BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of television receivers. The present disclosure relates more particularly to the field of displaying media content from television receivers.

Description of the Related Art

Media content providers such as satellite television providers and cable television providers often utilize television receivers which allow their customers to select among various media channels to watch desired media programs. Typically the user operates a remote control to cause the television receiver to display different media programs at different times when the user wishes to watch multiple media programs.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one embodiment a television receiver is configured to display a media content lineup. The media content lineup includes a plurality of media programs selected by the user of the television receiver. The media programs can be selected from multiple media content channels. The user selects a time at which the media content lineup will be displayed. At the selected time, the television receiver automatically displays the selected programs of the media content lineup according to the scheduled sequence. The television receiver automatically switches between the media content channels to display the media programs in the selected order. The user therefore can watch the media programs of the media content lineup in the selected order without issuing further commands to the television receiver to switch between media program channels. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an illustration of a media content distribution system implemented in conjunction with a home.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a television receiver according to one embodiment.

Figure 3 illustrates a media content guide as displayed on a display according to one embodiment.

Figure 4 illustrates a process for implementing a media content lineup according to one embodiment.

Figure 5 illustrates a process for implementing a media content lineup according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 illustrates a media content distribution system 20 according to one embodiment. Media content distribution system 20 includes a television receiver 22 coupled to a television 24. The television receiver 22 is coupled to a satellite dish 26 by a wired or wireless connection 27. The satellite dish 26 receives signals from a satellite transponder 28 in orbit. The television receiver 22 is also connected to the Internet 30. In particular the television receiver 22 is connected to a storage 32 accessible by the Internet 30. The television receiver connects to the internet via wired or wireless connection 33. The storage 32 and the Internet 30 are also accessible by a portable electronic device 34.

The television receiver 22 displays media content on the television 24. The television receiver 22 receives media content from the satellite dish 26. The satellite dish 26 receives the media content from a satellite transponder 28 in orbit. The satellite transponder 28 receives the media content from a satellite television provider via an uplink controlled by. The satellite television provider therefore utilizes the uplink to provide media content to satellite transponder 28. Satellite transponder 28 then continuously broadcasts media content which is received by the satellite dish 26.

The television receiver 22 typically includes a tuner which controls which channel will media content channel will be displayed on the television 24. For example if the satellite dish 26 receives media content channels ESPN, ABC, and CNN then the tuner of the television receiver 22 can select one of the three media content channels for viewing on the television 24. Of course, typically the television receiver 22 receives many more than three channels from multiple satellite transponders.

In one example of an operation by the media content distribution system 20, a user of the television receiver 22 returns home from work at 7 PM and, by operating the remote control 36, activates the television receiver 22.

Typically when the television receiver 22 is first turned on, it will display media content on the television 24 from the most recently viewed media content channel. In other words the television receiver 22 remains tuned to the most recently selected media content channel. If the user of the television receiver 22 wishes to view a different channel than the one being viewed when the receiver was turned off, she must use the remote control 36 to open a programming guide which displays a list of media programs on several media content channels for a selected timeslot. The user then browses the programming guide and selects a channel which she desires to view, then turns to that channel.

In one example, the programming guide includes programming information for several days or weeks in the future. A user can access the programming guide and browse the media program listings for a selected time during the next day or several days in the future. A user who plans to be home at 7 PM on Wednesday night may view the programming guide on Sunday night and decide which media programs she would like to watch.

In one embodiment the television receiver is configured to allow the user to select a media content lineup for a given time period in the future. For example on Sunday night the user can browse the programming guide for Monday night and can select a plurality of media programs from several media content channels to be played successively in a programming content lineup on Monday night. The user may decide that she wishes to view a program on CNN at 7 PM, a program on ABC at 8 PM, program on CNN at 8:30 PM, and a program on ESPN at 9:30 PM. The television receiver 22 is configured to allow the user to select each of the various programs that she would like to watch and to automatically display these programs at the selected times.

If the user plans to return home from work at 7 PM and immediately begin watching the media content lineup when she returns home, the television receiver 22 activates itself at 7 PM and automatically tunes into CNN. At 8 PM the television receiver 22 automatically switches to ABC to begin watching the next media program in the media content lineup. At 8:30 PM the television receiver 22 switches back to CNN to watch the next media program in a media content lineup. At 9:30 PM the television receiver 22 automatically tunes into ESPN to begin watching the last selected media program of the media content lineup.

This functionality provided by the television receiver 22 allows the user to preselect what she would like to watch during a given time period and to have her selected media programs begin playing without having to give further commands to the television receiver 22. The user does not have to switch between channels or further selected media programs, but instead the user can relax and allow the television receiver 22 to automatically provide the media programs that she has previously selected.

In one embodiment the television receiver 22 is configured to detect if the television 24 is on or off. If the television receiver 22 detects that the television 24 is off when the media content lineup is scheduled to be displayed, the television receiver 22 can turn on the television 24. In this way the user does not have to turn on the television 24 and instead the television receiver 22 turns on the television 24 for her. Alternatively the television receiver 22 can be configured to not begin displaying the media content lineup until the user has activated the television receiver 22. If the user is delayed and is unable to return home by 7 PM the television receiver 22 can await activation before providing the media content lineup to the television 24. In such a case the television receiver 22 can be configured according to the user's preferences to automatically begin recording the first scheduled media program of the media content lineup if the user has not activated the television receiver 22 at the scheduled start time of the media content lineup. When the user returns home and activates the television receiver 22, the television receiver 22 can begin displaying the first scheduled media program of the media content lineup from the beginning of the first scheduled media program. Because the television receiver 22 has recorded the first scheduled media program, the television receiver 22 can begin playback of the first scheduled media program immediately upon activation of the television receiver 22. The television receiver 22 can then record each of the media programs of the media content lineup in succession so that the media content lineup can be displayed in the original sequence, but with the delay.

The television receiver 22 can be further configured to allow the user to select whether subsequent programs of the media content lineup should be presented in the original order or if one or more of the media programs of the media content lineup should be played at the end of the media content lineup. For example, the user can select to view the first scheduled program upon arriving home at the delayed time but to have the second scheduled program recorded and displayed at the end of the media content lineup.

The television receiver 22 can be pre-configured by the user to prompt the user to select if the order of the media content lineup should be altered or if the media content lineup should by default be displayed in the originally selected order without a prompt to alter the order. In this case, if the user desires to alter the original order after arriving home delayed, the user can use a remote control 36 to reprogram the television receiver 22 to display the media programs in an altered order. Accordingly, the television receiver 22 can be operated to alter the order of the media content lineup or to select entirely different media programs for the media content lineup at any time chosen by the user.

In some instances the user may wish to view two programs from two different media content channels which are scheduled to air simultaneously or with an overlap in their airtimes. In one embodiment the television receiver 22 can be operated by the user to assign different priority values to the programs having a time overlap. For example if a football game airs on ESPN2 at the same time that a basketball game airs on ESPN and the user wishes to view both the football game and the basketball game, the user can assign a higher priority to the football game. The football game will be displayed prior to the basketball game when the media content lineup is displayed. The media program that is assigned a lower priority is automatically recorded and displayed at the end of the media content lineup. Television receiver 22 can also be configured to allow the user to select an order for all of the media programs of the media content lineup regardless of the scheduled airtime of the media programs so long as no media program is selected in a timeslot that is prior to the scheduled airtime of the media program.

The television receiver 22 can also utilize picture in picture technology to display multiple media programs simultaneously on the television 24. Accordingly, the television receiver 22 can manage time conflicts by displaying programs simultaneously. Also, the user can utilize picture-in-picture technology to surf through other media channels while the media content lineup is being displayed.

The television receiver 22 can also be controlled by operating the electronic device 34. For example the user that wishes to create a program content lineup or to alter existing program content lineup from a location remote the television receiver 22, such as from an office at work or on the bus commuting to or from work, the user can login a user account by accessing the Internet 30. The television receiver 22 is also connected to the Internet 30. The user can operate programming guide and can select programming content lineup remotely by using the electronic device 34.

In one embodiment the user can view the media programs of the media content lineup remotely from the portable electronic device 34. If the user is away from home, the user can program content lineup on the portable electronic device 34. In one embodiment the television receiver 22 can record media programs on the memory storage 32 accessible by the Internet 30 in addition to or in place of a local memory 48, see Figure 2. If, as described previously, the television receiver 22 will record the media program for the media content lineup, the television receiver 22 can record the media program or programs on the storage 32 via link 33 that is accessible by the Internet 30. The user can then view the media content lineup on the portable electronic device 34 including shows that were recorded to either memory 48 or the storage 32 due to the circumstances described previously in which the television receiver 22 may cause a media program to be recorded.

In one embodiment the user can set up an account with the media content provider such as a satellite television provider enabling the user to view programming that would be accessible on the television receiver 22 over the Internet 30 using the portable electronic device 34. The portable electronic device 34 can access the media content over the Internet 30 directly from the media content provider. In other words in some embodiments the television receiver 22 does not do any of the recording or storing of a program content lineup. But instead the user can select programming content lineup by communicating only with servers controlled by the media content provider or another suitable manner. The media content provider can then give access to the user of the portable electronic device 34 to be able to view the media content lineup on the portable electronic device 34 in the same manner that the user could you the media content lineup from the television receiver 22. In one embodiment the television receiver 22 is a set-top box. In other embodiments the television receiver is part of the television 24 or part of a computer, laptop, game console, or other electronic device. Other types of displays can be used in place of the television 24. For example, the a computer monitor or other type of display can be used to display media programs instead of the television 24.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of the television receiver 22 according to one embodiment. Television receiver 22 includes a tuner 40 coupled to control circuitry 42. The control circuitry 42 controls the tuner 40 which can tune the satellite dish 26 to provide a selected media channel to the television receiver 22. The tuner 40 includes or is coupled to a media input which receives the media content from the satellite dish 26.

The television receiver 22 includes a media output 44 coupled to the control circuitry 42. The media output 44 provides media content to a display such as the television 24. For example the tuner 40 may receive media content from the satellite dish 26 and the control circuitry 42 can provide the media content to the television 24 via the media output 44. In one embodiment the media output includes circuitry and ports such as an HDMI port into which an HDMI cable can be connected in order to supply media content to the television 24.

The television receiver 22 further includes a transceiver 46. The transceiver 46 allows the television receiver 22 to communicate with the remote control 36 or with other adjacent electronic devices. For example a user can operate the remote control 36 to send control signals to the television receiver 22. The transceiver 46 of the television receiver 22 receives the control signals from the remote control 36 and causes the control circuitry 42 to execute a command such as causing the tuner 40 to select a new media content channel. The transceiver 46 can also send signals to the remote control 36. The control signals sent by the transceiver 46 to the remote control 36 can include command codes information regarding the execution of a command or any other suitable

information.

The transceiver 46 can also send control signals to the television 24. As described previously, in one embodiment the television receiver 22 can power on the television 24 when the media content lineup is to be displayed. Accordingly transceiver 46 is configured to control the television 24 by transmitting control signals to the television 24.

The television receiver 22 further includes a memory 48 coupled to the control circuitry 42. The memory 48 can store software instructions executable by the control circuitry 42. The memory 48 can store identification codes, software instructions, or media programs. The memory 48 can include multiple discreet memories. For example the memory 48 can include registers, hard drives, EEPROMs, optical disk drives, or other suitable computer readable media storage devices to store the media content for playback later or sending to the portable electronic device 34.

A television receiver 22 further includes a digital video recorder (DVR) 50 capable of recording media programs received from the satellite transponder 28. As described previously the television receiver 22 can record media programs for the media content lineup according to the circumstances. These media programs can be stored in the DVR 50. Alternatively media programs can be stored in the memory 48, in the external storage 32, or in another suitable storage device. In one embodiment the DVR 50 and the memory 48 are the same device.

Television receiver 22 further includes Internet connection circuitry 52 coupled to the control circuitry 42. The Internet connection circuitry 52 includes circuitry that allows the control circuitry 42 to connect to the Internet 30. The Internet connection circuitry 52 includes suitable ports such as a USB port, an Ethernet port, a telephone port, a coaxial cable port, or other suitable ports for accepting a wired connection to the Internet 30. Alternatively the Internet connection circuitry 52 can include a wireless Internet antenna configured to connect to the Internet through a wireless router or other wireless Internet device broadcasting a wireless Internet signal. The control circuitry 42 can communicate via the Internet connection circuitry 52 to the Internet 30 with the portable electronic device 34, or with the media content provider.

The television receiver 22 is capable of receiving user instructions via the transceiver 46 to a media content lineup to be displayed at a selected time or when requested by the user. The control circuitry 42 stores in the memory 48 a programming sequence which defines the order in which the television receiver 22 will display the media programs of the media content lineup. The control circuitry 42 therefore can read the programming sequence from the memory 48 and can modulate the tuner 40 at selected times to tune into the appropriate media content channel in order to display or record the appropriate media program according to the programming sequence of the media content lineup. The control circuitry 42 outputs to the media output 44 the media programs in the selected sequence from the media input 40 or the DVR 50.

Figure 3 illustrates a programming guide 56 and the media content lineup field 58 as displayed on a television 24. The programming guide 56 displays the media programs that will be broadcast by several media content channels in particular time range on a particular date. In the example shown in figure 3 program guide 56 displays the programs that will be shown on six channels between 7 and 10 PM on Thursday, December 27. In practice the programming guide can be navigated to display many other channels than those shown in the program guide 56 of figure 3.

The media content lineup field 58 is displayed below the program guide 56. The media content lineup field 58 is labeled as Thursday Night Roadmap in reference to the sequence that the television receiver 22 will follow in displaying media programs on the television 24. The media content lineup field 58 is shown as populated in figure 3 with several media programs. In practice, the user can select a time range different than the time range shown in the media content lineup field 58 Figure 3. Before programs have been selected for the media content lineup field 58 the timeslots of the media content lineup field 58 may be blank. The user can populate the timeslots in the media content lineup field 58 by selecting media programs from the program guide 56.

The user can indicate that the media content lineup should be displayed beginning at 7 PM on Thursday night. At 7 PM the television receiver 22 will automatically switch to CNN to display the media program "Anderson Cooper". At 8 PM the television receiver 22 will automatically switch to ABC to display "The Middle". At 8:30 PM the television receiver 22 will switch to NBC to display "Guys With Kids". At 9 PM the television receiver 22 will switch to ABC to display "Modern Family". At 9:30 PM the television receiver 22 will automatically switch to ESPN to display "SportsCenter".

As described previously the television receiver 22 can begin displaying the media programs of the media content lineup when the user prompts the television receiver 22 to begin displaying the media content lineup. If the scheduled programs of the media content lineup have begun to air prior to a time that the user selects to view the media content lineup, the television receiver 22 will automatically record the programs of the media content lineup that have begun airing prior to viewing by the user. If the user turns on the television 24 after the start of the lineup, such as at 7:25 PM, then the television receiver 22 can prompt the user to select if the recorded media programs should be displayed at the end of the media content lineup or if the media content lineup should be displayed in the originally selected order. If the user selects to alter the order in which the media programs of the media content lineup are to be displayed, the television receiver 22 alters the programming sequence written in the memory 48.

The media content lineup field 58 can include fields for indicating relative priority between selected media programs of the media content lineup. The user can use a remote control 36 or other suitable methods for selecting priority between the media programs of the media content lineup. In one example the television receiver 22 will prompt the user to select priorities between media programs that have time conflicts. Media programs have time conflicts can be automatically recorded and displayed according to the priority selected by the user.

In some circumstances a user may wish to view several media programs that will air prior to the time that the user wishes to view them.

Accordingly the media content lineup can be selected to be displayed at any time convenient to the user. For example the user is going to return home at 9 PM and the user wishes to view several program shown throughout the day prior to 9 PM the user can select the media content lineup and schedule the media content lineup to be displayed at 9 PM or when prompted by the user at any selected time. In such a case the television receiver 22 will record all of the programs of the media content lineup so that they can be displayed in a selected order at a selected time. When the user selects the programs for the media content lineup the user can also select the order in which the media programs will be displayed. When the television receiver 22 displays the media content lineup for viewing by the user the television receiver 22 will automatically switch to the next program when one media program of the media content lineup is finished. In this way the television receiver 22 will automatically switch between each of the programs of the media content lineup until each media program has been displayed.

Figure 4 illustrates a process 62 for selecting and displaying media content lineup according to one embodiment. At 64 the user navigates the program guide 56 and selects media programs for the media content lineup to be displayed at a selected time. At 66 the television receiver 22 stores in the memory 48 of the television receiver 22 the programming sequence indicating an order in which the media programs of the media content lineup should be displayed. At 68 the television receiver 22 displays the media programs of the media content lineup according to the programming sequence stored in the memory 48. At 70 the television receiver 22 automatically switches between the media content channels to display each successive media program of the media content lineup.

Figure 5 illustrates a process 80 for displaying media programs of a media content lineup according to one embodiment. At 80 to the television receiver 22 determines if the user has activated the television receiver 22 at the start time of the first scheduled media program of the media content lineup. If the user has activated the television receiver 22 at the start time of the first schedule program of the media content lineup then at 86 the television receiver 22 to give displaying the first schedule program at the start time of the first of the program. If the user has not activated the television receiver at the start time the first scheduled program the net 88 the television receiver 22 records the first scheduled program to the DVR 50. At 90 the television receiver 22 determines that the user has activated the television receiver 22 at the start time of the second scheduled program. If the user has activated the television receiver 22 at the start time of the second scheduled program that the television receiver 22 begins playing the second scheduled program at a scheduled start time the second scheduled program. If the user has not activated the television receiver 22 at the start time of the second scheduled program, then at 96 the television receiver 22 records the second scheduled media program to the DVR 50. At 98 the television receiver 22 automatically plays the recorded shows at the end of the media content lineup. As described previously, many variations are possible. For example the user can select to begin viewing the media content lineup in the original order but with the delay by recording the media programs to the DVR 50. Additionally the user can specify beforehand a time at which the media content lineup should be displayed and whether the programs should be recorded. Many other variations are possible as will be recognized by those of skill in the art in light of the present disclosure.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.