Transcoding media content from a personal video recorder for a portable device

• US 20030233663A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sirivara, Sudheer, Rao, Ram R., Wagner, Daniel R., Martz, Gary A. Jr., Salzberg, Kenneth M., McVeigh, Jeffrey S., Iverson, Vaughn S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6433 Digital Storage Media - Command and Control Protocol [DSM-CC]
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A media signal is controlled using a portable media content device. The media signal is received and encoded into an encoded media signal for a portable media content device. The encoded media signal is stored for playback on the portable media content device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling a media signal using a portable media content device;

receiving the media signal;

encoding the media signal into an encoded media signal for the portable media content device; and

storing the encoded media signal for the portable media content device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

controlling the media signal using metadata.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

4. A method comprising:

using metadata to control the transfer of a media signal to a portable media content device; and

encoding the media signal for storage on the portable media content device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

6. A method comprising:

using metadata to control the transfer of a media signal to a media recording station; and

receiving the media signal at the media recording station;

encoding the media signal for a portable media storage/display device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising;

decoding the media signal at the media recording station; and

re-encoding the media signal for the portable media storage/display device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a media signal from a video recorder;

decoding the media signal;

transcoding the media signal to form a transcoded media signal;

storing the transcoded media signal on a storage device associated with the video recorder;

controlling the transfer of the media signal from the video recorder; and

controlling the transfer of the media signal from the storage device to a portable media storage/display device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of a video signal, an audio signal, an image signal, and a data signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein metadata is used to control the media signal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the decoding is performed within the motion picture expert'"'"'s group standards 2 (MPEG 2).

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the transcoding is performed from MPEG2 to a format suitable for the portable media storage/display device.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a media signal input port;

an encoder coupled with the media signal input port to receive a media signal and to produce an encoded media signal;

a storage device to store the encoded media signal;

a decoder coupled with the storage device to decode the encoded media signal; and

command and control circuitry to enable a portable media content device to control the media signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of a video signal and an audio signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein metadata is used to control the media signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of an analog signal and a digital signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the decoding is performed within the motion picture expert'"'"'s group standards 2 (MPEG 2).

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transcoding is performed from MPEG2 to a format suitable for the portable media storage/display device.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a media recorder having a decoder and an encoder; and

a data storage device to receive and store a media signal from the media recorder.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of a video signal, an audio signal, an image signal, and a data signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising:

command and control circuitry to control the media signal to be input from a video recorder to the apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein metadata is used to control the media signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

26. An apparatus comprising:

a media recorder having an encoder;

a data storage device to receive and store a media signal from the media recorder;

command and control circuitry to control the transfer of the media signal from a video recorder to the apparatus; and

command and control circuitry to control communication of the media signal to a portable media storage/display device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising:

a decoder, wherein the decoder is to receive the media signal from the video recorder and produce a decoded media signal and the encoder is to transcode the decoded media signal into a transcoded media signal.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a data storage device to receive and store a transcoded media signal from a video recorder, wherein an encoded media signal is to be transcoded into the transcoded media signal for display on a portable media storage/display device.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of a video signal and an audio signal.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a media recorder having an audio video (AN) capture subsystem and an encoder;

a media signal input port coupled with the encoder;

a data storage device to receive and store a media signal from the media recorder; and

command and control circuitry to control the transfer of the media signal from a video recorder to the apparatus.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of a video signal and an audio signal.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein metadata is used to control the media signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a media recorder having a decoder and an encoder, wherein the decoder is to receive a media signal from a video recorder and the decoder is to produce a decoded media signal, and wherein the encoder is to transcode the decoded media signal into an encoded media signal, the encoded media signal is to be stored on a data storage device coupled with the video recorder;

command and control circuitry to control the transfer of the media signal from the video recorder to the apparatus; and

command and control circuitry to control communication of the media signal to a portable media storage/display device.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the media signal is selected from the group consisting of a video signal and an audio signal.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein metadata is used to control the media signal.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

38. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

controlling a media signal using a portable media content device;

encoding the media signal into an encoded media signal;

storing the encoded media signal; and

making the media signal available for the portable media content device by providing a signal selected from the group consisting of the encoded media signal, and an analog media signal.

39. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 38, wherein the method further comprises controlling the media signal using metadata.

40. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 38, wherein the encoded media signal is decoded into the analog media signal.

41. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

using metadata to control the transfer of a media signal to a portable media content device; and

encoding the media signal for storage on the portable media content device.

42. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 41, wherein the metadata is selected from the group consisting of a media program'"'"'s title, a media episode'"'"'s title, a media program'"'"'s synopsis, a media program'"'"'s air date, a user'"'"'s viewing activity, types of shows viewed by the users, types of shows not viewed by the user, a number of times a show is viewed by the user, a type of stock viewed by the user, a type of stock not viewed by the user, TV channels watched by the user.

43. A computer readable medium containing executable computer program instructions, which when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

using metadata to control the transfer of a media signal to a media recording station;

receiving the media signal at the media recording station; and

encoding the media signal for a portable media storage/display device.

44. The computer readable medium as set forth in claim 43 further comprising;

decoding the media signal at the media recording station; and

re-encoding the media signal for the portable media storage/display device.