System and method for recording a signal using a central point of control

• US 6,886,179 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2000
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koenig, Andrew Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/556,719
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 725/53, 725/80, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/58, 386/1, 386/83
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/205 with control bus for exchanging commands between units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording a signal received by a home entertainment system that includes multiple consumer electronics devices interconnected to a central electronics device in a hub and spoke configuration. The configuration allows all signals in the home entertainment system to be accessible by the central electronics device. Accordingly, the central electronics device can process, route, or otherwise respond to any signal. By way of example, any signal can be routed to a recording system, where it can be recorded. The signal is coupled with information from an electronic programming guide that details specific programming. An automatic determination is made as to whether or not there exists enough free space on a recording medium to record a specific program. Upon recording the program on the recording medium, an index is updated on the recording medium from the electronic programming guide information and from the location of the program on the recording medium. By selecting the program from the index, the recorded program can be automatically located on the recording medium.

Claims

1. In a home entertainment system that includes a central device, a display device and a recording system, a method for operating the recording system to record programming, the method comprising:

connecting a central device directly to a display device and to a recording system, such that any signal that reaches the recording system must be transmitted from the central device to the recording system;

receiving and storing an electronic programming guide at the central device;

receiving recording instructions at the central device to record programming at the recording system;

in response to the recording instructions, transmitting the programming which is received at the central device to the recording system and at a time indicated by the recording instructions, wherein the programming is recorded on a recording medium by the recording system;

in response to the recording instructions, and prior to sending the programming to the recording system to be recorded, sending a first set of programming information from the stored electronic programming guide to the recording system, wherein the recording system records the first set of programming information to the recording medium; and

the central device transmitting a second set of programming information comprising indexing information that is included in the stored electronic programming guide to the recording system, wherein the recording system records the indexing information to the recording medium.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps for:

connecting an electronics device directly to the central device; and

prior to transmitting the programming from the central device to the recording system, transmitting the programming from the electronics device to the central device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the central device is an Internet terminal.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central device, the programming from a source of programming prior transmitting the programming to the recording system.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein recording the indexing information further includes recording information identify the location of the recorded programming on the recording medium.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of programming information includes a title of the programming.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to recording the indexing information, the recording system rewinds or forwards the recording medium to the specified location to be recorded.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indexing information is recorded to the VBI or overscan area of the specified location.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein indexing information corresponding to multiple recorded programming sessions is recorded at the specified location of the recording medium.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to recording the programming, the method includes automatically determining a beginning of free space on the recording medium based at least in part on the indexing information stored at the specified location.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to recording the programming, the home entertainment system automatically determining whether there is enough free space to record the programming on the recording medium based at least in part on the indexing information stored at the specified location.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein upon determining that there is not enough free space to record the programming on the recording medium, the method further includes prompting a user to provide a new recording medium to record the programming.

13. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for implementing the method recited in claim 1.