TiVo reported in an 8-K filing today that on March 31, 2005 they purchased six new patents from IBM.
The patents purchased reportedly have to do with audience research and measurement, integration of television signals with internet access, automatic rescheduling of recordings, content screening, enhanced program information search and electronic program guide interface enhancements.
I’m not sure exactly what TiVo plans to do with these patents, but they do sound interesting. Internet on your TiVo? Internet tv? Search?
And of course for you privacy advocates out there, yes you know who you are, the same town criers who got all wound up when TiVo reported Janet Jackson’s nipple slip as the most watched television of all time, you’ll especially love the title of U.S Patent No. 5,872,588: “Method and apparatus for monitoring audio-visual materials presented to a subscriber.” Rumor has it that they are going to mount a cam in that little eye in the middle of your TiVo box and spy on you (just joking of course.)