Television Recording Timer with Bookmark Navigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing television recording systems fail to accurately capture broadcast programs that start early or late, or extend beyond their scheduled times, leading to incomplete recordings and undesirable playback of unwanted content.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize a timer to record broadcast television programs with a predefined start time before the scheduled start and end time after the scheduled end, along with bookmarks to define playback points, ensuring complete recording and allowing users to skip unwanted content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the recording time is extended beyond scheduled broadcast time, then complete recording of the program is ensured, but storage space is consumed and unwanted content is recorded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of recordingVSAvoidstorage space consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by creating bookmarks at scheduled start and end times before actual playback occurs. These bookmarks serve as pre-defined navigation points that allow the system to extend recording beyond scheduled times while enabling selective playback, thus capturing complete content without permanently storing unwanted portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The recording is segmented into desired content and unwanted content using bookmarks as delimiters. The recorded file contains both extended portions, but playback is segmented to only present the desired content between bookmark points, effectively separating useful recording data from wasteful storage consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the recording starts before scheduled start time, then early broadcast programs are captured, but unwanted content is recorded and playback time is extended

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of recordingVSAvoidplayback time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Bookmarks are created at scheduled start and end times as preliminary markers during recording. During playback, these bookmarks enable the system to skip directly to the desired content portion, eliminating the need to playback the extended unwanted content that was recorded to ensure completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If bookmarks are created at scheduled times, then navigation to desired content is enabled, but the system requires additional data structures and processing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenavigation efficiencyVSAvoiddata structure requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bookmark data structure serves multiple functions: it acts as a playback navigation marker, a storage boundary delimiter, and a metadata reference point. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate complex data structures while enabling efficient navigation and content management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3167608B1Systems and methods for timing the recording and playback of television programming
Publication Date: 2021.04.28 DISH TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP3167608B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3167608B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3167608B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Various arrangements are presented for recording broadcast television programming. An electronic programming guide database may be accessed to determine a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time for the broadcast television program. A timer may be defined to record the broadcast television program. The start time for the timer may be a first predefined period of time before the scheduled start time of the broadcast television program and an end time for the timer may be a second predefined period of time after the scheduled end time of the broadcast television program. The broadcast television program may be recorded, the recording beginning at the start time of the timer and ending at the end time of the timer. One or more bookmarks that are based on the scheduled start time and/or scheduled end time of the broadcast television program may be created for the recorded television program.