Electronic program guide with digital storage directory
View Patent ↗An interactive television program guide system with digital storage is provided. The program guide gives users the ability to store information associated with recorded programs in a directory in the digital storage device thereby providing easy access to program information. The program guide may also provide a global media library for indicating the programs stored on removable storage media used with the program guide. The guide may also allow the user to manage and maintain a user media library to do the same. Non-time-sensitive data associated with recorded programs may be stored in a way that allows the user to interact with the data on playback as if the program were being originally aired. The program guide also allows the user to define “super-programs” for playback of a sequence of stored programs or program segments.
1. A system in which programs and associated program data are displayed for users by an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment, comprising:
a digital storage device in the user television equipment for digitally storing the programs and associated program data using the interactive television program guide in response to receiving a user request to digitally store the programs; and
means for maintaining a directory of the digitally stored associated program data using the interactive television program guide.
2. The system define in claim 1 further comprising a means for displaying a directory listing screen on the user television equipment using the interactive television program guide.
3. The system defined in claim 2 wherein the directory listing screen comprises:
means for indicating directory entry information; and
means for providing a user with an opportunity to select directory entry information;
wherein the display means further comprises means for displaying a full entry information screen in response to the selection by a user of directory information.
4. The system defined in claim 3 wherein the full entry information screen comprises a plurality of fields of directory entry information selected from the group consisting of: title, description, episode, channel, duration, viewed, cast members, category(ies), language, video format, start and end time, date, re-run indicator, stereo indicator, close-captioned indicator, and other information.
5. The system defined in claim 4 wherein the full entry information screen further comprises:
one or more user-defined fields; and
means for providing a user with an opportunity to enter user information in one or more of the user-defined fields.
6. The system defined in claim 1 further comprising:
means for displaying an edit screen; and
means for editing portions of the digitally stored programs and associated program data from the digital storage device using the interactive television program guide.
7. The system defined in claim 6 wherein the edit screen comprises means for providing a user with an opportunity to define the portions of the digitally stored programs and associated program data edited by the editing means.
8. The system defined in claim 7 wherein the partial edit screen further comprises a video feedback area.
9. The system defined in claim 1 wherein:
the digital storage device digitally stores the programs and associated program data on removable digital storage media using the interactive television program guide; and
the maintaining means maintains the digitally stored associated program data in a global media library using the interactive television program guide.
10. The system defined in claim 9 further comprising means for displaying a global media library screen on the user television equipment using the interactive television program guide.
11. The system defined in claim 10 wherein:
the global media library screen comprises means for providing a user with an opportunity to select a program stored on the removable storage media; and
means for displaying an indication that the removable storage medium containing the selected program is not loaded in the digital storage device.
12. A method in which programs and associated program data are displayed for users by an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment, comprising the steps of:
digitally storing the programs and associated program data using the interactive television program guide in response to receiving a user request to digitally store the programs; and
maintaining a directory of the digitally stored associated program data using the interactive television program guide.
13. The method define in claim 12 further comprising the step of displaying a directory listing screen on the user television equipment using the interactive television program guide.
14. The method defined in claim 13 further comprising the steps of:
indicating directory entry information;
providing a user with an opportunity to select directory entry information; and
displaying a full entry information screen in response to the selection by a user of directory information.
15. The method defined in claim 14 further comprising the step of displaying a plurality of fields of directory entry information selected from the group consisting of: title, description, episode, channel, duration, viewed, cast members, category(ies), language, video format, start and end time, date, re-run indicator, stereo indicator, close-captioned indicator, and other information.
16. The method defined in claim 15 further comprising the steps of:
displaying one or more user-defined fields; and
providing a user with an opportunity to enter user information in one or more of the user-defined fields.
17. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising the steps of:
displaying an edit screen; and
editing portions of the digitally stored programs and associated program data from the digital storage device using the interactive television program guide.
18. The method defined in claim 17 further comprising the step of providing a user with an opportunity to define the portions of the digitally stored programs and associated program data edited by the editing means.
19. The method defined in claim 18 further comprising the step of providing a video feedback area.
20. The method defined in claim 12 further comprising the steps of:
digitally storing the programs and associated program data on removable digital storage media using the interactive television program guide; and
maintaining the digitally stored associated program data in a global media library using the interactive television program guide.
21. The method defined in claim 20 further comprising the step of displaying a global media library screen on the user television equipment using the interactive television program guide.
22. The method defined in claim 21 further comprising the steps of:
providing a user with an opportunity to select a program stored on the removable storage media; and
displaying an indication that the removable storage medium containing the selected program is not loaded in the digital storage device.
23. A system in which programs and associated program data are displayed for users by an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment, comprising:
a digital storage device in the user television equipment for digitally storing, using removable storage media, the programs and associated program data using the interactive television program guide; and
means for maintaining a directory of the digitally stored associated program data for the storage media used with the interactive television program guide in a central storage.
24. A method in which programs and associated program data are displayed for users by an interactive television program guide implemented on user television equipment, comprising steps of:
digitally storing, using removable storage media, the programs and associated program data using the interactive television program guide; and
maintaining a directory of the digitally stored associated program data for the storage media used with the interactive television program guide in a central storage.