Personal video recorder functionality for placeshifting systems

• US 10,123,067 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sling Media Incorporated (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sling Media LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Krikorian, Jason Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US15/649,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20170311027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/102 characterised by the element, parameter or selection affected or controlled by the adaptive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/147 Scene change detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

PVR functionality is enabled on a media player of a placeshifting system, which allows a user to record media programs from locations that are physically remote from a source of the media programs. The media player may receive program schedule information and present the program schedule information to the user. Based on user input, the media player identifies a media program and associated schedule information. When the media program is scheduled to play, the placeshifting device directs a media recording device to receive the media program and to store the program. The placeshifting device may digitize, transcode, and/or transrate the media program, if necessary, and transmit the media program to the remote device for playback.

Claims

1. A system to placeshift video content to a remote device via a network, the system comprising:

a television receiver configured to receive the video content;

a digital video recorder configured to record at least a portion of the video content received via the receiver in storage, wherein the recorder is responsive to first instructions received by the system via the network that identify the recorded portion of the video content; and

a placeshifter that responds to second instructions received from the remote device via the network to obtain the recorded portion of the video content from the digital video recorder, to transcode the obtained video content for transport via the network as a media stream, and to transmit the media stream to the remote device via the network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the television receiver receives broadcast television content.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the television receiver receives television content via a source on the network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage is a disk drive that is located at the system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the storage is a remote storage drive that is remotely located from the system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the video content is received at the television receiver in a television broadcast format.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the video content is stored in the storage using the television broadcast format.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the placeshifter comprises encoding hardware that is configured to encode the recorded portion of the video content in a format that is compatible with the network.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the placeshifter comprises encoding hardware that is configured to transcode the recorded portion of the video content from the television broadcast format to the format that is compatible with the network.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first instructions are responsive to a schedule of programming information presented by the remote device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the schedule of programming information is provided from a web server communicating on the network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the television receiver, digital video recorder and placeshifter are all provided with a common chassis as a set top box.

13. A method executable by a placeshifting device to allow a user to record media programs from locations that are physically remote from a source of the media programs, the method comprising:

receiving first instructions from a remote device via a network at the placeshifting device, wherein the first instructions identify a media program to be recorded;

when the identified media program is scheduled to play, directing a media recording device to receive and store the identified media program; and

in response to subsequent instructions from the remote device via the network, to transmit the stored media program to the remote device via the network.

14. The method of claim 13 comprising converting the stored media program to a format that is compatible with the network prior to transmitting the stored media program via the network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the directing comprises controlling a media source that receives broadcast television programming to thereby receive the identified media program as part of the broadcast television programming.

16. A method executable by a device, the method comprising:

receiving a user input that indicates a particular media program to be recorded at a later time;

responsive to the first user input, providing a first instruction to a placeshifting device via a network to thereby direct the placeshifting device to record the particular media program to a storage at the later time;

after the later time has passed, receiving a second user input directing that the particular media program be presented for playback by the device;

responsive to the second user input, providing a second instruction from the device to the placeshifting device via the network to thereby direct the placeshifting device to obtain the particular program from the storage, transcode the obtained particular program for transport on the network as a media stream, and provide the media stream representing the particular media program to the device for playback;

receiving the media stream containing the particular media program from the placeshifting device via the network; and

outputting the media stream for playback to the user.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, prior to receiving the user input that indicates the particular program, presenting a schedule of television programs to the user.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving the schedule of programs via the network.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first instruction comprises scheduling information about the particular program that is obtained from the schedule of programs.