Detecting Interruptions in Scheduled Programs

• US 20080115171A1
• Filed: 11/09/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barsness, Eric Lawrence, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Application Number:
  US11/558,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115171A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/4334 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• 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 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

In an embodiment, content is received between a scheduled start time and a scheduled stop time. A schedule specifies a planned transmission of a scheduled program between the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time. The received content is recorded to a saved program. A determination is made that the received content includes an interruption of the scheduled program, and an interruption indicator is saved that specifies a location of the interruption within the saved program. In response to detecting the interruption indicator, a message is presented that indicates the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program. In response to a playback option, the saved program is played starting at the location of the interruption. In various embodiments, interruptions may result if the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program, a signal transmission was degraded or lost, or a power outage occurred.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving content on a channel between a scheduled start time and a scheduled stop time, wherein a schedule specifies a planned transmission of a scheduled program between the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time on the channel;

recording the content to a saved program;

determining that the content comprises an interruption of the scheduled program; and

in response to the determining, saving an interruption indicator to the saved program, wherein the interruption indicator specifies a location of the interruption within the saved program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the interruption indicator; and

in response to the detecting the interruption indicator, presenting a message via a user interface that indicates the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

finding the location of the interruption in the saved program in response to the detecting the interruption indicator;

presenting a playback option via the user interface; and

in response to selection of the playback option, playing the saved program starting at the location of the interruption.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining, after the scheduled stop time, that the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting a degradation of a signal transmission on the channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting a loss of a signal transmission on the channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting that a power outage occurred between the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting that a portion of the content comprises an interruption keyword, wherein the interruption keyword is different from the scheduled program.

9. A storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:

receiving content on a channel between a scheduled start time and a scheduled stop time, wherein a schedule specifies a planned transmission of a scheduled program between the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time on the channel;

recording the content to a saved program;

determining that the content comprises an interruption of the scheduled program;

in response to the determining, deciding whether to record a later planned transmission of the scheduled program;

if the deciding is true, setting the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time to indicate the later planned transmission; and

if the deciding is false, saving an interruption indicator to the saved program, wherein the interruption indicator specifies a location of the interruption within the saved program.

10. The storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting the interruption indicator; and

in response to the detecting the interruption indicator, presenting a message via a user interface that indicates the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program.

11. The storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

finding the location of the interruption in the saved program in response to the detecting the interruption indicator;

presenting a playback option via the user interface; and

in response to selection of the playback option, playing the saved program starting at the location of the interruption.

12. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting a degradation of a signal transmission on the channel.

13. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting a loss of a signal transmission on the channel.

14. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting that a power outage occurred between the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time.

15. The storage medium of claim 9, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting that a portion of the content comprises an interruption keyword, wherein the interruption keyword is different from the scheduled program.

16. A digital video recorder comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium connected to the processor, wherein the storage medium is encoded with instructions, and wherein the instructions when executed on the processor comprise;

receiving content on a channel between a scheduled start time and a scheduled stop time, wherein a schedule specifies a planned transmission of a scheduled program between the scheduled start time and the scheduled stop time on the channel,

recording the content to a saved program,

determining that the content comprises an interruption of the scheduled program,

in response to the determining, saving an interruption indicator to the saved program, wherein the interruption indicator specifies a location of the interruption within the saved program,

detecting the interruption indicator, and

in response to the detecting the interruption indicator, presenting a message via a user interface that indicates the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program.

17. The digital video recorder of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

finding the location of the interruption in the saved program in response to the detecting the interruption indicator;

presenting a playback option via the user interface; and

in response to selection of the playback option, playing the saved program starting at the location of the interruption.

18. The digital video recorder of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

finding the location of the interruption in the saved program in response to the detecting the interruption indicator;

presenting a playback option via the user interface; and

in response to selection of the playback option, playing the saved program starting at a location that is a specified play time period prior to the location of the interruption.

19. The digital video recorder of claim 16, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining, after the scheduled stop time, that the saved program lacks a part of the scheduled program.

20. The digital video recorder of claim 16, wherein the determining further comprises:

detecting that a portion of the content comprises an interruption keyword, wherein the interruption keyword is different from the scheduled program.