Interactive television program guide with remote access
View Patent ↗An interactive television program guide with remote access is provided. The interactive television program guide is implemented on interactive television program guide equipment. A remote program guide access device is connected to the interactive television program guide equipment by a remote access link to provide a user with remote access to program guide functions.
1. A system for selecting television programs over a remote access link comprising an Internet communications path for recording, comprising:
a local interactive television program guide equipment on which a local interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the local interactive television program guide equipment includes user television equipment located within a user's home and the local interactive television program guide generates a display of one or more program listings for display on a display device at the user's home; and
a remote program guide access device located outside of the user's home on which a remote access interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the remote program guide access device is a mobile device, and wherein the remote access interactive television program guide:
generates a display of a plurality of program listings for display on the remote program guide access device, wherein the display of the plurality of program listings is generated based on a user profile stored at a location remote from the remote program guide access device;
receives a selection of a program listing of the plurality of program listings in the display, wherein the selection identifies a television program corresponding to the selected program listing for recording by the local interactive television program guide; and
transmits a communication identifying the television program corresponding to the selected program listing from the remote access interactive television program guide to the local interactive television program guide over the Internet communications path;
wherein the local interactive television program guide receives the communication and records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing responsive to the communication using the local interactive television program guide equipment.
2. The system defined in claim 1 wherein the local interactive television program guide records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing on the user television equipment.
3. The system defined in claim 1 wherein local interactive television program guide records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing at a television distribution facility.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the local interactive television program guide stores information indicating the user who selected the program listing with the remote access interactive television program guide.
5. A method for selecting television programs over a remote access link comprising an Internet communications path for recording, the method comprising steps of:
generating, using a remote program guide access device located outside a user's home on which a remote access interactive television program guide is implemented, a display of a plurality of program listings for display on the remote program guide access device, wherein the remote program guide access device is a mobile device, and wherein the display of the plurality of program listings is generated based on a user profile stored at a location remote from the remote program guide access device;
receiving, with the remote access interactive television program guide, a selection of a program listing the plurality of program listings in the display, wherein the selection identifies a television program corresponding to the selected program listing for recording by a local interactive television program guide implemented on interactive television program guide equipment located within the user's home, wherein the local interactive television program guide generates a display of one or more program listings for display on a display device at the user's home;
transmitting a communication identifying the television program corresponding to the selected program listing from the remote access interactive television program guide to the local interactive television program guide over the Internet communications path;
receiving the communication at the local interactive television program guide; and
recording the television program corresponding to the selected program listing responsive to the communication, using the local interactive television program guide implemented on the interactive television program guide equipment.
6. The method defined in claim 5 wherein recording the television program corresponding to the selected program listing comprises recording the television program on user television equipment.
7. The method defined in claim 5 wherein recording the television program corresponding to the selected program listing comprises recording the television program at a television distribution facility.
8. A system for selecting television programs over a remote access link comprising an Internet communications path for recording, comprising:
a remote interactive program guide access device located outside of a user's home on which a remote access interactive television program guide is implemented, wherein the remote interactive program guide access device is a mobile device, and wherein the remote access interactive television program guide:
generates a display of a plurality of program listings for display on the remote interactive program guide access device, wherein the display of the plurality of program listings is generated based on a user profile stored at a location remote from the remote interactive program guide access device;
receives a selection of a program listing of the plurality of program listings in the display, wherein the selection identifies a television program corresponding to the selected program listing for recording by a local interactive television program guide implemented on a local interactive television program guide equipment located within the user's home, wherein the local interactive television program guide generates a display of one or more program listings for display on a display device at the user's home;
transmits a communication identifying the television program corresponding to the selected program listing from the remote access interactive television program guide to the local interactive television program guide over the Internet communications path; and
causes the local interactive television program guide on the local interactive television program guide equipment to record the television program corresponding to the selected program listing responsive to the communication using the local interactive television program guide equipment.
9. The system defined in claim 8 wherein the local interactive television program guide records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing on user television equipment.
10. The system defined in claim 8 wherein local interactive television program guide records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing at a television distribution facility.
11. A method for selecting television programs over a remote access link comprising an Internet communications path for recording, the method comprising steps of:
generating, using a remote access interactive television program guide, a display of a plurality of program listings for display on a mobile device, and wherein the display of the plurality of program listings is generated based on a user profile stored at a location remote from the mobile device;
receiving a selection of a program listing of the plurality of program listings, wherein the selection identifies a television program corresponding to the selected program listing for recording by a local interactive television program guide implemented on a local interactive television program guide equipment located within the user's home, wherein the local interactive television program guide generates a display of one or more program listings for display on a display device at the user's home;
transmitting a communication identifying the television program corresponding to the selected program listing from a remote access interactive television program guide to the local interactive television program guide over the Internet communications path; and
causing the local interactive television program guide on the local interactive television program guide equipment to record the television program corresponding to the selected program listing responsive to the communication using the local interactive television program guide equipment.
12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein recording the television program corresponding to the selected program listing comprises recording the television program on user television equipment.
13. The method defined in claim 11 wherein recording the television program corresponding to the selected program listing comprises recording the television program at a television distribution facility.
14. A system for selecting television programs over a remote access link comprising an Internet communications path for recording, comprising:
a local interactive television program guide implemented on a local interactive television program guide equipment, wherein the local interactive television program guide equipment is located within a user's home, and wherein the local interactive television program guide:
generates a display of one or more program listings for display on a display device at the user's home;
receives a communication from a remote access interactive television program guide implemented on a remote interactive television program guide access device located outside the user's home to the local guide over the Internet communications path, wherein the communication identifies a television program corresponding to a program listing selected at the remote access interactive television program guide, wherein the remote interactive television program guide access device is a mobile device, wherein the remote interactive television program guide access device generates a display of a plurality of program listings based on a user profile stored at a location remote from the remote interactive television program guide access device, and wherein the selected program listing is selected from the plurality of program listings; and
records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing responsive to the communication using the local interactive television program guide equipment.
15. The system defined in claim 14 wherein the local interactive television program guide records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing on user television equipment.
16. The system defined in claim 14 wherein local interactive television program guide records the television program corresponding to the selected program listing at a television distribution facility.
17. A method for selecting television programs over a remote access link comprising an Internet communications path for recording, the method comprising steps of:
generating, with a local interactive television program guide, a display of one or more program listings for display on a display device at a user's home;
receiving, at the local interactive television program guide, a communication from a remote access interactive television program guide implemented on a remote interactive television program guide access device located outside the user's home, wherein the communication is received over the Internet communications path, and the communication identifies a television program corresponding to a program listing selected at the remote access interactive television program guide, wherein the remote interactive television program guide access device is a mobile device, wherein the remote interactive television program guide access device generates a display of a plurality of program listings based on a user profile stored at a location remote from the remote interactive television program guide access device, and wherein the program listing is selected from the plurality of program listings; and
recording the television program corresponding to the selected program listing responsive to the communication using the local interactive television program guide implemented on a local interactive television program guide equipment.
18. The method defined in claim 17 wherein recording the television program using the local interactive television program guide on the local interactive television program guide equipment comprises recording the television program on user television equipment.
19. The method defined in claim 17 wherein recording the television program using the local interactive television program guide on the local interactive television program guide equipment comprises recording the television program at a television distribution facility.