Method and apparatus for insuring complete recording of a television program

Abstract

The duration of a recording is automatically extended in the event that a televised program extends beyond the scheduled end of the television broadcast. Groups or “clusters” of commercial messages are detected. If no such group is found at the end of a scheduled broadcast, it is presumed that the broadcast has been extended and the recording is likewise extended. The invention again looks for a group of commercial messages at the next hour or half-hour. The recording is extended until such a group is found or until the recording has been extended by a predetermined maximum amount of time.

1 . A method of recording a television program comprising: 
 receiving a television signal;    designating a recording start time and a scheduled recording end time;    beginning a recording of the television signal at the recording start time;    examining the television signal to detect a commercial group proximate in time to the scheduled recording end time;    ending the recording at the scheduled recording end time if the commercial group is detected, otherwise extending the recording.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, if the commercial group is not detected, extending the recording to a next time of day increment.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the next time of day increment is the first to occur of a next hour and a next half-hour.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the scheduled end time is designated by adding a recording duration to the recording start time.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the recording start time and scheduled recording end time are designated by selecting a program on an on-screen program guide.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein examining the television signal comprises detecting events therein.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the events comprise block frames.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the events comprise silent frames.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the events comprise flat frames.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the events comprise video cuts.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6  wherein examining the television signal further comprises analyzing time intervals between events.  
   
   
       12 . A video recording device having internally stored instructions to execute a method comprising: 
 receiving a television signal;    designating a recording start time and a scheduled recording end time;    beginning a recording of the television signal at the recording start time;    examining the television signal to detect a commercial group proximate in time to the scheduled recording end time;    ending the recording at the scheduled recording end time if the commercial group is detected, otherwise extending the recording.    
   
   
       13 . The video recording device of  claim 12  wherein, if the commercial group is not detected, extending the recording to a next time of day increment.  
   
   
       14 . The video recording device of  claim 13  wherein the next time of day increment is the first to occur of a next hour and a next half-hour.  
   
   
       15 . The video recording device of  claim 12  wherein examining the television signal comprises detecting events therein.  
   
   
       16 . The video recording device of  claim 15  wherein the events comprise black frames.  
   
   
       17 . The video recording device of  claim 15  wherein the events comprise silent frames.  
   
   
       18 . The video recording device of  claim 15  wherein the events comprise flat frames.  
   
   
       19 . The video recording device of  claim 15  wherein the events comprise video cuts.  
   
   
       20 . The video recording device of  claim 15  wherein examining the television signal further comprises analyzing time intervals between events.