MANAGING SYNCHRONIZATION OF MEDIA PROGRAMS TO PORTABLE DEVICES

• US 20090245756A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abraham, Jeffrey Christopher, Cirrincione, Cory Jon, Wahlin, Chad Wesley, McClanahan, Joseph, McCullough, Luke Wabaunsee, Schwesinger, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/56 Synchronising systems therefor

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed herein for managing the transfer of digital media that is recorded on a source device (e.g., personal video recorder) to a target device (e.g., portable media player). In one aspect, a user interface is provided for scheduling recording of digital media content on a source device and for inputting user preferences for transferring digital media content to be recorded on the source device to a target device. A user request is received in the user interface to schedule recording of digital media on the source device. User preferences for transferring digital media from the source device to the target device are also received in the user interface. The digital media is recorded on the source device per the user'"'"'s request. Synchronization of the recorded digital media from the source device to the target device is managed based on the user preferences.

Claims

1. A machine implemented method comprising:

providing a user interface for scheduling recording of digital media on a first device and for inputting user preferences for transferring digital media that were requested to be recorded on the first device to a second device;

receiving, via the user interface, a user request to schedule recording of digital media on the first device;

receiving, via the user interface, user preferences for transferring digital media that the user requested to be recorded on the first device to the second device;

recording, on the first device, the digital media that the user requested to be recorded; and

managing synchronization of the recorded digital media from the first device to the second device, the managing is based on the user preferences input via the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information from the second device that indicates a portion of the recorded digital media that was played on the second device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

playing digital media on the first device based on the information that indicates what portion of the recorded digital media was played on the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing synchronization includes:

determining whether to transcode a portion of the digital media that the user requested to be recorded, the determination is based on the user preferences input via the user interface; and

automatically transcoding the portion of the digital media prior to the second device being available for transfer if it is determined that the portion should be transcoded.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the managing synchronization includes:

selecting at least a portion of the transcoded digital media to transfer to the second device based on what portions of the recorded digital media the user has viewed on the first device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the managing synchronization includes:

removing digital media from the second device based on the user preferences input via the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the managing synchronization includes:

receiving a change to the user preferences; and

determining whether to transcode a portion of the digital media that the user requested to be recorded, the determining whether to transcode is based on the change to the user preferences input via the user interface.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions, which when executed on a processor, cause the processor to implement:

providing a user interface for scheduling recording of media programs on a first device and for inputting user preferences for transferring media programs that were requested to be recorded on the first device to a second device;

receiving, in the user interface, scheduling requests to record media programs on the first device and user preferences for determining which of the media programs to transfer from the first device to the second device;

determining which of the media programs that were requested to be recorded on the first device to transcode for playing on the second device, the determining which of the media programs to transcode is based on the user preferences that were received in the user interface;

transcoding the media programs that were determined to be transcoded to form transcoded programs, the transcoding is performed at a time when the second device does not have a communication link to the first device for transferring media programs;

selecting one or more of the transcoded programs for transfer to the second device based on the user preferences;

transferring the selected transcoded programs to the second device via the communication link; and

receiving status at the first device from the second device, the status describes what portions of the selected transcoded programs were played on the second device

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement:

tracking what portions of the transcoded programs were played on the first device; and

wherein the selecting one or more of the transcoded programs is further based on what portions of the transcoded programs were played on the first device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement:

determining which media programs that were previously transferred to the second device should be removed from the second device to allow transfer of the selected transcoded programs by selecting which programs of the transcoded programs and the media programs that were previously transferred to the second device are preferred by the user.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the receiving status at the first device from the second device includes:

receiving a bookmark that defines where the user stopped playing a first transcoded program of the transcoded programs that were transferred to the second device.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement:

receiving a selection that is based on the status from the second device; and

playing the digital media on the first device based on the selection that is based on the status.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to implement:

determining implicit user preferences for transferring media programs from the first device to the second device based on user viewing behavior; and

wherein the selecting one or more of the transcoded programs for transfer to the second device is further based on the implicit user preferences.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to determine implicit user preferences include instructions that cause the processor to implement:

determining the implicit user preferences based on the status received at the first device.

15. A computer system for managing digital media, wherein the system comprises:

a display screen;

computer readable storage having instructions stored therein; and

a processor coupled to the computer readable storage and to the display screen, the instructions cause the processor to implement;

a tuning module that captures broadcast media programs;

a management module that provides a user interface on the display screen that allows scheduling recordings of media programs and inputting user preferences for transferring the media programs to a target device;

a transcoder module that transcodes media programs from a first format to a second format that is suitable for the target device;

a synchronization module that transfers transcoded media programs to the target device;

wherein the management module;

selects to transcode a set of the media programs that were scheduled to be recorded based on input associated with the user interface, the set to transcode are selected based on user preferences received in the user interface;

instructs the transcoder module to transcode the selected set of media programs in advance of the target device being available for transfer; and

determines which of the transcoded programs to transfer to the target device when the target device is available for transfer, the transcoded programs to transfer are determined based on the user preferences received in the user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module selects media programs to transcode based on whether the user has viewed the media programs on the computer system.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module determines which media programs to remove from the target device based on the user preferences.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module receives information from the second device that indicates what portions of the media programs were played on the second device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module:

receives a change to the user preferences; and

determines whether to transcode a media program that the user requested to be recorded, the determining is based on the change to the user preferences.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the management module tracks whether the recorded programs were viewed and determines which of the programs to transfers based, at least in part, one whether the programs were unviewed, viewed, or partially viewed.