System, method, and display for managing media content for use at multiple locations

• US 20080275974A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Home Box Office Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Home Box Office Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rackiewicz, Nathaniel Vincent
• Application Number:
  US11/799,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20080275974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

In a system and method for managing user profiles and for managing, recording, and experiencing media content, a server may store a profile, content, and an association of the content with a profile, each of multiple devices may log into the profile by accessing the profile stored at the server, and, for the profile into which the device is logged, transmit to the server a content request, for example, periodically, and the server may, responsive to the content request, determine which content stored at the server is associated with the profile and transmit to the device a copy of the content that has been determined to be associated with the profile. The content may be stored at the server in association with the profile before the device is associated with the profile.

Claims

1. A method for recording content, comprising:

in accordance with a recording schedule of a profile;

storing content at a server; and

storing an association of the content with the profile at the server; and

responsive to a content request from a first device associated with the profile;

determining by the server which content stored at the server is associated with the profile; and

transmitting by the server a copy of the content that has been determined during the determining step to be associated with the profile to the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the content request by the first device at least one of at predetermined intervals and in response to at least one predetermined event.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

associating the first device with the profile;

wherein the first device transmits the content request in response to a first one of the at least one predetermined event, and the first predetermined event is a provision to the first device of an indication of the performance of the associating.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the associating and the provision of the indication are performed by logging into the profile at the first device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first device transmits the content request in response to a second one of the at least one predetermined event, and the second predetermined event is a power-up of the first device after the association of the first device with the profile.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server records a single copy of a particular content for each of a plurality of profiles that each indicates that the particular content is to be recorded.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

associating the single copy of the particular content with each of the plurality of profiles.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing tracking information indicating for which of the plurality of profiles to which a respective copy of the single copy is to be provided;

for each of the plurality of profiles to which the respective copies are to be provided, updating the tracking information to indicate that the respective copy has been provided in response to transmission of the respective copy to at least one device associated with the respective profile;

from the tracking information, determining whether any profile remains to which a respective copy of the single copy is yet to be provided; and

deleting the single copy from the server responsive to a determination that the respective copies of all of the plurality of profiles have been provided.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the server is associated with at least one of the plurality of profiles, and, because of the association of the server with the at least one of the plurality of profiles, the tracking information maintains an indication that the single copy is to remain stored at the server for one of the at least one plurality of profiles even after the server transmits the respective copy of the single copy for the one of the at least one plurality of profiles.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the content that is stored at the server and that has been determined during the determining step to be associated with the profile has also been stored at the first device;

wherein the copy is transmitted conditional upon a determination that the content that is stored at the server and that has been determined during the determining step to be associated with the profile has not been stored at the first device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to receipt from a content provider and by the first device of broadcast content indicated by the recording schedule to be recorded, storing the received content at the first device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the content from a second device to the server; and

transmitting from the second device to the server an instruction updating the recording schedule and indicating that the content transmitted by the second device is to be associated with the profile, the storing of the content and the association at the server being in accordance with the instruction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the profile is not associated with any device when the instruction is transmitted.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the content stored at the server includes a moving image received by the server via a television tuner.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the content further includes an audio file, a still image file, and content of an RSS feed.

16. A method for managing recording of content, comprising:

logging into a first profile;

setting a recording preference for a second profile, the logging into the first profile providing access to perform the setting; and

subsequent to the setting, logging into the second profile at a device to apply the recording preferences of the second profile at the device.

17. A method for recording content, comprising:

at a first device, creating a user profile including a recording schedule and unassociated with any device;

transmitting the user profile to a server; and

logging into the user profile at one of the first device and a second device to associate the one of the first device and the second device with the user profile;

wherein;

the one of the first device and the second device is configured to, responsive to the association of the one of the first device and the second device with the user profile, poll the server for content stored at the server in association with the user profile; and

the server is configured to;

store content in association with the user profile in accordance with the recording schedule; and

transmit the stored content to the one of the first device and the second device in response to a poll from the one of the first device and the second device.

18. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions adapted to be executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method for recording content, the method comprising:

in accordance with at least one profile'"'"'s recording schedule;

storing content; and

storing associations of respective portions of the content with respective ones of the at least one profile;

responsive to a content request from a device associated with a particular one of the at least one profile, determining which of the stored content is associated with the particular profile; and

transmitting a copy of the content determined during the determining step to be associated with the particular profile to the device.

19. A system for recording content, comprising:

a content experiencing device associated with a profile; and

a server;

wherein;

the content experiencing device is configured to transmit a content request to the server; and

the server is configured to;

in accordance with a recording schedule of the profile;

store content; and

store an association of the content with the profile; and

responsive to the content request;

determine which content stored at the server is associated with the profile; and

transmit to the content experiencing device a copy of the content that has been determined during the determining step to be associated with the profile.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the content experiencing device is associated with a plurality of profiles in association with which the server stores content.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the content experiencing device is associated with the profile by logging into the profile at the content experiencing device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the content experiencing device includes:

a television;

a set-top box; and

a memory for storing the copy of the content.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the server includes:

a television;

a set-top box; and

a memory in which the content and the association of the content with the profile is stored.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the server'"'"'s memory stores a plurality of profiles including the profile with which the content experiencing device is associated; and

for logging into the profile;

the content experiencing device is configured to transmit user input profile information to the server; and

the server is configured to;

determine whether the user input profile information matches corresponding information of the profile stored in the server'"'"'s memory; and

conditional upon that the server determines that the user input profile information matches the corresponding information, transmit data to the content experiencing device for opening a profile session at the content experiencing device during which the content experiencing device transmits the content request in association with the profile.

25. A display method for managing content, comprising:

displaying a user-interactive screen for a managing profile, wherein;

the managing profile includes information that regards a media management customer account and that is updatable by user interaction with screens including the user-interactive screen displayed for the managing profile; and

the user-interactive screen includes;

a plurality of first tabs, each of the first tabs associated with a respective one of a plurality of user media preference profiles, and one of the first tabs being an active tab; and

for the active tab;

a listing of at least one of recording preferences and recorded content associated with the user media preference profile of the active tab, the listing updatable by user interaction with the listing; and

an input field for user input indicating one or more recording devices to be associated with the user media preference profile of the active tab.

26. The display method of claim 25, wherein the user-interactive screen further includes a second tab, selection of which is interpreted by a processor as an instruction to generate a new media preference profile.

27. The display method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the user-interactive screen and a second screen displayed in response to selection of a sub-menu of the user media preference profile of the active tab includes for the active tab a selectable graphical unit, selection of which is interpreted by a processor as an instruction to upload locally stored content to a server for storage at the server in association with one of the plurality of user media preference profiles.

28. The display method of claim 25, wherein:

the listing includes a plurality of sub-listings, each sub-listing being of a respective one of a plurality of media content types; and

each of the plurality of sub-listings is separately displayed in the user-interactive screen.

29. The display method of claim 28, wherein the plurality of media content types includes at least two of a video content type, an audio content type, and a still image content type.

30. A method for applying a media content profile to devices, comprising:

for a single profile stored at a central storage device and including at least one media content setting, each of a plurality of devices;

transmitting log-in information associated with the profile; and

responsive to receipt of information transmitted by the central storage device in response to the transmitted log-in information, applying to the device a media content setting of the profile indicated in the received information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one media content setting includes at least one of a parental control, a recording preference, a media content experience preference, a media content provider setting, and a communications medium setting.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

each of the plurality of devices scheduling a time for recording media content based on the media content setting.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

at least one of the plurality of devices;

while logged into the profile, requesting the central storage device to determine which media content is stored at the central storage device in association with the profile and to transmit to the requesting device at least a portion of the determined media content, the portion including all of the determined media content that is not stored at the requesting device at the time of the request; and

storing at the requesting device all media content received from the central storage device in response to the request.

34. A method, comprising:

storing at a central storage device a profile including at least one media content setting; and

for application of the at least one content setting to each of a plurality of accessing devices that accesses the central storage location for logging into the profile, transmitting the at least one media content setting to each of the plurality of accessing devices in response to the logging into the profile by the accessing device.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

at least one of the plurality of accessing devices periodically polling the central storage location for updates to the profile.

36. A method of sharing a profile by a plurality of devices, comprising:

storing, at a central location, a profile, the profile including device settings of a user;

accessing, by a first one of the plurality of devices, the profile;

recording content by the first one of the plurality of devices as a function of the profile;

accessing, by a second one of the plurality of devices, the profile; and

recording content by the second one of the plurality of devices as a function of the profile.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the central location is at a location that is remote to both the first and second ones of the plurality of devices.