Audio video apparatus with intelligence for learning a history of user control

Patent 5444499 Issued on August 22, 1995. Estimated Expiration Date:

December 21, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

TV schedule system and process
Patent #: 4706121
Issued on: 11/10/1987
Inventor: Young

Method and apparatus for identifying individual members of a marketing and viewing audience
Patent #: 4930011
Issued on: 05/29/1990
Inventor: Kiewit

System and process for VCR scheduling
Patent #: 4977455
Issued on: 12/11/1990
Inventor: Young

Apparatus for controlling a television receiver
Patent #: 5068734
Issued on: 11/26/1991
Inventor: Beery

Method and apparatus for generating and collecting viewing statistics for remote terminals in a cable television system Patent #: 5251324
Issued on: 10/05/1993
Inventor: McMullan, Jr.

Inventor

Saitoh, Mitsumasa

Assignee

Sony Corporation

Application

No. 170799 filed on 12/21/1993

US Classes:

348/734, Remote control725/14, By passively monitoring receiver operation725/38, To facilitate tuning or selection of video signal725/58, Program reserve or reminder system725/139, Receiver (e.g., set-top box)725/142Having particular storage feature

Examiners

Primary: Groody, James J.
Assistant: Cohen, Cheryl

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Maioli; Jay H.

International Class

H04N 005/44

Foreign Application Priority Data

1993-01-08 JP

Abstract

A television receiver can output advice information to the viewer when the viewer risks missing a favorite broadcasting program. This television receiver includes in its control unit a timer for obtaining day and time data, a calculating circuit for compiling broadcasting station number currently being viewed by using the time information as parameters, and a weekly tuning information storage unit for storing therein data representing a personal weekly viewing trend on the basis of the compiled result, in which, when it is determined that present tuning data read out from the weekly tuning information storage unit and the present tuning broadcasting station are not coincident with each other, advice information is supplied to the viewer in the form of displayed message or sound message before or after that time.