IP Library Granted Patent US 8,756,635
Granted Patent B2
US 8,756,635 · App. 09/875,546 · Granted Jun 17, 2014

Remote control of program scheduling

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,756,635
App. No.
09/875,546
Granted
Jun 17, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and apparatus for a first video display coupled with a receiving system to display a video broadcast, and a computing device having a second display displaying an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) corresponding to the video broadcast, wherein the EPG and the video broadcast are displayed concurrently.

Claims (36)

1. A system comprising:

a receiving system configured to receive broadcast programs from a broadcast server via a high-bandwidth digital network comprising at least one of a wide area network (WAN) or satellite broadcast network;

a video display configured to communicate with the receiving system and to display a video broadcast; and

a computing device configured to communicate with the broadcast server and the receiving system via the high-bandwidth digital network, the computing device having a second display configured to receive and concurrently display an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) corresponding to the video broadcast,

wherein the computing device does not have a direct communication link with the receiving system, but is configured to communicate with the receiving system via the high-bandwidth digital network, and

wherein the computing device is configured to transmit a signal to the receiving system via the WAN or satellite broadcast network corresponding to an instruction to display at least a portion of the EPG on the video display concurrently while displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second display.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a Web Phone.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device and the video display are configured such that the entire EPG is displayed on the video display concurrently while the entire EPG is displayed on the second display.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device and the video display are configured such that less than the entire EPG is displayed on the video display concurrently while at least a portion of the EPG is displayed on the second display.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to display a video clip preview of a broadcast program displayed in the EPG.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computing device and the video display are configured such that the video clip preview of the broadcast program is displayed on the computing device concurrently while a separate broadcast program is displayed on the video display.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, at a receiving system, broadcast programs from a broadcast server via a high-bandwidth digital network comprising at least one of a wide area network (WAN) or satellite broadcast network;

transmitting, by the receiving system, a video broadcast to a first video display configured to communicate with the receiving system;

receiving, at a computing device having a second video display, program listing data from the broadcast server via the high-bandwidth digital network, the program listing data associated with a video broadcast being displayed on the first video display;

displaying, by the computing device, on the second video display an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) based on the received program listing data and corresponding to the video broadcast being displaying on the first video display;

receiving user input at the computing device corresponding to a request to display at least a portion of the EPG on the first video display while concurrently displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second video display;

establishing communication between the computing device and the receiving system, wherein the computing device does not have a direct communication link with the receiving system, but is configured to communicate with the receiving system via the high-bandwidth digital network; and

transmitting, by the computing device, a signal to the receiving system via the WAN or satellite broadcast network, the signal corresponding to an instruction to display at least a portion of the EPG on the first video display concurrently while displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second video display.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the computing device is a Web Phone.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising displaying the entire EPG on the video display concurrently while displaying the entire EPG on the second display.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising displaying less than the entire EPG on the video display concurrently while displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second display.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising displaying on the second display a video clip preview of a broadcast program displayed in the EPG.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the video clip preview of the broadcast program is displayed on the second display concurrently while a separate broadcast program is displayed on the first video display.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, which when executed cause a computing device to:

receive, at a computing device, program listing data associated with a video broadcast being displaying by a receiving system on a first video display, the program listing data received from a broadcast server via a high-bandwidth digital network comprising at least one of a wide area network (WAN) or satellite broadcast network;

display on a second display an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) based on the received program listing data and corresponding to the video broadcast being displayed on the first video display;

receive, at the computing device, user input corresponding to a request to display at least a portion of the EPG on the first video display while concurrently displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second display;

establish communication between the computing device and the receiving system, wherein the computing device does not have a direct communication link with the receiving system, but is configured to communicate with the receiving system via the high-bandwidth digital network; and

transmit, by the computing device, a signal to the receiving system via the WAN or satellite broadcast network, the signal corresponding to an instruction to display at least a portion of the EPG on the first video display concurrently while displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second video display.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computing device is a Web Phone.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , the method further comprising displaying the entire EPG on the video display concurrently while displaying the entire EPG on the second display.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 , the method further comprising displaying less than the entire EPG on the video display concurrently while displaying at least a portion of the EPG on the second display.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 5, 2007
From: EAGLE NEW MEDIA INVESTMENTS, LLC
To: JLB VENTURES LLC
Reel/Frame 019511/0863 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2003
From: ETALON SYSTEMS, INC.
To: EAGLE NEW MEDIA INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 014943/0079 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 18, 2003
From: ISURFTV
To: ETALON SYSTEMS, INC.
Reel/Frame 014268/0480 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2003
From: ETALON SYSTEMS, INC.
To: EAGLE NEW MEDIA INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 014277/0607 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2001
From: KIKINIS, DAN
To: ISURFTV, INC.
Reel/Frame 012021/0752 →