Interactive media guidance system having multiple devices

• US 20070157266A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael, Mechler, Robert, Knee, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/318,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20070157266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• 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 21/47 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 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An interactive media guidance application implemented on a user equipment device may allow a user to create a group of user equipment devices that may be located in different homes or home networks. The interactive media guidance application may allow the user to add user equipment devices located in the user'"'"'s home. The interactive media guidance application may also allow the user to invite user equipment devices located in other homes or home networks to join the group or accept requests from user equipment devices located in other homes or home networks to join the group. The interactive media guidance applications implemented on the user equipment devices in the group may allow users to select content to be stored. The content may be shared with the user equipment devices in the group.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method for playing recorded media from an interactive media guidance application implemented on a local user recording equipment comprising:

receiving a user selection of media from a menu of available shared recorded content;

determining if the selected media is stored on the local user recording equipment;

in response to determining that the selected media is stored on local user recording equipment, playing the selected media from the local user recording equipment; and

in response to determining that the selected media is not stored on local user recording equipment, playing the selected media from remote recording equipment.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the remote recording equipment is a network server.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the remote recording equipment is another user'"'"'s equipment.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the selection is sent to a network server and routed to other user'"'"'s equipment.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the menu of available recording content comprises content recorded from user equipment devices that belong to a single group.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the recorded content is available if the user equipment device on which it is stored is powered on.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein playing the selected media from remote recording equipment comprises one of:

downloading the selected media to the local user equipment and playing the downloaded media from the local user equipment;

playing the selected media directly from the remote recording equipment;

or

buffering the selected media on the local user equipment device and playing the selected media from the buffer.

47. A system for playing recorded media comprising:

a local user recording equipment configured to;

receive a user selection of media from a menu of available shared recorded content;

determine if the selected media is stored on the local user recording equipment;

play the selected media from the local user recording equipment if the selected media is stored on the local user recording equipment; and

play the selected media from remote recording equipment if the selected media is not stored on the local user recording equipment.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the remote recording equipment is a network server.

49. The system of claim 47, wherein the remote recording equipment is another user'"'"'s equipment.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the selection is sent to a network server and routed to the other user'"'"'s equipment.

51. The system of claim 47, wherein the menu of available recording content comprises content recorded from user equipment devices that belong to a single group.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the recorded content is available if the user equipment device on which it is stored is powered on.

53. The system of claim 47, the local user equipment is further configured to:

download the selected media to the local user equipment and play the downloaded media from the local user equipment;

play the selected media directly from the remote recording equipment;

or

buffer the selected media on the local user equipment device and play the selected media from the buffer.

54-60. -60. (canceled)