Fault tolerant VCR recording control

Claim 2

A videocassette recorder, comprising: means (100) for selecting a particular television signal from a plurality of signals for recording, said particular television signal having an identifying signal encoded therein; control means (110;150) coupled to said selecting means for causing said selecting means to select said particular television signal for recording; means (145;155) for receiving said identifying signal of said particular television signal when said particular television signal is transmitted; means (140;155) for receiving data related to a schedule of times and dates television programs to be transmitted at a future time; means (150;110;135) for producing a signal which when displayed produces a user readable schedule corresponding to said schedule data; means (120;125;130;110) for selecting individual ones of said television programs to be transmitted at a future time for recording; storage means (160) coupled to said control means (110;150) for storing data related to said selected individual ones of said television programs to be transmitted at a future time; characterized in that said control means (110;150) in response to a reception of said identifying signal of said particular television signal when said particular television signal is transmitted searches said data related to a schedule of times and dates television programs to be transmitted at a future time for said identifying signal of said particular television signal, and upon failure to detect data related to said identifying signal of said particular television signal, automatically changes said identifying signal of said particular television signal to the identifying signal of a particular television program which said schedule indicates as the currently running television program.

Claim 3

A videocassette recorder, comprising: means (100) for selecting a particular television signal from a plurality of signals for recording, said particular television signal having an identifying signal encoded therein; control means (110;150) coupled to said selecting means for causing said selecting means to select said particular television signal for recording; means (145;155) for receiving said identifying signal of said particular television signal when said particular television signal is transmitted; means (140;155) for receiving data related to a schedule of times and dates television programs to be transmitted at a future time; means (150;110;135) for producing a signal which when displayed produces a user readable schedule corresponding to said schedule data; means (120;125;130;110) for selecting individual ones of said television programs to be transmitted at a future time for recording; storage means (160) coupled to said control means (110;150) for storing data related to said selected individual ones of said television programs to be transmitted at a future time; characterized in that said control means (110;150) in response to a reception of newly received schedule data compares said data in said storage means (160) to said newly received schedule data, and upon detecting a difference between the two, automatically reprograms said storage means with said newly received schedule data; and in that said control means (110;150) in response to a reception of said identifying signal of said particular television signal when said particular television signal is transmitted searches said data related to a schedule of times and dates television programs to be transmitted at a future time for said identifying signal of said particular television signal, and upon failure to detect data related to said identifying signal of said particular television signal, automatically changes said identifying signal of said particular television signal to the identifying signal of a particular television program which said schedule indicates as the currently running television program.

Claim 4

The videocassette recorder of claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that said schedule data includes time code data indicative of starting time on a particular date.

Claim 5

The videocassette recorder of claim 4 characterized in that said schedule data includes a television program identification code.

Claim 6

The videocassette recorder of claim 5, characterized in that said schedule data includes title information for individual television programs.

Claim 7

The videocassette recorder of claim 6, characterized in that said schedule data is provided by a teletext service.

Claim 8

A television receiver, comprising: means (100) for selecting a particular television signal from a plurality of signals, said particular television signal having an identifying signal encoded therein; control means (110;150) coupled to said selecting means for causing said selecting means to select said particular television signal; means (145;155) for receiving said identifying signal of said particular television signal when said particular television signal is transmitted; means (140;155) for receiving data related to a schedule of times and dates television programs to be transmitted at a future time; means (150;110;135) for producing a signal which when displayed produces a user readable schedule corresponding to said schedule data; means (120;125;130;110) for selecting individual ones of said television programs to be transmitted at a future time for recording; storage means (160) coupled to said control means (110;150) for storing data related to said selected individual ones of said television programs to be transmitted at a future time; characterized in that said control means (110;150) in response to a reception of newly received schedule data compares said data in said storage means (160) to said newly received schedule data, and upon detecting a difference between the two, automatically reprograms said storage means with said newly received schedule data; and in that said control means (110;150) in response to a reception of said identifying signal of said particular television signal when said particular television signal is transmitted searches said data related to a schedule of times and dates television programs to be transmitted at a future time for said identifying signal of said particular television signal, and upon failure to detect data related to said identifying signal of said particular television signal, automatically changes said identifying signal of said particular television signal to the identifying signal of a particular television program which said schedule indicates as the currently running television program.

Claim 9

The television receiver of claim 8, characterized in that said schedule data includes time code data indicative of a starting time on a particular date, a television program identification code, and title information for individual television programs.

Claim 10

The television receiver of claim 9, characterized in that said schedule data is provided by a teletext service.