EP0384388A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatically activated commercial message timer
Assignee: RCA Licensing Corp
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Filing: 1990-02-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-02-20
Abstract
Abstract A commercial message timer (110,112,114) stores data indicative of a first tuned station in response to a channel change command and begins repeatedly timing a predetermined time period. Upon each expiration of the time period, the user is reminded that the commercial message on the first tuned station may be over. In this way a user can avoid a commercial message on a first channel by setting the timer and scanning through other channels, and yet be reminded to return (e.g. by use of a PC (previous-channel) key (208)) to the first channel at the end of a time period substantially equal to that of a typical commercial message. In another embodiment employing a videocassette recorder (VCR) the commercial timer is activated upon pressing the PAUSE key (207) of the VCR so that the user may avoid recording the commercial message on videotape.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles Martin Wine
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 23:19
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/76; H04N5/78; H04N5/782; H04N5/44; H04N5/50; H04B; H04B1/00; H04B1/06; H04B1/16; H04B1/20; H04B1/202; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/41; H04N21/422; H04N21/42204; H04N21/42206; H04N21/4221; H04N21/47; H04N21/488; H04N21/4882; H04N21/80; H04N21/81; H04N21/812; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S358/00; Y10S358/908
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for use in a radio frequency (RF) signal receiver, comprising; data input means (116,118) for generating data in response to activation by a user; control means (110) coupled to said data input means for generating a tuning control signal in response to data received from said data input means; tuning means (102,104,108) responsive to said tuning control signal for selecting an RF signal from a plurality of RF signals applied thereto; memory means (120) coupled to said control means for storing data relating to said tuning control signal; timing means (112,114) coupled to said control means for timing a predetermined period and for producing a timing signal; characterized in that said control means (110) in response to said data from said data input means also causes said memory means to store channel data indicative of a first tuned channel, and causes said timing means to begin timing said time period, and, upon expiration of said time period said control means generates a signal indicative of the expiration of said time period if said tuning means is tuned to a different channel when said time period expires.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for use in a radio frequency (RF) signal receiver, comprising; data input means (116,118) for generating data in response to activation by a user; control means (110) coupled to said data input means for generating a tuning control signal in response to data received from said data input means; tuning means (102,104,108) responsive to said tuning control signal for selecting an RF signal from a plurality of RF signals applied thereto; memory means (120) coupled to said control means for storing data relating to said tuning control signal; timing means (112,114) coupled to said control means for timing a predetermined period and for producing a timing signal; characterized in that said control means (110) in response to said data from said data input means also causes said memory means to store channel data indicative of a first tuned channel, and causes said timing means to begin timing said time period, and, upon expiration of said time period said control means generates a signal indicative of the expiration of said time period if said tuning means is tuned to a different channel when said time period expires.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
92 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 for use in a television system, further characterized by display means (505) for displaying television images; and on screen display means (124) for generating characters suitable for display on said display means; wherein said data entered by a user is a channel change command; and said control means (110), upon expiration of said time period, causes said on screen display means to generate signal indicative of the expiration of said time period if said tuning means is tuned to a different channel when said time period expires.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 for use in a television receiver, further characterized by display means (525), mounted on a panel of said receiver, and coupled to said control means (110) for displaying an indication related to said predetermined time period; wherein said data entered by a user is a channel change command; and said control means (110), upon expiration of said time period, causes said display means to display a signal indicative of the expiration of said time period if said tuning means is tuned to a different channel when said time period expires.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of Claim 2 or 3 characterized in that said timing means (112,114) produces a signal indicative of the time remaining in said time period, and said control means (110) causes said display means (505;525) to display said signal indicative of the time remaining in said period.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
150 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 for use in a videocassette recorder, characterized in that said control means (110) causes said videocassette recorder to change state between paused and unpaused states in response to a data indicative of a PAUSE/UNPAUSE command; said data input means generates said data indicative of said PAUSE/UNPAUSE command in response to activation by a user; and further characterized by on screen display means (124) for generating characters suitable for display on a display means which may be connected to said videocassette recorder; said control means (110) in response to said PAUSE command also causes said timing means to begin timing a predetermined time period, and, upon expiration of said time period, said control means causes said on screen display means to generate a signal indicative of the expiration of said time period if said videocassette recorder is in said paused state when said time period expires.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
143 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 for use in a videocassette recorder, wherein said control means (110) causes said videocassette recorder to change state between paused and unpaused states in response to data indicative of a PAUSE/UNPAUSE command; said data input means generates said data indicative of said PAUSE/UNPAUSE command in response to activation by a user; and further characterized by indicator means (525) mounted on a panel of said videocassette recorder and coupled to said control means for displaying an indication; said control means (110) in response to said PAUSE command also causes said timing means to begin timing a predetermined time period, and, upon expiration of said time period, said control means causes said indicator means to display a signal indicative of the expiration of said time period if said videocassette recorder is in said paused state when said time period expires.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of Claim 5 or 6 characterized in that said timing means produces a signal indicative of the time remaining in said time period.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of Claim 6 characterized in that said display means (525) is a light emitting diode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of Claim 2 or 3 characterized in that said signal indicative of the expiration of said time period is an audio signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of Claim 1 for use in a radio receiver characterized in that said signal indicative of the expiration of said time period is an audio signal.
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