Method and apparatus for mobile personal video recorder

• US 8,244,315 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vidiator Enterprises Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vidiator Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Jaeyong, Yoon, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Lana N
• Application Number:
  US12/302,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 455 301- 306, 455/414.1, 4555751-5756, 725/62, 725 37- 44, 379/88.18, 709/227
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for remotely recording video content on a personal video recording server, at the request of a user of a mobile device, and obtaining that recorded content on the mobile device, in some embodiments, at a later time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device from a sender, a collection of one or more indices listing one or more media contents that are available to record at one or more future performances;

facilitating, by the mobile device, selection of at least one of the media contents listed by the collection of indices; and

requesting by the mobile device, of a media recording server remotely disposed from the mobile device and in response to the selection by the mobile device of the at least one of the media contents, to record a selected future performance of the at least one of the media contents, wherein the sender and the media recording server are different entities,

wherein the selected future performance includes a live performance, and wherein said requesting the media server to record the selected future performance includes;

sending, by the mobile device during playing of the live performance, a pause command to the media recording server to instruct the media recording server to perform a time shifting operation in which the media recording server begins recording at a point of the live performance corresponding to the pause command, and then the media recording server plays back the recorded performance at the point corresponding to the pause command in response to a subsequent play command sent from the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media contents are one or more of television programs, movies, video clips, pictures, songs, audio files, and/or portions of a television program, a movie, a video clip, a picture, a song, and/or an audio file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more media contents that are available to record include at least one of a unicast, a broadcast, or a multicast of media contents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes one of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, or a media player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media contents include a series of related discrete contents rendered or presented at different points in time, and the requesting recording of the at least one of the one or more media contents that are available to record includes requesting recording of the related discrete contents of the series at the different points in time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving, facilitating, and requesting are performed in a data mode of the mobile device, and wherein the method further comprises switching the mobile device to either a call mode of the mobile device to facilitate the mobile device to make or receive a phone call, or a messaging mode of the mobile device to facilitate the mobile device to send or receive a message.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device from a sender, a collection of one or more indices listing one or more previously recorded media contents, the one or more previously recorded media contents having been recorded during their performances, in response to one or more requests pre-submitted preceding at least one of the performances;

facilitating, by the mobile device, selection of at least one of the previously recorded media contents listed by the collection of indices; and

requesting by the mobile device, of a media recording server remotely disposed from the mobile device, in response to the selection of the at least one of the previously recorded media contents, to provide the selected at least one of the previously recorded media contents to the mobile device or another display device,

wherein the at least one of the previously recorded media contents includes a recording of a live performance, and wherein the one or more pre-submitted requests includes;

a pause command sent by the mobile device to the media recording server, to instruct the media recording server to perform a time shifting operation in which the media recording server begins recording at a point of the live performance corresponding to the pause command, and then the media recording server plays back the recorded performance at the point corresponding to the pause command in response to a subsequent play command sent from the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more pre-submitted requests were pre-submitted through a computing device separate and distinct from the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising playing the at least one of the previously recorded media contents on the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the previously recorded media contents are one or more of television programs, movies, video clips, pictures, songs, audio files, and/or portions of a television program, a movie, a video clip, a picture, a song, and/or an audio file.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more previously recorded media contents include at least one of a unicast, a broadcast, or a multicast of media contents.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein mobile device includes one of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, or a media player.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said receiving, facilitating, and requesting are performed in a data mode of the mobile device, and wherein the method further comprises switching the mobile device to either a call mode of the mobile device to facilitate the mobile device to make or receive a phone call, or a messaging mode of the mobile device to facilitate the mobile device to send or receive a message.

14. A method, comprising:

providing, by a media recording server, a live stream of a media content to a recipient mobile device remotely disposed from the media recording server, wherein the recipient mobile device is a cellular phone and the live stream of media content is provided to the mobile phone via a cellular network;

receiving, by the media recording server and while said providing the live stream of the media content, a pause request from the recipient mobile device, the pause request specifying a time shifting operation to affect playing of the live stream, the time shifting operation having been requested by the recipient mobile device; and

performing, by the media recording server, the time shifting operation, including recording of at least a portion of the live stream at a point of the live stream corresponding to the pause request, and then the media recording server plays back the recorded stream at the point corresponding to the pause request in response to a subsequent play request sent from the recipient mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the time shifting operation further includes one of a rewind or a fast forward.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the live stream of the media content includes audio.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the live stream of the media content includes video content.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the media recording server has a maximum time threshold to record in response to receiving the pause request.

19. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

logic operated by the processor and configured to;

receive from a sender, a collection of one or more indices listing one or more media contents that are available to record during their performances at one or more future points in time,

facilitate selection of at least one of the media contents listed by the collection of indices, and

request, of a media recording server remotely disposed from the mobile device and in response to the selection of the at least one of the media contents, to record the at least one of the media contents if the at least one of the media contents is performed,

wherein the at least one of the media contents includes a live performance, and wherein said request the media server to record the at least one of the media contents includes;

send, during playing of the live performance, a pause command to the media recording server to instruct the media recording server to perform a time shifting operation in which the media recording server begins recording at a point of the live performance corresponding to the pause command, and then the media recording server plays back the recorded performance at the point corresponding to the pause command in response to a subsequent play command.

20. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the one or more media contents that are available for recording include at least one of a unicast, a broadcast, or a multicast of media contents.

21. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein said receive, facilitate, and request are performed in a data mode of the mobile device, and wherein the logic is further configured to switch the mobile device to either a call mode of the mobile device to facilitate the mobile device to make or receive a phone call, or a messaging mode of the mobile device to facilitate the mobile device to send or receive a message.

22. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

logic operated by the processor and configured to;

receive from a sender, a collection of one or more indices listing one or more previously recorded media contents, the one or more previously recorded media contents having been recorded during their performances, in response to one or more requests pre-submitted from one or more mobile devices prior to performance of the one or more media contents,

facilitate the mobile device in selection of at least one of the previously recorded media contents listed by the collection of indices, and

request, of a media recording server remotely disposed from the mobile device and in response to the selection by the mobile device of the at least one of the previously recorded media contents, to provide the at least one of the previously recorded media contents to the mobile device or another display device,

wherein the at least one of the previously recorded media contents includes a recording of a live performance, and wherein the one or more pre-submitted requests includes;

a pause command, sent by the mobile device to the media recording server, to instruct the media recording server to perform a time shifting operation in which the media recording server begins recording at a point of the live performance corresponding to the pause command, and then the media recording server plays back the recorded performance at the point corresponding to the pause command in response to a subsequent play command sent from the mobile device.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the logic is further configured to play the at least one of the previously recorded media contents on the mobile device.

24. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor; and

logic operated by the processor and adapted to;

receive a live stream of a media content, the live stream provided to the mobile device via a media recording server remotely disposed from the mobile device,

facilitate selection of a time shifting operation to affect playing of the live stream, the time shifting operation requiring recordation of at least a portion of the live stream by the media recording server, and

request, of the media recording server and in response to the selection of the time shifting operation, performance of the time shifting operation, wherein the mobile device is a cellular phone and the live stream is provided to the mobile phone via a cellular network,

wherein the time shifting operation is performed in response to a pause request sent from the mobile device, and wherein said recordation of the at least the portion of the live stream occurs at a point of the live stream corresponding to the pause request, and then the media recording server plays back the recorded stream at the point corresponding to the pause request in response to a subsequent play request sent from the mobile device.

25. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein the time shifting operation further includes a rewind or a fast forward.

26. The mobile device of claim 24, wherein the live stream of the media content includes audio or video.