Sub-program avoidance redirection for broadcast receivers
View Patent ↗A system for automatically tuning a primary broadcast receiver using a secondary broadcast receiver to receive a first broadcast signal corresponding to a source of an origin program, one or more program transition detectors to monitor first broadcast signal tuned by the secondary broadcast receiver to determine and signal a transition from a non-original program content to origin program content while a user views or hears alternate programming from a primary broadcast receiver, and automatically tuning of the primary broadcast receiver to the first broadcast signal upon detection by the program transition detector that one or more of user-specific tune conditions have been met.
1. A system comprising:
a primary broadcast tuner and a secondary broadcast tuner in a broadcast television receiver, said primary broadcast tuner being under user control initially to view a first channel or signal source, said secondary broadcast tuner configured to monitor said first channel or signal source subsequent to said user selecting to surf alternate channels and signal sources using said primary broadcast tuner, said secondary broadcast receiver configured to detect an initial transition in content from an initial broadcast program to a sub-program, wherein said sub-program is content unrelated to said initial broadcast program transmitted from said first channel or signal source
a plurality of program transition detectors cooperative with said secondary broadcast tuner and configured to to detect a return from one or more sub-programs to said initial broadcast program, said detectors comprising:
an elapsed timer for a fixed period of time,
an elapsed timer for an integral multiple of a fixed period of time,
a volume change detector,
a vocabulary change detector monitoring closed captioning text,
a vocabulary change detector using voice recognition to monitor an audio program,
a V-chip ratings indicator change detector,
a scene-based program segment detector, and
a detector employing an interprogram dead frame detector;
a set of user-specified return from surfing automatic retuning conditions;
a tuner controller configured to, upon user activation, enable said secondary broadcast receiver and program transition detector to begin said monitoring, to allow surfing of channels and signal sources by a user, and to automatically tune said primary broadcast receiver to said first broadcast signal upon detection by said program transition detector that one or more of said user-specific tune conditions have been met, said tuner controller also configured to insert an alert tone or message into an audible output of the primary receiver upon said tuning action.