LINK-BASED DVR SCHEDULING WITH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

• US 20100202754A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boss, Gregory J., O'Connell, Brian M., Bhogal, Kulvir S., Hamilton, Rick Allen II
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/43615 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 21/4583 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/84 using optical recording H04N5/80, H04N5/89, H04N5/91 take precedence

Abstract

A method, system and computer program provide a mechanism for scheduling recording of video content by a digital video recorder (DVR) from web links. Scheduling conflicts with previously-scheduled recording are displayed as indicators within the web links, such as a background color of the selectable video program time-slot in a program guide display that differs from the background color(s) user for non-conflicting links. When a user selects a video program link to record, recording of the program is automatically scheduled, and if a conflict exists, recording of the previously-selected conflicting program (or the conflicting portion) is canceled. If more than one DVR is present, and conflicting programs are scheduled for all DVRs, then the user is provided with a prompt to select which previously-scheduled program to cancel. The conflict resolution may be performed at a web service that maintains a database of previous selections, or by a local script/program.

Claims

1. A method of scheduling programming of video recording for at least one digital video recording device, comprising:

providing user-selectable links within a browser for selecting video programs for recording, wherein an associated indication within a textual or graphical information item displayed with the user-selectable links indicates whether or not a conflict exists between a first video program associated with the link and a second video program already scheduled for recording by the at least one digital video recording device;

responsive to selection of one of the one or more links, determining whether the selected link has the conflict with the second program;

responsive to determining that the selected link has the conflict, automatically un-scheduling recording of at least a portion of the second program; and

further responsive to selection of one of the one or more links, scheduling the first video program link for recording.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item is a color of at least a portion of a rectangular time slot boxes within a table displaying video programs organized by rows corresponding to channels and columns corresponding to time-slots, wherein rectangular time slot boxes corresponding to the user-selectable lines are displayed using a first background color if no conflict exists with any program already scheduled for recording and using a second background color otherwise.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable links are received from a server as objects further providing start time, stop time or duration, and channel information, and wherein a local script or program executing within the browser determines whether the conflict exists and generates the associated indication to indicate the conflict in a display of the browser.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the browser is a browser provided by a selectable operating mode of the at least one digital video recording device and wherein the local script or program is executed by a processor within the at least one digital video recording device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable links are provided by a web service as graphical elements within a web page, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining a database of prior selections of video programs for recording by digital video recording devices associated with a plurality of accounts, wherein the at least one digital video recording device is at least one of the digital video recording devices;

identifying an account corresponding to the browser;

retrieving the prior selections from the database; and

transmitting the web page to the browser including the graphical elements, wherein the graphical elements provide the associated indication of whether or not the conflict exists, wherein the determining is performed within the server, and wherein the un-scheduling is performed by updating the database and transmitting a message to the browser or the at least one digital video recording device to un-schedule the at least a portion of the second program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one digital video recording device comprises multiple digital video recording devices, wherein the database contains an element for each account specifying the number of multiple digital video recording devices associated with the account, wherein the determining whether a conflict exists comprises determining that a number of conflicts exist between the first program and a number of multiple previously-selected programs equal to the number of multiple digital video recording devices associated with the account, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying within the browser, a prompt to select which of the multiple previously-selected programs to automatically un-schedule; and

receiving a response from the browser to the prompt indicating a selected one of the multiple previously-selected programs, and wherein the automatically un-scheduling un-schedules the selected one or the multiple previously-selected programs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one digital video recording device comprises multiple digital video recording devices, wherein the determining whether a conflict exists comprises determining that all of the multiple digital video recording devices are scheduled to record multiple previously-selected programs that conflict with the first program, and wherein the method further comprises:

displaying within the browser, a prompt to select which of the multiple previously-selected programs to automatically un-schedule; and

receiving a response from the browser to the prompt indicating a selected one of the multiple previously-selected programs, and wherein the automatically un-scheduling un-schedules the selected one or the multiple previously-selected programs.

8. A system for recording digital video, comprising at least one processor for executing program instructions and at least one memory coupled to a corresponding one of the at least one processor for storing the program instructions, wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions for scheduling video program recording for at least one digital video recording device, comprising program instructions for:

providing user-selectable links within a browser for selecting video programs for recording, wherein an associated indication within a textual or graphical information item displayed with the user-selectable links indicates whether or not a conflict exists between a first video program associated with the link and a second video program already scheduled for recording by the at least one digital video recording device;

responsive to selection of one of the one or more links, determining whether the selected link has the conflict with the second program;

responsive to determining that the selected link has the conflict, automatically un-scheduling recording of at least a portion of the second program; and

further responsive to selection of one of the one or more links, scheduling the first video program link for recording.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information item is a color of at least a portion of a rectangular time slot boxes within a table displaying video programs organized by rows corresponding to channels and columns corresponding to time-slots, wherein rectangular time slot boxes corresponding to the user-selectable lines are displayed using a first background color if no conflict exists with any program already scheduled for recording and using a second background color otherwise.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor includes a server processor and a local processor and the at least one memory includes a server memory coupled to the server processor and a local memory coupled to the local processor, wherein the local processor executes browser program instructions implementing the browser, and wherein the user-selectable links are received by the browser from the server processor as objects further providing start time, stop time or duration, and channel information, and wherein a local script or program executed within the browser by the local processor determines whether the conflict exists and generates the associated indication to indicate the conflict in a display of the browser.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the local processor and local memory are located within the at least one digital video recording device, wherein the browser is a browser provided by a selectable operating mode of the at least one digital video recording device and executed by the local processor, and wherein the local script or program is executed by the local processor within the at least one digital video recording device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor includes a server processor and a local processor and the at least one memory includes a local memory coupled to the local processor and a server memory coupled to the server processor, wherein the program instructions are server program instructions for execution by the server processor, wherein the local processor executes browser program instructions implementing the browser, wherein the user-selectable links are provided by a web service as graphical elements within a web page transmitted from the server processor to the local processor, wherein the server program instructions further comprise program instructions for:

maintaining a database of prior selections of video programs for recording by digital video recording devices associated with a plurality of accounts, wherein the at least one digital video recording device is at least one of the digital video recording devices;

identifying an account corresponding to the browser;

retrieving the prior selections from the database; and

transmitting the web page to the browser including the graphical elements, wherein the graphical elements provide the associated indication of whether or not the conflict exists, and wherein the un-scheduling is performed by updating the database and transmitting a message to the browser or the at least one digital video recording device to un-schedule the at least a portion of the second program.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one digital video recording device comprises multiple digital video recording devices, wherein the database contains an element for each account specifying the number of multiple digital video recording devices associated with the account, wherein the determining whether a conflict exists comprises determining that a number of conflicts exist between the first program and a number of multiple previously-selected programs equal to the number of multiple digital video recording devices associated with the account, and wherein the server program instructions further comprise program instructions for:

transmitting to the browser, a prompt to select which of the multiple previously-selected programs to automatically un-schedule; and

receiving a response from the browser to the prompt indicating a selected one of the multiple previously-selected programs, and wherein the automatically un-scheduling un-schedules the selected one or the multiple previously-selected programs.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one digital video recording device comprises multiple digital video recording devices, wherein the determining whether a conflict exists comprises determining that all of the multiple digital video recording devices are scheduled to record multiple previously-selected programs that conflict with the first program, and wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for:

displaying within the browser, a prompt to select which of the multiple previously-selected programs to automatically un-schedule; and

receiving a response from the browser to the prompt indicating a selected one of the multiple previously-selected programs, and wherein the automatically un-scheduling un-schedules the selected one or the multiple previously-selected programs.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage media system encoding program instructions for execution by a processor, wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions for scheduling video program recording for at least one digital video recording device, wherein the program instructions comprise program instructions for:

providing user-selectable links within a browser for selecting video programs for recording, wherein an associated indication within a textual or graphical information item displayed with the user-selectable links indicates whether or not a conflict exists between a first video program associated with the link and a second video program already scheduled for recording by the at least one digital video recording device;

responsive to selection of one of the one or more links, determining whether the selected link has the conflict with the second program;

responsive to determining that the selected link has the conflict, automatically un-scheduling recording of at least a portion of the second program; and

further responsive to selection of one of the one or more links, scheduling the first video program link for recording.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information item is a color of at least a portion of a rectangular time slot boxes within a table displaying video programs organized by rows corresponding to channels and columns corresponding to time-slots, wherein rectangular time slot boxes corresponding to the user-selectable lines are displayed using a first background color if no conflict exists with any program already scheduled for recording and using a second background color otherwise.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein program instructions comprise a local script or program for execution within the browser, and wherein the user-selectable links are received by the browser as objects further providing start time, stop time or duration, and channel information, and wherein by program instructions for determining determine whether the conflict exists and generates the associated indication to indicate the conflict in a display of the browser.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are program instructions for execution by a processor located within the at least one digital video recording device, wherein the browser is a browser provided by a selectable operating mode of the at least one digital video recording device.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, program instructions are server program instructions for execution by a server processor coupled to the browser via a network, wherein the user-selectable links are provided by a web service as graphical elements within a web page transmitted from the server processor to the browser, wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for:

maintaining a database of prior selections of video programs for recording by digital video recording devices associated with a plurality of accounts, wherein the at least one digital video recording device is at least one of the digital video recording devices;

identifying an account corresponding to the browser;

retrieving the prior selections from the database; and

transmitting the web page to the browser including the graphical elements, wherein the graphical elements provide the associated indication of whether or not the conflict exists, and wherein the un-scheduling is performed by updating the database and transmitting a message to the browser or the at least one digital video recording device to un-schedule the at least a portion of the second program.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one digital video recording device comprises multiple digital video recording devices, wherein the database contains an element for each account specifying the number of multiple digital video recording devices associated with the account, wherein the determining whether a conflict exists comprises determining that a number of conflicts exist between the first program and a number of multiple previously-selected programs equal to the number of multiple digital video recording devices associated with the account, and wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for:

transmitting to the browser, a prompt to select which of the multiple previously-selected programs to automatically un-schedule; and

receiving a response from the browser to the prompt indicating a selected one of the multiple previously-selected programs, and wherein the automatically un-scheduling un-schedules the selected one or the multiple previously-selected programs.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one digital video recording device comprises multiple digital video recording devices, wherein the determining whether a conflict exists comprises determining that all of the multiple digital video recording devices are scheduled to record multiple previously-selected programs that conflict with the first program, and wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for:

displaying within the browser, a prompt to select which of the multiple previously-selected programs to automatically un-schedule; and

receiving a response from the browser to the prompt indicating a selected one of the multiple previously-selected programs, and wherein the automatically un-scheduling un-schedules the selected one or the multiple previously-selected programs.