Method for automatic deletion scheduling of the plurality of files in multi-user a digital playback system

• US 7,519,627 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Malloy, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANNAVAJJALA, SRIRAMA T
• Application Number:
  US11/196,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20070033232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 2, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 386/127, 725/25, 725/27, 725/40, 725/47, 725/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

One embodiment relates generally to managing files. A plurality of users is identified for a digital device. A file on the digital device is identified for access by the plurality of users. A user is logged as having viewed the program in response to the user completing playback of the file.

Claims

1. A method for automatically scheduling the deletion of a plurality of files on a digital playback system, wherein said plurality of files is assigned a plurality of deletion criteria, and a first file among the plurality of files is assigned a first deletion criterion among the plurality of deletion criteria, the method comprising:

logging a plurality of users of the digital playback system;

displaying a user interface configured to accept user input specifying information about the plurality of users;

displaying a user interface configured to determine the first deletion criterion for retaining the first file;

identifying the first file on the digital playback system to be accessed by the plurality of users;

logging when at least one of the plurality of users has accessed the first file;

scheduling deletion of the first file based on the first deletion criterion;

identifying a subset of users among the plurality of users interested in viewing the first file based on the user input specifying information about the plurality of users;

automatically associating the first file with the subset of users; and

displaying a user interface configured to identify the subset of users interested in viewing a recorded program of the first file in response to an end of a playback of the first file,

wherein the first deletion criterion is based on when the at least one of the plurality of users has completed accessing the first file,

wherein a second file among the plurality of files is assigned a second deletion criterion different from the first deletion criterion,

wherein said first deletion criterion is assigned to the first file by one of said plurality of users,

wherein the first deletion criterion indicates that the first file is eligible for deletion when all of the plurality of users have accessed the first file,

wherein the user specifying information comprises, for each of the plurality of users, a list of files among the plurality of files which each of the plurality of users are interested in viewing, and

wherein the identifying of the subset of users is performed based on whether content of the files in said list of files is similar to content in said first file.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting an option to identify the first file to be viewed by the plurality of users.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising logging when each user has completed viewing the file.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting at least one user from the subset of users interested in viewing the first file.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recording the first file on the digital playback system from a source.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the source is one of a digital video disk player, a videotape player, a compact disk player, and an mp3 player.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first deletion criterion is based on when each of the subset of users interested in viewing the first file has completed accessing the first file.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital playback system comprises a single digital recorder, and the plurality of users view programs recorded on the single digital recorder.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying of the subset of users is performed automatically by the digital playback system.