US 2,005,028,208 · Filed 2004-08-26

The Patent That Let You Control Your TV Guide From Anywhere

Imagine being able to set up what shows record on your DVR, adjust parental controls, or change your favorite channels from your phone or a remote device instead of only from your TV. This patent covers the tech that makes a TV guide interactive and accessible from multiple devices around your home.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers an interactive television program guide system that can be accessed and controlled remotely—not just from the TV itself, but from separate devices connected via a remote access link. What's protected here is the ability to adjust settings like program reminders, recording preferences, parental controls, messaging, favorites, and audio/video/language settings from a remote device rather than being locked to the main TV equipment.

Why it matters

This patent was filed by United Video Properties in 2004, during the early era of interactive television and DVR expansion. It addresses a real consumer pain point: the desire to manage TV and recording settings from anywhere in the home without walking to the main television. This technology became foundational to modern cable boxes and streaming platforms that let you schedule recordings or adjust preferences from phones, tablets, or secondary devices.

Real-world use

Every time you use a cable box's companion app on your phone to set a recording or check what's on tonight, you're relying on the kind of remote-access TV guide architecture this patent describes.

Original USPTO abstract

An interactive television program guide with remote access is provided. The interactive television program guide is implemented on interactive television program guide equipment. A remote program guide access device is connected to the interactive television program guide equipment by a remote access link to provide a user with remote access to program guide functions. An interactive television program guide system based on multiple user television equipment devices in a single household is provided. The system provides a user with an opportunity to adjust program guide settings with a given one of the interactive television program guides. Program guide setting include features related to setting program reminders, profiles, program recording features, messaging features, favorites features, parental control features, program guide set up features (e.g., audio and video and language settings), etc.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,005,028,208
Filing date: 2004-08-26
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: United Video Properties, Inc.
Inventor(s): ELLIS MICHAEL D., THOMAS WILLIAM L., HASSELL JOEL G., LEMMONS THOMAS R., BEREZOWSKI DAVID M., KNEE ROBERT A., MCCOY ROBERT H.
CPC class: H04N21/4227

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