System and method for recording a signal using a central point of control

• US 20040261134A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/142
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning 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 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 5/765 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording a signal received by a home entertainment system that includes multiple consumer electronics devices interconnected to a central electronics device in a hub and spoke configuration. The configuration allows all signals in the home entertainment system to be accessible by the central electronics device. Accordingly, the central electronics device can process, route, or otherwise respond to any signal. By way of example, any signal can be routed to a recording system, where it can be recorded. The signal is coupled with information from an electronic programming guide that details specific programming. An automatic determination is made as to whether or not there exists enough free space on a recording medium to record a specific program. Upon recording the program on the recording medium, an index is updated on the recording medium from the electronic programming guide information and from the location of the program on the recording medium. By selecting the program from the index, the recorded program can be automatically located on the recording medium.

Claims

1. In a home entertainment system including a recording system, a central device connected to the recording system, and a programming source, a method of recording a program carried by a signal, the method comprising the steps for:

storing an electronic programming guide at the central device;

recording, at the recording system, programming information included in the electronic programming guide;

locating, at the recording system, space on a recording medium for recording the program; and

recording the program on the recording medium, wherein the programming information references the program.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step for locating space includes the steps for:

determining from the space on the recording medium whether enough free space is available for recording the entire program; and

going to a location on the recording medium upon which the recording of the program will begin.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step for locating space is performed automatically.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step for instructing, by a user of the home entertainment system, the central device to automatically initiate the step for recording the program.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step for recording programming information comprises the step for transmitting the programming information from the central device to the recording system.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming information includes the title of the program.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the programming information includes a description of the program.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step for recording the program comprises the steps for:

inserting, by the central device, a title of the program in a vertical blanking interval or an overscan portion of the signal; and

recording the title at the recording system.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein after the step for recording the program, the method further comprises the steps for:

going to a specified location on the recording medium; and

storing index information at the specified location, wherein the index information references the programming.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the step for storing the index information comprises the steps for:

inserting, by the central device, the index information in a vertical blanking or an overscan area of an index signal; and

storing the index signal at the specified location on the recording medium.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein after the step for recording the signal, the method further comprises the step for reading, by the central device, the index information.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein after the step for reading the index information, the method further comprises steps for:

displaying a list of contents, wherein the list of contents includes a description of the programming recorded on the recording medium; and

selecting, by a user of the home entertainment system, the programming from the list of contents.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising the steps for:

identifying a location of the recording medium where the signal is stored based on the index information; and

reading the signal and playing the recorded program.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the step for selecting is performed by a remote control device.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the act of playing is performed on a display device.

16. In an entertainment system that includes a central device connected to a plurality of electronic consumer devices, a computer program product for implementing a method for managing the recording of audio and/or video signals in the entertainment system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying executable instructions for performing the method, wherein the method includes the steps for;

storing an electronic program guide at a central device;

receiving input from a user for recording programming on a specific channel;

transmitting programming information included in the electronic program guide from the central device to a recording system;

recording the programming at the recording system on a recording medium; and

indexing, on the recording medium, programming recorded on the recording medium, wherein the indexing includes programming information from the electronic program guide and the location on the recording medium where the programming was recorded.

17. A computer program product as recited in claim 16, wherein the input received is transmitted from a user through a remote control device.

18. In an entertainment system that includes a central device connected to a plurality of electronic consumer devices, a computer program product for implementing a method for managing the playing of recorded programming that includes audio and/or video signals on the entertainment system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying executable instructions for performing the method, wherein the method includes the steps for;

displaying an index that includes the programming recorded on a recording medium;

receiving input from a user, wherein the input selects from the index a program to be played;

going to a location on the recording medium where the initial portion of the programming was recorded; and

playing the program.

19. A computer program product as recited in claim 18, wherein the input received is transmitted from a user by a remote control device.