Multiple video source management

• US 7,830,457 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Price, James D. III, Huotari, Allen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael; Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US11/350,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/731
• 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 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Systems and techniques for managing multiple video sources are described. Video data for a first channel may be displayed and buffered, while video data for a second channel that is not being displayed or recorded is also being buffered. The second channel may be a previous display channel and/or a predicted future channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving video information for a plurality of available channels;

displaying data for a display channel of the plurality of available channels;

automatically buffering data for the display channel concurrently with displaying data for the display channel;

determining a probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the display channel, wherein data for the probable future display channel is not being displayed or recorded during the displaying data for the display channel;

automatically buffering data for the probable future display channel during the displaying data for the display channel;

receiving a user selection for a new display channel;

displaying data for the new display channel and continuing to automatically buffer data for the display channel;

determining a new probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the new display channel whenever data is displayed for the new channel, wherein data for the new probable future display channel is not being displayed or recorded during the displaying data for the new display channel; and

automatically buffering data for the new probable future display channel during the displaying data for the new display channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the display channel include the channel number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the display channel include an associated content type.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying data for a previous display channel of the plurality of available channels prior to displaying data for the display channel; and

wherein determining the probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the display channel further comprises determining the probable future display channel based on one or more characteristics of the previous display channel.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically buffering data for the previous display channel during the displaying data for the display channel.

6. A video system comprising:

an input interface configured to receive video information for a plurality of available channels;

a first video source and an associated first buffer, the first video source configured to receive the video information for the plurality of available channels from the input interface and to store video data for a first channel in the associated first buffer;

a second video source and an associated second buffer, the second video source configured to receive the video information for the plurality of available channels from the input interface and to store video data for a second channel in the associated second buffer;

a third video source and an associated third buffer, the third video source configured to receive the video information for the plurality of available channels from the input interface and to store video data for a third channel in the associated third buffer; and

an output interface configured to receive video data for one of the first, second, and third channels to transmit to a display concurrently with the storing video for the others of the first, second and third channels in the associated one of the first, second and third buffers, wherein the others of the first, second, and third channels are selected based on a channel display history and wherein a probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels is determined whenever data is displayed for the video data for the one of the first, second, and third channels and wherein at least one of the buffers continues to automatically buffer data for the one of the first, second, and third channels of the display when a new channel is displayed.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the others of the first, second, and third channels is a previous display channel selected based on the channel display history.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the others of the first, second, and third channels is a probable future display channel selected based on the channel display history.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a machine-readable storage medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in operations comprising:

determining the probable future display channel based on one or more characteristics of the one of the first, second, and third channels.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one of a channel number of the one of the first, second, and third channels and a content type of the one of the first, second, and third channels.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising a machine-readable medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in operations comprising:

determining the probable future display channel based on one or more viewing characteristics of the video system, wherein the one or more viewing characteristics include at least one of user-based characteristics and time-based characteristics.

12. A video system comprising:

means for receiving video information for a plurality of available channels;

means for displaying data for a display channel of the plurality of available channels;

means for automatically buffering data for the display channel concurrently with displaying data for the display channel;

means for determining a probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the display channel, wherein data for the probable future display channel is not being displayed or recorded during the displaying data for the display channel;

means for automatically buffering data for the probable future display channel during the displaying data for the display channel;

means for receiving a user selection for a new display channel;

means for displaying data for the new display channel and continuing to automatically buffer data for the display channel;

means for determining a new probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the new display channel whenever data is displayed for the new channel, wherein data for the new probable future display channel is not being displayed or recorded during the displaying data for the new display channel; and

means for automatically buffering data for the new probable future display channel during the displaying data for the new display channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more characteristics of the display channel include the channel number.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more characteristics of the display channel include an associated content type.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

means for displaying data for a previous display channel of the plurality of available channels prior to displaying data for the display channel; and

wherein determining the probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the display channel further comprises determining the probable future display channel based on one or more characteristics of the previous display channel.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for automatically buffering data for the previous display channel during the displaying data for the display channel.

17. An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium embodying information indicative of instructions that when performed by one or more machines result in operations comprising:

receiving video information for a plurality of available channels including a display channel;

automatically buffering data for the display channel;

determining a probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of the display channel, wherein data for the probable future display channel is not being displayed or recorded during the displaying data for the display channel;

determining a new probable future display channel of the plurality of available channels based on one or more characteristics of a new display channel whenever data is displayed for the new channel,

continuing to automatically buffer data for the display channel when displaying data for the new display channel; and

automatically buffering data for the new probable future display channel during the displaying data for the new display channel.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the one or more characteristics of the display channel include the channel number.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the one or more characteristics of the display channel include an associated content type.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

automatically buffering data for the probable future display channel, wherein data for the probable future display channel is not being displayed or recorded during the displaying data for the display channel.