Storage Management for a Video Recorder

• US 20030206719A1
• Filed: 04/23/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Krakirian, Haig H., Bumgardner, Jim
• Application Number:
  US10/249,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20030206719A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• 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 27/036 Insert-editing
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a storage manager for a video recorder. The present invention includes a set-top box having an internal storage device, such as a hard drive where broadcasts are transferred from a broadcast input source to the storage device and can later be retrieved from the storage device for viewing. The set-top box is connected to an output device such as a television, which displays a graphical user interface (GUI) and an interactive program guide (IPG). The GUI also allows the user to access a saved shows screen that provides: what shows already reside on the disk; what shows will are scheduled to be transferred to the disk; the relative location of the saved shows on the disk; estimates of how long it will be before certain saved shows are erased from the disk to make room for newly scheduled shows; an identification the amount of time a saved show is set to remain on the disk by viewing graphical icons; the priorities of the saved shows on the disk.

Claims

1. A storage manager for a video recorder comprising:

a user interface component for selecting one or more shows to be broadcast;

a storage device for receiving said shows when they are broadcast; and

a manager for monitoring said storage device and for ensuring that said storage device does not overflow and for removing a subset of said shows when said manager determines said storage device will overflow by examining one or more priorities related to each show and deleting a show associated with a lowest of said priorities when said manager determines said storage device will overflow.

2. The storage manager of claim 1 further comprising a manual resolution process wherein a user is presented with said priorities and said user changes said priorities when said manager determines said storage device will overflow.

3. The storage manager of claim 1 further comprising:

an interface screen having each of said shows; and

one or more estimated times until deletion corresponding to each of said shows wherein each of said estimated times until deletion indicate a time when each of said shows will cause said storage device to overflow.

4. The storage manager of claim 3 further comprising a keep longer message associated with a specific show wherein a user may respond to said keep longer message and wherein said response of said user causes said specific show to not overflow said storage device.

5. The storage manager of claim 4 wherein said interface screen comprises a list of said shows, further comprising:

a dragging mechanism configured to allow a user to access one of said shows in said list; and

a dropping mechanism configured to allow a user to reorder said list by dropping said one of said shows in a new location in said list.

6. The storage manager of claim 1 further comprising:

an interface screen having each of said shows; and

one or more icons corresponding to each of said shows wherein each of said icons provides a user with a visual indication as to when each of said shows will cause said storage device to overflow.

7. The storage manager of claim 1 wherein said manager examines said shows to determine of one or more of said shows is a series, further comprising a limit to a number of said series that are to be saved by said manager wherein said manager deletes said series from said storage device if said number exceeds said limit.

8. The storage manager of claim 1 further comprising:

a saved show queue comprising an entry for each show currently on said storage device or scheduled to be transferred to said storage device;

a front of said saved show queue wherein said manager places a new show into said saved show queue; and

an end of said saved show queue wherein said manager removes a show from said saved show queue when all of said entries in said saved show queue are full.

9. The storage manager of claim 8 further comprising a locked for deletion flag associated with an entry in said saved show queue, wherein a show associated with an entry in said saved show queue associated with said locked for deletion flag will never be placed in said end of said saved show queue.

10. The storage manager of claim 1 wherein said interface component comprises an interactive program guide (IPG).

11. The storage manager of claim 10 wherein said shows are represented by one or more cells in said interactive program guide.

12. A method for managing a storage device comprising:

selecting one or more shows that are to be broadcast using an interface component;

receiving said shows in said storage device when they are broadcast;

assigning priorities to each of said shows, monitoring said storage device; and

removing a subset of said shows when said storage

device will overflow, comprising examining said priorities and deleting a show associated with a lowest of said priorities when said storage device will overflow.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

presenting said priorities to a user; and

changing said priorities.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

viewing an interface screen having each of said shows; and

viewing one or more estimated times until deletion corresponding to each of said shows wherein each of said estimated times until deletion indicate a time when each of said shows will cause said storage device to overflow.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

sending a keep longer message associated with a specific show to a user; and

responding to said keep longer message wherein said response of said user causes said specific show to not overflow said storage device.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said interface screen comprises a list of said shows, further comprising:

dragging one of said shows in said list;

dropping said one of said shows in a new location in said list; and

re-ordering said list.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

accessing an interface screen having each of said shows; and

viewing one or more icons corresponding to each of said shows wherein each of said icons provides a user with a visual indication as to when each of said shows will cause said storage device to overflow.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

examining said shows;

determining if one or more of said shows is a series;

obtaining a limit to a number of said series that are to be saved; and

deleting said series from said storage device if said number exceeds said limit.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

obtaining a saved show queue comprising an entry for each show currently on said storage device or scheduled to be transferred to said storage device;

placing a new show in a front of said saved show queue; and

removing a show from an end of said saved show queue when all of said entries in said saved show queue are full.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising associating a locked for deletion flag with an entry in said saved show queue, wherein a show associated with an entry in said saved show queue associated with said locked for deletion flag will never be placed in said end of said saved show queue.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein said interface component comprises an interactive program guide.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said shows are represented by one or more cells in said interactive program guide.

23. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer to manage a storage device, comprising,

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to select one or more shows to be broadcast using an interface component;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive said shows when they are broadcast in said storage device;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to assign priorities to each of said shows;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to monitor said storage device; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to ensure that said storage device does not overflow by examining said priorities and deleting a show associated with a lowest of said priorities when said storage device will overflow.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to present said priorities to a user; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to change said priorities.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to show an interface screen having each of said shows; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to show one or more estimated times until deletion corresponding to each of said shows wherein each of said estimated times until deletion indicate a time when each of said shows will cause said storage device to overflow.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to send a keep longer message associated with a specific show to a user; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to receive a response of said user to said keep longer message wherein said response of said user causes said specific show to not overflow said storage device.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein said interface screen comprises a list of said shows, further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to drag one of said shows in said list;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to drop said one of said shows in a new location in said list; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to re-order said list.

28. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display an interface screen having each of said shows; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to display one or more icons corresponding to each of said shows wherein each of said icons provides a user with a visual indication as to when each of said shows will cause said storage device to overflow.

29. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to examine said shows;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine if one or more of said shows is a series;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to obtain a limit to a number of said series that are to be saved; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to delete said series from said storage device if said number exceeds said limit.

30. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to obtain a saved show queue comprising an entry for each show currently on said storage device or scheduled to be transferred to said storage device;

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to place a new show in a front of said saved show queue; and

computer readable program code means for causing a computer to remove a show from an end of said saved show queue when all of said entries in said saved show queue are full.

31. The computer program product of claim 30 further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a computer to associate a locked for deletion flag with an entry in said saved show queue, wherein a show associated with an entry in said saved show queue associated with said locked for deletion flag will never be placed in said end of said saved show queue.

32. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein said interface component comprises an interactive program guide.

33. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein said shows are represented by one or more cells in said interactive program guide.