Centralized digital video recording system with bookmarking and playback from multiple locations
First Claim
1. A distributed audio-visual reproduction system comprising:
- a network adapted to facilitate the transmission and reception of information between components coupled thereto;
a plurality of program reproduction devices coupled to said network, said reproduction devices being adapted to reproduce programs in a user-perceivable manner; and
a media server coupled to said network, said media server being adapted to receive and store programs reproducible by said reproduction devices, and said media server being adapted to upon the demand of a user via a reproduction device, transmit in a reproducible format, programs to said reproduction devices;
wherein said media server is further adapted to allow a user to, from one reproduction device, place a program bookmark in a program representing a point in the program where reproduction has stopped, and from another reproduction device, resume reproduction of the program from the program bookmark.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A centralized Digital Video Recording (DVR) and reproduction system (100) linking several reproduction and control units (such as television receivers (124, 128, 132), etc.) to a centralized media server (152) allows system users (124, 128, 132) to not only access the same program or programs from different receivers (106, 110), but to pause and resume the same programs from the same marker points (“bookmarks”) established by any system user (124, 128, 132). The program “bookmark” representing the program pause point is conveniently shown via a graphical user interface display with a bookmark icon, including the name of the user (124, 128, 132) who established the bookmark and the exact pause point in the program.
230 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A distributed audio-visual reproduction system comprising:
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a network adapted to facilitate the transmission and reception of information between components coupled thereto;
a plurality of program reproduction devices coupled to said network, said reproduction devices being adapted to reproduce programs in a user-perceivable manner; and
a media server coupled to said network, said media server being adapted to receive and store programs reproducible by said reproduction devices, and said media server being adapted to upon the demand of a user via a reproduction device, transmit in a reproducible format, programs to said reproduction devices;
wherein said media server is further adapted to allow a user to, from one reproduction device, place a program bookmark in a program representing a point in the program where reproduction has stopped, and from another reproduction device, resume reproduction of the program from the program bookmark. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A distributed audio-visual reproduction method comprising the steps of:
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via a network, facilitating the transmission and reception of information between components coupled to said network;
via a plurality of program reproduction devices coupled to said network, reproducing programs in a user-perceivable manner;
via a media server coupled to said network, receiving and storing programs reproducible by said reproduction devices;
via said media server, and upon the demand of a user via a reproduction device, transmitting in a reproducible format, programs to said reproduction devices;
via one reproduction device and said media server, and upon the demand of a user, placing a program bookmark in a stored program representing a point in the program where reproduction has stopped; and
via another reproduction device and said media server, and upon the demand of a user, resuming reproduction of the program from the program bookmark. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A distributed audio-visual reproduction system comprising:
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a network adapted to facilitate the transmission and reception of information between components coupled thereto;
a plurality of program reproduction devices coupled to said network, said reproduction devices being adapted to reproduce programs in a user-perceivable manner; and
a media server coupled to said network, said media server being adapted to receive and store programs reproducible by said reproduction devices, and said media server being adapted to upon the demand of a user via a reproduction device, transmit in a reproducible format, programs to said reproduction devices;
wherein said media server is further adapted to automatically place a program bookmark in a program representing a point in the program where reproduction has paused on one reproduction device, and from another reproduction device, allow a user resume reproduction of the program from the program bookmark. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A distributed audio-visual reproduction method comprising the steps of:
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via a network, facilitating the transmission and reception of information between components coupled to said network;
via a plurality of program reproduction devices coupled to said network, reproducing programs in a user-perceivable manner;
via a media server coupled to said network, receiving and storing programs reproducible by said reproduction devices;
via said media server, and upon the demand of a user via a reproduction device, transmitting in a reproducible format, programs to said reproduction devices;
via one reproduction device and said media server, automatically placing a program bookmark in a stored program representing a point in the program where reproduction has paused; and
via another reproduction device and said media server, and upon the demand of a user, resuming reproduction of the program from the program bookmark. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification