VIDEO RECORDER HAVING USER EXTENDED AND AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED TIME SLOTS

• US 20040208477A1
• Filed: 01/15/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROVI Product Corporation (Xperi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Krakirian, Haig H., Bumgardner, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/46
• 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 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a video recorder having user extended and automatically extended time slots. An embodiment of 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. 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 user has the option to extend a chosen time slot, in which a show is scheduled to be transferred to the storage device. The time slot may be extended before the show, after the show, or both. The system also implements an automatic extension of the time slot by default, which is used to ensure that the data is completely captured to the system, in case the broadcast and the set-top box are slightly out of sync, the broadcaster unexpectedly begins a show'"'"'s broadcast slightly early or late, or the show unexpectedly runs longer than the IPG indicates.

Claims

1. A method for transferring a broadcast signal to a storage device comprising:

receiving instructions to transfer one or more timeslots on one or more channels to said storage device;

determining if said instructions cause a conflict;

determining one or more solutions to said conflict;

providing a user an opportunity to choose one of said solutions to said conflict; and

resolving said conflict automatically, if said user does not choose one of said solutions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining one or more solutions further comprises:

determining a first type for a first timeslot; and

determining a second type for a second timeslot.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said first type is an automatically extended time slot and said second type is not an automatically extended time slot, further comprising, choosing said second type as having a higher priority.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said first type is a user extended lead time slot and said second type is a core time slot, further comprising, choosing said second type as having a higher priority.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said first type is a user extended trail time slot less than a fixed interval and said second type is a core time slot, further comprising, choosing said second type as having a higher priority.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing step further comprises:

examining each timeslot in each of said solutions;

determining a cumulative priority for each of said solutions;

determining one or two lowest priority solutions to said conflict based on said cumulative priority; and

presenting said one or two lowest priority solutions to said user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of determining if said instructions cause a conflict further comprises:

determining a first number of tuners available;

determining a second number of timeslots to be transferred to said storage device; and

determining a conflict exists, if said first number is less than said second number.

8. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to cause a computer to transfer a broadcast signal to a storage device comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to receive instructions to transfer one or more timeslots on one or more channels to said storage device;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine if said instructions cause a conflict;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine one or more solutions to said conflict;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to provide a user an opportunity to choose one of said solutions to said conflict; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to resolve said conflict automatically, if said user does not choose one of said solutions.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said computer readable program code configured to determine one or more solutions further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine a first type for a first timeslot; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine a second type for a second timeslot.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said first type is an automatically extended time slot and said second type is not an automatically extended time slot, further comprising, computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to choose said second type as having a higher priority.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said first type is a user extended lead time slot and said second type is a core time slot, further comprising, computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to choose said second type as having a higher priority.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein said first type is a user extended trail time slot less than a fixed interval and said second type is a core time slot, further comprising, computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to choose said second type as having a higher priority.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to provide further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to examine each timeslot in each of said solutions;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine a cumulative priority for each of said solutions;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine one or two lowest priority solutions to said conflict based on said cumulative priority; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to present said one or two lowest priority solutions to said user.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein said computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine if said instructions cause a conflict further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine a first number of tuners available;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine a second number of timeslots to be transferred to said storage device; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to determine a conflict exists, if said first number is less than said second number.

15. A video recorder comprising:

means for receiving one or more instructions;

means for finding one or more conflicts, which may be caused by said instructions;

means for generating one or more solutions to said conflicts, which said video recorder obtains;

means for giving a user an opportunity to choose one of said solutions to said conflict; and

means for solving said conflicts, if said user does not choose one of said solutions.

16. The video recorder of claim 15 wherein said means for generating solutions further comprises:

a first type for a first timeslot; and

a second type for a second timeslot.

17. The video recorder of claim 16 wherein said first type is an automatically extended time slot and said second type is not an automatically extended time slot, further comprising, means for choosing said second type as having a higher priority.

18. The video recorder of claim 16 wherein said first type is a user extended lead time slot and said second type is a core time slot, further comprising, means for choosing said second type as having a higher priority.

19. The video recorder of claim 16 wherein said first type is a user extended trail time slot less than a fixed interval and said second type is a core time slot, further comprising, means for choosing said second type as having a higher priority.

20. The video recorder of claim 15 wherein said means for generating solutions further comprises:

means for obtaining one or more timeslots in each of said solutions;

means for establishing a cumulative priority for each of said solutions based on each of said timeslots;

means for choosing one or two lowest priority solutions to said conflict based on said cumulative priority; and

means for presenting said one or two lowest priority solutions to said user.

21. The video recorder of claim 15 wherein said means for finding conflicts further comprises:

means for determining a first number of tuners available;

means for determining a second number of timeslots to be transferred to said storage device; and

means for determining a conflict exists, if said first number is less than said second number.