Method and system to control recording of a digital program

• US 20070183745A1
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/351,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20070183745A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

A method to control recording of a digital program includes receiving a recording instruction to record the digital program. The method further includes determining a time at which the recording instruction is received. A predefined recording profile for the digital program is retrieved, the recording profile comprising an allowed time range during which the digital program can be recorded. The program is allowed to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.

Claims

1. A method to control recording of a digital program, the method comprising:

receiving a recording instruction to record the digital program;

determining a time at which the recording instruction is received;

retrieving a predefined recording profile for the digital program, the recording profile comprising an allowed time range during which the digital program can be recorded; and

allowing the program to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording instruction is part of a recurring recording schedule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording instruction is a single-instance recording event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile includes a generic allowed time range that applies to a plurality of digital programs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile for the digital program further includes at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.

15. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 1.

8. A system to control recording of a digital program, the system comprising:

an interface to receive a recording instruction to record the digital program;

a timer to determine a time at which the recording instruction is received by the interface;

a memory to store a recording profile comprising an allowed time range for recording of the digital program;

a recording module to retrieve the predefined recording profile from the memory and to allow the program to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the recording instruction is part of a recurring recording schedule.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the recording instruction is a single-instance recording event.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile comprises a generic allowed time range that applies to a plurality of digital programs.

12. The system of to claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile for the digital program further comprises at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the predefined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.

16. A method to define a recording profile for a digital program, comprising:

identifying the digital program;

assigning an allowed time range during which the identified digital program can permissibly be recorded; and

saving the identified digital program and its assigned allowed time range so as to define a recording profile.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the recording profile is part of a recurring recording schedule.

18. The method of claim 16, which comprises assigning the allowed time range to a plurality of digital programs.

19. The method of claim 16, which comprises assigning at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.

20. The method of to claim 16, wherein the defined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the defined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.

28. A machine-readable medium embodying instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the method of claim 16.

22. A system to define a recording profile for a digital program, the system comprising:

an interface to identify the digital program and to assign an allowed time range during which the identified digital program can be recorded; and

a memory to store the identified digital program and its assigned allowed time range so as to define a recording profile.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the recording profile is part of a recurring recording schedule.

24. The system of claim 22, which comprises assigning the allowed time range to a plurality of digital programs.

25. The system of claim 22, which comprises assigning at least one day of the week on which the digital program can be recorded.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the defined recording profile is a user-defined recording profile.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the defined recording profile is defined by a remote third party.

29. A system for controlling a recording of a digital program, comprising:

means for receiving a recording instruction to record the digital program;

means for determining a time at which the recording instruction is received;

means for retrieving a predefined recording profile for the digital program, the recording profile comprising an allowed time range during which the digital program can be recorded; and

means for allowing the program to be recorded if the determined time at which the recording instruction is received falls within the allowed time range as provided by the predefined recording profile for the digital program.