TIME-SHIFT RECORDING BUFFER AS HOME NETWORK OBJECTS

• US 20100251297A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: BERKOFF, Russell A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/84 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 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums

Abstract

In a first embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided comprising: creating a temporary home network electronic program guide object for a television program currently stored in a time-shift buffer of a home network-enabled device; and storing an identifier for the temporary home network electronic program guide object in an object for a channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

creating a temporary home network electronic program guide object for a television program currently stored in a time-shift buffer of a home network-enabled device; and

storing an identifier for the temporary home network electronic program guide object in an object for a channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to record a television program currently being tuned by the home network-enabled device;

retrieving a listing of identifiers for temporary home network electronic guide objects for television programs currently stored in the time-shift buffer;

submitting an identifier for the temporary home network electronic guide objects corresponding to the television program the user wishes to record to a recording service for recording.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, in response to the submitting, the recording service creates a recording by capturing as much of the television program currently being tuned that is stored in the time-shift buffer and continuing to record a remainder of the television program currently being tuned.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for a list of television programs stored in the time-shift buffer; and

retrieving, based on the list, temporary home network electronic program guide objects for the television programs stored in the time-shift buffer.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to record a television program stored in the time-shift buffer;

using a temporary home network electronic program guide object retrieved for the requested television program to determine if the requested television program is still being tuned;

if the requested television program is still being tuned, capturing as much of the requested television program that is stored in the time-shift buffer and continuing to record a remainder of the requested television program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the home network enabled device is a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) enabled device with time shift buffer capabilities.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the temporary home network electronic program guide object is a UPnP ContentDirectory item.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to select a program in the time-shift buffer; and

forwarding the program to a rendering device for viewing.

9. A method comprising:

providing a first temporary UPnP EPG object, wherein the first temporary UPnP EPG object contains metadata regarding a first television program stored in a time-shift buffer in a personal video recorder.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

providing a second temporary UPnP EPG object, wherein the second temporary UPnP EPG object contains metadata regarding a second television program stored in a time-shift buffer;

and

providing a UPnP channel, wherein the channel object contains a property listing identities of the first and second temporary UPnP EPG objects.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing a mechanism to differentiate between a temporary UPnP EPG object and an ordinary UPnP EPG object.

12. A home network-enabled device comprising:

means for creating a temporary home network electronic program guide object for a television program currently stored in a time-shift buffer of a home network-enabled device; and

means for storing an identifier for the temporary home network electronic program guide object in an object for a channel.

13. The home network-enabled device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user to record a television program currently being tuned by the home network-enabled device;

means for retrieving a listing of identifiers for temporary home network electronic guide objects for television programs currently stored in the time-shift buffer;

means for submitting an identifier for the temporary home network electronic guide objects corresponding to the television program the user wishes to record to a recording service for recording.

14. The home network-enabled device of claim 13, wherein, in response to the submitting, the recording service creates a recording by capturing as much of the television program currently being tuned that is stored in the time-shift buffer and continuing to record a remainder of the television program currently being tuned.

15. The home network-enabled device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for a list of television programs stored in the time-shift buffer; and

means for retrieving, based on the list, temporary home network electronic program guide objects for the television programs stored in the time-shift buffer.

16. The home network-enabled device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user to record a television program stored in the time-shift buffer;

means for using a temporary home network electronic program guide object retrieved for the requested television program to determine if the requested television program is still being tuned;

means for, if the requested television program is still being tuned, capturing as much of the requested television program that is stored in the time-shift buffer and continuing to record a remainder of the requested television program.

17. The home network-enabled device of claim 12, wherein the home network enabled device is a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) enabled set-top box with time-shift buffer capabilities.

18. The home network-enabled device of claim 17, wherein the temporary home network electronic program guide object is a UPnP ContentDirectory item.

19. The home network-enabled device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to select a program in the time-shift buffer; and

means for forwarding the program to a rendering device for viewing.

20. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method comprising:

creating a temporary home network electronic program guide object for a television program currently stored in a time-shift buffer of a home network-enabled device; and

storing an identifier for the temporary home network electronic program guide object in an object for a channel.