Controlling substantially constant buffer capacity for personal video recording with consistent user interface of available disk space
First Claim
1. A system for managing the allocation and storage of media content instance files in a hard disk of a storage device coupled to a media client device in a subscriber television system, comprising:
- a memory for storing logic;
a buffer space in the hard disk for buffering media content instances as buffered media content instance files; and
a processor configured with the logic to track the size of permanent media content instance files and the buffered media content instance files to provide an indication of available free space, such that the indication is independent of the buffer space.
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Abstract
A system manages the allocation and storage of media content instance files in a hard disk of a storage device of a media client device in a subscriber television system. In one embodiment among others, the system includes a memory for storing logic, a buffer space in the hard disk for buffering media content instances as buffered media content instance files, and a processor configured with the logic to track the size of permanent media content instance files and the buffered media content instance files to provide an indication of available free space, such that the indication is independent of the buffer space.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A system for managing the allocation and storage of media content instance files in a hard disk of a storage device coupled to a media client device in a subscriber television system, comprising:
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a memory for storing logic;
a buffer space in the hard disk for buffering media content instances as buffered media content instance files; and
a processor configured with the logic to track the size of permanent media content instance files and the buffered media content instance files to provide an indication of available free space, such that the indication is independent of the buffer space. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for managing the allocation and storage of media content instance files in a hard disk of a storage device coupled to a media client device in a subscriber television system, comprising:
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a memory for storing logic;
a buffer space in the hard disk for continuously buffering media content instances as buffered media content instance files; and
a processor configured with the logic to track the size of permanent media content instance files and the buffered media content instance files, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a user interface, responsive to a user input, wherein the user interface provides the indication of available free space for permanently recording media content instances, wherein the permanently recorded media content instances are configured as the permanently recorded media content instance files, wherein the permanently recorded media content instance files can be deleted from the storage device, wherein the user input is implemented with a remote control device, wherein the permanently recorded media content is from the buffer space, wherein the permanently recorded media content is a scheduled recording initially written to non-buffer space, wherein the permanently recorded media content is a scheduled recording initially written to non-buffer space, wherein the buffer space, the available free space, and permanently recorded space are located on the hard disk, wherein the buffer space and permanently recorded space are allocated from the free space on the hard disk, wherein the buffer space and permanently recorded space have physical locations on the hard disk, wherein the buffer space and the available free space is measured in units of hard disk space, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to buffer analog broadcast media content instances, received at a communications interface, as digitally compressed media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to buffer an analog signal received at a connector from a consumer electronics device, as a digitally compressed media content instance, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to buffer digital broadcast media content instances, received at a communications interface, as digitally compressed media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to buffer digital media-on-demand media content instances, received at a communications interface from a remote server, as digitally compressed media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to buffer digital media content instances, received at a digital communications port from a local network, as digitally compressed media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to buffer digital media content instances, received at a digital communications port from a local device, as digitally compressed media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to determine the available free space after subtracting buffer space capacity from total disk space, wherein the processor is configured with the logic to reduce the available free space by the amount of the space used for the permanent media content instance files, wherein the processor is configured with the logic to increase the available free space by the amount of the space recovered from a deleted permanent media content instance files, wherein the indication of the free space available is configured in time of space available for the permanent media content instance files, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide the user interface that provides an indication of available free space, such that the indication is unaffected by writes to and deletions from the buffer space.
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24. A method for managing the allocation and storage of media content instance files in a hard disk of a storage device coupled to a media client device in a subscriber television system, comprising the steps of:
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buffering media content instances into buffer space as buffered media content instance files;
tracking the size of permanent media content instance files and buffered media content instance files; and
providing an indication of available free space, such that the indication is independent of the buffer space. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for managing the allocation and storage of media content instance files in a hard disk of a storage device coupled to a media client device in a subscriber television system, comprising the steps of:
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continuously buffering media content instances as buffered media content instance files;
tracking the size of permanent media content instance files and the buffered media content instance files;
providing a user interface, responsive to a user input, wherein the user interface provides the indication of available free space for permanently recording media content instances, wherein the permanently recorded media content instances are configured as the permanently recorded media content instance files, wherein the permanently recorded media content instance files can be deleted from the storage device, wherein the user input is implemented with a remote control device, wherein the permanently recorded media content is from the buffer space, wherein the permanently recorded media content is a scheduled recording initially written to non-buffer space, wherein the permanently recorded media content is a scheduled recording initially written to non-buffer space, wherein the indication is unaffected by writes to and deletions from the buffer space, wherein the buffer space, the available free space, and permanently recorded space are located on the hard disk, wherein the buffer space and permanently recorded space are allocated from the free space on the hard disk, wherein the buffer space and permanently recorded space have physical locations on the hard disk, wherein the buffer space and the available free space is measured in units of hard disk space;
buffering analog broadcast media content instances, received at a communications interface, as digitally compressed media content instances;
buffering an analog signal received at a connector from a consumer electronics device, as a digitally compressed media content instance;
buffering digital broadcast media content instances, received at a communications interface, as digitally compressed media content instances;
buffering digital media-on-demand media content instances, received at a communications interface from a remote server, as digitally compressed media content instances;
buffering digital media content instances, received at a digital communications port from a local network, as digitally compressed media content instances;
buffering digital media content instances, received at a digital communications port from a local device, as digitally compressed media content instances;
determining the available free space after subtracting buffer space capacity from total disk space;
reducing the available free space by the amount of the space used for the permanent media content instance files; and
increasing the available free space by the amount of the space recovered from a deleted permanent media content instance files, wherein the indication of the free space available is configured in time of space available for the permanent media content instance files.
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Specification