Smart broadcast program recording padding and scheduling system

• US 20040013409A1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Beach, Brian, Hibdon, Martin, Waterman, Alan, Pope, David E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• 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 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A smart broadcast program recording padding and scheduling system provides a system for adjusting the start and end times of a broadcast program'"'"'s recording schedule that has a predetermined start and end broadcast time and resolving any conflicts arising from conflicting scheduled program recordings. An on screen program guide is displayed to the viewer via a monitor or television that lists the predetermined scheduled broadcast times and channels of a plurality of broadcast programs. The viewer selects a particular broadcast program to record and the invention schedules the broadcast program to be recorded by inserting the program'"'"'s information such as program identifier, start and end times, and storage duration into a recording schedule database. The viewer adjusts the scheduled start and/or end recording times for a specific program or series of programs by specifying the time increment (padding) to add or subtract from the start and/or end recording times and the invention adjusts the recording schedule for the program(s) using the padding values. Conflicts that arise from adjusted recording schedules are resolved using a priority scheme. Conflicting padding values and start and end recording times are adjusted using threshold values or by elimination. Broadcast programs are recorded onto a persistent storage device when the recording schedule indicates that it is time to do so.

Claims

1. A process for adjusting start and end times of a broadcast program recording schedule and resolving recording conflicts in a computer environment, comprising the steps of:

accepting user input;

selecting a particular broadcast program to record in response to said user input;

wherein said particular broadcast program has a predetermined start and end broadcast time;

scheduling said particular broadcast program to be recorded; and

adjusting said start and/or said end recording time for said particular broadcast program using padding values as indicated by the user;

determining if any previously scheduled broadcast programs have start or end recording times that conflict with the particular broadcast program'"'"'s adjusted start and/or end recording times;

resolving any conflicts determined by said determining step; and

providing program recording means for storing a broadcast program on a storage device in a digital format.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein said resolving step resolves a conflict using a priority scheme for each scheduled broadcast program recording.

3. The process of claim 2, wherein priorities of scheduled broadcast program recordings are determined explicitly and implicitly by the user'"'"'s actions.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein said resolving step adjusts the conflicting adjusted start and/or end recoding times for said particular broadcast program to stop any determined conflicts.

5. The process of claim 4, wherein the amount of said adjustment of the conflicting adjusted start and/or end recoding times for said particular broadcast program is determined using a threshold value.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein said resolving step adjusts any conflicting start and/or end recording times of scheduled broadcast programs in favor of said adjusted start and/or end recoding times for said particular broadcast program to stop any determined conflicts.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the amount of said adjustment of any conflicting start and/or end recording times of scheduled broadcast programs is determined using a threshold value.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein said determining step notifies the user of a conflict, and wherein said resolving step accepts the user'"'"'s resolution decisions.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving program guide information;

wherein said program guide information contains broadcast program information and associated broadcast times; and

wherein said determining step reviews scheduled broadcast program recordings for conflicts using said program guide information.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

displaying a program guide to the user;

wherein the user selects said particular broadcast program from said program guide.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the user is allowed to modify an end recording time while a corresponding broadcast program is being recorded.

12. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

playing back a broadcast program stored on said storage device to the user.

13. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a recording schedule;

wherein said recording schedule contains program identifiers and start and end times of broadcast programs to be recorded; and

wherein said recording step records broadcast programs on said storage device according to said recording schedule.

14. An apparatus for adjusting start and end times of a broadcast program recording schedule and resolving recording conflicts in a computer environment, comprising:

a module for accepting user input;

a module for selecting a particular broadcast program to record in response to said user input;

wherein said particular broadcast program has a predetermined start and end broadcast time;

a module for scheduling said particular broadcast program to be recorded; and

a module for adjusting said start and/or said end recording time for said particular broadcast program using padding values as indicated by the user;

a module for determining if any previously scheduled broadcast programs have start or end recording times that conflict with the particular broadcast program'"'"'s adjusted start and/or end recording times;

a module for resolving any conflicts determined by said determining module; and

program recording means for storing a broadcast program on a storage device in a digital format.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said resolving module resolves a conflict using a priority scheme for each scheduled broadcast program recording.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein priorities of scheduled broadcast program recordings are determined explicitly and implicitly by the user'"'"'s actions.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said resolving module adjusts the conflicting adjusted start and/or end recoding times for said particular broadcast program to stop any determined conflicts.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the amount of said adjustment of the conflicting adjusted start and/or end recoding times for said particular broadcast program is determined using a threshold value.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said resolving module adjusts any conflicting start and/or end recording times of scheduled broadcast programs in favor of said adjusted start and/or end recoding times for said particular broadcast program to stop any determined conflicts.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the amount of said adjustment of any conflicting start and/or end recording times of scheduled broadcast programs is determined using a threshold value.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said determining module notifies the user of a conflict, and wherein said resolving module accepts the user'"'"'s resolution decisions.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a module for receiving program guide information;

wherein said program guide information contains broadcast program information and associated broadcast times; and

wherein said determining module reviews scheduled broadcast program recordings for conflicts using said program guide information.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a module for displaying a program guide to the user;

wherein the user selects said particular broadcast program from said program guide.

24. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user is allowed to modify an end recording time while a corresponding broadcast program is being recorded.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a module for playing back a broadcast program stored on said storage device to the user.

26. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a recording schedule;

wherein said recording schedule contains program identifiers and start and end times of broadcast programs to be recorded; and

wherein said recording module records broadcast programs on said storage device according to said recording schedule.