Patent · US Expired

Selecting a digital television program and the control of a non-attached recording device

US5963264A · kind A · utility

176Cited by
6References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 30, 1997
Grant dateOct 5, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/47
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for wireless control of audio and video recording device operations via selections from an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) is disclosed. A digital satellite receiving system receives and processes a digital data stream containing television programming information, EPG information, and a list of video cassette recorders (VCRs) and corresponding infrared (IR) codes used to control the listed models of VCRs contained in the list. The VCR list, corresponding IR codes, and EPG information are stored in memory. A user may select a specific model VCR from the list displayed on a viewing screen and the corresponding codes are stored in a memory. The received EPG information may also be displayed on a viewing screen. The user may select for recording an event listing in the EPG, and this selection is also stored in nonvolatile memory. EPG information is repeatedly transmitted in the digital data stream. As scheduling information for the selected event changes the receiving system adjusts the control of the VCR so that the selected event will be recorded in its entirety. The digital receiving system uses the codes saved in nonvolatile memory to generate and transmi…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.