System and method for aggregating commercial navigation information

• US 20040190853A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dow, Christopher, Pignon, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,115 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

The present invention provides for gathering and aggregating data related to the functionality of digital video recorders (DVRs) and transmitting updated instructions to the DVRs. During its operation, a DVR gathers data that is relevant to the detection of commercials such as luminance values, commercial patterns, and user input and stores this information in its internal storage. A central server receives updated instructions from administrators and generates new instructions in response to data aggregated from individual DVRs. The central sever transmits the updated instructions to remote DVRs.

Claims

1. A method for improving performance of a digital video recorder, the method comprising:

transmitting an identifier to a remote server, the identifier indicating a characteristic of broadcast content received by the digital video recorder;

in response to transmitting the identifier, receiving from the remote server an instruction update, the instruction update configured to alter a function of the digital video recorder; and

altering the function of the digital video recorder in response to receiving the instruction update.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the function of the digital video recorder is a commercial skipping function.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the instruction update comprises a base luminance value to be used in a blackfield detection algorithm.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the instruction update comprises commercial pattern information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting gathered information to the remote server, the gathered information configured to be used to generate instruction updates.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the gathered information comprises an average blackfield luminance level.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the gathered information comprises user input to the digital video recorder.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the gathered information comprises a pattern of commercials detected in a recording.

9. A method for improving performance of a digital video recorder, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier from the digital video recorder, the identifier indicating a characteristic of broadcast content received by the digital video recorder;

in response to receiving the identifier, selecting an instruction update according to the characteristic of the digital video recorder, the instruction update configured to improve a function of the digital video recorder; and

transmitting the instruction update to the digital video recorder.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the function of the digital video recorder is a commercial skipping function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the instruction update comprises a luminance value to be used in a blackfield detection algorithm.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the instruction update comprises commercial pattern information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting gathered information to the remote server, the gathered information configured to be used to generate instruction updates.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the gathered information comprises an average blackfield luminance level.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the gathered information comprises user input to the digital video recorder.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the gathered information comprises a pattern of commercials detected in a recording.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier indicates a broadcast carrier, which provides broadcast content to the digital video recorder.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier indicates a location of the digital video recorder.

19. A digital video recorder comprising:

an instruction set, the instruction set controlling a function of the digital video recorder; and

a remote information module configured to;

receive an instruction set update from a remote server, the instruction set update generated with respect to broadcast content received by the personal video recorder; and

update the instruction set in response to the instruction update.

20. The digital video recorder of claim 19, wherein the function of the digital video recorder is a commercial skipping function.

21. The digital video recorder of claim 20, wherein the instruction update comprises a base luminance value to be used in a blackfield detection algorithm.

22. The digital video recorder of claim 20, wherein the instruction update comprises commercial pattern information.

23. The digital video recorder of claim 19, wherein the remote information module is configured to transmit gathered information to the remote server, the gathered information configured to be used to generate instruction updates.

24. The digital video recorder of claim 22, wherein the gathered information comprises an average blackfield luminance level.

25. The digital video recorder of claim 22,wherein the gathered information comprises user input to the digital video recorder.

26. The digital video recorder of claim 22, wherein the gathered information comprises a pattern of commercials detected in a recording.

27. A computer readable storage medium that stores a set of software instructions, which when executed improve the performance of a remote digital video recorder, the software instructions comprising instructions for:

receiving an identifier from a remote personal video recorder, the identifier indicating a characteristic of broadcast content received by the digital video recorder; and

in response to receiving the identifier, transmitting an instruction update, the instruction update configured to alter a function of the digital video recorder.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the function of the digital video recorder is a commercial skipping function.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instruction update comprises a base luminance value to be used in a blackfield detection algorithm.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instruction update comprises commercial pattern information.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions for improving the performance of a remote digital video recorder further comprise instructions for receiving gathered information from the personal video recorder, the gathered information configured to be used to generate instruction updates.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the gathered information comprises an average blackfield luminance level.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the gathered information comprises user input to the digital video recorder.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the gathered information comprises a pattern of commercials detected in a recording.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the identifier indicates a location of the digital video recorder and the instruction update is customized in response to the location of the digital video recorder.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the identifier indicates a broadcast provider that provides content to the digital video recorder and the instruction update is customized in response to the broadcast provider.

37. A system for improving the performance of a digital video recorder comprising:

a data aggregation module configured to receive information from a plurality of digital video recorders and store the information in data files;

an instruction generation module configured to analyze the data files and generate instructions for digital video recorders; and

a selection module configured to receive an update request from a remote digital video recorder, determine the most appropriate instructions for the digital video recorder, and transmit the instructions to the remote digital video recorder.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein:

the information received from the plurality of digital video recorders includes a broadcast provider for each digital video recorder;

the instruction module is configured to generate instructions associated with a broadcast provider; and

the selection module is configured to determine a broadcast provider of the remote digital video recorder and send instructions associated with the broadcast provider.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein:

the information received from the plurality of digital video recorders includes a geographic location for each digital video recorder;

the instruction module is configured to generate instructions associated with a geographic location; and

the selection module is configured to determine a geographic location of the remote digital video recorder and send instructions associated with the geographic location.

40. A method for configuring a remote digital video recorder comprising:

receiving information from a plurality of digital video recorders;

generating instructions for digital video recorders in response to the received information; and

in response to an update request from a remote digital video recorder, determining the most appropriate instructions for the digital video recorder; and

transmitting the instructions to the remote digital video recorder.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein:

the information received from the plurality of digital video recorders includes a geographic location for each digital video recorder;

the instructions are associated with a particular geographic location; and

determining the most appropriate instructions for the digital video recorder comprises determining a geographic location for the digital video recorder.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein:

the information received from the plurality of digital video recorders includes a broadcast provider for each digital video recorder;

the instructions are associated with a particular broadcast provider; and

determining the most appropriate instructions for the digital video recorder comprises determining a broadcast provider for the digital video recorder.