Program position user interface for personal video recording time shift buffer

• US 6,744,967 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Banker, Robert O., Kaminski, Dariusz S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONUAKU, CHRISTOPHER O
• Application Number:
  US10/034,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20030121055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/45, 386/83, 386/125-126, 348/563, 725/37, 725/41, 725/52, 725/55, 360/15, 360/27, 360/55, 360/57, 360/60, 360/72.2, 360/79, 360/65, 345/440.2, 345/716
• US Class Current: 386/243
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A system that provides information about media content stored in a storage device coupled to an interactive media services client device. In one embodiment, the system includes a memory with logic, and a processor configured with the logic to provide a symbol that represents the duration of at least one media content instance of a plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device. Preferably, the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a recorded portion in the symbol that represents the portion of the media content instance that is accessible to a user.

Claims

1. A method for providing information about media content stored in a storage device coupled to an interactive media services client device, the method comprising the steps of:

graphically providing a progress bar that represents the duration of one media content instance among a plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device;

graphically providing a recorded portion in the progress bar that represents a portion of the media content instance that has been recorded and is accessible to a user; and

graphically providing an unrecorded portion in the progress bar that represents a portion of the media content instance that has not been recorded.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a pointer in the progress bar that corresponds to a position in time relative to the entire playback time of a recorded scene of the media content instance currently presented on a display device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pointer is a triangle that is colored yellow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unrecorded portion corresponds to an inaccessible portion of the media content instance that precedes the recorded portion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inacessible portion is colored red.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the unrecorded portion corresponds to a portion of the media content instance subsequent to the recorded portion that is remaining to be downloaded into the storage device as time advances.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portion of the media content instance subsequent to the recorded portion is clear colored based on a user selected color from a user setting.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing an arrow that indicates when other media content instances are stored in the storage device, the arrow disposed at a location corresponding to at least one end of the progress bar, beyond which is indicative of a recording sequence with respect to the media content instance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the arrow points in the direction in time the user must navigate to find the other media content instances.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a status clock that provides the user with an indication of what time in the media content instance the user is viewing had the user viewed the media content instance in real-time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a current time clock that provides the current time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a title for the media content instance along with the progress bar.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a scheduled viewing time for the media content instance along with the progress bar.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the progress bar on a screen of a display device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of overlaying the progress bar on a screen display of the media contents instance.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of presenting the progress bar in response to a command by the user, wherein the command is delivered from a remote control device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the recorded portion is colored green.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the progress bar is presented with a pause banner, wherein the pause banner is overlaid on a display of the media content instance.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the progress bar for each of the plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the media content in buffer space in the storage device.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the media content in non-buffer space in the storage device.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the area of the recorded portion as the media content instance is downloaded to the storage device, the changing area representing an increasing amount of the media content instance that is accessible by the user.

23. A method for providing information about media content stored in a storage device coupled to an interactive media services client device, the method comprising the steps of:

graphically representing a scheduled duration of a media content instance, among a plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device, with a progress bar;

graphically representing in the progress bar a portion of the media content instance that is accessible to a user with a first colored portion having an area that is proportional to the media content instance portions stored in the storage device;

graphically representing in the progress bar a portion of the media content instance that is inaccessible to the user with a second colored portion that is proportional to the media content instance portions that is not stored in the storage device;

graphically representing in the progress bar a portion of the media content instance that remains to be downloaded to the storage device with a third colored portion;

graphically representing in the progress bar the time location corresponding to what scene in the media content instance the user is current viewing with a pointer;

providing a current time that provides the current real-time;

providing a scheduled viewing time that provides the scheduled time of presentation for the media content instance;

providing a title of the media content instance;

providing a playback time that provides where in the schedule viewing time the user is currently viewing the media content instance;

representing in the progress bar where the user can go to find the plurality of media content instances with arrows; and

overlaying the progress bar on the displayed media content instance.

24. A system for providing information about media content stored in a storage device coupled to an interactive media se ices client device, the system comprising:

a memory with logic; and

a processor configured with the logic to graphically provide progress bar that represents the duration of at least one media content instance of a plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to graphically provide a recorded portion in the progress bar that represents a portion of the media content instance that has been recorded an is accessible to a user, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to graphically provide an unrecorded portion in the progress bar that represents a portion of the media content instance that has not been recorded.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a pointer in the progress bar that corresponds to a position in time relative to the entire playback time of a recorded scene of the media content instance.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the pointer is a triangle that is colored yellow.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the unrecorded portion corresponds to an inaccessible portion of the media content instance that precedes the recorded portion.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the inaccessible portion is colored red.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the unrecorded portion corresponds to a portion of the media content instance subsequent to the recorded portion that is remaining to be downloaded into the storage device as time advances.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the portion of the media content instance subsequent to the recorded portion is clear colored based on a user selected color from a user setting.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide an arrow located on at least one side of the progress bar that indicates when other media content instances are stored in the storage device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the arrow points in the direction in time the user must navigate to find the other media content instances.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein the logic is further configured to provide a status clock that provides the user with an indication of what time in the media content instance the user is viewing if the user was viewing the media content instance in real-time.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a current time clock that provides the current time.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a title for the media content instance along with the progress bar.

36. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide a scheduled viewing time for the media content instance along with the progress bar.

37. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to display the progress bar on a screen of a display device.

38. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to overlay the progress bar on the screen display of the media content instance.

39. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to present the progress bar in response to a command by the user, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to receive the command from a remote control device.

40. The system of claim 24, wherein the recorded portion is colored green.

41. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide the progress bar with a pause banner, wherein the pause banner is overlaid on a display of the media content instance.

42. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to provide the progress bar for each of the plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device.

43. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to store the media content in buffer space in the storage device.

44. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to store the media content in non-buffer space in the storage device.

45. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured with the logic to change the area of the recorded portion as the media content instance is downloaded to the storage device.

46. A method for providing information about media content stored in a storage device coupled to an interactive media services client device, the method comprising the steps of:

graphically providing a progress bar that represents the duration of one media content instance among a plurality of media content instances stored in the storage device;

graphically providing a recorded portion in the progress bar that represents a portion of the media content instance that has been recorded and is accessible to a user;

graphically providing a first unrecorded portion in the progress bar that corresponds to an inaccessible portion of the media content instance that precedes the recorded portion; and

graphically providing a second unrecorded portion that corresponds to a portion of the media content instance subsequent to the recorded portion that is remaining to be downloaded into the storage device as time advances.