Method to enable cooperative processing and resource sharing between set-top boxes, personal computers, and local devices

• US 8,276,179 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, James H., Swix, Scott Russell, Watson, P. Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Chenea
• Application Number:
  US12/241,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A system and method for resource sharing are provided. The method includes storing an electronic programming guide (EPG) application and an EPG, determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the EPG, and communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the other device to download the additional time of the EPG to storage in the other device. The method also includes processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the other device, querying the other device to determine what programming is being viewed, and processing controls included in the EPG application that enable access to the storage of the other device to interact with the EPG stored on the other device through the local video device to schedule a programming event at the local video device.

Claims

1. A local video device, comprising:

a local memory;

a communications element for communicating with the local memory, the local memory storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide,

a processing element for determining when the local memory lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide,

upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide, the processing element causing the communications element to communicate with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device;

the processing element processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the another device;

the processing element querying the another device to determine what programming is being viewed; and

the processing element processing controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the processing element to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local memory;

wherein the processing element communicates with a remote personal computer to establish password protection of permissible channels to be received and the communication element communicates with the remote personal computer to generate messages to a recipient through the remote personal computer, the messages including video content from the local memory.

2. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element determines that a resource is needed to perform a task.

3. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element querying the another device to determine whether a shared resource associated with the another device is available to a second video device, in response to receiving a resource request from the second video device.

4. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element collects a viewing history associated with the another device and processes an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded.

5. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the local memory stores a predetermined amount of recently viewed video content on a revolving basis, and the processing element causes the communications element to communicate with the remote personal computer to send a segment of stored video content to the recipient at a remote location.

6. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element deletes content from the local memory due to lack of activity.

7. The local video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element performs a security check that prevents access and copying of pay-per-view video.

8. A method of resource sharing, comprising:

storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide;

determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide;

upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide, communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device;

processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the another device;

querying the another device to determine what programming is being viewed;

processing controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the local video device to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local video device;

communicating with a remote personal computer to establish password protection of permissible channels to be received; and

communicating with the remote personal computer to generate messages to a recipient through the remote personal computer, the messages including video content from the local memory.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

when a shared resource is not available, then querying a second device to determine whether a shared resource is available from the second device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising collecting a viewing history associated with the another device and processing an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing a predetermined amount of recently viewed video content on a revolving basis, and communicating with the remote personal computer to send a segment of stored video content to the recipient at a remote location.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising deleting content from the local memory due to lack of activity.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising performing a security check that prevents access and copying of pay-per-view video.

14. A system, comprising:

a storage element for storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide;

a processing element for determining when local memory on a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide;

upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide, a communications element communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device;

the processing element processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the another device;

the processing element querying the another device to determine what programming is being viewed; and

the processing element processing controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the local video device to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local video device;

wherein the processing element communicates with a remote personal computer to establish password protection of permissible channels to be received and the communication element communicates with the remote personal computer to generate messages to a recipient through the remote personal computer, the messages including video content from the local memory.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing element collects a viewing history associated with the another device and processes an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the storage element stores a predetermined amount of recently viewed video content on a revolving basis and the processing element communicates with the remote personal computer to send a segment of stored video content to the recipient at a remote location.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing element deletes content from the local memory due to lack of activity.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing element performs a security check that prevents access and copying of pay-per-view video.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is encoded instructions for performing:

storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide;

determining when local memory on a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide;

upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide. communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device;

processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the another device;

querying the another device to determine what programming is being viewed;

processing controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the local video device to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local video device;

communicating with a remote personal computer to establish password protection of permissible channels to be received; and

communicating with the remote personal computer to generate messages to a recipient through the remote personal computer, the messages including video content from the local memory.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions for collecting a viewing history associated with the another device and to process an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded.