INTERACTIVE MEDIA GUIDANCE SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE DEVICES

• US 20100005496A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Mechler, Robert, Ellis, Michael D., Knee, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US12/558,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An interactive media guidance application implemented on a user equipment device may allow a user to create a group of user equipment devices that may be located in different homes or home networks. The interactive media guidance application may allow the user to add user equipment devices located in the user'"'"'s home. The interactive media guidance application may also allow the user to invite user equipment devices located in other homes or home networks to join the group or accept requests from user equipment devices located in other homes or home networks to join the group. The interactive media guidance applications implemented on the user equipment devices in the group may allow users to select content to be stored. The content may be shared with the user equipment devices in the group.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. A method for sharing content, the method comprising:

providing a network through which a plurality of media equipment devices communicate;

determining that a set of the plurality of media equipment devices belongs to a group of media equipment devices that includes a first media equipment device, wherein each media equipment device in the group is associated with a different user of a plurality of users, and wherein the first media equipment device in the group is configured to store media assets selected with any other of the media equipment devices in the group;

receiving, with the first media equipment device from a second media equipment device in the group a communication, over the network, indicating that a media asset has been selected for storage on the second media equipment device; and

automatically storing, using the first media equipment device, the media asset selected for storage on the second media equipment device.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the selected media asset is automatically stored on both the first media equipment device and the second media equipment device.

63. The method of claim 61 wherein the first media equipment device is in a different user'"'"'s home than the second media equipment device.

64. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

receiving, with one of the media equipment devices in the group, a request to join the group from a third of the plurality of media equipment devices that is omitted from the set;

authorizing the third media equipment device to share content with the group.

65. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

allocating storage space on the first media equipment device; and

allowing any one of the media equipment devices in the group to schedule media assets for storage using the first media equipment device within the allocated storage space.

66. The method of claim 65 further comprising making available the media assets recorded using the first media equipment device to any one of the media equipment devices in the group.

67. The method of claim 61 wherein the media equipment devices in the group share a common attribute.

68. The method of claim 61 further comprising:

receiving, using the second media equipment device, a selection of an option to share with the group the media asset selected for storage on the second media equipment device; and

wherein the media asset is automatically stored using both the first media equipment device and the second media equipment device only when the option to share is selected.

69. The method of claim 61 wherein the media asset is at least one of a television program, a digital audio asset, a picture and a video clip.

70. The method of claim 61 further comprising automatically scheduling for recording, using the first and second media equipment devices, the media asset selected for storage on the second media equipment device.

71. The method of claim 61, wherein the set of the plurality of media equipment devices includes a smaller number of media equipment devices than the plurality of media equipment devices.

72. A system for sharing content, the system comprising:

a network through which a plurality of media equipment devices communicate;

a first of the plurality of media equipment devices includes control circuitry configured to;

determine that a set of the plurality of media equipment devices belongs to a group of media equipment devices that includes the first media equipment device, wherein each media equipment device in the group is associated with a different user of a plurality of users, and wherein the first media equipment device in the group is configured to store media assets selected with any other of the media equipment devices in the group;

receive from a second media equipment device in the group a communication, over the network, indicating that a media asset has been selected for storage on the second media equipment device; and

automatically store in a memory of the first media equipment device the media asset selected for storage on the second media equipment device.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein the selected media asset is automatically stored on both the first media equipment device and the second media equipment device.

74. The system of claim 72, wherein the first media equipment device is in a different user'"'"'s home than the second media equipment device.

75. The system of claim 72 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a request to join the group from a third of the plurality of media equipment devices that is omitted from the set;

authorize the third media equipment device to share content with the group.

76. The system of claim 72 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

allocate storage space in the memory of the first media equipment device; and

allow any one of the media equipment devices in the group to schedule media assets for storage using the first media equipment device within the allocated storage space.

77. The system of claim 76 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to make available the media assets recorded using the first media equipment device to any one of the media equipment devices in the group.

78. The system of claim 72 wherein the media equipment devices in the group share a common attribute.

79. The system of claim 72 wherein the second media equipment device comprises control circuitry configured to:

receive a selection of an option to share with the group the media asset selected for storage on the second media equipment device; and

wherein the media asset is automatically stored using both the first media equipment device and the second media equipment device only when the option to share is selected.

80. The system of claim 72 wherein the media asset is at least one of a television program, a digital audio asset, a picture and a video clip.

81. The system of claim 72 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically schedule for recording, using the first and second media equipment devices, the media asset selected for storage on the second media equipment device.

82. The system of claim 72, wherein the set of the plurality of media equipment devices includes a smaller number of media equipment devices than the plurality of media equipment devices.