Rovi Guides, Inc.

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc.

Aptiv Digital, Inc.

United Video Properties, Inc.

Rovi Technologies Corporation

Haig H Krakirian

James A Bumgardner

Geoffrey Z Ombao

Jim Bumgardner

Daniel Thomas Ward

Gregory L DeCamp

Walter Richard Klappert

Greg DeCamp

Thomas Patrick Antalek

Gregory L Decamp

The present invention is directed to a search engine for a video recorder. One embodiment of the present invention operates in an environment that includes one or more set-top boxes connected to or integrated within one or more output devices. The set-top boxes are used to transfer shows from a broadcast input source to one or more types of storage devices and to play back the shows from the storage devices to the output devices, either in a delayed-live fashion or at a later time of the user's choosing. The set-top box displays a graphical user interface (GUI), which gives the user the ability to watch and/or record timeslot based programming, to order on-demand programming, and to playback previously recorded shows that reside on a local or remote storage device. A search engine is added to the GUI that lets the search for shows and receive results in an enhanced manner.

Search engine for a video recorder

The present invention is directed to a video recorder having user extended and automatically extended time slots. An embodiment of the present invention includes a set-top box having an internal storage device, such as a hard drive where broadcasts are transferred from a broadcast input source to the storage device. The set-top box is connected to an output device such as a television, which displays a graphical user interface (GUI) and an interactive program guide (IPG). The user has the option to extend a chosen time slot, in which a show is scheduled to be transferred to the storage device. A dialog box is used when certain types of shows are selected that commonly require timeslot extensions at the end of the show.

Video recorder having user extended and automatically extended time slots

The present invention is directed to a search engine for video recorder. One embodiment of the present invention operates in a environment that includes one or more set-top boxes connected to or integrated within one or more output devices. The set-top boxes are used to transfer shows from a broadcast input source to one or more types of storage devices and to play back the shows from the storage devices to the output devices, either in a delayed-live fashion or at a later time of the user's choosing. The set-top box displays a graphical user interface (GUI), which gives the user the ability to watch and/or record timeslot based programming, to order and programming, and to playback previously recorded shows that reside on a local or remote storage device. A search engine is added to toe GUI that lets the search for shows and receive results in an enhanced manner.

In many aspects, systems and methods for recording overlapping media content using interactive media guidance applications are provided. The systems and methods for recording overlapping media content generally relate to cropping overlapping portions of the media content thereby allowing a user to enjoy most of the recording wile only forgoing a portion of the beginning or the end of a program.

Systems and methods for recording overlapping media content during scheduling conflicts

In many aspects, systems and methods for recording overlapping media content using interactive media guidance applications are provided. The systems and methods for recording overlapping media content generally relate to cropping overlapping portions of the media content thereby allowing a user to enjoy most of the recording while only forgoing a portion of the beginning or the end of a program.

The present invention is directed to a video recorder having user extended and automatically extended time slots. An embodiment of the present invention includes a set top box having an internal storage device, such as a hard drive where broadcasts are transferred from a broadcast input source to the storage device. The set top box is connected to an output device such as a television, which displays a graphical user interface (GUI) and an interactive program guide (IPG). The user has the option to extend a chosen time slot, in which a show is scheduled to be transferred to the storage device. The time slot may be extended before the show, after the show, or both. The system also implements an automatic extension of the time slot by default, which is used to ensure that the data is completely captured to the system, in case the broadcast and the set top box are slightly out of sync, the broadcaster unexpectedly begins a show's broadcast slightly early or late, or the show unexpectedly runs longer than the IPG indicates.

The present invention is directed to a resource sharing system of set-top boxes. The set-top boxes are arranged in a network. The resources of each set-top box in the network are potentially available to another set-top box in the network that has run out of resources. When a user needs a tuner resource, the set-top box determines if it has a local tuner available. If not, the set-top box attempts to use the tuner of another set-top box in the network. In one embodiment all of the tuners in the network are pooled together and used as a global resource of tuners for all of the set-tops. Alternatively, if a set-top box runs out of resource space on a storage device, it attempts to use the storage device on another set-top box before deleting shows locally to make room for the new show.

Resource sharing system of set-top boxes

Systems and methods for detecting unauthorized use of a user equipment device are provided. An instruction is transmitted, using communications circuitry of a handheld device, to the user equipment device directing the user equipment device to display a unique identifier associated with the user equipment simultaneously with media content. An image of the media content and unique identifier simultaneously displayed on a display screen coupled to the user equipment device is captured using camera equipment of the handheld device. The image is automatically processed with the handheld device to extract the unique identifier from the image. The extracted unique identifier is cross-referenced, using the handheld device, with user account information associated with the user equipment device to determine whether use of the user equipment device is unauthorized.

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Burbank, CA, United States of America

Haig H Krakirian