Digital Video Recording System With Extended Program Content Recording

• US 20080260349A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Blaine H. Dolph
• Inventors: Dolph, Blaine H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,270,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/83
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for managing extended program content for a digital video recorder (DVR) are disclosed. Embodiments of a method may include determining an amount of extended program content to record in addition to the program to be recorded, where the extended program content is associated with the program to be recorded. The extended content may include either or both of program pre-content or program post-content. The method may also include recording the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded. In a further embodiment, the method may include receiving an indication that the user desires to view extended program content and playing at least part of the extended program content. Determining the amount of extended program content to record may be based on one or more of available storage space, a specified time, a specified file size, user preferences, or other factors.

Claims

1. A method for managing extended digital program content, the method comprising:

receiving by a digital video recorder (DVR) a request from a user to record a program;

determining by the digital video recorder an amount of extended program content to record in addition to the program to be recorded, the extended program content being associated with the program to be recorded; and

recording by the digital video recorder the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising before recording the determined amount of extended program content, determining by the digital video recorder whether a tuner is available for recording extended program content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving by the digital video recorder a request to record extended program content for the requested program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving by the digital video recorder an indication that the user desires to view extended program content; and

playing by the digital video recorder at least part of the recorded extended program content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended program content comprises one or more of program pre-content or program post-content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an amount of extended program content to record comprises determining an amount of extended program content to record based on one or more of available storage space, a specified time, a specified file size, program length, program type, user preferences, content provider preferences, or digital video recorder provider preferences.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded comprises storing the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded in digital video recorder storage.

8. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request from a user to record a program;

determining an amount of extended program content to record in addition to the program to be recorded, the extended program content being associated with the program to be recorded; and

recording the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded.

9. The machine-accessible medium of claim 8, further comprising before recording the determined amount of extended program content, determining whether a tuner is available for recording extended program content.

10. The machine-accessible medium of claim 8, further comprising receiving a request to record extended program content for the requested program.

11. The machine-accessible medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user desires to view extended program content; and

playing at least part of the recorded extended program content.

12. The machine-accessible medium of claim 8, wherein the extended program content comprises one or more of program pre-content or program post-content.

13. The machine-accessible medium of claim 8, wherein determining an amount of extended program content to record comprises determining an amount of extended program content to record based on one or more of available storage space, a specified time, a specified file size, program length, program type, user preferences, content provider preferences, or digital video recorder provider preferences.

14. The machine-accessible medium of claim 8, wherein recording the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded comprises storing the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded in digital video recorder storage.

15. A digital video recording system, the system comprising:

a digital video recorder (DVR) in communication with a network to receive program content, the digital video recorder device comprising;

a user interface module to receive inputs from a user;

a program guide service in communication with the user interface module, the program guide service being adapted to provide a list of programs to the user and to receive requests to record a program from the user;

a content manager having a content recording/playback module, the content recording/playback module being adapted to record a program in response to a request to record the program from the user; and

an extended program content module to determine an amount of extended program content associated with the recorded program to record and to record the determined extended program content.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising digital video recorder storage in communication with the digital video recorder for storage of recorded programs and recorded extended program content.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising an extended program content interface in communication with the extended program content module, the extended program content interface being adapted to receive requests to record and play extended program content from a user.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the extended program content comprises one or more of program pre-content or program post-content.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the extended program content module determines the amount of extended program content to record based on one or more of available storage space, a specified time, a specified file size, program length, program type, user preferences, content provider preferences, or digital video recorder provider preferences.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the extended program content module determines and records the extended program content automatically.