Method and system for a personal video recorder comprising multiple removable storage/tuner units

• US 20060075441A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hofrichter, Klaus, Lau, Clement, Wang, Annie, Gauba, Ravi, Dara-Abrams, Joseph Alexander, Eubanks, Curtis Ray
• Application Number:
  US10/960,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075441A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks 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

A personal video recorder (PVR) enables delivery of audio-visual content and associated metadata to storage devices. The PVR is configured to access a plurality of services using a plurality of storage modules. Each storage module is dedicated to a single designated content provider. One or more of the storage modules are removably coupled to the PVR. A disconnected storage module can be reconnected to another PVR different from the PVR from which the storage module was disconnected. Where authorization is required to access content stored on the storage module, authentication is performed each time the removable storage module is reconnected to a PVR.

Claims

1. A system to provide content, the system comprising:

a. a plurality of content sources, each content source providing one or more content data; and

b. a controller apparatus including a plurality of storage modules, each storage module dedicated to a select one of the plurality of content sources.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the controller apparatus includes a control device.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the control device is external to the plurality of storage modules.

4. The system according to claim 2 wherein the control apparatus is an integrated device including the control device and the plurality of storage modules.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein each content data includes associated content metadata.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein the metadata is provided by one or more metadata sources.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein one or more of the plurality of content sources are a metadata source.

8. The system according to claim 6 wherein one or more of the plurality of content sources are not a metadata source.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein each storage module receives content data independent of each of the plurality of storage modules.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein more than one of the plurality of storage modules concurrently receive content data.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein each storage module includes a receiver and a storage medium.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein content data comprises multimedia data.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the controller apparatus is coupled to one or more network connections to receive the one or more content data and associated metadata.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein each of the one or more network connections consists of a terrestrial, satellite, cable, or internet network connection.

15. The system according to claim 13 wherein one of the one or more network connections is a broadcast network.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein one of the one or more network connections is a two-way network.

17. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an output device coupled to the controller apparatus to receive and output content data.

18. The system according to claim 1 wherein the controller apparatus includes a content manager to acquire content data based on associated metadata and stored user preferences.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the content manager enforces rights management rules.

20. A personal video recorder to receive content data, the personal video recorder comprising:

a. a plurality of storage modules, each storage module to receive content data from a select one of a plurality of content sources; and

b. a control device coupled to the plurality of storage modules to control receiving and outputting of the content data to and from the personal video recorder.

21. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 wherein each of the plurality of storage modules is removable from the personal video recorder.

22. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 wherein the control device and the plurality of storage modules are configured as an integrated device.

23. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 wherein each content data includes associated content metadata.

24. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 wherein each storage module receives content data independent of each of the plurality of storage modules.

25. The personal video recorder according to claim 24 wherein more than one of the plurality of storage modules concurrently receive content data.

26. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 wherein each storage module includes a receiver and a storage medium.

27. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 wherein content data comprises multimedia data.

28. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 further comprising one or more network connection ports to couple to one or more network connections to receive the content data and associated metadata.

29. The personal video recorder according to claim 28 wherein each of the one or more network connections consists of a terrestrial, satellite, cable, or internet network connection.

30. The personal video recorder according to claim 28 wherein one of the one or more network connections is a broadcast network.

31. The personal video recorder according to claim 28 wherein one of the one or more network connections is a two-way network.

32. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 further comprising an output port to provide content data to an output device.

33. The personal video recorder according to claim 20 further comprising a content manager to acquire content data based on associated metadata and stored user preferences.

34. The personal video recorder according to claim 33 wherein the content manager enforces rights management rules.

35. A method of providing content data, the method comprising:

a. providing a recording apparatus including a plurality of storage modules;

b. dedicating each one of the plurality of storage modules to receive content data from a select one of a plurality of content sources; and

c. receiving content data by one of the plurality of storage devices from the select one content source.

36. The method according to claim 35 further comprising associating metadata to each content data.

37. The method according to claim 36 further comprising controlling management of each one of the plurality of storage modules by the select one of the plurality of content sources.

38. The method according to claim 37 further comprising determining specific content data sent to one of the plurality of storage modules by the select one of the plurality of content sources.

39. The method according to claim 38 wherein determining specific content data utilizes predefined user preferences and the metadata.

40. The method according to claim 35 further comprising concurrently receiving content data by more than one of the plurality of storage devices.

41. The method according to claim 35 further comprising outputting content data from one of the plurality of content sources to an output device.