Top recording events list for media device

• US 20080098436A1
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• 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:
  US11/583,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098436A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises extracting future event recording selections scheduled on a plurality of media devices. Each of the plurality of media devices is coupled through a private access network to a service provider and includes a digital video recorder. The method further comprises aggregating recorded data based on the scheduled future event recording selections; and generating a top recording events list based on the aggregated recorded data for transmission to a selected media device of the plurality of media devices.

Claims

1. An Internet Protocol Television server system comprising:

a data extractor of a service provider to aggregate recording data based on future event recording selections scheduled on a plurality of media devices, each of the plurality of media devices being coupled through a private access network to the service provider and including a digital video recorder;

a program list generator of the service provider to generate a top recording events list based on the aggregated recording data; and

a transmitter to transmit the top recording events list to a selected media device of the plurality of media devices to publish the top recording events list at the selected media device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the top recording events list is updated, by the program list generator of the service provider, as each of the plurality of media devices transmits data representing scheduled recording selections over the private access network to the service provider.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the top recording events list is transmitted to the selected media device upon connection with the service provider through the private access network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the top recording events list includes a plurality of category lists.

5. A system comprising:

a particular media device of a plurality of media devices to record broadcasted events and to receive a top recording events list from a service provider based on aggregated recording data, wherein the aggregated recording data is based on future event recording selections scheduled on the plurality of media devices coupled through a private access network to the service provider, wherein the particular media device presents the broadcasted events in a first mode of the particular media device and presents the top recording events list in a second mode of the particular media device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the top recording events list is presented on a display coupled with the particular media device upon selection of a user prompt for the second mode of the particular media device, wherein a live television program is presented on the display upon selection of a user prompt for the first mode of the particular media device.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein an event of the top recording events list presented on a display coupled with the particular media device is scheduled to be recorded with the particular media device upon selection of a user prompt associated with the particular media device.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the top recording events list includes a plurality of category lists.

9. A method comprising:

extracting future event recording selections scheduled on a plurality of media devices, each of the plurality of media devices being coupled through a private access network to a service provider and including a digital video recorder;

aggregating recorded data based on the scheduled future event recording selections;

generating a top recording events list based on the aggregated recorded data; and

transmitting the top recording events list to a particular media device of the plurality of media devices.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving scheduling data associated with a scheduled recording selection from the top recording events list to schedule a recording on the media device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising using the scheduling data to update the top recording events list.

12. A method comprising:

recording broadcasted events on a particular media device coupled through a private access network to a service provider;

receiving at the particular media device, from the service provider, a top recording events list based on aggregated recording data, wherein the aggregated recording data is based on future event recording selections scheduled by a plurality of media devices including the particular media device;

presenting the broadcasted events in a first mode of the particular media device; and

presenting the top recording events list in a second mode of the particular media device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the top recording events list is presented on a display coupled with the media device upon selection of a user prompt associated with the media device.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising scheduling to record an event of the top recording events list with the particular media device upon selection of a user prompt associated with the particular media device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the top recording events list includes a plurality of category lists.

16. A machine readable medium having a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

extract future event recording selections scheduled on a plurality of media devices, each of the plurality of media devices being coupled through a private access network to the service provider and including a digital video recorder;

aggregate recorded data based on the scheduled future event recording selections;

generate a top recording events list based on the aggregated recorded data; and

transmit the top recording events list to a particular media device of the plurality of media devices.

17. The medium of claim 16 further to receive scheduling data associated with a scheduled recording selection from the top recording events list presented on the display to schedule a recording on the particular media device.

18. The medium of claim 17 further to use the scheduling data to update the top recording events list.

19. The medium of claim 18 further to transmit the top recording events list to the particular media device upon connection with the service provider through the private access network.

20. The medium of claim 16 wherein the top recording events list includes a plurality of category lists.

21. A user interface associated with a digital video recorder comprising:

a first region having a selection guide with a plurality of device modes including a first device mode to present a live broadcasted programming event and a second device mode to present a top recording events list, the top recording events list received from a service provider based on aggregated recording data, wherein the aggregated recording data is based on future event recording selections scheduled on a plurality of media devices coupled through a private access network to the service provider; and

a second region to present the top recording events list upon selection of the second device mode.

22. The user interface of claim 21 wherein in the second region, a selection of an event of the top recording events list enables scheduling a recording of the event.

23. The user interface of claim 21 wherein the live broadcasted programming event program is presented through the media device upon selection of the first device mode.

24. The user interface of claim 21 wherein the top recording events list includes a plurality of category lists.