Allocation of recording space per user and application

• US 20030154485A1
• Filed: 04/12/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Schneidewend, Daniel Richard, Johnson, Carolynn Rae, Junkersfeld, Phillip Aaron
• Application Number:
  US10/121,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2541 Blu-ray discs; Blue laser DVR discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4435 Memory management allocation of memory to service a request G06F9/5016; addressing or allocating within memory systems or architectures G06F12/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A system and method for partitioning storage space in a video recording system or multi-media system into a plurality of discrete partitions. Each of the discrete partitions can be allocated to a different user of the video recording system or application of the multi-media system. Furthermore, the systems are designed to allocate an amount of the storage space to each partition to eliminate hoarding of the storage space by only one user or application.

Claims

1. A video recording system comprising:

means for recording a video to a storage space; and

means for dividing the storage space into discrete partitions wherein each discrete partition is allocated to one of a plurality of users so that a respective user can record the selected video in their allocated discrete partition.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for password protecting the allocated discrete partition.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for entering information to label each discrete partition;

means for identifying an amount of storage space in each discrete partition; and

means for entering a password to protect said each discrete partition.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the label is a name of an authorized user.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for selecting a video for recording.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

means for displaying a list of the discrete partitions; and

means for selecting a discrete partition from the list to access the discrete partition.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means for allocating an amount of storage space in said each discrete partition.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the system is one of a personal video recording system (PVR) and a digital recording system (DVR).

9. A method of recording video for a plurality of users comprising the steps of:

partitioning recording space in a recording storage medium into a plurality of discrete partitions;

allocating each respective discrete partition to a respective one of the plurality of users; and

recording a selected program in the respective discrete partition allocated to the respective user.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

authorizing access to the respective discrete partition in response to a password entry.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a schedule of programming; and

selecting from the schedule of programming the selected program.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the partitioning step includes the steps of:

entering alphanumeric information to label each discrete partition; and

allocating an amount of recording space for each discrete partition.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the label is a user'"'"'s name.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the partitioning step includes the steps of:

entering a number (N) of discrete partitions to be created; and

dividing the recording space in the recording storage medium between the N discrete partitions.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the partitioning step further comprises entering a password to protect each discrete partition from unauthorized recording.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a schedule of programs via an electronic programming guide, the electronic programming guide having program names;

selecting a program name from the electronic programming guide;

overlaying on the electronic programming guide, a list of discrete partition labels; and

selecting a discrete partition label from the list.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of authorizing recording to the selected discrete partition label.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of authorizing access comprising the step of requesting a password.

19. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

identifying those partitions which are to be shared.

20. A method for recording multi-media information from a plurality of multi-media applications in an entertainment device, comprising the steps of:

partitioning memory into a plurality of application partitions based on the type of multi-media applications and;

allocating an amount of memory to each partition of the plurality of application partitions according to their application type.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

ranking each application; and

modifying the amount of memory in said each partition based on the ranking of the associated application.

22. The method according to claim 20, further including the step of managing the memory of each partition.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the managing step comprises the step of deleting oldest event to accommodate a new event.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the application type comprise at least one of the following:

television recording, MP3 music, video games, digital pictures and data.

25. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

subpartitioning one of the partitions of the plurality of dedicated application partitions into subpartitions; and

allocating each subpartition to a respective user.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

entering a user password for a selected respective user; and

authorizing access to the selected respective subpartition in response to the password being entered.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a program; and

recording the selected program in the respective subpartition allocated to the respective user.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

displaying a schedule of programming; and

selecting from the schedule of programming the selected program.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the subpartitioning step comprising the steps of:

entering alphanumeric information to label each subpartition; and

allocating an amount of recording space for each subpartition.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the subpartitioning step comprising the steps of:

entering a number (N) of subpartitions to be created; and

dividing the recording space in the partition between the N subpartitions.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the subpartitioning step further comprises entering a password to protect each subpartition from unauthorized use.

32. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

selecting a multi-media application; and

recording the multi-media information of the selected multi-media application in the respective subpartition allocated to the respective user.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein the application type comprise at least one of the following:

television recording, MP3 music, video games, digital pictures and user data.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the plurality of multi-media applications is incorporated into a networked device wherein the networked device is one of a plurality of networked devices.

35. A method of managing storage capacity for a plurality of networked devices, comprising the steps of:

partitioning memory into a plurality of dedicated device partitions;

allocating an amount of memory to each partition of the plurality of dedicated device partitions; and

managing the memory of said each partition.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

ranking each networked device; and

modifying the amount of memory in said each partition based on the ranking of the networked device.

37. The method according to claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

subpartitioning one of the partitions of the plurality of dedicated device partitions into subpartitions; and

allocating each subpartition to a respective user.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

the respective user entering a user password; and

authorizing access to the respective subpartition in response to the password being entered.