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Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television programRelated Patent Categories: Television Signal Processing For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Processing Of Television Signal For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Including Programmable ApparatusMethod and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060153522, Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of recording devices, and, more particularly, to a video recording device in which the end time of a recording is automatically adjusted to accommodate a program that extends beyond the scheduled end time. [0003] 2. Background [0004] Video recording devices have become nearly as commonplace as television sets. Such devices are widely used to record a television program as it is broadcast so that it may be viewed at a later, more convenient time. This practice is often referred to as "time shifting". In order to record a television program, the recording device must be programmed with the channel on which the television program is to be broadcast, the time when the television program is to begin and the duration of the television program. In lieu of duration, the recording device may be programmed with the time when the television program is to end. [0005] Television broadcast schedules are established well in advance, so it is a relatively straightforward matter to program a recording device to record a desired television program. However, certain televised programs, such as sporting events, awards ceremonies and the lice, may extend beyond the time allotted in the television schedule. Generally, the television broadcast will likewise be extended so that the viewers may see the conclusion of the event. Individuals who frequently record television programs for time shifting purposes may anticipate that a televised program may extend beyond its scheduled end time and program the recording device accordingly. However, failing this, the recording device will automatically terminate a recording at the scheduled end of the broadcast. This can cause considerable annoyance when the televised program extends beyond the scheduled end of the broadcast. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically extending the duration of a recording in the event that a televised program extends beyond the scheduled end of the television broadcast. It is known that television broadcasts are generally scheduled to end on the hour or half-hour. The end of a broadcast is almost always accompanied by a number of commercial messages prior to the commencement of the next broadcast. The present invention detects these groups or "clusters" of commercial messages. If no such group is found at the end of a scheduled broadcast, it is presumed that the broadcast has been extended and the recording is likewise extended. The invention again looks for a group of commercial messages at the next hour or half-hour. The recording is extended until such a group is found or until the recording has been extended by a predetermined maximum amount of time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a video recorder for implementing the present invention. [0008] FIGS. 2A-2D are a functional flow diagram of a process for recognizing commercial clusters suitable for use with the present invention. [0009] FIG. 3 is a functional flow diagram of a process for extending a programmed recording. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0010] In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known methods and devices are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. [0011] This inventor's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,333,091; 5,692,093; 5,696,866; 5,987,210; and 5,999,688 disclose a system for automatically skipping commercial messages upon replay of a previously recorded television program. Recording products incorporating this system have been commercially marketed under the trademark COMMERCIAL ADVANCES. This system detects television commercials by first detecting "events" in the television signal. In accordance with North American broadcast practices, such events include the absence of video, which is often referred to as a "black frame" and the absence of audio, sometimes referred to as a "silent frame". The system analyzes the temporal spacing between events and declares the presence of a commercial if the spacing satisfies a set of rules. For example, the most common commercials are thirty seconds and sixty seconds in length. Thus, if a pair of events is found with a spacing of thirty seconds or sixty seconds, the broadcast content between such events is presumed to be a commercial message. In North America, commercials are seldom broadcast individually, but are usually presented in groups or clusters. Detected commercials are further analyzed to determine the presence of a group. For example, one test for a commercial group may require a minimum of two detected commercials and a minimum group length of fifty-nine seconds. [0012] Black frames and similar events may be detected with hardware circuits that are known to those skilled in the art. However, an application specific integrated circuit for detecting events has been developed for use in COMMERCIAL ADVANCE.RTM. recorder products and is marketed by Panasonic (Matsushita Electronics) under the designation AN3275SB. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a video cassette recorder (VCR) incorporating this integrated circuit. The circuit detects both video events (black frames) and audio events (silent frames) and provides discreet outputs (V DET, A DET) upon detection of the events. [0013] The detected events are analyzed in processor 10, which may be a dedicated processor or may be the main microprocessor of the VCR. FIGS. 2A-2D present a functional flow diagram of an algorithm for analyzing events and detecting commercials and commercial groups. As each event occurs, the algorithm processes through a memory buffer that contains a list of the events occurring within a short time (61 seconds for North America) prior to the current event. The algorithm processes this buffer to determine if a prior event is stored that would indicate a valid commercial interval. [0014] Valid commercials are determined by measuring the time interval between the current event and stored events that occurred up to the maximum time prior to the current event. The interval time is checked against several "commercial detection rules." These rules represent timing windows that indicate the detected interval is potentially a valid commercial. [0015] For North American broadcast practices, the following basic rules are applied to identify potential commercials in a recording. Note that these tiling measurements are made from the end of one event to the start of a subsequent event. This timing method reduces the effect of the random duration of the black event on the detection measurement. [0016] An interval between two events is a commercial if the interval is: [0017] Greater than 00.00 seconds and less than 35.00 seconds; [0018] Greater than or equal to 38.00 seconds and less than 40.00 seconds; [0019] Greater than or equal to 43.00 seconds and less than 47.00 seconds; [0020] Greater than or equal to 56.00 seconds and less than 60.50 seconds. Continue reading about Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program... Full patent description for Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Broadcast receiver and system for performing copy prohibition and timed recording Next Patent Application: Method for pre-programmed recording Industry Class: Television signal processing for dynamic recording or reproducing ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.12315 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , 174 |
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