Lodging entertainment system with guest-selected time shifting

Abstract

A lodging entertainment system provides a variety of products and services, including free television, pay-per-view movies, video games, guest services, and guest-selected recording of television programs for time-shifted viewing. Through the use of an interactive program guide, the guest may select programs being aired during the guest's stay at the hotel for later viewing, or may elect to record a television program while watching the same or another program.

1 . An entertainment system comprising: 
 a plurality of guest terminals in a plurality of guest rooms in a lodging facility;    a distribution system connected to the guest terminals; and    a head end at the lodging facility comprising: 
 a digital content server for storing entertainment content in digital files and supplying to the distribution system television signals based upon the digital files;  
 a receiver for receiving television programs on a plurality of channels and supplying the programs to the distribution system;  
 an encoder for converting a selected television program on one of the channels to a digital file representing the selected program and transferring the digital file to the digital content server for storage; and  
 a computer which communicates with the guest terminals over the distribution system, the computer providing the guest terminals in the guest rooms with television signals representing a schedule listing both (a) the television programs available for viewing and recording and (b) previously recorded programs available for time-shifted viewing, controlling operation of the encoder based upon a selection by a guest of a program to be recorded and controlling operation of the digital content server based upon a selection by a guest of a previously recorded program for time-shifted viewing.  
   
     
     
         2 . The entertainment system of  claim 1  wherein the encoder is an array including a plurality of tuners for tuning to the channels and an encoding device connected to each tuner.  
     
     
         3 . The entertainment system of  claim 1  wherein the computer provides information about the television programs in the form of an interactive program guide.  
     
     
         4 . The entertainment system of  claim 1 , wherein the interactive program guide includes information about previously recorded television programs.  
     
     
         5 . The entertainment system of  claim 1  wherein, in response to a request from a guest terminal, the computer causes the digital content server to supply television signals based upon the digital file representing the selected program.  
     
     
         6 . The entertainment system of  claim 1  wherein the computer creates a recording schedule for the encoder based upon data from the guest terminals representing selections by guests of programs to be recorded.  
     
     
         7 . A method of providing guest-selected viewing of time-shifted television programs in an entertainment system having a head end and a plurality of guest terminals in a lodging facility connected by a distribution system, the method comprising: 
 tuning to channels on which scheduled television programs selected for time shifting are carried;    encoding the programs selected into a digital format to create digital files representing the programs;    storing the digital files at the head end in the lodging facility;    transmitting, from the head end in the lodging facility to the guest terminal in a guest room in the lodging facility, television signals representing an interactive schedule listing both (a) scheduled television programs available for viewing and (b) previously recorded television programs available for time-shifted viewing based upon the digital files stored;    transmitting, from the guest terminal to the head end, data requesting playback of one of the time-shifted programs displayed;    playing back the time-shifted program requested based upon the stored digital file representing that program; and    transmitting the time-shifted program being played back to the guest terminal; and    displaying the program at the guest terminal.    
     
     
         8 . A method of providing time-shifted television programs in an entertainment system having a head end and a plurality of guest terminals in a lodging facility connected by a distribution system, the method comprising: 
 digitally storing, at the head end in the lodging facility, television programs for time-shifted viewing, when they are broadcast;    transmitting, from the head end to a guest terminal in a guest room, television signals representing a schedule containing both (a) scheduled programs available for viewing and recording, and (b) time-shifted television programming based upon television programs digitally stored;    receiving at the head end, from the guest terminal, playback request data selecting one of the digitally stored time-shifted television programs;    converting at the head end, in response to the playback request data, the selected digitally stored time-shifted television program to television signals; and    transmitting the television signals from the head end to the guest terminal; and    displaying the program at the guest terminal.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein digitally storing comprises: 
 tuning to a channel on which a television program is carried; and 
 encoding the program into a digital format to create a digital file.  
   
     
     
         10 . An entertainment system comprising: 
 a plurality of guest terminals in a lodging facility, wherein the terminals are capable of receiving and displaying an interactive schedule in the form of television signals, and does not require the conversion of a digital file by the guest terminals to display the interactive schedule;    a distribution system connected to the guest terminals; and    a head end at the lodging facility comprising: 
 a digital content server for storing entertainment content in digital files and supplying to the distribution system television signals based upon the digital files;  
 a receiver for receiving television programs on a plurality of channels and supplying the programs to the distribution system;  
 an encoder for converting to digital files television programs, to be made available for time-shifted viewing, when those programs are received by the receiver and transferring the digital files to the digital content server for storage; and  
 a computer which communicates with the guest terminals over the distribution system, the computer providing the guest terminals with television signals representing the interactive schedule listing both (a) scheduled programs available for viewing and recording and (b) previously recorded television programs available for time-shifted viewing based upon the digital files representing the selected television programs.  
   
     
     
         11 . The entertainment system of  claim 10  wherein the encoder is an array including a plurality of tuners for tuning to the channels and an encoding device connected to each tuner.  
     
     
         12 . The entertainment system of  claim 10  wherein, in response to a request from a guest terminal, the computer causes the digital content server to supply television signals for one of the television programs available for time-shifted viewing based upon the digital file representing that television program.  
     
     
         13 . The entertainment system of  claim 10  wherein the computer creates a recording schedule for the encoder.  
     
     
         14 . A method of providing guest-selected viewing of time-shifted television programs in an entertainment system in a lodging facility, the method comprising: 
 creating, at a head end in the lodging facility, a recording schedule of television programs to be recorded for time-shifted viewing;    encoding, at the head end, television programs based upon the recording schedule to create digital files representing time-shifted television programs;    storing the digital files at the head end;    transmitting, from the head end to a guest terminal in a guest room in the lodging facility, television signals representing an interactive schedule listing both (a) scheduled programs available for viewing and recording and (b) time-shifted television programs available for viewing based upon the digital files stored;    transmitting, from the guest terminal to the head end, a request to view one of the time-shifted television programs; and    transmitting, from the head end to the guest terminal, the time-shifted television program requested based upon the digital file representing that time-shifted television program;    displaying the program at the guest terminal.    
     
     
         15 . An entertainment system comprising: 
 a plurality of guest terminals in a lodging facility;    a distribution system connected to the guest terminals; and    a head end comprising: 
 a digital content server at the lodging facility for storing entertainment content in digital files and supplying to the distribution system television signals based upon the digital files, the digital files including a first group of files representing motion pictures and a second group of files representing recorded television programs available for time-shifted viewings; and  
 a computer at the lodging facility which communicates with the guest terminals over the distribution system, the computer providing the guest terminals with television signals representing a combined schedule (a) listing scheduled programs available for viewing and recording, (b) listing the motion pictures in the first group of files available for viewing, and (c) listing the television programs in the second group of files available for time-shifted viewing, and controlling operation of the digital content server to provide motion pictures and time-shifted television programs to guest terminals based upon signals from the guest terminals.