Media Source Selection Based On Source Quality

• US 20100321507A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaye, Jonathan A., Larsen, Christopher W
• Application Number:
  US12/866,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/192
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite

Abstract

A computer-implemented method comprises determining which of a plurality of media sources has a higher quality than at least one other media source and selecting the media source having the higher quality.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining which of a plurality of media sources has a higher quality than at least one other media source; and

selecting the media source having said higher quality.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a media content available on the plurality of media sources.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising specifying broadcast content available on each of said media sources.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising playing said selected media source.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising recording said selected media source.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising repeatedly determining which of the plurality of media sources has a higher quality than at least one other media source and selecting the media source having said higher quality while a media content from one of said media sources is playing or recording.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising switching from one media source to another while said media content is playing.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining which of the plurality of media sources has a higher quality than at least one other media source comprises comparing signal strength or bit error rate.

9. A system, comprising:

a plurality of interfaces, each interface receiving one or more media source signals;

logic that determines which of the media source signals has a higher quality than at least one other media source signal and selects the media source signal having said higher quality.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a media content cross-reference listing, accessible to said logic, that cross-references media content among the plurality of media source signals.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the logic selects the media source signal having said higher quality for playback.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the logic selects the media source signal having said higher quality for recording.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising an input device through which a user of the system selects media content for which the logic determines which of the media source signals has a higher quality.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the logic determines quality of the media source signals based on a criteria selected from a group consisting of signal strength, bit error rate, and bit rate.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the system comprises a notebook computer.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the logic switches from a first media source signal to a second media source signal while playing or recording the first media source signal.

17. A computer-readable medium (CRM) containing software that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

enable a user to select a broadcast; and

determine which of a plurality of media sources containing said selected broadcast has a higher quality than at least one other media source.

18. The CRM of claim 17 wherein the software further causes the processor to select the media source having said higher quality.

19. The CRM of claim 17 wherein the media sources comprise any a group selected from a network, a free over-the-air signal, cable television, and satellite television.

20. The CRM of claim 17 wherein the software enables the user to select the media source having the higher quality for viewing or recording.