SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VISUALIZING STORAGE AVAILABILITY OF A DVR

• US 20150003814A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Ashleigh A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,378,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Systems and methods for visualizing storage availability are provided. Storage usage activity on a recording device is analyzed and used to determine storage availability over time. Change in storage availability is visualized using a graphic. A user may select a portion of the graphic corresponding to storage availability of the recording device at a particular time in the future. Upon selection of the graphic, the user may be presented with media assets which are associated with the storage availability of the recording device at the particular future time. These media assets may be assets that are stored, scheduled to be recorded, and/or scheduled to be deleted at the particular future time.

Claims

1. A method for visualizing storage availability of a recording device, the method comprising:

analyzing storage usage activity on the recording device;

determining, based on the analyzed storage usage activity, storage availability of the recording device over time;

visualizing, using a graphic, change in the storage availability over time;

receiving user selection of the graphic, wherein the selection corresponds to a storage availability of the recording device at a particular time in the future; and

responsive to receiving the user selection of the graphic, presenting to the user at least one media asset associated with the storage availability at the particular future time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage usage activity comprises at least one of:

past recordings of media assets,

scheduled recordings of media assets,

past deletions of recorded media assets,

scheduled deletions of recorded media assets, and

past cancelations of scheduled recordings of media assets.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a media asset will likely be recorded based on at least one of:

viewing history of at least one related media asset;

recording history of at least one related media asset;

deletion history of at least one related media asset;

cancelation history of at least one related media asset;

user preference of at least one related media asset;

the media asset type; and

pattern of recording media assets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of storage availability over time comprises:

identifying a time duration for which an episode of a series is stored on the recording device before being deleted from the recording device;

determining whether another episode of the series is scheduled for recording at the particular future time; and

computing a rate of storage usage of the recording device based on the identified time duration and the determination of whether the another episode is scheduled for recording at the particular future time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the another episode of the series is scheduled for recording at the particular future time, computing an amount of storage that will be occupied by the recording of the another episode;

calculating an average rate of storage usage by the series based on the amount of storage that will be occupied and the identified time duration,

wherein the rate of storage usage of the recording device is computed based at least in part on the calculated average rate of storage usage by the series.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic shows the change in storage availability over time by simultaneously displaying storage availability of the recording device at different times in the past, present, and future.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that storage availability of the recording device will be high; and

responsive to determining that the storage availability will be high, generating a recommendation to record at least one media asset based on the analyzed storage usage activity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the recording device will reach a full storage capacity; and

responsive to determining that the recording device will reach a full storage capacity, generating a recommendation to delete at least one media asset based on the analyzed storage usage activity.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selection comprises visually distinguishing a portion of the graphic that corresponds to the particular future time, wherein the at least one media asset presented to the user is scheduled for recording at the particular future time.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying all recordings scheduled to be deleted from the recording device at the particular future time; and

identifying all recordings scheduled to be recorded on the recording device at the particular future time, wherein the at least one media asset presented to the user at the particular future time comprises a first indication of the identified all recordings scheduled to be deleted and a second indication of the identified all recordings scheduled to be recorded.

11. A system for visualizing storage availability of a recording device, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:

analyze storage usage activity on the recording device;

determine, based on the analyzed storage usage activity, storage availability of the recording device over time;

visualize, using a graphic, change in the storage availability over time;

receive user selection of the graphic, wherein the selection corresponds to a storage availability of the recording device at a particular time in the future; and

responsive to receiving the user selection of the graphic, present to the user at least one media asset associated with the storage availability at the particular future time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage usage activity comprises at least one of:

past recordings of media assets,

scheduled recordings of media assets,

past deletions of recorded media assets,

scheduled deletions of recorded media assets, and

past cancelations of scheduled recordings of media assets.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the control is circuitry further configured to determine that a media asset will likely be recorded based on at least one of:

viewing history of at least one related media asset;

recording history of at least one related media asset;

deletion history of at least one related media asset;

cancelation history of at least one related media asset;

user preference of at least one related media asset;

the media asset type; and

pattern of recording media assets.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage availability over time is determined by control circuitry configured to:

identify a time duration for which an episode of a series is stored on the recording device before being deleted from the recording device;

determine whether another episode of the series is scheduled for recording at the particular future time; and

compute a rate of storage usage of the recording device based on the identified time duration and the determination of whether the another episode is scheduled for recording at the particular future time.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

responsive to determining that the another episode of the series is scheduled for recording at the particular future time, compute an amount of storage that will be occupied by the recording of the another episode;

calculate an average rate of storage usage by the series based on the amount of storage that will be occupied and the identified time duration,

wherein the rate of storage usage of the recording device is computed based at least in part on the calculated average rate of storage usage by the series.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphic shows the change in storage availability over time by simultaneously displaying storage availability of the recording device at different times in the past, present, and future.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that storage availability of the recording device will be high; and

responsive to determining that the storage availability will be high, generate a recommendation to record at least one media asset based on the analyzed storage usage activity.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that the recording device will reach a full storage capacity; and

responsive to determining that the recording device will reach a full storage capacity, generate a recommendation to delete at least one media asset based on the analyzed storage usage activity.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the user selection comprises visually distinguishing a portion of the graphic that corresponds to the particular future time, wherein the at least one media asset presented to the user is scheduled for recording at the particular future time.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify all recordings scheduled to be deleted from the recording device at the particular future time; and

identify all recordings scheduled to be recorded on the recording device at the particular future time, wherein the at least one media asset presented to the user at the particular future time comprises a first indication of the identified all recordings scheduled to be deleted and a second indication of the identified all recordings scheduled to be recorded.

21-40. -40. (canceled)