User message system and method for digital video recorder

• US 10,027,939 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing Dtv
• Inventors: Kendall, Scott Allan, Johnston, Gavin Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Topgyal, Gelek W
• Application Number:
  US12/227,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20090232473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,418 Days
• Field of Search: 386239-241, 386292-296
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

An apparatus and method is presented for receiving and displaying user messages associated with multimedia content. Specifically, the present invention is directed to controlling the operation of a television recording/playback system to permit a user to input a message, associate that message with a selected television program, and display the associated message when the selected television program is accessed by another user (see FIG. 1). The apparatus of the present invention is directed to a system for managing multimedia content including devices for storing television programs and associating with those programs user-generated messages for display to other system users. In this way, the present invention provides content management tools that promote sharing by all users, ease the process of establishing a consensus for managing limited resources, and encourage monitoring by the administrator.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a video apparatus, comprising:

providing user interface that enables a user to create a plurality of usernames associated with the video apparatus, and to associate each of the plurality of usernames with selected ones of a plurality of users associated with the video apparatus;

recording a selected program responsive to a request from a first user;

receiving a selection input from the first user to select one of the plurality of usernames associated with the video apparatus, including a username associated with a second user different from the first user, to be designated as an owner username of the recorded program, whereby the owner username is indicated to be responsible for requesting the recording of the selected program;

receiving a request to access the recorded program;

receiving a user-entered message from the first user;

associating said user-entered message with the selected program; and

generating an output signal suitable for coupling to a display device and display the user entered message and the owner username indicated to be responsible for requesting the recording in response to the recorded program being accessed by a third user.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the receiving a user-entered message includes receiving a targeted message and a designation of the third user;

and the display of the user-entered message includes display of the targeted message only when the selected program is accessed by the third user.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user includes requesting playback of the selected program.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user includes requesting deletion of the selected program.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user includes requesting a listing of recorded programs including the selected program.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user includes requesting display of messages associated with the listing of recorded programs.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user includes requesting recordation of the selected program subsequent to the first user requesting recordation of the selected program.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising authenticating the first user of a plurality of users.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising receiving a user-entered message from the first user;

associating the user-entered message with the selected program; and

displaying the user-entered message when the selected program is accessed by the third user.

10. The method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message from the third user when the selected program has been accessed by the third user;

associating the second message with the selected program; and

displaying the second message indicating association of the selected program with the second message when the selected program is accessed by the first user.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the access of the selected program by the first user includes requesting playback of the selected program.

12. The method as in claim 10, wherein the access of the selected program by the first user includes requesting deletion of the selected program.

13. The method as in claim 10, wherein the access of the selected program by the first user includes requesting a listing of recorded programs including the selected program.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the access of the selected program by the first user includes requesting display of messages associated with the listing of recorded programs.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a video signal source;

a processing unit coupled to receive signals representative of a video program from the video signal source and process the received signals to provide an output signal for display;

an On Screen Display unit for generating on screen displays;

a control unit; and

a user input/output device, coupled to the control unit, configured to receive input from an administrator and cause the apparatus to create a plurality of usernames associated with the video apparatus in response to the input, and associate each of the plurality of usernames with selected ones of a plurality of users associated with the video apparatus, the input/output device also configured to receive record input from a first user to record a selected program and a selection input to enable the first user to select one of the usernames associated with the video apparatus, including a username associated with a second user different from the first user, to be designated as an owner username of the recorded program, wherein the owner username is indicated to be responsible for requesting the recording of the selected program, and cause the On Screen Display unit to generate a signal representing a message indicating association of the owner username with the selected program in response to the selected program being accessed by a third user, and

wherein the user input/output device is further configured to receive a user-entered message from the first user, associate the user-entered message with the selected program and the third user selected from one of the plurality of usernames, and cause the On Screen Display unit to generate a display including the user-entered message and the owner username indicated to be responsible for requesting the recording when the selected program is accessed by the third user.

16. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the user input/output device is configured to receive a targeted message and a designation of the third user, the designation signifying that the third user may view the targeted message, the On Screen Display generating the display including the user-entered targeted message when the selected program is accessed by the third user.

17. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the video signal source includes one or more of an over-the-air antenna, a satellite transceiver, a cable television cable, and a network connection.

18. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user comprises at least one of requesting playback of the selected program, requesting deletion of the selected program, requesting a listing of recorded programs including the selected program, requesting display of messages associated with the listing of recorded programs, and requesting recordation of the selected program subsequent to the first user requesting recordation of the selected program.

19. The apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the user input/output device is further configured to receive a user-entered message from the first user, associate the user-entered message with the selected program, and cause the user-entered message to be displayed when the selected program is accessed by the third user.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the access of the selected program by the third user includes at least one of requesting playback of the selected program, requesting deletion of the selected program, requesting a listing of recorded programs including the selected program, and requesting display of messages associated with the listing of recorded programs.

21. The method as in claim 15, wherein the user input/output device is further configured to receive a second message from the third user when the selected program has been accessed by the third user, associate the second message with the selected program, and cause a second message indicating association of the selected program with the second message to be display when the selected program is accessed by the first user.