Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/19—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier
  • G11B27/28—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording
  • G11B27/30—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on the same track as the main recording
  • G11B27/3027—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information detectable on the record carrier by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording on the same track as the main recording used signal is digitally coded
  • G11B27/3036—Time code signal
  • G11B27/3054—Vertical Interval Time code [VITC]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
  • G04G15/00—Time-pieces comprising means to be operated at preselected times or after preselected time intervals
  • G04G15/006—Time-pieces comprising means to be operated at preselected times or after preselected time intervals for operating at a number of different times
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B15/00—Driving, starting or stopping record carriers of filamentary or web form; Driving both such record carriers and heads; Guiding such record carriers or containers therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function
  • G11B15/02—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
  • G11B15/023—Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing remotely controlled
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B19/00—Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B23/00—Record carriers not specific to the method of recording or reproducing; Accessories, e.g. containers, specially adapted for co-operation with the recording or reproducing apparatus ; Intermediate mediums; Apparatus or processes specially adapted for their manufacture
  • G11B23/02—Containers; Storing means both adapted to cooperate with the recording or reproducing means
  • G11B23/04—Magazines; Cassettes for webs or filaments
  • G11B23/041—Details
  • G11B23/042—Auxiliary features
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/11—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/10—Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/34—Indicating arrangements 
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B27/00—Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel
  • G11B27/36—Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
  • H04N21/458—Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
  • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
  • H04N21/812—Monomedia components thereof involving advertisement data
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N5/00—Details of television systems
  • H04N5/76—Television signal recording
  • H04N5/765—Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N7/00—Television systems
  • H04N7/08—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division
  • H04N7/087—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only
  • H04N7/088—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only the inserted signal being digital
  • H04N7/0887—Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band, e.g. by time division with signal insertion during the vertical blanking interval only the inserted signal being digital for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N7/00—Television systems
  • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B2220/00—Record carriers by type
  • G11B2220/60—Solid state media
  • G11B2220/65—Solid state media wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11B—INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER
  • G11B2220/00—Record carriers by type
  • G11B2220/90—Tape-like record carriers
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications

Definitions

• the present invention relates to means for and methods of controlling video appliances, such as video cassette recorders or television receivers, so that selected television programs are viewed or recorded.
• VCRs video cassette recorders
• Many VCRs are equipped with timing means for starting and stopping recording of programs at times selected by the user.
• the user must consult a television schedule, select the programs to be recorded, and enter into the VCR's memory the start time and end time or duration of the selected programs, and channel to be recorded. In some cases this process can be complicated and error- prone.
• the pre_sent invention is directed towards providing new and useful alternatives to known arrangements for controlling video appliances so that selected programs can be viewed or recorded.
• the present invention offers a number of other benefits not hitherto obtainable.
• a method of selecting television programs to be recorded including the steps of receiving a first signal conveying data representative of a television programming schedule, decoding said received signals, displaying the resulting decoded schedule information, selecting one or more of programs displayed in said schedule as programs to be recorded, receiving a second signal identifying for each television channel the program being currently broadcast, decoding said second signal, and controlling recording of the selected programs according to the selection from the schedule and the content of said decoded second signal.
• a method of selecting television programs to be viewed including the steps of receiving a first signal conveying data representative of a television programming schedule, decoding said received signals, displaying the resulting decoded schedule information, identifying a number of programs displayed in said schedule as programs to be recorded, receiving a second signal identifying for each television channel the program being currently broadcast, decoding said second signal, and enabling viewing of the selected programs according to the programs selected from the schedule as those to be viewed and the content of said decoded second signal.
• a television program recording identifying method comprising the steps of receiving a first signal representative of the name of a television program being broadcast, receiving a second signal being a television broadcast, and recording said first signal while simultaneously recording said second signal.
• the invention consists in a television program recording selector including a receiver adapted to receive a first signal conveying data representative of a television programming schedule, means to decode said received signals, means for displaying the resulting decoded schedule information, means for selecting a number of programs displayed in said schedule as programs to be recorded, means for receiving a second signal identifying for each television channel the program being currently broadcast, means for decoding said second signal, and means for controlling recording of the selected programs according to the programs identified as those to be recorded and the content of said decoded second signal.
• the invention consists in a television program viewing selector including a receiver adapted to receive a first signal conveying data representative of a television programming schedule, means to decode said received signal, means for displaying the resulting decoded schedule information, means for selecting a number of programs displayed in said schedule as programs to be viewed, means for receiving a second signal identifying for each television channel the program being currently broadcast, means for decoding said second signal, and means for controlling viewing of the identified programs according to the programs selected as those to be viewed and the content of said decoded second signal.
• a television program recorder comprising means for receiving an identifying signal representative of the name of a television program being broadcast, recording means adapted to record said signal while simultaneously recording the television program being broadcast, replay means for simultaneously replaying said identifying signal and said program, and means for displaying said identifying signal in the form of text.
• Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a television program selector according to the invention
• Fig. 2 shows the control panel of this embodiment
• Fig. 3 shows an example of the schedule menu display of this embodiment
• Hg. 4 shows an example of the status menu display of this embodiment
• an embodiment of the invention is provided for use in conjunction with video cassette recorders (VCRs).
• VCRs video cassette recorders
• This embodiment takes the form of a device which communicates with the VCR via an infra-red (IR) control signal, this signal being similar to the control signal used by the hand-held remote control of conventional VCRs.
• IR infra-red
• This embodiment of the invention is in turn controlled by a hand-held remote control.
• the invention allows the user to control the usual functions of a VCR, such as recording or playing a tape, as well as the novel functions provided by this invention.
• This arrangement is particularly beneficial as it can be used with a wide range of VCRs without modification of the VCR. Referring to Fig.
• RF input 101 is derived from the television antenna being used to receive off-air programs or a separate antenna, and comprises a signal modulated with data relating to the television schedule and the programs currently being broadcast This signal is received by receiver 102, and fed to demodulator 103 which provides as an output digital data which is fed to an input of microprocessor 104.
• Microprocessor 104 executes program instructions stored in read-only-memory ROM 107, and is responsible for all control and user-interface functions of this embodiment of the invention.
• Received data comprises two main types: periodic data and real ⁇ time data.
• Periodic data comprises the television schedule for the current day and future days, including the name of each program, its scheduled start time, the channel on which it is to be broadcast, and a classification (such as whether or not it is suitable for viewing by children).
• the periodic data is transmitted from a remote source, such as the television broadcast station or a separate transmitting station, at infrequent intervals, say once every hour.
• Real-time data comprises information which identifies which program is currently being broadcast on each channel, including the program classification. This data is transmitted from the remote source as soon as possible after a change of program on any channel, and is then repeated occasionally, say every 10 seconds, until another change of program occurs.
• microprocessor 104 On receipt of program schedule data, microprocessor 104 stores the data in random access memory RAM 106.
• microprocessor 104 On receipt of a command from the user requesting information, such as the program schedule, microprocessor 104 retrieves the relevant data from RAM 106, formats it for display and stores it in text random access memory TRAM 108.
• Text generator 109 accesses the data stored in TRAM 108 and generates a video raster signal which when conveyed to a television receiver via RF modulator 110 and RF output 111 causes the text to be displayed on the television receiver screen.
• IR receiver 113 receives infra-red control signals from IR remote 112, which for convenience is a hand-held control device.
• IR remote 112 includes a switch array which provides means for users to issue instructions to microprocessor 104, and in this embodiment is constructed as shown in Fig.2, so as to offer most conveniently the functions described below.
• IR transmitter 105 is an infra-red emitting diode which is used to -control a VCR, via the infra-red remote control channel commonly used with VCRs. IR transmitter 105 is pulsed under control of microprocessor 104 to generate control data which controls the operation of the VCR, for example, by issuing a PAUSE command or a RECORD command. *
• FIG. 2 the layout of switches of the user control keyboard can be seen. Twelve switches labelled “CHANNEL” are used to select one of 12 channels to be viewed.
• the switches “Rew”, “FF”, “Rec”, “Play”, “Pause” and “Stop” control the rewind, fast forward, record, play, pause and stop functions of the VCR in the usual manner.
• the switch “sel” is used to select a menu option.
• the four triangular switches surrounding the "sel” switch cause movement of the cursor on a menu display in one of the four directions indicated.
• the switches “C”, “P”, “S” and “?” are used to initiate the classification, program, status and QUERY functions respectively. The operation of these four functions will now be described.
• CLASSIFICA ⁇ ON Pressing this button causes a display such as that shown in Fig. 4 to appear on the television screen. This display is known as the STATUS menu.
• the CLASSIFICATION function relates to the text in the left-hand column of the display, headed "ENABLE". The letters shown in the column under ENABLE represent the following classifications:
• each classification letter indicates whether each classification is enabled, a check mark indicating enabled, and a cross indicating prohibited. If a program of a classification which is prohibited is received, the invention causes the video recorder to pause, preventing recording. If desired, viewing of programs bearing prohibited classification can also be inhibited by the invention causing the channel selector of the receiver or VCR to select the output of the invention, rather than the channel of the program. It is also possible to provide an alarm function to alert viewers that a particular program is about to start. For example, the invention can be used to turn on the television receiver when a preselected broadcast starts, and to sound an alarm five minutes beforehand.
• the user pushes the C button, which causes the STATUS display to appear with the cursor positioned on one of the indicator boxes.
• the desired classification is then selected by moving the cursor up or down using the up or down pointing triangular keys.
• the enable status of the cursored classification can be changed by pressing the "sel" button.
• Another box in the ENABLE column labelled "LOCK" enables a security function which prevents changing the status of classifications unless a personal identity number, known only to authorised persons, is entered first.
• PROGRAM Pressing this button causes a display such as that of Fig. 3 to be displayed.
• This display is known as the PROGRAM menu, and shows a list of scheduled programs for each available channel.
• Channel indicator box 301 shows the date and channel to which each column of schedule information relates.
• Each entry in the schedule shows the scheduled time of broadcast, title and censorship classification.
• a cursor is used to highlight one schedule item at a time. The cursor can be moved up, down, right or left using the triangular switches.
• item 302 is shown as cursored.
• a program can be selected for recording by pressing the "sel" switch when the desired item is cursored.
• this embodiment of the invention is arranged so that the program menu scrolls in both axes. This scrolling occurs if the cursor movement switches are pressed and the cursor is at the limit of movement in the corresponding direction. As seen in Fig. 3, arrows appear on the display indicating that further information can be accessed by scrolling the display further in the direction of the arrow.
• STATUS Pressing this button causes the status menu to be shown.
• the column of this display under the heading "CURRENT" shows details of the program currently being broadcast on the channel selected for viewing.
• the information displayed includes the scheduled time of broadcast, date, channel, title and classification.
• the status menu also shows a list of programs selected for recording.
• the downward-pointing arrow below the list shown in the example of Fig. 4 indicates that there are more items selected for recording, and these can be accessed by scrolling the display using the downward-pointing cursor control switch.
• QUERY If this switch is pressed while a menu is being displayed, details of the currently cursored broadcast are displayed.
• the microprocessor performs a number of other major functions.
• VCR CONTROL Certain commands received by IR receiver 113, in particular those which effect the usual VCR functions such as play, stop, channel change, are passed on to the VCR being controlled. Because control codes used by different models of VCRs are not standardised, the command code required by the VCR will in general not be the same as that generated by the corresponding button of IR remote 112. To permit use of the invention with a wide range of VCRs, data representing the control codes required by the particular VCR in use is stored within the ROM or RAM of the invention, so that when a VCR control command is to be issued, the corresponding code can be looked up and transmitted. Microprocessor 104 maintains a VCR status table in RAM 106, which stores data such as television channel currently being received and VCR transport status such as stopped, recording or spooling. This status table is updated each time a VCR Gontrol command is issued.
• SCHEDULE UPDATE Data conveying schedule information is periodically received by receiver 102. This information is stored in RAM 106. When the available memory is full, the oldest schedule information is discarded.
• CURRENT PROGRAM IDENTi ⁇ CA ⁇ ON Whenever a change of program occurs on one of the available television channels, an identifying signal is received by receiver 102. This signal includes data identifying the channel concerned, the classification of the program, the name of the program, and such other identifying information as may be desired. When an identifying signal is recognised by microprocessor 104, it takes different action depending on the current status of the VCR (ascertained by reference to the status table in memory) and the instructions previously issued by the user. The VCR status must be taken into account because different commands must be generated depending on what the VCR is doing at that moment.
• the microprocessor must ascertain whether the channel indicated by the identifying signal is the channel currently selected by the VCR's tuner. Because any channel change commands previously issued to the VCR by the user have been forwarded to the VCR by the invention, the identity of the currently-selected channel is always available to the microprocessor. In this example, if the VCR is tuned to the channel on which a prohibited advertisement is in progress, further reference is made to the status table to ascertain whether the VCR is recording. If it is, a suitable "pause" command is issued.
• the invention can also be practised by including suitable means within a video recorder, television receiver or other appliance.
• control of the receiving or recording appliance can be effected by suitable connection to the control means of the appliance, rather than the infra-red control path used by the embodiment above.
• the functions offered to the user according to the embodiment described above are given by way of example only, and other functions can be provided without departing from the scope of the invention.
• the embodiment described causes recording or viewing of the classifications not enabled to be inhibited, it is envisaged that other options can be provided.
• the user can instruct that advertisements be muted, in which case the invention is arranged so that on receipt of data indicating that an advertisement is being received on the channel being viewed, a command is issued to the television receiver to cause muting of the sound signal, the sound being re-enabled on resumption of program.
• the user controls of the invention can be incorporated with control of other appliances, for example, by incorporating the function switches of the invention into an infra ⁇ red remote control handpiece of another appliance, such as a VCR or television receiver.
• program identification data within the invention can be used to label tape recordings, using the identifying data received by the data receiver of the invention to provide the labelling information.
• the invention can be arranged to place a suitable code in the vertical interval of the video recording so that the name of a program is recorded as the program is recorded.
• This extension permits programs recorded on a tape to be identified by name on replay, as well as facilitating automatic location of a program by name.
• the invention can be further adapted to cause the name of a program to be printed legibly, for example on the casing of the video cassette on which the corresponding program is recorded.
• recording of selected - programs is initiated and terminated according to correspondence between the name of a selected program and the name of the currently-broadcast program being received, it is also possible to control recording according to the scheduled time of broadcast.
• the method of transmission of data to the invention from a remote station need not be by means of a radio transmission as used in the exemplary embodiment above.
• the data could be conveyed to the invention by means of a signal embedded in the television broadcast, such as a special- purpose subcarrier or vertical-interval signal, or by cable or fibre- optic connection, or by data transmitted by optical signalling via a designated area of a television picture, or by telephone line, or by any other data transmission means.
• a signal embedded in the television broadcast such as a special- purpose subcarrier or vertical-interval signal, or by cable or fibre- optic connection
• data transmitted by optical signalling via a designated area of a television picture, or by telephone line, or by any other data transmission means It is also possible to transmit the non-realtime data by means of portable recording medium such as floppy disk or optically marked card.
• the data used by the invention can originate from any source without departing from the scope of the invention.
• the data can originate from a central station where a person monitors all television channels and transmits identifying information to the invention by activating appropriate switches controlling a suitably-equipped transmitter.
• program information can be automatically generated using a data-base in which detailed programming data is stored in advance.
• the invention provides improved means for controlling the operation of video recording equipment and television receivers.
• the invention can be used to select which of a number of available broadcast television programs will be recorded by a domestic video cassette recorder.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Marketing (AREA)
• Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Details Of Television Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 1990
  • 1990-05-30 WO PCT/AU1990/000226 patent/WO1990015507A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1990-05-30 EP EP19900908163 patent/EP0474677A4/en not_active Ceased

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