System and method for searching a database of television schedule information
View Patent ↗Compressed codes of as few as 1 to 8 digits, which are decoded by a decoder to convert the compressed code into channel, date, time and length information, identify single TV programs or a category of programs and are stored at a central location accessible over telephone lines through pay-per-use, toll free or regular toll numbers from remote locations. The channel, date, time and length information is used to select channels, start recording, and stop recording at the appropriate time or to control viewing on a TV.
1. A method of communicating television program information using a communications link between user equipment at a first location and a database of television schedule information at a second location, the database located at the second location being remote from the user equipment at the first location, the method comprising:
receiving, at the second location, a first communication that includes television program selection criteria from the first location, wherein the television program selection criteria comprises information related to content of television programs, and wherein the television program selection criteria is used to identify, within the television schedule information, a plurality of programs which are selectable for recording in response to a future user input;
searching, at the second location, the database of television schedule information based on the television program selection criteria,
deriving, at the second location, program identification data from the database, the program identification data corresponding to television programs meeting the television program selection criteria;
communicating, from the second location to the first location, the program identification data corresponding to the television programs meeting the television program selection criteria;
after communicating the program identification data corresponding to the television programs meeting the television program selection criteria, receiving a second communication, at the second location from the first location, that includes a user selection of a television program, from the television programs meeting the program selection criteria, to be recorded; and
transmitting, from the second location, data corresponding to the selected television program over the communications link to a storage device associated with the user equipment.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling a recording of the selected television program, the controlling being performed by the user equipment.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling a viewing of the selected television, the controlling being performed by the user equipment.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a telephone connection between the user equipment and the database of television schedule information.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the program identification data includes representations of program channels and times.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the program identification data comprises compressed program codes.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the user equipment comprises a cable box controller.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the user equipment comprises a satellite receiver controller.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storage device is located at the first location.
10. A system for communicating television program information using a communications link between user equipment at a first location and a second location remote from the user equipment comprising:
a database of television schedule information located at the second location, wherein the database is configured to be searched based on television program selection criteria received from the first location in a first communication and is further configured to derive program identification data for television programs meeting the television program selection criteria wherein:
the television program selection criteria comprises information related to content of television programs, and
the television program selection criteria is used to identify, within the television schedule information, a plurality of programs which are selectable for recording in response to a future user input; and
wherein the database is configured to transmit data corresponding to a selected television program to a storage device associated with the user equipment in response to receiving a second communication, received at the second location from the first location, that includes a user selection of a television program from the television programs meeting the television program selection criteria, to be recorded, wherein the second communication is in response to a third communication, from the second location to the first location, indicating the program identification data corresponding to the television programs meeting the television program selection criteria.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the user equipment is configured to control a recording of the selected television program.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein the user equipment is configured to control a viewing of the selected television program.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein the communications link comprises a telephone connection between the user equipment and the second location.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the program identification data includes representations of program channels and times.
15. The system of claim 10 wherein program identification data comprises compressed program codes.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein the user equipment comprises a cable box controller.
17. The system of claim 10 wherein the user equipment comprises a satellite receiver controller.
18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the storage device is located at the first location.