Patent ID: 7164450

Claim:
In a remote control having a number of function input buttons and an at-a-distance communication link with a control communication receiver of a television, the improvement comprising: an alerting mechanism including an audible alerting alarm and a visual alerting alarm; a liquid crystal display; a microprocessor circuit in connection with said alerting mechanism, said liquid crystal display being connected to operational circuitry of the remote control; said microprocessor circuit having a first operating program that enables said microprocessor circuit to be manually programmed by a user through the function input buttons on the remote control with day, time and channel information for a desired program; and said microprocessor circuit having a second operating program that enables said microprocessor circuit to be set into an auto program mode whereby said microprocessor circuit stores time, day and channel information when said microprocessor circuit recognizes predetermined viewing patterns provided within said second operating program, said second operating program recording viewing habits of a plurality of users, thereby storing a plurality of predetermined viewing patterns based on said viewing habits of said plurality of users in said microprocessor circuit, said second operating program further recognizing one of said plurality of viewing habits when one of the plurality of users is using said remote control, thereby activating said time, day and channel information specific to said one of the plurality of users.