System and method of managing set top box memory

• US 20060174309A1
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Pearson, Larry B.
• Application Number:
  US11/046,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174309A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

A method of managing recorded content at a set top box memory device for use by a digital video recorder is provided. The method includes dividing a total memory capacity of the set top memory device into a plurality of memory portions. Further, the method includes assigning a unique user name to each of the plurality of memory portions. In a particular embodiment, the method further includes receiving an indication to record at least one content item associated with a selected user name. The at least one content item is recorded within one of the plurality of memory portions associated with the selected user name. Additionally, a title associated with the at least one content item is placed on a play list assigned to the selected user name.

Claims

1. A method of managing recorded content at a set top box memory device for use by a digital video recorder, the method comprising:

dividing a total memory capacity of the set top memory device into a plurality of memory portions; and

assigning a unique user name to each of the plurality of memory portions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication to record at least one content item associated with a selected user name.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising recording the at least one content item within one of the plurality of memory portions associated with the selected user name.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising placing a title associated with the at least one content item on a play list assigned to the selected user name.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a plurality of distinct play lists.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a different user name is assigned to each of the plurality of distinct play lists.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of memory portions has an equal storage capacity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of memory portions has a different storage capacity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a storage capacity of each of the plurality of memory portions is defined by a user.

10. A method of recording content at a set top box, the method comprising:

receiving a content item to be recorded on behalf of a first user; and

storing the received content item in a first memory portion of the memory device allocated to the first user, wherein a second memory portion of the memory device is allocated to a second user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining whether a minimum storage space allocated to the first user within a memory device has been exceeded prior to storing the received content item.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining if a total storage capacity of the memory device has been reached prior to storing the received content item.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the received content item in the second memory portion not allocated to the first user after determining that the minimum storage space allocated to the first user has been exceeded and after determining that the total capacity has not been reached.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising deleting a stored content item from the first memory portion allocated to the first user after determining that the minimum storage space allocated to the first user has been exceeded and after determining that the total capacity has been reached.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the received content item in the first memory portion allocated to the first user after determining that the minimum storage space allocated to the first user has not been exceeded and after determining that the total capacity has not been reached.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising deleting a stored content item from the second memory portion not allocated to the first user after determining that the minimum storage space allocated to the first user has not been exceeded and after determining that the total capacity has not been reached.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the received content item in the second memory portion not allocated to the first user.

18. A set top box device for managing video content, the device comprising:

a processor;

a tuner coupled to the processor;

a content feed coupled to the processor;

a computer readable medium accessible by the processor; and

a computer program embedded within the computer readable medium, the computer program comprising;

instructions to display a graphical user interface at a display device, the graphical user interface comprising a first play list of video content assigned to a first user name and a second play list of video content assigned to a second user name.

19. The set top box device of claim 18, wherein the first play list is accessible after a correct first personal identification number associated with the first user name is received.

20. The set top box device of claim 19, wherein the first play list includes one or more content items recorded upon request of a first user.

21. The set top box device of claim 19, wherein the second play list is accessible after a correct second personal identification number associated with the second user name is received.

22. The set top box device of claim 21, wherein the second play list includes one or more content items recorded upon request of a second user.

23. The set top box device of claim 18, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a first record list of video content assigned to the first user name.

24. The set top box device of claim 23, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a second record list of video content assigned to the second user name.

25. The set top box device of claim 23, wherein the first record list is accessible after the correct first personal identification number associated with the first user name is received.

26. The set top box device of claim 23, wherein the second record list is accessible after the correct second personal identification number associated with the second user name is received.