Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface – To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2004-04-13
Srivastava, Vivek (Department: 2711)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal
C725S053000, C725S058000, C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06721954
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the field of information handling systems, and particularly to an electronic program guide for preferred viewing of programs.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a convergence system in which an information handling system and a television system are combined to provide an enhanced program viewing environment, an electronic program guide (EPG) is often used to determine scheduled programming information such that a user may tailor his or her viewing habits in accordance with the scheduled programming.
For example, the user may use the electronic program guide to determine when his or her favorite program may be scheduled such that he or she could be home to watch the program at the scheduled broadcast time. If a user was unable to be home at the scheduled time, the user could program a videocassette recorder (VCR) to record the television program while the user was away from home so that the program could be viewed at a later time.
However, one disadvantage of such a system is that the user must determine what types of programs he or she would like to watch, monitor the electronic program guide for when those types of programs are scheduled, determine whether the program should be recorded, and then manually program the VCR to record the desired program. Further, it is the user's responsibility to index the program and archive the program in a custom library of programs. It would therefore be highly advantageous to provide a system that automatically performs the above mentioned functions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method for implementing a preferred viewing library of programs. In one embodiment, the method includes steps for searching electronic program guide data for a program satisfying a criterion, determining whether a program in the program guide satisfies the criterion, in the event a program in the program guide satisfies the criterion, scheduling to record the program at a predetermined time, monitoring the time and then determining whether the present time is the predetermined time, in the event the present time is the predetermined time, recording the program, and organizing the recorded program in a program library such that a user may select the program from the program library and view the recorded program at an appropriate time.
The present invention is further directed to a system for providing preferred viewing of one or more selected programs. In one embodiment, the system includes a processor for executing a program of instructions on an information handling system, a memory, coupled to the processor, for storing the program of instructions, an electronic program guide executed as the program of instruction by the processor, a recording device coupled to the information handling system and controllable by the electronic program guide, and an information storage medium, readable by the information handling system, onto which one or more programs may be stored in a library of programs on the information storage medium by the electronic program guide wherein the program guide is adapted to search program guide data for a program satisfying a predetermined condition and to record the program in the library on the information storage medium.
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Gateway Inc.
Malinowski Walter
Srivastava Vivek
Walker Mark S.
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