Online backup and restoration of television receiver storage and configuration data

• US 10,659,834 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2019
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Gerhards, Keith, Minnick, Danny J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shibru, Helen
• Application Number:
  US16/558,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20200059685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• Field of Search: 386292, 386297, 386299
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/4334 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 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide various techniques for backing up and restoring data and programs at television receiver devices. In some embodiments, various types of data stored locally by television receiver devices may be backed up by uploading the data to a television provider server, cloud-based storage system, and/or other remote storage locations. In the event of a device failure, or other rebuilt or reinstallation process at the television receiver, a receiver set-up process may be implemented to retrieve the receiver backup data from the backup server, and to initiate various set-up processes in which the replacement receiver may use the backup data to implement the various configuration preferences and settings on the new device, re-create the DVR timers, establish new network connections, configure the home device/appliance settings, and the like, automatically based on the receiver backup data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

communicating a request for backup data by a first television receiver device to a remote server over a communications network in association with executing a restoration of the first television receiver device associated with a requesting customer, the remote server having, stored thereon, one or more lists of identifiers, each list of identifiers previously received by the remote server from a respective television receiver associated with a respective customer in association with executing a respective backup of the respective television receiver, each list of identifiers indicating a respective plurality of television programs stored at the respective television receiver at the time of executing the respective backup;

receiving the backup data by the first television receiver device from the remote server responsive to the request, the backup data comprising a selected list of identifiers of the one or more lists of identifiers selected by the remote server in accordance with the request; and

for each television program of the respective plurality of television programs indicated by the selected list of identifiers;

determining, by the first television receiver device, whether the television program is scheduled to be aired in an upcoming television broadcast receivable by a tuner of the first television receiver device during a broadcast time;

in accordance with determining that the television program is scheduled to be aired, automatically configuring the first television receiver device to tune to the broadcast and locally record the television program during the broadcast time; and

in accordance with determining that the television program is not scheduled to be aired, indicating to the requesting customer whether the television program is available from an alternative television program source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the backup data was previously received by the remote server from a second television receiver device associated with the requesting customer in association with executing the respective backup of the second television receiver device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the backup data was previously received by the remote server from the first television receiver device in association with executing the respective backup of the first television receiver device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the communicating the request comprises communicating verification information by the first television receiver device to the remote server; and

the receiving the backup data by the first television receiver device from the remote server is only in response to the remote server verifying the first television receiver device using the verification information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with determining that the television program is not scheduled to be aired, determining whether the television program is available from an alternative television program source; and

in accordance with determining that the television program is available from the alternative programming source, configuring the first television receiver device to obtain and locally record the television program from the alternative television programming source.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuring the first television receiver device to obtain and locally record the television program from the alternative television programming source comprises:

indicating to the requesting customer that the television program is available from the alternative television programming source by generating and presenting a user interface to prompt the requesting customer to request and/or authorize retrieval of the television program via the alternative television programming source.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the indicating to the requesting customer is that the television program is not available in accordance with the determining that the television program is not scheduled to be aired and further in accordance with determining that the television program is not available from the alternative television programming source.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the alternative television programming source includes an on-demand television program source, a cloud server, and/or an Internet-based television provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the remote server has, stored thereon, a plurality of lists of identifier including the selected list of identifiers, each list of identifiers stored in association with the respective television receiver and/or the respective customer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the television program is scheduled to be aired comprises:

obtaining electronic program guide (EPG) data indicating a schedule of upcoming television broadcasts; and

determining whether the television program is scheduled to be aired in one of the upcoming television broadcasts in accordance with the EPG data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically configuring the first television receiver device in accordance with one or more of configuration data, settings, and user preferences data,

wherein the backup data received by the first television receiver device comprises the one or more of the configuration data, the settings, and the user preferences data.

12. A television receiver device associated with a requesting customer, comprising:

a digital video recorder (DVR) comprising a DVR database configured to receive and store recorded television programs;

a network interface to communicate with a remote server via a communications network, the remote server having, stored thereon, one or more lists of identifiers, each list of identifiers previously received by the remote server from a respective television receiver associated with a respective customer in association with executing a respective backup of the respective television receiver, each list of identifiers indicating a respective plurality of television programs stored at the respective television receiver at the time of executing the respective backup;

one or more processors; and

memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

communicate a request for backup data to the remote server via the network interface in association with executing a restoration of the television receiver device;

receive the backup data from the remote server responsive to the request, the backup data comprising a selected list of identifiers of the one or more lists of identifiers selected by the remote server in accordance with the request; and

for each television program of the respective plurality of television programs indicated by the selected list of identifiers;

determine whether the television program is scheduled to be aired in an upcoming television broadcast receivable by a tuner of the first television receiver device during a broadcast time;

in accordance with determining that the television program is scheduled to be aired, automatically configure the television receiver device to tune to the broadcast and locally record the television program during the broadcast time; and

in accordance with determining that the television program is not scheduled to be aired, indicate to the requesting customer whether the television program is available from an alternative television program source.

13. The television receiver device of claim 12, further comprising:

one or more tuners configured to receive television signals from one or more television data sources; and

one or more decoders configured to decode television signals received via the one or more tuners,

wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to automatically configure the television receiver device to tune to the broadcast and locally record the television program during the broadcast time by, during the broadcast time;

setting at least one of the one or more tuners to receive the television program; and

setting at least one of the one or more decoders to decode signals corresponding to the television programs as received by the at least one of the one or more tuners.

14. The television receiver device of claim 12, wherein:

the remote server further has, previously received from the television receiver device, and stored thereon in accordance with the selected list of identifiers, configuration data of the television receiver device, settings of the television receiver device, and/or user preferences data of the television receiver device;

the backup data received by the television receiver device comprises the configuration data, the settings, and/or the user preferences data; and

the instructions cause the one or more processors further to automatically configure the television receiver device in accordance with the configuration data, the settings, and/or the user preferences data.

15. The television receiver device of claim 12, wherein:

the television receiver device is a first television receiver device; and

the backup data was previously received by the remote server from a second television receiver device associated with the requesting customer in association with executing respective backup of the second television receiver device.

16. The television receiver device of claim 12, wherein:

the backup data was previously received by the remote server from the television receiver device in association with executing respective backup of the television receiver device.

17. The television receiver device of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

communicate the request to include communicating verification information to the remote server identifying the television receiver device and/or the requesting customer; and

receive the backup data from the remote server only in response to the remote server verifying the television receiver device and/or the customer using the verification information.

18. The television receiver device of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors further to:

in accordance with determining that the television program is not scheduled to be aired, determine whether the television program is available from an alternative television program source; and

in accordance with determining that the television program is available from the alternative programming source, configure the television receiver device to obtain and locally record the television program from the alternative television programming source.

19. The television receiver device of claim 18, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to obtain and locally record the television program from the alternative television programming source by:

generating and presenting a user interface to prompt the requesting customer to request and/or authorize retrieval of the television program via the alternative television programming source,

wherein the television receiver device is configured to obtain and locally record the television program from the alternative television programming source only in response to receiving a response to the prompt indicating to request and/or authorize retrieval.