Methods and Systems for Resolving Conflicts in a Multi-Tuner Digital Video Recording System

• US 20140153904A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Adimatyam, Venkata S., Gavade, Sameer, Roshan, Tariq, Arrabole, Anil R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,300,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• 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 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 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 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

An exemplary method includes a conflict resolution system 1) detecting a request for a DVR system having a plurality of tuners to tune to a media content program at a time during which all of the tuners are tuned to other media content programs, 2) identifying one or more media content programs that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request and one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request, 3) presenting a conflict resolution interface that includes one or more selectable entries representative of the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system, and 4) excluding the identified one or more media content programs that are being presented by the DVR system from being represented in the conflict resolution interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a conflict resolution system, a request for a digital video recording (“

DVR”

) system having a plurality of tuners to tune to a media content program at a time during which all of the tuners are tuned to other media content programs;

identifying, by the conflict resolution system in response to the request, one or more media content programs included in the other media content programs and that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request and one or more media content programs included in the other media content programs and that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request;

presenting, by the conflict resolution system in response to the identifying, a conflict resolution interface that includes one or more selectable entries representative of the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request; and

excluding, by the conflict resolution system, the identified one or more media content programs that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request from being represented in the conflict resolution interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the conflict resolution system, a selection by a user of an entry representative of a particular media content program included in the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request; and

presenting, by the conflict resolution system in response to the selection, an option to cancel the recording of the particular media content program by the DVR system and redirect a tuner associated with the recording of the particular media content program and included in the plurality of tuners to tune to the media content program associated with the request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting, by the conflict resolution system, a selection by the user of the option to cancel the recording of the particular media content program by the DVR system; and

directing, by the conflict resolution system, the DVR system to tune to the media content program associated with the request using the tuner associated with the recording of the particular media content program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the conflict resolution system, a selection by a user of an entry representative of a particular media content program included in the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request; and

presenting, by the conflict resolution system in response to the selection, an option to experience the particular media content program included in the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting, by the conflict resolution system, a selection by the user of the option to experience the particular media content program; and

directing, by the conflict resolution system, the DVR system to present the particular media content program to the user by sharing a tuner being used to record the particular media content program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises at least one of a request to present the media content program and a request to record the media content program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is provided by a user of the DVR system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is provided by the DVR system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request provided by the DVR system comprises a scheduled recording of the media content program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the one or more media content programs that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request comprises identifying one or more media content programs included in the plurality of media content programs that are being displayed by way of one or more displays communicatively coupled to the DVR system at the time of the request.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request comprises identifying one or more media content programs that are being recorded by the DVR system without being displayed by way of one or more displays communicatively coupled to the DVR system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the request is provided by a user;

the one or more media content programs being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request are being presented to one or more other users; and

the presenting of the conflict resolution interface comprises presenting the conflict resolution interface to only the user without presenting the conflict resolution interface to the one or more other users.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein an entry included in the one or more selectable entries includes at least one of a title of a particular media content program included in the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request and information representative of a media content channel carrying the particular media content program.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one media content program included in the one or more media content programs that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request is also being recorded at the time of the request.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the conflict resolution system, an additional request provided by a user for the DVR system to record an additional media content program during a future time period that is at least one time slot subsequent to the time of the additional request;

determining, by the conflict resolution system, that all of the tuners are scheduled to be tuned to a group of other media content programs during the future time period; and

presenting, by the conflict resolution system in response to the determining, an additional conflict resolution interface that includes a plurality of selectable entries representative of the group of other media content programs.

16. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

17. A method comprising:

detecting, by a conflict resolution system, a conflict associated with a digital video recording (“

DVR”

) system having a plurality of tuners;

identifying, by the conflict resolution system, one or more tuners being used to present media content at a time of the detection of the conflict, the one or more tuners included in the plurality of tuners; and

excluding, by the content resolution system, the identified one or more tuners from being used to resolve the conflict.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the conflict is created by a request for the DVR system to tune to a particular media content program at a time during which all of the plurality of tuners are tuned to other media content programs, and wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, by the conflict resolution system, one or more tuners being used to record media content at the time of the detection of the conflict, the one or more tuners included in the plurality of tuners; and

resolving, by the conflict resolution system, the conflict by reallocating a tuner included in the identified one or more tuners being used to record media content at the time of the detection of the conflict to the particular media content program.

19. The method of claim 17, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

20. A system comprising:

a detection facility configured to detect a request for a digital video recording (“

DVR”

) system having a plurality of tuners to tune to a media content program at a time during which all of the tuners are tuned to other media content programs;

a conflict resolution management facility communicatively coupled to the detection facility and configured to

identify, in response to the request, one or more media content programs included in the other media content programs and that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request and one or more media content programs included in the other media content programs and that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request,

present, in response to the identification, a conflict resolution interface that includes one or more selectable entries representative of the identified one or more media content programs that are only being recorded by the DVR system at the time of the request, and

exclude the identified one or more media content programs that are being presented by the DVR system at the time of the request from being represented in the conflict resolution interface.