, and are generated by said controller at the moment of commencement and completion respectively of broadcast of a program to be recorded.

17. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which said recording control signals comprise recording start and stop commands, and are generated by said controller at the scheduled time of commencement and completion respectively of broadcast of a program to be recorded.

18. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 7 in which said controller is further adapted so that if the time between receiving a program identifying signal and receiving a command is greater than a predetermined period, the command is ignored.

19. A program recording scheduling system comprising: a remote data source; a command receiver; and a controller adapted to receive commands from said command receiver and. when a command is received, interrogate said remote data source to obtain information identifying a program previously promoted by a television broadcast and generate recording control information according to said received identifying information.

20. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 19 in which the step of generating recording control signals according to said identifying information received includes the substep of selecting one of a plurality of program identifications by comparing the time at which said command is received with a historical record of program identifications stored by said remote data source. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 19 in which the step of generating recording control signals according to said identifying information received includes the substep of selecting one of a plurality of program identifications by comparing the channel being viewed at the time at which said command is received with a historical record of program identifications broadcast on a plurality of channels stored by said remote data source

A method of unattended recording of programs according to claim 1 and further comprising the step of displaying the name of a program to be recorded

A program recording scheduling system comprising an information receiver adapted to receive information identifying a television program being promoted by a television broadcast, text display generation means, a command receiver, and a controller adapted to receive said identifying information from said information receiver and commands from said command receiver and, when a command is received, generate recording control information according to said received identifying information and command said text display generating means to display the name of said program being promoted

A video recorder comprising an information receiver adapted to receive information identifying a television program being promoted by a television broadcast, a command receiver. a controller adapted to receive said identifying information from said information receiver and commands from said command receiver and. when a command is received, generate recording control signals according to said received identifying information, and video program recording means adapted to record programs according to said recording control signals

A program recording scheduling system comprising A broadcast program monitoring station wherein at least one person monitors at least one television broadcast and generates information identifying a television program being promoted by said television broadcast ; an information transmitter adapted to transmit said identifying information; an information receiver adapted to receive said identifying information; a command receiver; and a controller adapted to receive said identifying information from said information receiver and commands from said command receiver and, when a command is received, generate recording control information according to said received identifying information.

26. A program recording scheduling system comprising:

A broadcast program monitoring station wherein at least one person monitors at least one television broadcast and generates information identifying a television program being promoted by said television broadcast; an information transmitter adapted to transmit said identifying information; an information receiver adapted to receive said identifying information; a command receiver; and a controller adapted to receive said identifying information from said information receiver and commands from said command receiver and, when a command is received, store data identifying the channel being viewed and the current time, and when identifying information is subsequently received, generate recording control information according to said received identifying information and said stored data.

27. A program recording scheduling system comprising:

A broadcast program monitoring station wherein at least one person monitors at least one television broadcast and generates information identifying a television program being promoted by said television broadcast; a database comprising said generated identifying information; a command receiver; and a controller adapted to receive commands from said command receiver and, when a command is received, request identifying information from said database, and when identifying information is subsequently received, generate recording control information according to said received identifying information and the channel being viewed at the time said command was received.

28. A program recording scheduling system according to claim 27 wherein said controller accesses said database via the internet.

29. A program recording scheduling system substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.