Systems and methods for recording overlapping media content during scheduling conflicts

• US 20080276284A1
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: DeCamp, Gregory L., Bumgardner, James A., Krakirian, Haig H., Ombao, Geoffrey Z.
• Application Number:
  US11/825,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4334 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 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

In many aspects, systems and methods for recording overlapping media content using interactive media guidance applications are provided. The systems and methods for recording overlapping media content generally relate to cropping overlapping portions of the media content thereby allowing a user to enjoy most of the recording while only forgoing a portion of the beginning or the end of a program.

Claims

1. A method of managing program recording schedules, comprising:

retrieving from memory a schedule of recordings for a plurality of programs during a first time interval;

determining whether a number of programs in the plurality of programs exceeds a predetermined number during the first time interval;

determining a recording priority of the plurality programs; and

recording the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the plurality of programs based on the recording priority such that a number of programs scheduled to be recorded during the first time interval is equal to or less than the predetermined number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for recording a program that at least partially overlaps, during a first time interval, with the plurality of programs previously scheduled for recording, wherein the plurality of programs includes the predetermined number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously during the time interval.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

determining a recording priority of the program for which the recording is requested in comparison with the plurality of programs;

and

recording the requested program and the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the requested and plurality of programs during the time interval based on the recording priority of the requested program.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of a start time of a program overlaps with a portion of an end time of another one of the plurality of programs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously is 2.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval is less than 10 minutes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recording priority includes assigning a highest priority to the most recent program scheduled for recording in the schedule of recordings.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a lowest recording priority program of the plurality of programs during the first time interval is cropped.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the program recording schedule is managed by an interactive media guidance application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the recording priority of the plurality of programs is based on a recording priority ranking list.

11. A system for managing program recording schedules comprising control circuitry and a recording device, the control circuitry configured to:

retrieve from memory a schedule of recordings for a plurality of programs during a first time interval;

determine whether a number of programs in the plurality of programs exceeds a predetermined number during the first time interval;

determine a recording priority of the plurality programs; and

direct the recording device to record the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the plurality of programs based on the recording priority such that a number of programs scheduled to be recorded during the first time interval is equal to or less than the predetermined number.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a request for recording a program that at least partially overlaps, during a first time interval, with the plurality of programs previously scheduled for recording, wherein the plurality of programs includes the predetermined number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously during the time interval.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine a recording priority of the program for which the recording is requested in comparison with the plurality of programs; and

direct the recording a device to record the requested program and the plurality of programs while cropping a portion of at least one of the requested and plurality of programs during the time interval based on the recording priority of the requested program.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein a portion of a start time of a program overlaps with a portion of an end time of another one of the plurality of programs.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the predetermined number of programs that can be recorded simultaneously is 2.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the time interval is less than 10 minutes.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to assign a highest priority to the most recent program scheduled for recording in the schedule of recordings.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to crop a lowest recording priority program of the plurality of programs during the first time interval.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured with an interactive media guidance application for managing the program recording schedule.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the recording priority of the plurality of programs based on a recording priority ranking list.

21-30. -30. (canceled)