U.S. patent application number 11/115670 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-08 for scheduling the recording of television programs.
This patent application is currently assigned to Microsoft Corporation. Invention is credited to Blackketter, Dean J., Glusker, Sharon F., Matheny, John, Park, Timothy F., Zigmond, Daniel J..
Application Number | 20050196137 11/115670 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23753975 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050196137 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blackketter, Dean J. ; et
al. |
September 8, 2005 |
Scheduling the recording of television programs
Abstract
A television receiving system displays an advertisement for a
future television program. If the future television program is
identified as recordable, the system also displays an option to set
a reminder for the advertised program and/or an option to record
the advertised program on a video recorder. If a viewer of the
advertisement selects the reminder option, then a reminder is
programmed in the system. If the viewer selects the record option,
then the system automatically programs the video recorder to record
the advertised program. If the viewer has established an
interactive session during a television advertisement, and has not
completed the interactive session when the advertisement ends, then
the current television program is paused until the interactive
session is completed.
Inventors: |
Blackketter, Dean J.; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Park, Timothy F.; (Menlo Park,
CA) ; Zigmond, Daniel J.; (Menlo Park, CA) ;
Glusker, Sharon F.; (Belmont, CA) ; Matheny,
John; (San Francisco, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEE & HAYES PLLC
421 W RIVERSIDE AVENUE SUITE 500
SPOKANE
WA
99201
|
Assignee: |
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond
WA
|
Family ID: |
23753975 |
Appl. No.: |
11/115670 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11115670 |
Apr 27, 2005 |
|
|
|
09441708 |
Nov 16, 1999 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
386/249 ;
348/E5.102; 348/E5.105; 358/908; 386/294 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/488 20130101;
H04N 21/4622 20130101; H04N 21/47214 20130101; H04N 21/4722
20130101; H04N 21/4334 20130101; H04N 5/44543 20130101; H04N
21/4532 20130101; H04N 21/4882 20130101; H04N 21/4758 20130101;
H04N 5/44513 20130101; H04N 21/47 20130101; H04N 21/812
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
386/046 ;
358/908 |
International
Class: |
H04N 005/76; H04N
007/00 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: receiving a signal containing an
advertisement for a future television program; displaying the
advertised television program; determining whether the signal
contains an indicator identifying the future television program as
recordable; and if the future television program is recordable,
then programming a record operation to record the advertised
television program, wherein programming a record operation includes
automatically programming a video recorder to record the advertised
television program if the advertised television program is likely
to be of interest to a user of the video recorder.
2. A method comprising: displaying an advertisement for a future
television program, wherein the future television program has an
associated program type; and programming a record operation if a
viewer has previously requested the recording of advertised
television programs with the associated program type.
3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein programming a record
operation includes determining whether a video recorder has
sufficient storage space to record the advertised television
program.
4. A method as recited in claim 2 further including decoding
information associated with the advertised television program from
a television signal containing the advertised television
program.
5. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer
program that is executable by a processor to perform the method
recited in claim 2.
Description
RELATED CASES
[0001] This application claims priority as a divisional of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/441,708, filed Nov. 16, 1999, and
titled "Scheduling the Recording of Television Programs", which is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This invention relates to television systems that schedule
future television programs for recording at the viewer's request.
The television systems can also pause a television program to allow
a viewer to finish entering data during an interactive session.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Various systems are available for recording a television
program. For example, video cassette recorders (VCRs) allow a user
to record and playback television programs. The user of the VCR may
watch the television program while its being recorded and save the
recorded program for future viewing. Alternatively, the VCR user
may program the VCR to record a television program while the user
is away or watching a different television program. The recorded
program is then viewed at a later time.
[0004] Another type of video recording device is a digital video
recorder (DVR). A DVR may also be referred to as a personal video
recorder or a personal television server. A DVR records television
programs on a disk drive (or other random access storage device)
instead of a video tape. Typically the disk drive is not removable
from the recorder and provides greater storage capacity than a
conventional video tape. For example, a video tape may provide six
hours of storage capacity while a DVR may provide twenty or more
hours of storage capacity. The DVR can read from and write to any
portion of the disk drive in a random manner. This capability
allows the DVR to record one television program while
simultaneously reading a recorded television program. Additionally,
the DVR allows a user to begin viewing a recorded program while the
program is still being recorded. For example, the viewer may
program the DVR to record a particular television program that is
one hour in length. Twenty minutes after the program has started,
the viewer begins watching the recorded program from the beginning.
While the viewer is watching the beginning of the program, the DVR
continues recording the remainder of the program.
[0005] Many television programs include commercials that advertise
various products and services, including other television programs.
Typically, an advertised television program is scheduled for
broadcast at a future time. If the viewer of the advertised
television program wants to watch or record the television program,
they need to remember the date, time, and channel of the television
program or set a recording device, such as a VCR or a DVR, to
record the television program. When programming a device to record
the television program, the viewer needs to remember (or make a
written note of) the date, time, channel, and duration of the
television program to properly program the recorder. Although a
viewer wants to watch an advertised television program, they may
forget when the program is scheduled to be broadcast or may forget
to program their recorder, thereby missing the program.
[0006] Existing systems, such as VCR Plus+.RTM. allow a viewer to
enter a particular program code that corresponds to a particular
television program. The program code identifies the date, time, and
television channel associated with the particular television
program. Program codes may be obtained, for example, from a
television program guide or other television program listing.
Although this system simplifies the VCR programming process, the
viewer must first locate the appropriate program code and enter the
program code into the VCR. If the viewer forgets to enter the
program code or accidentally enters the wrong program code, the
desired television program will not be recorded.
[0007] In an interactive television system, the television viewer
is able to interact with the television broadcasting system by
participating in polls, playing along with game shows, or
requesting information from advertisers. In certain situations, the
responses provided by the viewer may disrupt the viewer's enjoyment
of the television program. For example, the viewer of a television
program may desire additional information regarding a product
advertised in a commercial. The viewer requests additional
information by pressing an appropriate button on a remote control
device or on the interactive television device. In response to the
viewers request for additional information, the broadcasting system
may request information from the viewer, such as name, address,
email address, telephone number, and the specific type of
information desired. While the viewer is providing the requested
information (e.g., by typing or otherwise entering data into the
interactive television system), the commercial may end and the
broadcasting system resumes broadcasting the television program. At
this point, the viewer must either continue entering data and miss
a portion of the television program or abandon the request for
information from the advertiser and continue watching the
television program.
[0008] The present invention addresses the shortcomings discussed
above by automatically recording television programs or
automatically programming a reminder. The above problems are also
addressed by allowing a viewer to pause a television program to
allow the viewer to finish entering data during an interactive
session.
SUMMARY
[0009] The television system described herein provides an option to
the viewer to automatically program a video recorder to record the
advertised program. Thus, the viewer need not remember the date,
time, or channel of the advertised program. Similarly, a reminder
may be programmed automatically to remind the viewer when the
advertised program is about to begin. The television system also
prevents a viewer involved in an interactive session during a
commercial from missing a television program if the interactive
session lasts longer than the commercial.
[0010] An embodiment of the television system displays an
advertisement for a future television program and displays an
option to record the advertised television program if the future
television program is identified as recordable. A record operation
is programmed on a video recorder if a viewer selects the option to
record the advertised television program.
[0011] Another embodiment of the television system displays an
advertisement for a future television program and displays an
option to set a reminder for the advertised television program. A
reminder operation is programmed if the viewer selects the option
to set a reminder for the advertised television program.
[0012] Particular embodiments of the television system decode
information associated with the advertised program from a
television signal containing the advertised television program.
[0013] In one embodiment of the television system, the displayed
option is removed after a predetermined period of time.
[0014] In another embodiment of the television system, the
displayed option is removed at the end of the advertisement.
[0015] An implementation of the television system offers to
establish an interactive session with a viewer of the current
television program during a television advertisement. If the viewer
establishes an interactive session and has not completed the
session when the television advertisement ends, then the current
television program is not displayed. Instead, the current
television program is recorded on a video recorder. When the viewer
completes the interactive session, the recorded television program
is played from the video recorder.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment in which
a television receiving system transmits and receives data across
the Internet and receives television signals from a television
broadcast source.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a television receiving
system.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a receiver capable of receiving
television signals and network data and generating video signals
for display on a television.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a procedure that
allows a television viewer to program a video recorder to record an
advertised television program at a future time.
[0020] FIG. 5A illustrates an advertisement for a television
program before and after a prompt is displayed to the television
viewer.
[0021] FIG. 5B illustrates an advertisement for a television
program with an alternate prompt.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a procedure for
pausing a television program.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The television system described herein provides an option to
the viewer of an advertisement for a future television program to
automatically program a video recorder to record the advertised
program. The television system also allows the viewer of the
advertisement to set a reminder associated with the advertised
program. Additionally, the television system pauses a television
program, if necessary, to allow a viewer to finish entering data
during an interactive session.
[0024] Various examples and embodiments are described herein with
reference to television programs. However, the systems and
procedures described herein can be used with any type of video
segment and are not limited to television programs.
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network environment 100 in
which a television receiving system transmits and receives data
across the Internet 110 and receives television signals from a
television broadcast source 112. A client 102, servers 104 and 106,
and television receiving system 108 are coupled to one another
through the Internet 110. Television receiving system 108 is
capable of receiving various types of data from one or more devices
coupled to the Internet 110. Television receiving system 108 is
also coupled to television broadcast source 112, which broadcasts
television signals. Television receiving system 108 may receive
television signals from source 112 via cable, satellite, microwave,
computer network, terrestrial (over the air) broadcast, or any
other communication medium. Although not shown in FIG. 1,
television broadcast source 112 may have an associated server or
other device coupled to the Internet 110, which allows the source
112 to broadcast television signals via one medium (e.g., cable)
and transmit other data related to the television broadcast via the
Internet 110. Alternatively, television broadcast source 112 may
transmit television signals as well as other data related to the
television signals via the Internet 110.
[0026] Television receiving system 108 is also coupled to a video
recorder 114. Video recorder 114 may be any type of recording
device capable of recording television signals onto a recordable
medium. For example, video recorder 114 can be a VCR or a digital
video recorder (DVR). A DVR records television programs or other
information onto a disk drive or other random access storage device
instead of a video tape. The DVR can read from and write to any
portion of the disk drive in a random manner. This feature allows
the DVR to record one television program while simultaneously
reading a recorded television program. A DVR may also be referred
to as a personal video recorder or a personal television
server.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the television receiving
system 108. A receiver 200, such as a set-top box, receives a
broadcast television signal 206 from a television broadcast source
(such as source 112 in FIG. 1). The receiver 200 communicates data
bi-directionally on a data communication link 212. Data
communication link 212 may use any type of communication medium and
any communication protocol. In a particular embodiment, data
communication link 212 is a telephone line that provides a data
connection to the Internet or another data communication network.
Receiver 200 is coupled to a DVR 204, which stores television
signals and other data. Receiver 200 is also coupled to a
television 202 via a video communication link 208. Video
communication link may be a radio frequency (RF), s-video,
composite video, component video, or other video link. Television
202 may be any type of display device or projection device using
any type of display or projection technology, including projection
l display systems and flat panel displays. Receiver 200 receives
broadcast television signal 206 and displays the received signal on
television 202 and/or stores the received signal on DVR 204.
Alternatively, receiver 200 may receive television signals via data
communication link 212. Furthermore, additional information
associated with the received television signal may be received
and/or transmitted on data communication link 212. Although
receiver 200, television 202, and DVR 204 are shown in FIG. 2 as
separate devices, any two or more of these devices may be combined
into a single device.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the receiver 200 shown in FIG.
2. As discussed above, receiver 200 is capable of receiving
television signals and network data and generating video signals
for display on a television. Additionally, the receiver 200 can be
used, for example, to perform various procedures necessary to
record and play back television programs and allow a viewer to
interact with the source of a television broadcast (e.g., via a
data communication network). Receiver 200 includes a television
interface 224, such as a television tuner, which receives the
broadcast television signal 206 from a television broadcast source.
A data interface 226 transmits and receives data across
communication link 212, which is typically coupled to a data
communication network such as the Internet. Data interface 226
typically includes a modem or other bi-directional data
communication device. Receiver 200 also includes a recorder
interface 228, which communicates with one or more video recorders,
such as DVR 204 shown in FIG. 2, via communication link 210.
[0029] Receiver 200 includes one or more processors 230, a random
access memory (RAM) 232, a read-only memory (ROM) 234, and a mass
storage device 236. Processor 230 is capable of implementing the
various procedures and operations discussed herein. RAM 232 and
mass storage device 236 provide for the storage of data,
instructions, and other information used by processor 230 during
the normal operation of receiver 200. ROM 234 stores various
parameters and basic operating instructions used, for example, by
processor 230.
[0030] An audio interface 238 communicates audio data across an
audio communication link 220. Similarly, a video interface 240
communicates video data across a video communication link 222. In a
particular embodiment, audio interface 238 and video interface 240
are combined into a single audio/video interface which communicates
audio and video information across an audio/video communication
link. Although not shown in FIG. 3, receiver 200 may also include a
remote control interface that allows a television viewer to control
the functions of the receiver using a handheld remote control
device.
[0031] Generally, the processor 230 of receiver 200 is programmed
by means of instructions stored at different times in various
computer-readable storage media of the receiver, such as RAM 232
and mass storage 236. The system described herein includes various
types of computer-readable storage media when such media contains
instructions or programs for implementing the steps described
herein in conjunction with a processor. The system also includes
the receiver itself when programmed according to the methods and
techniques described herein. Alternatively, these systems can be
implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware, software,
and/or firmware. For example, one or more application specific
integrated circuits (ASICs) could be programmed to carry out the
systems and procedures discussed herein.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a procedure that
allows a television viewer to program a video recorder to record an
advertised television program at a future time. A television
broadcast source broadcasts an advertisement for a future
television program (step 250). For example, during a broadcast of a
first television program (the current television program), an
advertisement is broadcast for a different television program that
will be broadcast the following evening. The advertised program may
be broadcast on the same television channel or on a different
channel than the current television program. Additionally, the
advertised program may be broadcast at multiple times (for example,
a television program having multiple parts). If the advertised
television program is recordable (i.e., information necessary to
record the program, such as the date and time of the program, is
encoded in the signal containing the advertisement) then the
television broadcast source transmits an indicator identifying the
advertised television program as recordable. The remainder of the
procedure of FIG. 4 presumes that the advertised television program
is recordable.
[0033] Since the program is recordable, the broadcast source
encodes information about the future television program into the
broadcast signal (step 252), such as the date, time, channel, and
duration of the advertised television program. Additionally,
information such as a content rating, actors and actresses
appearing in the program, and a brief summary of the program can be
encoded and transmitted along with the broadcast signal.
[0034] Alternatively, the broadcast source encodes a program
identifier associated with the future television program in the
broadcast signal. This program identifier replaces the information
about the future television program (such as the date, time,
channel, and duration of the program). The program identifier (for
example, a code) indicates to the receiver that the future
television program can be recorded. The receiver is able to
interpret the program identifier and determine how to record the
future television program.
[0035] A receiver (such as receiver 200) receives the advertised
television program, including the encoded information (step 254).
The receiver displays the advertisement and decodes the information
from the advertised television program and displays a prompt to the
viewer. The prompt asks the viewer if they would like to select the
advertised television program for recording on a video recorder
(step 256), such as DVR 204 shown in FIG. 2. The viewer then
decides whether they want to record the advertised program. The
viewer indicates whether they want to record the advertised program
using a remote control device or other user input mechanism.
[0036] If, after a predetermined time period, the viewer does not
indicate whether to record the advertised television program, then
the prompt is automatically removed from the television. For
example, a timeout period of fifteen seconds requires a user to
indicate whether the advertised program should be recorded within
fifteen seconds. Otherwise, the prompt is removed from the
television. If the advertisement for the future television program
ends before the timeout period is reached, then the prompt is
automatically removed from the television.
[0037] If the viewer requests recording of the advertised program,
then the receiver automatically programs the video recorder to
record the advertised program at the appropriate day and time (step
260). Thus, the viewer is not required to remember the date or time
of the advertised program because the receiver handles the
programming of the video recorder. The video recorder is programmed
using the date, time, channel, and duration information decoded
from the television broadcast signal. The appropriate sequence of
programming commands is generated and communicated to the video
recorder. The actual programming commands may vary depending on the
set of commands supported by the video recorder. After the video
recorder is programmed, the prompt is removed from the television
(step 262). In particular embodiments, the receiver generates and
displays a confirmation to the viewer indicating that the
advertised program will be recorded. If the viewer requests not to
record the advertised program, then the prompt is removed from the
television and the video recorder is not programmed.
[0038] The various information encoded in the broadcast signal
regarding the advertised program may be contained in a template.
For example, a template may include a title field, a description
field, a date/time filed, a channel field, and any other fields
necessary to describe the advertised television program. The
template may also contain information indicating whether the viewer
should be offered the option of recording the advertised program or
setting a reminder associated with the advertised program.
[0039] In a particular embodiment, the broadcaster of the
advertised television program may designate a particular program to
be recorded automatically if the receiver (or a video recorder
coupled to the receiver) has sufficient storage space to record the
program. Additionally, the viewer may select certain television
programs or "program types" that are always recorded (without
prompting) if sufficient storage space is available. A program type
may indicate, for example, a program title, program subject matter,
or other program characteristic. For example, a program type may be
any program having a subject matter relating to motorcycle racing.
In another example, the program type is any program with a title
"The Great Outdoors". If an advertised television program is
designated to be recorded automatically, the system will not
display a prompt asking the viewer if they would like to record the
program. Instead, the video recorder is automatically programmed to
record the television program if adequate storage space is
available.
[0040] If a particular advertised television program is designated
to be automatically recorded, but storage space is not sufficient
to record the program, the television receiving system may delete
programs from the video recorder. For example, the television
receiving system may automatically delete recorded programs that
have already been viewed or speculatively recorded programs.
Speculatively recorded programs are programs that the viewer did
not specifically request to record, but are likely to be of
interest to the viewer based on the viewing habits or viewing
preferences of the viewer. For example, a viewer may regularly
watch movies starring a particular actor. A movie starring the
particular actor may be automatically recorded based on the
likelihood (or speculation) that the viewer would like to watch the
movie.
[0041] The broadcaster of an advertised television program may
associate a priority with each advertisement. A high priority
program has a greater likelihood of being recorded than a low
priority program. For example, a high priority program may cause
the deletion of previously recorded programs from the video
recorder to release storage space to record the high priority
program. In contrast, a low priority program may not be recorded
unless the video recorder has a significant amount of free storage
space. The advertiser of the television program may pay different
rates for each program that is recorded. For example, the
advertiser pays a higher rate for each high priority program that
is recorded and a lower rate for each low priority program that is
recorded.
[0042] FIG. 5A illustrates an advertisement for a television
program before and after a prompt is displayed to the television
viewer. A first image 270 illustrates an advertised television
program without the display of a prompt. A second image 272
illustrates the same advertised program with a prompt asking the
viewer if they would like to record the advertised program. The
viewer selects "Yes" or "No" using a remote control device or other
input mechanism. The location of the prompt on the television
screen may be adjusted depending on the advertisement. Typically,
the location of the prompt is determined by editors or creators of
the advertisement. The location of the prompt may be selected to
minimize the obstruction of important parts of the advertised
program.
[0043] In the example of FIG. 5A, the bottom of the screen provides
an unobstructed area to display the prompt. In other embodiments,
the prompt may be displayed in another location of the screen that
allows the viewer to easily read and respond to the prompt.
Although not shown in FIG. 5A, additional information about the
advertised program can be displayed along with the prompt. This
additional information includes, for example, the title of the
advertised program and a brief summary of the program. In one
embodiment, information about the advertised television program as
well as an indicator that the advertised program is available for
recording is broadcast as part of the television signal using the
Advanced Television Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) specification version
1.1 (draft version) or any subsequent versions of the
specification.
[0044] In another embodiment, the viewer of an advertised program
can set a reminder associated with the advertised program. The
procedure for setting a reminder is similar to the procedure
discussed above with respect to FIG. 4 for selecting to record the
advertised program. Setting a reminder causes a notification to be
displayed on the television (or other display device) at a
predetermined time before the start of the associated television
program. For example, a reminder notification can be displayed five
minutes before the start of the associated program. Thus, instead
of recording the advertised television program, the viewer is
provided with a reminder notification shortly before the program is
scheduled to be broadcast. This reminder notification eliminates
the need for the viewer to remember the date, time, and channel of
the advertised program. If the viewer is watching a program on a
different channel, the reminder notification will remind the viewer
to change channels prior to the start of the advertised program.
When the reminder notification is displayed, the viewer may also be
given the opportunity to record the program. This is particularly
useful if the viewer is in the middle of watching another
television program, but also wants to watch the program identified
in the reminder notification.
[0045] In a particular embodiment, information associated with the
reminder notification is stored in a receiver, such as receiver
200. In alternate embodiments, the reminder notification provides
an option to automatically switch to the appropriate channel at the
start of the advertised program. In one embodiment, an indicator
that a reminder can be set for the advertised program is broadcast
as part of the television signal using the ATVEF specification
version 1.1 (draft version) or any subsequent versions of the
specification.
[0046] In a particular embodiment, the viewer of an advertised
program is offered the option of either setting a reminder
associated with the advertised program or recording the advertised
program on a video recorder. If the viewer selects a reminder, then
a reminder operation is programmed in the receiver. If the viewer
selects to record the advertised program, then a record operation
is programmed on the video recorder.
[0047] FIG. 5B illustrates an advertisement for a television
program with an alternate prompt. An image 274 illustrates the same
advertised program as image 270 in FIG. 5A, but includes a prompt
(or icon) 276 in the upper-left corner of the image. The prompt 276
provides a less obtrusive indicator to the viewer that the
advertised program is available for recording. The "r" in the
prompt 276 indicates that recording is available, while other
letters in a similar prompt may indicate other features or
interactive modes. If the viewer wants to record the advertised
program, they activate an appropriate button on a remote control or
similar input device. For example the remote control may include a
button that matches the design of prompt 276.
[0048] In another embodiment of the invention, the television
receiving system 108 (FIG. 1) is used to access one or more web
pages on a server coupled to the Internet. As the user of system
108 is viewing a web page, an advertisement for a future television
program (such as a banner ad) is displayed on the web page. The
program advertisement includes a prompt (such as a button or the
prompt 276 shown in FIG. 5B) to indicate that the advertised
program is available for recording. If the user selects the prompt
(for example, by activating a mouse button while a pointer or
cursor is located over the prompt), the video recorder is
automatically programmed to record the advertised program.
Information about the advertised program (time, date, etc.) may be
encoded in the advertisement or retrieved from a web page
associated with the advertised program.
[0049] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a procedure for
pausing a television program. A receiver receives an displays a
television program broadcast by a television broadcast source (step
280). During the broadcast of an advertisement (e.g., a
commercial), an interactive session is offered to the viewer. For
example, this interactive session may provide an opportunity for
the viewer to request additional information about an advertised
product or service. An interactive session allows the television
viewer to provide data to a television broadcast source. Two
separate communication links are typically used to support the
interactive session. A first communication link allows the viewer
to receive information from a television broadcast source. A second
communication link (such as a data communication network) allows
the viewer to transmit information to the broadcast source or some
other data recipient.
[0050] Still referring to FIG. 6, the television viewer begins an
interactive session during an advertisement at step 282. If the
interactive session is still in progress when the advertisement is
finished, then the television program is paused by recording the
television program on a video recorder (step 286). In a particular
embodiment, the video recorder is a DVR or similar device that can
read from and write to any portion of the disk drive in a random
manner. If the interactive session is complete when the
advertisement is finished, then the television program is displayed
without any pause.
[0051] When the interactive session is finished, the receiver
continues recording the television program using the video recorder
and begins playing back the recorded program (step 290). At the end
of the television program, the receiver stops recording the
television program on the video recorder, but continues playing
back the recorded program (step 294). When playback of the recorded
program finishes, the recorded program can be saved on the video
recorder for later viewing or erased to release storage space on
the video recorder.
[0052] The following situation provides an example of the procedure
illustrated in FIG. 6. A television viewer is watching a movie that
is being broadcast from a television broadcast source. Several
commercials are broadcast during the movie. The viewer is
interested in a particular commercial that is advertising a new
type of car. The viewer initiates an interactive session to request
additional information about the car. During the interactive
session, the viewer is asked to provide a name and mailing address
to send a product brochure. The viewer may also be asked to provide
additional information such as their age, occupation, and what
feature of the car attracted their attention. The commercial may
end (and the movie resumes) before the viewer can enter all of the
requested information. Instead of requiring the viewer to either
abandon entry of the requested information or miss a portion of the
movie, the receiver automatically pauses the television by
recording the movie on a video recorder. After the viewer has
entered all of the requested information and the interactive
session is closed, the saved movie automatically begins playing
form the video recorder. Thus, the viewer is able to complete the
interactive session without missing any part of the movie.
[0053] Thus, a system has been described that allows the viewer of
an advertisement for a future television program to automatically
program a video recorder to record the advertised program.
Additionally, the viewer can set a reminder associated with the
advertised program. The described system also automatically pauses
a television program, if necessary, to allow a viewer to finish
entering data during an interactive session.
[0054] Although the invention has been described in language
specific to structural features and/or methodological steps, it is
to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims
is not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps
described. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as
preferred forms of implementing the claimed invention.
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