HK1020243A - Improved television tuning system - Google Patents

Description

Improved television tuning system

no marking

This patent application is based on and claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No.60/012483, filed on 29/2/1996.

Nowadays, there are television sets having a feature called "favorite channel". This feature allows the user to program a portion (but not all) of the channels received by his television system into a "favorite channels" list. The user is then able to scroll through the channels on the favorite channel list that the user has just selected using the channel up/down buttons commonly used on television systems. Some systems also allow the user increased flexibility in allowing the user to change the order of channels appearing on the favorite channels list. It is important that such a television system is not necessarily included in a television set but may be implemented in other electronic components of the user, such as a universal remote control, a video recorder, a cable box, a satellite receiver or a separate electronic television program schedule device.

Another common feature in television systems is the "last channel" button. Pressing this button, the television system does not tune to the television program that is currently being viewed, but immediately tunes to the tuned channel that just appeared. Successive depression of the last channel button will jump between the last two channels selected by the television system.

Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention.

As shown, the television system includes a television display 10 that is coupled to a television receiver 12 via radio frequency, baseband video, S-video or other conventional means. The television receiver 12 may be part of a television set, may be integrated with a television display or may be provided in any consumer electronic device connected to a television display. These electronic devices may be, for example, cable boxes, video recorders, satellite receivers (C-band or direct satellite) or a separate electronic television schedule apparatus. The television receiver comprises an electronic television tuner 15, the tuner 15 being controlled by a microprocessor controller 11 to tune to one of a plurality of signals received at a multi-channel input, such as a television antenna output, a satellite antenna output, a cable television signal, etc. The microprocessor controller operates using a memory 13. The television receiver also includes a remote control 14 which allows a user to issue commands to the television receiver to communicate from the transmitter 24 to the receiver 26. The remote control includes a channel up and down key 28, numeric keys 30, and a "favorite channels" button 16.

In other embodiments, tuner 15 may be separate from microprocessor controller 11 and memory 13, and may be self-contained. An example of these other embodiments is: the microprocessor controller 11 and memory 13 are located in the television set and the system utilizes a video recorder or external cable box as the electronic television tuner 15. In this embodiment, at least one communication link (e.g., an RF link or an infrared link) is established between the microprocessor controller and the electronic television tuner. Alternatively, the microprocessor and memory may be located in the remote control 14.

If a user is watching a channel and wishes to set it as a "favorite channel" while watching television, the user may press and hold the "favorite channel" button until an icon 18 appears at a corner on the television screen indicating that the television receiver has approved the channel being scheduled as a favorite channel setting. This icon is displayed on the screen using normal on-screen display technology. The on-screen display circuitry may be located in the television receiver 12 or in the television display 10. In the case where the on-screen display circuitry is included in the television display, at least one communication link is required between the television receiver and the television display to indicate the content (including the icons 18) and the time displayed on the screen. In other arrangements, the image data for the icons may be stored in a memory of the television receiver or in a memory associated with the television display.

After two or more favorite channels are programmed in this way, the television receiver tunes to the next programmed favorite channel in a cyclic manner each time the favorite channel button is pressed for a short time (quick press of the button). The favorite channel icons appear on the screen for a relatively short period of time each time the favorite channel is tuned in, either directly using the numeric keys or the channel up or down keys, or using the favorite channel button. If the user decides that the already programmed favorite channel is no longer desired to remain as a favorite channel, the user may first tune the television system to that channel by pressing the channel number or by using the channel up or down key or by quickly pressing the favorite channel button before the channel is tuned in. Once the channel that is determined to no longer be a favorite channel is tuned in, the user presses the favorite channel button again, but now holds it until the icon displayed at the corner of the screen disappears. In one embodiment of the present invention, the microprocessor controller is said to be "fast pressed" by keeping the favorite channel button pressed for less than 1 second. And the button may be considered "held" until the button is held down for 1 second or more than 1 second.

According to the invention, another embodiment of the system may include a "favorite programs" feature. A button 20, the "favorite programs" button, may be added to the remote control. When a user is watching a television program that is one of the user's "favorite" shows, the user may press and hold the favorite program button until a "favorite program" icon 22 (different from the "favorite channel" icon 18 described above) appears in a corner of the screen. In addition, the icon 22 may be located in a different area or corner of the screen than the "favorite channels" icon. When a favorite program is thus selected, the television system stores not only the currently tuned channel, but also the day of the week, the start time and the end time of the program to be viewed. From that time on, the television system will add the channel of the program to the "favorite channel" list, but only during the day of the week and the time period during which the favorite program is normally broadcast. At other times, the channel is not added to the "favorite channel" list. For example, if a user selects the following favorite shows: a program 8 o 'clock late to 9 o' clock late on channel 2 monday, a show 8 o 'clock late to half-night on channel 4 monday, and a show 8 o' clock late to half-night on channel 7 monday, so that between 8 o 'clock late to half-night 8 o' clock late, the "favorite channels" list would include at least channels 2 and 4. However, between 8 and half to 9 o' clock late, channel 2 will be dropped from the "favorite channels" list and channel 7 will be added to the "favorite channels" list.

In a preferred embodiment having the favorite program feature, the system further comprises an electronic program schedule providing a start time and an end time for the program to be viewed included in the favorite channel list. A simple real-time clock, already included in the user's electronic device, may provide date information about the day of the week. Another particular device having favorite program characteristics obtains the start time and end time from auxiliary information that is broadcast during the vertical blanking interval ("VBI") of a program being viewed as part of the extended data service ("XDS").

As an improvement of the last two embodiments, the television system detects the title of the television program now being shown from auxiliary information in the television signal or from the electronic program schedule when the favorite program button is pressed and held. Then, the title is stored in the favorite program title table. Thereafter, the title of all the shows currently being broadcast is compared with the title in the list of names of the favorite shows, and when the title matches the title in the list of names of the favorite shows, the channels of all the shows currently being broadcast are added to the list of favorite channels until the end of the programs. Thus, for example, if the favorite show button is pressed and held while the show "i love mada" is being shown, the title "i love mada" or some code thereof is stored in the favorite show title table. Thereafter, whenever "i love madder" is broadcast on any one channel, the channel on which "i love madder" is being broadcast is added to the favorite channel list until the program "i love madder" ends. If "i love madder" is broadcast by multiple channels at the same time, all channels that broadcast "i love madder" at a particular time will appear in the favorite channel list. Thus, at any time, quickly pressing the favorite channel button will cause any channel that is showing "I love you've" to be shown to the user.

Claims (9)

1. A television control system comprising:

a tuner for selecting a channel from a multichannel channel television signal carrying a set of received channel signals in response to a channel selection input;

a memory, said memory including a "favorite channels" table, said table containing a list of channel identifiers, each channel identifier corresponding to a channel in said subset of said set of received channels;

a favorite channel input device; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the tuner, the memory and the favorite channel input device, the controller comprising:

means for adding a channel identifier corresponding to the channel being tuned by the tuner to the favorite channel list when the favorite channel input means is operated in a first predetermined manner; and

means for removing from the favorite channel list the channel identifier corresponding to the channel being tuned by the tuner when the favorite channel input means is operated in a second predetermined manner.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for cyclically tuning channels corresponding to the channel identifiers in the favorite channel list.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

means, communicatively coupled to the controller, for displaying icons of favorite channels on the television screen;

means for displaying a favorite channel icon when said tuner tunes the channel in response to a channel identifier in the favorite channel list; and

means for ceasing to display the favorite channel icon when the channel tuned by the tuner is not responsive to the channel identifier and when the channel identifier corresponding to the channel being tuned by the tuner is removed from the favorite channel list.

4. The system of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the memory further comprises a favorite programs list including television program identifiers, the system further comprising:

a favorite program input device;

means for adding a program identifier corresponding to the program tuned by the tuner to the favorite program list when the favorite program input means is operated in a first predetermined manner; and

means for deleting the program identifier of a program being tuned by the tuner when the favorite program input means is operated in the second predetermined method.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the program identifier comprises a subset of channel, day of week, start time, end time, and program length information for the program being tuned by the tuner.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the program identifier comprises a code number of a title of the program being tuned by the tuner.

7. The system of claim 5 or 6, wherein the program identifier is from data received from an electronic program schedule system.

8. A system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the programme identifier is derived from data inserted into the television signal.

9. The system of claim 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, further comprising means for adding a channel identifier corresponding to a channel having: on which the program corresponding to the program identifier on the favorite program list is being shown, and at the same time, such a program is being shown.