Personal video recording with storage space distributed among remote personal video recorders

• US 20040101271A1
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Boston, Stephen B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,474,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/46
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Automated personal video recording comprising scheduling a show for a user having allocated storage space on a personal video recorder (“PVR”), wherein the show has a storage space requirement that exceeds the user'"'"'s free space, and the PVR is coupled for data communications to a storage space provider; and transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR that is coupled for data communications to the storage space provider. Receiving in a storage space provider from a personal video recorder (“PVR”) an order to record a show on a remote PVR, the order comprising an identification of a show and a schedule for recording the show; selecting a remote PVR; and recording the show, in dependence upon the show identification and the schedule for recording the show, in storage space on the selected remote PVR.

Claims

1. A method for automated personal video recording comprising:

scheduling a show for a user having allocated storage space on a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) optionally including free space, wherein the show has a storage space requirement that exceeds the user'"'"'s free space, and the PVR is coupled for data communications to a storage space provider; and

transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR that is coupled for data communications to the storage space provider.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the order comprises an identification of the show and a schedule for recording the show.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the show'"'"'s storage space requirement and the user'"'"'s free space, wherein transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR further comprises transmitting the order if the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the user'"'"'s free space.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising downloading the show from the remote PVR to the PVR and displaying the show from the PVR.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the show on the PVR as video streamed from the storage space provider.

6. A method of personal video recording comprising:

receiving in a storage space provider from a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) an order to record a show on a remote PVR, the order comprising an identification of a show and a schedule for recording the show;

selecting a remote PVR; and

recording the show, in dependence upon the show identification and the schedule for recording the show, in storage space on the selected remote PVR.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein:

selecting a remote PVR comprises selecting a remote PVR upon which the storage space provider is a user having allocated storage space with free space exceeding the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, and

recording the show further comprises recording the show in storage space allocated to the storage space provider on the remote PVR.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein:

selecting a remote PVR comprises selecting, from among a multiplicity of remote PVRs, a remote PVR upon which the storage space provider is a user authorized to borrow an authorized remote lending amount of storage space exceeding the show'"'"'s storage space requirement,

the method further comprises borrowing storage space on the selected remote PVR, and

recording the show further comprises recording the show in the storage space borrowed on the selected remote PVR.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein selecting a remote PVR further comprises determining, in dependence upon an authorized remote loan amount for a remote PVR, whether the storage space provider is authorized to borrow storage space from a remote PVR, and an authorized remote loan amount for a remote PVR comprises a total of maximum loan amounts authorized by lenders on the remote PVR for lending to the storage space provider.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the storage space provider'"'"'s downloading the show from the selected remote PVR to the storage space provider and displaying the show from the storage space provider through the PVR as streaming video.

11. A system for automated personal video recording comprising:

means for scheduling a show for a user having allocated storage space on a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) optionally including free space, wherein the show has a storage space requirement that exceeds the user'"'"'s free space, and the PVR is coupled for data communications to a storage space provider; and

means for transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR that is coupled for data communications to the storage space provider.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the order comprises an identification of the show and a schedule for recording the show.

13. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for comparing the show'"'"'s storage space requirement and the user'"'"'s free space, wherein means for transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR further comprises means for transmitting the order if the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the user'"'"'s free space.

14. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for downloading the show from the remote PVR to the PVR and means for displaying the show from the PVR.

15. The system of claim 11 further comprising means for displaying the show on the PVR as video streamed from the storage space provider.

16. A system of personal video recording comprising:

means for receiving in a storage space provider from a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) an order to record a show on a remote PVR, the order comprising an identification of a show and a schedule for recording the show;

means for selecting a remote PVR; and

means for recording the show, in dependence upon the show identification and the schedule for recording the show, in storage space on the selected remote PVR.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein:

means for selecting a remote PVR comprises means for selecting a remote PVR upon which the storage space provider is a user having allocated storage space with free space exceeding the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, and

means for recording the show further comprises means for recording the show in storage space allocated to the storage space provider on the remote PVR.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein:

means for selecting a remote PVR comprises means for selecting, from among a multiplicity of remote PVRs, a remote PVR upon which the storage space provider is a user authorized to borrow an authorized remote lending amount of storage space exceeding the show'"'"'s storage space requirement,

the system further comprises means for borrowing storage space on the selected remote PVR, and

means for recording the show further comprises recording the show in the storage space borrowed on the selected remote PVR.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein means for selecting a remote PVR further comprises means for determining, in dependence upon an authorized remote loan amount for a remote PVR, whether the storage space provider is authorized to borrow storage space from a remote PVR, and an authorized remote loan amount for a remote PVR comprises a total of maximum loan amounts authorized by lenders on the remote PVR for lending to the storage space provider.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising means for the storage space provider'"'"'s downloading the show from the selected remote PVR to the storage space provider and means for displaying the show from the storage space provider through the PVR as streaming video.

21. A computer program product for automated personal video recording comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for scheduling a show for a user having allocated storage space on a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) optionally including free space, wherein the show has a storage space requirement that exceeds the user'"'"'s free space, and the PVR is coupled for data communications to a storage space provider; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR that is coupled for data communications to the storage space provider.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein the order comprises an identification of the show and a schedule for recording the show.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for comparing the show'"'"'s storage space requirement and the user'"'"'s free space, wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting to the storage space provider an order to record the show through the storage space provider in storage space on a remote PVR further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for transmitting the order if the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the user'"'"'s free space.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for downloading the show from the remote PVR to the PVR and means, recorded on the recording medium, for displaying the show from the PVR.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for displaying the show on the PVR as video streamed from the storage space provider.

26. A computer program product of personal video recording comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in a storage space provider from a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) an order to record a show on a remote PVR, the order comprising an identification of a show and a schedule for recording the show;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a remote PVR; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording the show, in dependence upon the show identification and the schedule for recording the show, in storage space on the selected remote PVR.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a remote PVR comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a remote PVR upon which the storage space provider is a user having allocated storage space with free space exceeding the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording the show further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording the show in storage space allocated to the storage space provider on the remote PVR.

28. The computer program product of claim 26 wherein:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a remote PVR comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting, from among a multiplicity of remote PVRs, a remote PVR upon which the storage space provider is a user authorized to borrow an authorized remote lending amount of storage space exceeding the show'"'"'s storage space requirement,

the computer program product further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for borrowing storage space on the selected remote PVR, and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording the show further comprises recording the show in the storage space borrowed on the selected remote PVR.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a remote PVR further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining, in dependence upon an authorized remote loan amount for a remote PVR, whether the storage space provider is authorized to borrow storage space from a remote PVR, and an authorized remote loan amount for a remote PVR comprises a total of maximum loan amounts authorized by lenders on the remote PVR for lending to the storage space provider.

30. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for the storage space provider'"'"'s downloading the show from the selected remote PVR to the storage space provider and means, recorded on the recording medium, for displaying the show from the storage space provider through the PVR as streaming video.