Personal video recorder

• US 20050166252A1
• Filed: 01/06/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hallberg, Bryan Severt
• Application Number:
  US10/753,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20050166252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• 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 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention include a personal video recorder that uses removable media. In one particular embodiment, the media is accessed though a PCMCIA interface. Recorded media can be removed and permanently stored, or may be inserted into another device for permanent storage.

Claims

1. A television system, comprising:

a media encoder having an input for accepting an incoming video media stream;

a first storage location coupled to the media encoder and structured to buffer an encoded media stream;

a processor structured to generate signals to copy portions of the buffered media stream to an interface for removable media;

a second storage location structured to store encoded data retrieved from the interface; and

a decoder coupled to the second storage location and structured to deliver an outgoing video stream.

2. The television system of claim 1 wherein the interface comprises a slot structured to hold a PCMCIA card.

3. The television system of claim 1 wherein the interface is structured to hold more than one removable media simultaneously.

5. The television system of claim 3 wherein the interface comprises:

a first set of pins structured to connect a first piece of removable media to the processor; and

a second set of pins structured to connect a second piece of removable media to the processor.

6. The television system of claim 5 wherein at least one of the pins from the first set connects to a same input of the processor as at least one of the pins from the second set.

4. The television system of claim 4 wherein the interface comprises a set of pins structured to connect to a removable media item to the processor.

7. An audio/video system, comprising:

a media encoder having an input for accepting a media stream, and having a control input for accepting a command to encode the media stream;

a storage location coupled to the media encoder and structured to buffer an encoded media stream;

a controller coupled to the media encoder and to the storage location, the controller structured to accept a command from the media encoder after the encoded media stream is stored in the storage location;

a detector structured to detect presence of removable media coupled to an interface of the controller; and

a processor structured to generate signals to copy portions of the buffered media stream to the interface when removable media is coupled to the interface.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the interface comprises a slot structured to hold a PCMCIA card.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the interface is structured to hold more than one removable media simultaneously.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the interface comprises a set of pins structured to connect to a removable media item to the processor.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the interface comprises:

a first set of pins structured to connect a first piece of removable media to the processor; and

a second set of pins structured to connect a second piece of removable media to the processor.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the pins from the first set connects to a same input of the processor as at least one of the pins from the second set.

13. A method for storing data, comprising:

encoding a stream of data;

storing sections of the encoded stream into a buffer;

detecting the presence of removable media; and

after the presence of removable media is detected, generating signals to transmit data from the buffer to the removable media.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein detecting the presence of removable media comprises interrogating a PCMCIA slot to determine if a PC card is inserted therein.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating signals to transmit data from the removable media to a decoder.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein generating signals to transmit data comprises executing a java applet.

17. A method for storing data, comprising:

detecting the presence of removable media in a personal video recorder system;

encoding a stream of data;

storing sections of the encoded stream into a buffer;

generating signals to transmit data from the buffer to the removable media; and

generating signals to mark as unoccupied portions of the buffer from which data has been transmitted to the removable media.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein detecting the presence of removable media comprises interrogating a PCMCIA slot to determine if a PC card is inserted therein.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating signals to transmit data from the removable media to a decoder.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein generating signals to transmit data comprises executing a java applet.