Patent ID: 6567606
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of programming a VCR using a programming controller coupled with the VCR and a television monitor, the method comprising:activating the programming controller; selecting a programming instruction from among a set of programming instructions entered but unexecuted; simultaneously displaying on a single display screen a plurality of patterns representative of a plurality of days; simultaneously displaying on the single display screen a plurality of successive equal-length time segments with each of the plurality of patterns displayed, the plurality of successive equal-length time segments representative of a plurality of time periods of one entire day; selecting a first one of the plurality of successive equal-length time segments displayed from a first one of the plurality of patterns to designate a start time that represents one day of the plurality of days and one time period; selecting a second one of the plurality of successive equal-length time segments displayed from the first one of the plurality of patterns to designate a stop time that represents one day of the plurality of days and one time period; selecting a channel of interest for viewing and recording and to be switched to by the VCR at the appropriate time; storing in memory a programming instruction including the start time, the stop time, the day of the week, and the channel; continuously monitoring the current time and day; comparing the current time and current day of the week to the start time and the day of the week within each programming instruction among the set of programming instructions; tuning the VCR to a channel corresponding to the channel within the programming instruction and starting a recording function on the VCR with the programming controller, when the current time and current day of the week equals the start time and the day of the week within one of the programming instructions; and stopping the recording function on the VCR with the programming controller, when the current time is greater than or equals the stop time within the programming instruction.