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

• US 20050132409A1
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• 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 7,673,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/80
• 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. A central computing device for use in home entertainment system that includes the central device, a display device and a recording system that is configured to record programming received at the home entertainment system, the central device comprising:

means for being connected directly to the display device and to the recording system, such that any signal that reaches the recording system must be transmitted from the central device to the recording system;

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media that are accessible to the central device, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise;

computer-executable code for receiving and storing an electronic programming guide at the central device;

computer-executable code for receiving recording instructions at the central device to record programming at the recording system;

computer-executable code for transmitting the programming which is received at the central device to the recording system and at a time indicated by the recording instructions, wherein the programming is recorded on a recording medium by the recording system upon receipt of the programming;

computer-executable code, responsive to the recording instructions, for sending a first set of programming information from the stored electronic programming guide to the recording system, prior to sending the programming to the recording system to be recorded, wherein the recording system records the first set of programming information to the recording medium upon receiving the first set of programming information; and

computer-executable code for the central device transmitting a second set of programming information comprising indexing information that is included in the stored electronic programming guide to the recording system, wherein the recording system records the indexing information to the recording medium after recording the programming.

2. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the central device further comprises means for connecting directly to an electronics device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions further comprise computer-executable code for transmitting the programming from the electronics device to the central device.

3. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the central computing device is an Internet terminal.

4. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the central computing device receives the programming from a programming source prior transmitting the programming to the recording system.

5. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein recording the indexing information further includes recording information identifying the location of the recorded programming on the recording medium.

6. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of programming information includes a title of the programming and a frame number.

7. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to recording the indexing information, the recording system rewinds or forwards the recording medium to the specified location to be recorded.

8. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the indexing information is recorded to the VBI or overscan area of the specified location.

9. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein indexing information corresponding to multiple recorded programming sessions is recorded at the specified location of the recording medium.

10. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable code for determining a beginning of free space on the recording medium based at least in part on the indexing information stored at the specified location prior to recording the programming.

11. A central computing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable code for determining whether there is enough free space to record the programming on the recording medium based at least in part on the indexing information stored at the specified location prior to recording the programming.

12. A central computing device as recited in claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions include computer-executable code for prompting a user to provide a new recording medium to record the programming upon determining that there is not enough free space to record the programming on the recording medium.