Systems and methods for interactive program guides with personal video recording features

Abstract

Methods and systems that provide enhanced personal video recorder (“PVR”) and interactive television program guide (“IPG”) functionality are provided. An interactive television application (“application”) may be implemented to provide such functionality. The application may be used to display a list of PVR recordings, to schedule recordings to a PVR, to configure recordings, to view a list of scheduled recordings, to configure recording settings, or to select delete priority settings for recordings. The application may integrate pay-per-view and PVR functionality. The application may send user notifications for changes that are to be made to the recording content of a PVR. Live programming may be buffered by the application using a straight buffers that are created for each new program. Parallel buffers for concurrent programs may be implemented using multiple tuners. Straight buffers may be used in managing or controlling the flow of programming. Television content may be automatically paused when a user is engaged in using the application. Multiple IPGs for different users of a PVR may be implemented. Other PVR related features are also provided.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 356,928, filed Feb. 16, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 105,128, filed Feb. 21, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 270,469, filed Feb. 21, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 271,809, filed Feb. 27, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 284,703, filed on Apr. 18, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 290,709, filed on May 14, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 296,593, filed on Jun. 7, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 301,589, filed on Jun. 28, 2001. All of these prior applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to interactive television program guide (“IPG”) systems and personal video recording (“PVR”) systems, and more particularly to enhanced PVR-IPG features.[0003...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]In accordance with the principles of the present invention, an interactive television application may be implemented on a television system to provide enhanced PVR-related functionality.

[0016]The interactive television application may provide a user with an opportunity to configure a recording buffer around a program that is scheduled to be recorded. The record quality of a recording may also be selected by a user. An interactive television application may allow a user to schedule a recording from practically any point in a program guide. For example, a recording may be scheduled from a program listing bar, a program information display screen, an advertisement display screen, or any other suitable point in a program guide.

[0033]An interactive television application may automatically pause television content that a user is watching when the user interacts with the interactive television application. A current television program or commercial that a user is watching may be paused when a program guide display screen or a stored video advertisement is displayed. The television content may remain paused while the user interacts with the interactive television application or watches the stored video advertisement. The display of the television content may resume when the user exits the interactive television application. The display of the television content may resume from the point at which it was paused. If desired, the interactive television application may provide the user with an opportunity to select whether the television content should be resumed from the point at which it was automatically paused or resumed from its current point.

[0034]Other PVR related features may also be provided. An interactive television application may display a scheduled recording icon that changes based on the status of a scheduled recording. The interactive television application may provide the user with the ability to create keyword-based recordings. The interactive television application may provide the user with the ability to set the recording priority for a program. The recording priority settings may, for example, include a can't miss priority, an if possible priority, a desired priority, an if space available priority, or any other suitable recording priority. Providing a user with three or more different recording priority levels to chose from allows a user greater flexibility in configuring his or her recording preferences. An interactive television application may display recorded programs within a browse overlay, a program listings display screen, or within other listing screens. Recorded programs may be listed amongst regularly scheduled programs.

[0036]Playback controls may be used to fast-forward and rewind a program at different speeds. The range of different speeds may include a range from different slow motion speeds to different fast-forward speeds. The interactive television application may provide the user with the ability to schedule VOD programs for recordings. The interactive television application may propose a selection of times at which the VOD program may be recorded. The interactive television application may propose a time for recording a VOD program based on currently scheduled recordings and reminders to avoid conflicts in recordings. If a VOD or PPV program is marked as copy-protected, the interactive television application may restrict whether a user can schedule a recording for the copyrighted program.

Problems solved by technology

One drawback of this buffering technique is that the buffer only allows the user to pause or rewind up to the last “n” minutes and only on the currently tuned channel since it was most recently tuned.

One drawback of such systems is that portions of the live program that were previously buffered are typically ignored.

One drawback of such systems is that the presentation of the graphics may undesirably cause a user to miss live television content that the user is watching.

Another drawback of known PVR systems is that such systems do not typically support pay-per-view television programming.

Pay-per-view (“PPV”) television programs are now widely available through cable television service providers, but are not typically supported by PVRs for scheduling recordings or providing other types of PVR-related functionality.

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