Methods and apparatus for client aggregation of television programming in a networked personal video recording system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for aggregating television programming in a personal video recording (“
- PVR”
) system, said method comprising the steps of;
receiving a plurality of television signals;
tuning each of said television signals in one of a plurality of tuners;
buffering said television signals on a storage medium in at least a first PVR media server, the PVR media server maintaining a write position for the buffering;
coupling a plurality of clients, over a home-based network comprising one or more PVR media servers, to said first PVR media server;
generating a request from a requesting client for a list of television programming from each of said PVR media servers on said home-based network;
receiving, from each PVR media server, a list of television programming available through each of said respective PVR media servers, each PVR media server configured for presenting live broadcast content and prerecorded content; and
aggregating, at said requesting client, a list of content available from a plurality of distributed locations within the home based network, the plurality of distributed locations comprising separate content that is tuned by using more than one tuner of the plurality of tuners within said PVR system, the list comprising the live broadcast content and the prerecorded content available for presentation at the requesting client via each PVR media server within the home-based network; and
presenting the aggregated list of content by using the requesting client.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A networked personal video recording (“PVR”) system couples a plurality of clients to one or more PVR media servers over a network. One or more PVR media servers include television tuners to tune television signals. A storage medium buffers the television signals to implement PVR functionality. For example, the PVR media server records television programs for clients. Clients are assigned to television tuners, and the clients display television programs received at the assigned tuner. The network transfers the buffered television signals to the clients.
39 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for aggregating television programming in a personal video recording (“
- PVR”
) system, said method comprising the steps of;receiving a plurality of television signals; tuning each of said television signals in one of a plurality of tuners; buffering said television signals on a storage medium in at least a first PVR media server, the PVR media server maintaining a write position for the buffering; coupling a plurality of clients, over a home-based network comprising one or more PVR media servers, to said first PVR media server; generating a request from a requesting client for a list of television programming from each of said PVR media servers on said home-based network; receiving, from each PVR media server, a list of television programming available through each of said respective PVR media servers, each PVR media server configured for presenting live broadcast content and prerecorded content; and aggregating, at said requesting client, a list of content available from a plurality of distributed locations within the home based network, the plurality of distributed locations comprising separate content that is tuned by using more than one tuner of the plurality of tuners within said PVR system, the list comprising the live broadcast content and the prerecorded content available for presentation at the requesting client via each PVR media server within the home-based network; and presenting the aggregated list of content by using the requesting client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- PVR”
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16. A personal video recording (“
- PVR”
) system comprising;at least a first PVR media server comprising; input for receiving a plurality of television signals; a plurality of tuners for tuning each of said television signals; a storage medium for buffering said television signals, the first PVR media server configured for maintaining a write position for said buffering; a home-based network comprising one or more PVR media servers; and a plurality of clients, coupled over said home-based network to said first PVR media server, the first PVR media server configured; for generating a request from a requesting client for a list of television programming from each of said PVR media servers on said home-based network, for receiving, from each PVR media server, a list of television programming available through said respective PVR media servers, each PVR media server configured for presenting live broadcast content and prerecorded content; and for aggregating, at said requesting client, a list of content available from a plurality of distributed locations within said PVR system, the plurality of distributed locations comprising separate content that is tuned by using more than one tuner of the plurality of tuners within the PVR system, the list comprising the live broadcast content and the prerecorded content available for presentation at the requesting client via each PVR media server within the home-based network; and for presenting the aggregated list of content by using the requesting client.
- PVR”
Specification