Person-to-person scheduling and notification of automatic program recording for personalized television

• US 20030009766A1
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Marolda, Andrew Vincent
• Application Number:
  US09/900,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques to allow person-to-person scheduling of automatic program recording for personalized television. Generally, a first person (called a “scheduler” herein) schedules a program to be recorded by a personalized television recorder controlled by a second person (called a “recipient” herein). It is determined if the scheduler is authorized to scheduler a recording on behalf of the recipient. If so, the program is recorded unless there is a conflict with another program or if other conditions are met.

Claims

1. A method for automatic recording, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request, from a scheduler, to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient; and

issuing a command to record the program for the recipient, wherein the scheduler and the recipient are different individuals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if the scheduler is authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient, and wherein the step of issuing a command to record the program for the recipient further comprises the step of issuing a command to record the program for the recipient when the scheduler is authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining if a scheduler is authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient further comprises the step of determining if the scheduler matches an entry in a buddy list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining if the scheduler matches an entry in a buddy list further comprises the step of determining if a scheduler identification matches one of a plurality of identifications in the buddy list.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining if the scheduler matches an entry in a buddy list further comprises the step of determining if a scheduler personalized television recorder identification matches one of a plurality of identifications in the buddy list.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

registering the recipient;

registering the scheduler; and

creating a buddy list for the recipient, the buddy list comprising at least one entry, each entry determining a person allowed to authorize recordings on a personalized television recorder owned by the recipient.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of receiving, determining, and issuing are performed by a service provider.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of accepting a monetary amount, and wherein the step of issuing further comprises the step of issuing a command to record the program for the recipient when the scheduler is authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient and when the monetary amount meets a predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the steps of receiving, determining, and issuing are performed by a personalized television recorder.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the step of determining if a scheduler is authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient further comprises the step of determining if the recipient matches an entry in a buddy list, wherein each entry in the buddy list has paid to be on the list; and

the step of issuing a command to record the program for the recipient when the scheduler is authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient further comprises the step of issuing a command, by a service provider, to a scheduler personalized television recorder to allow a recipient personalized television recorder to retrieve a recorded program from the scheduler personalized television recorder when the recipient matches an entry in the buddy list.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of the recipient personalized television recorder retrieving the recorded program from the scheduler personalized television recorder.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of the scheduler personalized television recorder transmitting the recorded program to the recipient personalized television recorder.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of informing one or more of the scheduler and the recipient that the command has been issued.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of informing one or more of the scheduler and the recipient when the scheduler is not authorized to schedule a recording for the recipient.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the issued command;

determining if a conflict exists between the command and a previously entered recording request; and

rejecting the command when a conflict exists.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the issued command;

determining if a conflict exists between the command and a program being watched; and

rejecting the command when a conflict exists.

17. A system comprising:

a memory that stores computer-readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to implement the computer-readable code, the computer-readable code configured to;

receive a request, from a scheduler, to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient; and

issue a command to record the program for the recipient, wherein the scheduler and the recipient are different individuals.

18. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code means embodied thereon, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

a step to receive a request, from a scheduler, to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient; and

issue a command to record the program for the recipient, wherein the scheduler and the recipient are different individuals.

19. A system for person-to-person scheduling and notification of automatic program recording for personalized television, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request, from a scheduler, to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient; and

means for issuing a command to record the program for the recipient, wherein the scheduler is a first person and the recipient is a second person.

20. A method performed on a recorder capable of recording programs, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an instruction from a scheduler to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient, wherein the scheduler and the recipient are different individuals; and

recording the program.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the step of receiving an instruction from a scheduler to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient further comprises the steps of;

the scheduler requesting the recording of the program; and

determining if the scheduler is authorized to schedule the recording for a recipient; and

the step of recording the program further comprises the step of recording the program when the scheduler is authorized to schedule the recording for the recipient.

22. A system comprising:

a memory that stores computer-readable code; and

a processor operatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to implement the computer-readable code, the computer-readable code configured to;

receive an instruction from a scheduler to schedule a recording of a program for a recipient, wherein the scheduler and the recipient are different individuals; and

record the program.

23. A method comprising the steps of:

a scheduler selecting a program for a recipient, wherein the scheduler and the recipient are different individuals;

forming an instruction suitable to allow recording of the program; and

transmitting the instruction.