Method of managing the recording of audiovisual documents in a terminal selected among a plurality of terminals, and an associated terminal

• US 7,493,024 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Hiron, Franck, Maetz, Yves, Grasland, Izabela, Shao, Jiang, Chevallier, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao; Daquan
• Application Number:
  US10/502,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20050158017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 386/95, 386/124, 386/46, 386111-112
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

A communication network performs a method of managing recordings. The communication network comprises a plurality of audiovisual terminals furnished with recording means. The method comprises determining the most adapted terminal among the plurality for recording a specific document. Values of fit are calculated from attributes associated with the document and attributes associated with each terminal. The terminal whose value of fit is the greatest is selected and used for recording this document. The morality of the document and the maximum level of morality accessible from the terminal being compared in order to barre the recording of the document in a terminal if the morality level of this document is higher than the morality level of this terminal.

Claims

1. A method of managing recordings of audio or audiovisual documents within a communication network comprising a plurality of audiovisual terminals furnished with recording means, the audiovisual documents to be recorded and the terminals being associated with attributes;

the method comprising;

introducing by a user of a maximum level of morality accessible from a terminal,

calculating a value of fit between the document and a terminal;

the value of fit being calculated by comparing the attributes of the audiovisual document and the attributes associated with the audiovisual terminal, the value of fit being all the higher the greater the similarity between these attributes, the morality of the document and the maximum level of morality accessible from the terminal being compared;

in order to bar the recording of the document in a terminal if the morality level of this document is higher than the morality level of this terminal

repeating the step calculating by calculating a value of fit for each terminal liable to record it and taking into account the morality level;

selecting the terminal for recording the document whose value of fit is greatest; and

recording of the document in the selected terminal.

2. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating comprises a step of comparing between the topic of the audiovisual document and the topic of the documents customarily accessible on this terminal.

3. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating comprises a step of comparing between the type of the audiovisual document such as audio audiovisual photo and the type or types of documents that are generally reproduced with the aid of the terminal.

4. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating comprises a step of comparing between the size of the audiovisual document and an installation in which the average size of the documents is very different from that of the document not selected in step of selecting.

5. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attributes compared in the step of calculating relates to the size of the audiovisual document and the transfer data rate of the terminal, and in the step of selecting the terminal, a terminal having a data rate greater than a determined value is selected in a privileged manner for the recording of an audiovisual document of small size.

6. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 1, wherein a list of attributes is associated with each terminal, the attributes of said list being the attributes of the documents generally ordered by users on this terminal and reproduced by this terminal.

7. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 6, wherein the attributes list associated with the terminal is modifiable by a user.

8. The method of managing recordings as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when a new terminal is introduced into the network, a transfer of at least one document is effected to this new terminal when the values of fit calculated in the step of calculating for this new terminal are better than those calculated for any other terminal.

9. The audiovisual terminal furnished with means for recording audio or audiovisual documents and connected to a communication network, the documents to be recorded being associated with attributes characterizing them, the terminals being associated with attributes relating to their characteristics and/or their uses;

wherein the terminal comprises a means for introducing by a user of a maximum level of morality accessible from the terminal, a means for calculating a value representing the fit between a document to be recorded and the terminal, the value of fit being calculated by comparing the attributes of the audiovisual document and the attributes associated with the terminal, the value of fit being all the higher the greater the similarity between these attributes, the morality of the document and the maximum level of morality accessible from the terminal being compared in order to bar the recording of the document in the terminal if the morality level of this document is higher than the morality level of the terminal, the recording means being activated or otherwise so as to record this document according to the value calculated and if the morality level allows the recording in the terminal.

10. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means of comparison compares the size of the audiovisual document and the average size of the documents customarily stored in the terminal, the recording means being activated in a privileged manner if the size of the audiovisual document lies in an interval defining the minimum size and the maximum size of the documents that can be recorded in the terminal.

11. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means of comparison compares the size of the audiovisual document to be recorded and the transfer data rate of the terminal, the means of recording of an terminal having a data rate greater than a determined value being activated in a privileged manner if the size of the audiovisual document is less than a determined size value.

12. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein it comprises a memory comprising a list of attributes, the attributes of said list being the attributes of the documents generally ordered by users on this terminal and reproduced by this terminal.

13. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claims 12, wherein it comprises a means of modification by a user of the list of attributes.

14. The audiovisual terminal as claimed in claim 9, wherein the means of calculation is activated automatically upon the introduction of a new terminal into the network, and in that it comprises a means for downloading a document to the new terminal when the value of fit calculated by the means of calculation for this document and this new terminal is higher than the values calculated for any other terminal.