DVR HOME NETWORK CONTENT SHIFTING

• US 20100235868A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howarter, Jamie, Ceballos, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/82
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/4755 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 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/80 Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosed invention include a system and method for recording television content. For example, in one embodiment, a method performed by a digital video recorder is disclosed that includes communicating with a home gateway to determine whether a device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store a television program in the event that the digital video recorder determines that an internal data storage unit associated with the digital video recorder has enough free storage space to store the television program. In one embodiment, the method routes the storage of a recording of the television program to the device via the home gateway in response to a determination that the device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on the data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content.

Claims

1. A method performed by a digital video recorder for recording a television content, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to record the television content;

monitoring for the start time of the television content;

determining an amount of storage space needed to store the television content;

determining whether there is enough free storage space on the internal data storage unit to store the television content based on the amount of storage needed to store the television content;

responsive to a determination that the internal data storage unit does not contain enough free storage space to store the television content, communicating with a home gateway to determine whether a device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on a data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content; and

responsive to a determination that the device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on the data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content;

routing storage of a recording of the television content to the data storage unit associated with the device via the home gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether there is enough free storage space on the internal data storage unit to store the television content based on the amount of storage needed to store the television content is performed at a time of setting the recording of the television content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether there is enough free storage space on the internal data storage unit to store the television content based on the amount of storage needed to store the television content is performed at a specified time immediately prior to the start time of the television content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the home gateway communicates with a plurality of devices capable of storing the television content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is pre-selected by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to play back the recording of the television content;

determining a storage location of the recording of the television content;

responsive to a determination that the storage location is the data storage unit associated with the device connected to the home gateway, pulling the television content from the data storage unit via the home gateway; and

playing back the television content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user in response to a determination that no device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store the television content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein notification to the user includes presenting a pop message to the user indicating that no device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store the television content.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein notification to the user includes sending the user a SMS text message to inform the user that no device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store the television content.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether a lower grade signal for the television content is available;

responsive to a determination that a lower grade signal for the television content is available;

determining an amount of storage needed to store the television content at the lower grade signal;

determining whether there is enough free storage space on at least one of the internal data storage unit of the digital video recorder or the device connected to the home gateway to store the television content at the lower grade signal; and

responsive to a determination that at least one of the internal data storage unit of the digital video recorder or the device connected to the home gateway contains enough free storage space to store a recording of the television content at the lower grade signal, storing the recording of the television content at the lower grade signal on the at least one of the internal data storage unit of the digital video recorder or the device connected to the home gateway.

11. A digital video recorder connected to a home gateway for recording a television content, the digital video recorder comprising:

a set of input/output interfaces for receiving the television content and for communicatively connecting the digital video recorder to the home gateway;

an internal data storage unit for storing a plurality of television content;

a digital video recorder controller module configured to;

receive a request from a user to record the television content;

determine an amount of storage space needed to store the television content;

determine, at a pre-specified time prior to the start time, whether there is enough free storage space on the internal data storage unit to store the television content based on the amount of storage space needed to store the television content;

communicate with the home gateway to determine whether a device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on a data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content in response to a determination that the internal data storage unit does not contain enough free storage space to store the television content; and

routes storage of a recording of the television content to the data storage unit associated with the device via the home gateway in response to a determination that the device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on the data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content.

12. The digital video recorder of claim 11, wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to:

receive a request to play back the recording of the television content;

pull the television content from the data storage unit associated with the device via the home gateway; and

play back the television content.

13. The digital video recorder of claim 11, further comprising

one or more tuners for receiving a high definition signal carrying the television content and a standard definition signal carrying the television content;

and

wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to;

determine whether there is enough free storage space on at least one of the internal data storage unit of the digital video recorder or the device connected to the home gateway to store the television content at the standard definition signal; and

responsive to a determination that at least one of the internal data storage unit of the digital video recorder or the device connected to the home gateway contains enough free storage space to store a recording of the television content at the standard definition signal, store the recording of the television content at the standard definition signal on the at least one of the internal data storage unit of the digital video recorder or the device connected to the home gateway.

14. The digital video recorder of claim 11, wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to:

present a user interface for enabling a user to configure the digital video recorder to communicate with the home gateway.

15. The digital video recorder of claim 11, wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to:

present a user interface for enabling a user to configure the digital video recorder to communicate with the home gateway and to pre-select the device connected to the home gateway from a plurality of devices for storing the recording of the television content to the device via the home gateway in response to a determination that the internal data storage unit does not contain enough free storage space to store the television content.

16. The digital video recorder of claim 11, wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to notify the user of insufficient recording space in response to a determination that no device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store the television content.

17. The digital video recorder of claim 11, wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to notify the user of insufficient recording space via email in response to a determination that no device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store the television content.

18. The digital video recorder of claim 11, wherein the digital video recorder controller module is further configured to notify the user of insufficient recording space via an SMS text message in response to a determination that no device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space to store the television content.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a digital video recorder to:

receive a request from a user to record the television content;

monitor for the start time of the television content;

determine an amount of storage space needed to store the television content;

determine, at a pre-specified time prior to the start time, whether there is enough free storage space on the internal data storage unit to store the television content based on the amount of storage needed to store the television content;

responsive to a determination that the internal data storage unit does not contain enough free storage space to store the television content, communicate with a home gateway to determine whether a device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on a data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content; and

responsive to a determination that the device connected to the home gateway has enough free storage space on the data storage unit associated with the device to store the television content;

route storage of a recording of the television content to the data storage unit associated with the device via the home gateway.