Digital video recording system with extended program content recording

• US 8,270,818 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dolph, Blaine H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy T
• Application Number:
  US12/126,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20080260349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for managing extended program content for a digital video recorder (DVR) are disclosed. Embodiments of a method may include determining an amount of extended program content to record in addition to the program to be recorded, where the extended program content is associated with the program to be recorded. The extended content may include either or both of program pre-content or program post-content. The method may also include recording the determined amount of extended program content and the program to be recorded. In a further embodiment, the method may include receiving an indication that the user desires to view extended program content and playing at least part of the extended program content. Determining the amount of extended program content to record may be based on one or more of available storage space, a specified time, a specified file size, user preferences, or other factors.

Claims

1. A method for managing extended digital program content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving by a digital video recorder a list of programs from a content provider, wherein each program from the list of programs is scheduled to broadcast between a defined start time and a defined end time;

receiving by the digital video recorder a request from a user to record a scheduled program from the list of programs;

subsequent to the step of receiving the request, determining by the digital video recorder to record extended program content in addition to the scheduled program;

responsive to the step of determining to record the extended program content, determining by the digital video recorder a duration of the extended program content based on a type of the scheduled program, the defined start time of the scheduled program, the defined end time of the scheduled program, and content provider preferences;

recording by the digital video recorder the scheduled program; and

recording by the digital video recorder the extended program content for the determined duration of the extended program content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying by the digital video recorder an indication that the extended program content is available;

receiving by the digital video recorder an indication that the user desires to view the extended program content; and

playing by the digital video recorder at least part of the extended program content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the duration of the extended program content comprises determining the duration of the extended program content further based on available storage space, a specified file size, user preferences, and digital video recorder provider preferences.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended program content consists of content broadcast between a specified time prior to the defined start time and the defined start time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended program content consists of content broadcast between the defined end time and a specified time subsequent to the defined end time.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

receiving by the digital video recorder a request to play the scheduled program;

wherein the step of displaying by the digital video recorder the indication that the extended program content is available is performed in response to the step of receiving the request to play the scheduled program; and

wherein the indication indicates that content, broadcast between a specified time prior to the defined start time of the scheduled program and the defined start time, is available.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

playing by the digital video recorder the recorded scheduled program;

wherein the step of displaying by the digital video recorder the indication that the extended program content is available is performed in response to the step of playing the recorded scheduled program; and

wherein the indication indicates that content, broadcast between the defined end time of the scheduled program and a specified time subsequent to the defined end time, is available.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, by the digital video recorder, an indication that the extended program content is available; and

subsequent to the displaying, deleting by the digital video recorder the extended program content responsive to a user choosing not to view the extended program content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying, by the digital video recorder, an indication that the extended program content is available; and

subsequent to the displaying, archiving by the digital video recorder the extended program content responsive to a user choosing not to view the extended program content.

10. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon, the instructions for execution by at least one processor of a digital video recorder to implement a method, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving by the digital video recorder a list of programs from a content provider, wherein each program from the list of programs is scheduled to broadcast between a defined start time and a defined end time;

receiving by the digital video recorder a request from a user to record a scheduled program from the list of programs;

subsequent to the step of receiving the request, determining by the digital video recorder to record extended program content in addition to the scheduled program;

responsive to the step of determining to record the extended program content, determining by the digital video recorder a duration of the extended program content based on a type of the scheduled program, the defined start time of the scheduled program, the defined end time of the scheduled program, and content provider preferences;

recording by the digital video recorder the scheduled program; and

recording by the digital video recorder the extended program content for the determined duration of the extended program content.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

displaying, by the digital video recorder, an indication that the extended program content is available;

receiving, by the digital video recorder, an indication that the user desires to view the extended program content; and

playing, by the digital video recorder, at least part of the extended program content.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the step of determining the duration of the extended program content comprises determining the duration of the extended program content further based on available storage space, a specified file size, user preferences, and digital video recorder provider preferences.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the extended program content consists of content broadcast between a specified time prior to the defined start time and the defined start time.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the extended program content consists of content broadcast between the defined end time and a specified time subsequent to the defined end time.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

playing by the digital video recorder the recorded scheduled program;

wherein the step of displaying by the digital video recorder the indication that the extended program content is available is performed in response to the step of playing the recorded scheduled program; and

wherein the indication indicates that content, broadcast between the defined end time of the scheduled program and a specified time subsequent to the defined end time, is available.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

playing by the digital video recorder the recorded scheduled program;

wherein the step of displaying by the digital video recorder the indication that the extended program content is available is performed in response to the step of playing the recorded scheduled program; and

wherein the indication indicates that content, broadcast between the defined end time of the scheduled program and a specified time subsequent to the defined end time, is available.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, by the digital video recorder, an indication that the extended program content is available; and

subsequent to the displaying, deleting by the digital video recorder the extended program content responsive to a user choosing not to view the extended program content.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, by the digital video recorder, an indication that the extended program content is available; and

subsequent to the displaying, archiving by the digital video recorder the extended program content responsive to a user choosing not to view the extended program content.

19. A digital video recording system, the system comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable memories;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive inputs from a user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to provide a list of programs to the user, wherein each program from the list of programs is scheduled to broadcast between a defined start time and a defined end time;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive a request to record a particular program from the user;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to record the particular program in response to receiving the request to record the particular program from the user; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine to record extended program content associated with the particular program, responsive to the request to record the particular program;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to determine a duration of the extended program content based on a type of the particular program, the defined start time of the particular program, the defined end time of the particular program, and content service provider preferences; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to record the extended program content for the determined duration of the extended program content.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions to determine the duration of the extended program content further determine the duration of the extended program content based on available storage space, a specified file size, user preferences, and digital video recorder provider preferences.