Personal versatile recorder and method of implementing and using same

• US 20050289617A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carl Mcgrath, David E. Zeidler, Donald W. Merino, Douglas S. Makofka, Jack M. Birnbaum, Lawrence D. Vince, Mark A DePietro, Raymond Bontempi, Reem Safadi, Robert M. Simons, Salvatore Macera, Thomas L Du Breuil
• Original Assignee: Carl Mcgrath, David E. Zeidler, Donald W. Merino, Douglas S. Makofka, Jack M. Birnbaum, Lawrence D. Vince, Mark A DePietro, Raymond Bontempi, Reem Safadi, Robert M. Simons, Salvatore Macera, Thomas L Du Breuil
• Inventors: Merino, Donald W., McGrath, Carl, Macera, Salvatore, Simons, Robert M., DePietro, Mark, Du Breuil, Thomas L., Makofka, Douglas S., Birnbaum, Jack M., Vince, Lawrence D., Bontempi, Raymond, Safadi, Reem, Zeidler, David E.
• Application Number:
  US11/215,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289617A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• 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 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 : the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

A personal versatile recorder can be connected to, or integrated in, a cable television set-top terminal. The personal versatile recorder includes a central processing unit and a hard drive for mass data storage. Preferably, the personal versatile recorder has a tuner or tuners for receiving one or more transport streams from the cable system as well as analog or digital audiovisual programming. The data transport stream may encompass internet multimedia web content and associated applications to he utilized by the personal versatile recorder, Under instructions of the viewer or the agent application the central processing unit controls and facilitates various functions such as encoding, transcoding, decoding, caching, storing, playback and retrieval of any type of data or data file on the hard drive including compressed audiovisual programming content, streamed multimedia cached content, picture files, video files, audio files, HTML files, etc. for a variety of applications as described.

Claims

1. A method of offering video-on-demand over a cable television network comprising, during a designated download timeframe, downloading a requested video-on-demand program over said cable television network to a personal versatile recorder connected to said cable television network where said program is recorded in said personal versatile recorder for playback under control of a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said downloading is performed as a background task.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said downloading is performed in response to a purchase signal transmitted by a user over said cable television network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a signal over said cable television network to indicate to users those programs available for downloading.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting said signal indicative of programs available to said user selectively based on demographic or preference information concerning said users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said downloading further comprises recording said program on a magnetic or optical disc drive unit of said personal versatile recorder.