APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATICALLY PRESENTING STORED MEDIA CONTENT AT ITS BEGINNING

• US 20150128180A1
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eldon Technology Limited (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Mountain, Dale, Capless, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Media device systems and methods are operable to automatically present a program at its beginning while a remaining portion of the program is being received at the media device. An exemplary embodiment receives a program in a media content stream; receives a presentation request to present the program, wherein the presentation request is received after an initial portion of the program has been received and wherein the presentation request is received before a conclusion of the program; accesses a stored initial portion of the program from a memory medium; and initiates presentation at a beginning of the program residing in the accessed initial portion of the program.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a program of interest, the method comprising:

receiving a request to record the program of interest at a media device, wherein the request to record the program of interest is received in advance of a scheduled presentation time of the program of interest;

receiving the program of interest at the media device in a media content stream;

recording an initial portion of the program of interest in a memory medium of the media device,

wherein the recording of the initial portion of the program of interest occurs when the program of interest begins to be received at the media device;

presenting an electronic program guide (EPG) on a display, wherein the presented EPG indicates that the program of interest is currently being received at the media device, and wherein the EPG indicates that the program of interest has not yet concluded;

receiving a presentation request made via the EPG to present the program of interest,

wherein the presentation request is received after an initial portion of the program of interest has been received, and

wherein the presentation request is received before the conclusion of the program of interest;

accessing, in response to the presentation request, the recorded initial portion of the program of interest from the memory medium of the media device; and

presenting the accessed initial portion of the program of interest on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuing to record a remaining portion of the program of interest while the initial portion of the program of interest is being presented;

accessing, in response to completing presentation of the recorded initial portion of the program of interest, the recorded remaining portion of the program of interest; and

presenting the accessed remaining portion of the program of interest on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the memory medium of the media device is a first memory medium, and wherein continuing to record the remaining portion of the program of interest comprises:

recording the remaining portion of the program of interest received in the media content stream in a second memory medium of the media device,

wherein the second memory medium is different from the first memory medium.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein the first memory medium is a digital video recorder (DVR) residing in the media device,

wherein the second memory medium is a program buffer, and

wherein the program buffer stores a generated stream of video and audio information corresponding to the program of interest that is streamed out to a media presentation system.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

recording the remaining portion of the program of interest in the memory medium.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the memory medium is a digital video recorder (DVR) residing in the media device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the program of interest was previously recorded in its entirety before the presentation request is received.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an indicator on the display with the presented EPG, wherein the indicator is configured to indicate that the presentation request made via the presented EPG will initiate presentation of the program of interest from its beginning.

9. A media device, comprising:

a program content stream interface configured to receive a media content stream, wherein the media content stream, when currently received at the program content stream interface, includes a program of interest;

electronic program guide (EPG) information that is used to generate an EPG that is presented on a display to a user, wherein the EPG indicates that a plurality of programs are currently scheduled for presentation, and wherein the program of interest is listed in the EPG as one of the plurality of programs that are currently scheduled for presentation;

a memory medium communicatively coupled to the program content stream interface and configured to store the program of interest as the program of interest is received at the program content stream interface; and

a processor system communicatively coupled to the memory medium, wherein the processor system is configured to;

receive a user recording request to store the program of interest in the memory medium when the program of interest is received at the program content stream interface, wherein the user recording request is received in advance of a scheduled presentation time of the program of interest;

store an initial portion of the program of interest in the memory medium when the program of interest begins to be received at the program content stream interface;

receive a user presentation request to present the program of interest,

wherein the user presentation request is based on the user navigating about a currently presented EPG generated from the EPG information, and

wherein the user presentation request is made by the user selecting the program of interest via the currently presented EPG;

automatically access the initial portion of the program of interest from the memory medium in response to the received user presentation request; and

present the accessed initial portion of the program of interest,

wherein the user presentation request is received after an initial portion of the program of interest has been received, and

wherein the presentation request is received before a remaining portion of the program of interest is received at the program content stream interface.

10. The media device of claim 9, wherein the media device is a set top box (STB), wherein the program content stream interface is configured to receive a plurality of media content streams, and wherein the program content stream interface of the STB comprises:

at least one tuner,

wherein the processor system is further configured to;

determine from the EPG information which one of the plurality of media content streams the program of interest is received in, and

tune the at least one tuner to receive the media content stream having the program of interest therein.

11. The media device of claim 9, wherein the memory medium is a digital video recorder (DVR).

12. The media device of claim 11, wherein the memory medium is a digital video recorder (DVR) residing in the media device, the media device further comprising:

a memory that stores the EPG information.

13. The media device of claim 9, wherein the processor system is further configured to store the remaining portion of the program of interest while the initial portion of the program of interest is being presented.

14. The media device of claim 13, wherein the memory medium is a digital video recorder (DVR) residing in the media device, the media device further comprising:

a program buffer,

wherein the program buffer stores a generated stream of video and audio information corresponding to the program of interest that is streamed out to a media presentation system; and

wherein the remaining portion of the program of interest is stored into the program buffer.

15. A method for presenting a program of interest, the method comprising:

presenting an electronic program guide (EPG) on a display, wherein the presented EPG indicates that the program of interest is currently being received at a media device in at least one media content stream,

wherein at least one media content provider provides a plurality of programs that are received in the at least one of a plurality of media content streams, and

wherein the EPG indicates that the program of interest has not yet concluded and is currently being received in the at least one media content stream;

receiving a presentation request made via the EPG to present the program of interest, wherein the presentation request is received before the conclusion of the program of interest;

accessing, in response to the presentation request, an initial portion of the program of interest; and

presenting the accessed initial portion of the program of interest on the display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein accessing the initial portion of the program of interest comprises:

accessing a video on demand (VOD) system, wherein the initial portion of the program of interest is communicated form the VOD system to the media device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

recording, into a digital video recorder (DVR) of the media device, a remaining portion of the program of interest while the initial portion of the program of interest is being presented, wherein the remaining portion of the program of interest begins in response to receiving the user presentation request;

accessing, in response to completing presentation of the recorded initial portion of the program of interest, the recorded remaining portion of the program of interest; and

presenting the accessed remaining portion of the program of interest on the display.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

recording, into a program buffer of the media device, a remaining portion of the program of interest while the initial portion of the program of interest is being presented,

wherein the program buffer stores a generated stream of video and audio information corresponding to the program of interest that is streamed out to a media presentation system; and

wherein the remaining portion of the program of interest begins in response to receiving the user presentation request;

accessing, in response to completing presentation of the recorded initial portion of the program of interest, the recorded remaining portion of the program of interest; and

presenting the accessed remaining portion of the program of interest on the display.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the initial portion of the program of interest is communicated to the media device in one of the plurality of media content streams provided by the at least one media content provider.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the initial portion of the program of interest is communicated to the media device over the Internet.