Strategies for scheduling bandwidth-consuming media events

• US 20060268099A1
• Filed: 05/24/2005
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Thomas H., Potrebic, Peter J., Pasumarthy, Naga A. K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/443 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 21/4532 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 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Scheduling functionality is described for resolving conflicts in the schedules of respective client devices, where the schedules are used to govern the recordation of media programs by the respective client devices. The client devices use virtual tuner functionality to receive media programs over respective communication channels, each channel having a prescribed amount of available bandwidth in which to receive media information. The scheduling functionality includes a conflict identification module for identifying conflicts in the schedules, a solution enumeration module for enumerating solutions to the conflicts, and a conflict resolution module for resolving the conflicts based on the output of the solution enumeration module. In one case, the schedules can be partitioned into a plurality of time segments, and solutions can be enumerated for each time segment in turn.

Claims

1. A method of resolving schedule conflicts affecting a client device that employs virtual tuner functionality, comprising:

establishing a schedule that specifies plural media programs;

identifying at least one conflict in the schedule caused by at least one bandwidth event;

enumerating at least one solution to said at least one conflict, wherein said at least one solution takes into account;

(a) a total amount of bandwidth available to the client device to receive media programs; and

(b) an amount of bandwidth consumed by each of said plural media programs in the schedule; and

resolving said at least one conflict based on said at least one solution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one bandwidth event comprises a user'"'"'s selection of a new media program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one bandwidth event comprises a change in media program guide information which affects the schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of said at least one conflict comprises:

partitioning the schedule into at least one candidate time segment in which a conflict may exist; and

determining at least one conflicting time segment from said at least one candidate time segment for which an actual conflict exists.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the enumerating of said at least one solution comprises enumerating at least one solution that resolves the conflict for all of the time segments in said at least one conflicting time segment.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the enumerating of said at least one solution comprises enumerating at least one solution that resolves the conflict for each particular time segment in turn in said at least one conflicting time segment.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the identifying of said at least one conflict comprises re-determining said at least one conflicting time segment in response to the enumerating.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the resolving of said at least one conflict comprises:

providing a user interface presentation to a user which solicits input from the user to resolve said at least one conflict; and

receiving the input from the user to resolve said at least one conflict.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the user interface presentation displays conflicting media programs using respective time bars, and wherein the receiving of the input comprises receiving the user'"'"'s selection of one or more of the time bars.

10. One or more machine-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implementing the method of claim 1.

11. Scheduling functionality for resolving schedule conflicts affecting a client device that employs virtual tuner functionality, comprising:

a schedule setting module configured to establish a schedule that specifies plural media programs;

a conflict identification module configured to identify at least one conflict in the schedule;

a solution enumeration module configured to enumerate at least one solution to said at least one conflict, wherein said at least one solution takes into account;

(a) a total amount of bandwidth available to the client device to receive media programs; and

(b) an amount of bandwidth consumed by each of said plural media programs in the schedule; and

a conflict resolution module configured to resolve said at least one conflict based on said at least one solution.

12. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the conflict identification module is configured to identify said at least one conflict by:

partitioning the schedule into at least one candidate time segment in which a conflict may exist; and

determining at least one conflicting time segment from said at least one candidate time segment for which an actual conflict exists.

13. The scheduling functionality of claim 12, wherein the solution enumeration module is configured to enumerate said at least one solution by enumerating at least one solution that resolves the conflict for all of the time segments in said at least one conflicting time segment.

14. The scheduling functionality of claim 12, wherein the solution enumeration module is configured to enumerate said at least one solution by enumerating at least one solution that resolves the conflict for each particular time segment in turn in said at least one conflicting time segment.

15. The scheduling functionality of claim 12, wherein the conflict identification module is configured to re-determine said at least one conflicting time segment in response to the enumerating by the solution enumeration module.

16. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the conflict resolution module is configured to resolve said at least one conflict by:

providing a user interface presentation to a user which solicits input from the user to resolve said at least one conflict; and

receiving the input from the user to resolve said at least one conflict.

17. One or more machine-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implementing the scheduling functionality of claim 11.

18. A method of scheduling the processing of media programs for a client device that employs virtual tuner functionality, comprising:

identifying at least one bandwidth event that affects the recordation of a set of media programs by the client device;

identifying different bandwidth versions of at least one media program in the set of media programs;

identifying a user'"'"'s preferences regarding quality at which media programs are recorded; and

providing a schedule which governs the recording of said at least one media program based on the identified bandwidth versions and user'"'"'s preferences,

wherein the providing of the schedule comprises resolving at least one conflict in the schedule when such a conflict is determined to exist.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the resolving of said at least one conflict comprises:

identifying said at least one conflict in the schedule caused by said least one bandwidth event;

enumerating at least one solution to said at least one conflict, wherein said at least one solution takes into account;

(a) a total amount of bandwidth available to the client device to receive media programs; and

(b) an amount of bandwidth consumed by each of said plural media programs in the schedule; and

resolving said at least one conflict based on said at least one solution.

20. One or more machine-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implementing the method of claim 19.