Program guide for DBS and cable TV

Abstract

A system for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels includes a VCR ( 80 ) with an RF tuner. The RF signal carrying the over the air channels is connected to the RF input ( 64 ) of the DBS receiver ( 50 ), combined with an RF modulation on channel 3 (or 4) of the DBS channel tuned by the DBS receiver. The combined RF signal is sent to the RF tuner in the VCR, which tunes either channel 3 (or 4) for the DBS channel or the appropriate RF channel for a local over the air channel. The output of the RF tuner is output on the VCR's baseband video output ( 84 ) which is connected to a baseband video input ( 66 ) on the DBS receiver. This system provides a baseband video signal for both over the air and DBS channels.

1 . A system for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising: 
 a direct broadcast satellite receiver comprising: 
 a digital signal decoder for receiving a signal from a satellite dish input and outputting a video signal for a desired direct broadcast satellite channel;  
 a video output coupled to the digital signal decoder for outputting the video signal; and  
 a remote control receiver; and  
   a television comprising: 
 a television screen;  
 an RF input for receiving an RF signal comprising the signal for at least one over the air television channel;  
 a video input coupled to the video output of the direct broadcast satellite receiver for receiving the video signal from the direct broadcast satellite receiver;  
 a remote control transmitter for sending remote control signals to the remote control receiver for control of the operation of the direct broadcast receiver satellite;  
 an electronic program guide controller comprising: 
 means for sending satellite channel commands by the remote control transmitter, the satellite channel commands communicating the identity of a desired direct broadcast satellite channel to the digital signal decoder;  
 means for selecting the signal for a desired television channel from between the signal for at least one over the air television channel and the signal for a desired direct broadcast satellite channel;  
 means for displaying a program guide on the television screen for both over the air television channels and direct broadcast satellite channels including means for directing a movable selector to different ones of the over the air television channels and direct broadcast satellite channels;  
 means for displaying at least a portion of the picture from the over the air television channel or direct broadcast satellite channel directed to by the selector.  
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the direct broadcast satellite receiver further comprises: 
 an RF modulator with an input connected to the output of the digital signal decoder and having modulated RF output; and  
 a switch with one input connected to the output of the RF modulator, a second input connected to a RF signal comprising the signal for at least one over the air television channel and a switched RF output;  
 wherein the RF input of the television comprises the video input of the television; and  
 wherein the means for selecting the signal for a desired television channel further comprises means for sending remote control signals with the remote control transmitter to control the switch.  
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the signal for at least one over the air television channel comprises a signal from the output of a television antenna.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the signal for at least one over the air television channel comprises a cable television signal.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the video output of the direct broadcast satellite receiver includes electronic program guide data for one or more direct broadcast satellite channels.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the means for displaying the portion of the picture from the over the air television channel or direct broadcast satellite channel comprises means for displaying the portion of the picture in the electronic program guide.  
     
     
         7 . In a television system including a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver and a television, the DBS receiver having a DBS digital signal decoder and a DBS video output, the television having an RF input, a video input coupled to the DBS video output, and an electronic program guide memory, a method for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising: 
 invoking the DBS digital signal decoder to receive a first video signal from a satellite dish, the first video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more DBS channels;    supplying the first video signal on the DBS video output;    receiving the first video signal supplied by the DBS video output on the television video input;    retrieving the program guide data associated with the DBS channels from the first video signal received on the television video input;    receiving a second video signal comprising the signal for at least one over the air television channel via the television RF input, the second video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more over the air channels;    retrieving the program guide data associated with the over the air channels from the second video signal;    storing the program guide data associated the over the air channels and the DBS channels in the electronic program guide memory of the television; and    displaying the stored program guide data in an electronic program guide format.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 controlling the tuning of both direct broadcast satellite channels and over the air channels based upon interactive inputs received in connection with the providing of the electronic interactive program guide.  
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a television antenna.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a cable television signal.  
     
     
         11 . In a television system including a video cassette recorder (VCR) and a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) receiver, the VCR having a VCR RF tuner with a VCR RF input and a VCR video output, and the DBS receiver having a DBS digital signal decoder, a DBS video input coupled to the VCR video output, and an electronic program guide memory, a method for providing an electronic program guide for both over the air channels and direct broadcast satellite channels comprising: 
 invoking the VCR RF tuner to tune to a first video signal of an RF channel received via the VCR RF input, the first video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more over the air channels;    supplying the tuned first video signal on the VCR video output;    receiving the first video signal supplied by the VCR video output on the DBS video input;    retrieving the program guide data associated with the over the air channels from the first video signal received on the DBS video input;    invoking the DBS digital signal decoder to receive a second video signal from a satellite dish, the second video signal carrying electronic program guide data associated with one or more DBS channels;    retrieving the program guide data associated with the DBS channels from the second video signal;    storing the program guide data associated the over the air channels and the DBS channels in the electronic program guide memory of the DBS receiver; and    displaying the stored program guide data in an electronic program guide format.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 controlling the tuning of both direct broadcast satellite channels and over the air channels based upon interactive inputs received in connection with the providing of the electronic interactive program guide.  
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a television antenna.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a source of the over the air channels comprises a cable television signal.