Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC

Douglas Frusciano

Robert Todd Smith

Carissa Mahonchak

A digital video recorder control database is maintained for a digital video recorder in communication with a plurality of set-top boxes. The database includes program content, associated programming metadata, and a recording schedule. A subset of the digital video recorder control database is pushed from the digital video recorder control database to the plurality of set-top boxes for local caching on the plurality of set-top boxes. The subset includes at least a portion of the recording schedule.

Digital video recorder state cache

According to one configuration, a remote controller device wirelessly controls a remote media system. The remote controller device includes multiple selectable control buttons, multiple optical sources, and controller hardware. Each optical source individually back-illuminates a respective selectable control button of the multiple selectable buttons. The controller hardware selectively activates different groupings of the multiple optical sources depending upon a current operational mode of the remote media system. For example, a respective user of the remote controller device selects a particular button of the remote controller device corresponding to the first operational mode. The remote controller device, in turn, transmits a wireless signal to the remote media system to control the remote media system to the first operational mode. Rather than illuminating all buttons, the remote controller device then back-illuminates only a relevant group of multiple selectable control buttons applicable to the first operational mode.

Remote controller and selective key illumination

Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by control scroll rates in guide listings are described. A user can scroll through channel listings arranged according to program genre at a high maximum scroll rate. The scroll rate is automatically reduced, and in some embodiments scrolling is temporarily paused, when listings corresponding to a new genre are displayed. In this way a high maximum scroll rate can be supported but without the risk of a user unintentionally scrolling thorough an entire genre of programs of interest even if the genre only includes one or a few programs in total. Thus, in various embodiments a scrolling rate is decreased when a change in the genre of programs from a first genre of programs being displayed to a second genre of programs being displayed occurs as part of said scrolling.

Methods and apparatus for improving scrolling through program channel listings

Methods and apparatus for improving channel browsing experience for users by control scroll rates in guide listings are described. A user can scroll through channel listings arranged according to program genre at a high maximum scroll rate. The scroll rate is automatically reduced, and in some embodiments scrolling is temporarily paused, when listings corresponding to a new genre are displayed. In this way a high maximum scroll rate can be supported but without the risk of a user unintentionally scrolling through an entire genre of programs of interest even if the genre only includes one or a few programs in total. Thus, in various embodiments a scrolling rate is decreased when a change in the genre of programs from a first genre of programs being displayed to a second genre of programs being displayed occurs as part of said scrolling.

Growing community of inventors

Lafayette, CO, United States of America

Douglas Frusciano