Data storage management and scheduling system

• US 8,347,337 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M., Beach, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/705,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20100146551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725 44- 46, 386/92, 386/292, 386/294, 386/297, 386/295, 386/296, 386/293
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00246 wherein the key is obtained from a local device, e.g. device key initially stored by the player or by the recorder
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00862 wherein the remote server can grant the permission to use a content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00869 wherein the remote server can deliver the content to a receiving device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1292 Enhancement of the total storage capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1295 wherein the focus is on the read access speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape

Abstract

A data storage management and scheduling system schedules the recording, storing, and deleting of television and Web page program material on a client system storage medium. A schedule of time versus available storage space is generated that is optimal for the viewer'"'"'s scheduled program recordings. The programs include television broadcast programs and Universal Resource Locators (URLs). A program is recorded if at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it. All scheduling conflicts are resolved as early as possible.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling recording, storing, and deleting of television and/or Web page program material on a storage medium in a computer environment, comprising:

generating a schedule of time versus available storage space that is optimal for a viewer'"'"'s explicitly scheduled program recordings using a database of program guide objects, the schedule of time versus available storage space tracks all stored programs and programs that have been scheduled to be recorded in the future, the programs include television broadcast programs and/or Universal Resource Locators (URLs);

generating an ordered list of future showings of a specific program of interest using the database of program guide objects;

checking showing(s) of the specific program of interest in the ordered list for input source or storage space conflicts with programs previously scheduled for recording using the schedule of time versus available storage space until a particular showing of the specific program of interest is found having no input and/or space conflicts for the time the particular showing is available such that a recording of the specific program of interest is made as soon as possible and scheduling the particular showing of the specific program of interest for recording, the checking step making a determination of conflicts for an explicitly selected program immediately upon the viewer making the explicit selection of the specific program of interest to record;

upon the checking step failing to find a particular showing of the specific program of interest having no input and/or space conflicts for the time the particular showing is available, sorting the ordered list of future showings, the ordering of the ordered list of future showings results in the viewer being presented with any conflicting explicit program selections in order from least impact on programs previously scheduled for recording to greatest.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a highest possible priority is assigned to programs that the viewer requests to be captured.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating an input schedule; and

wherein the input schedule tracks free and occupied time slots for each input source.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a total amount of space available at any given moment in time is found by generating a sum of all occupied space or space that will be occupied at that particular time, and subtracting the sum from total capacity available to store programs.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein an input must be available from which to record for the duration of the program.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein only those types of inputs from which the desired program can be recorded are considered during scheduling.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a program is recorded when, at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein for each candidate showing in the list, the viewer is presented with an option of shortening expiration dates for conflicting explicit preferred program selections.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewer is presented with the option to cancel each previously scheduled recording that has an input conflict with the desired program.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when there are schedule conflicts with other programs that the viewer has selected for recording, the viewer is asked which scheduled recordings should be canceled and which should be completed.

11. An apparatus for scheduling recording, storing, and deleting of television and/or Web page program material on a storage medium in a computer environment, comprising:

a subsystem in a multimedia recording device that generates a schedule of time versus available storage space that is optimal for a viewer'"'"'s explicitly scheduled program recordings using a database of program guide objects, the schedule of time versus available storage space tracks all stored programs and programs that have been scheduled to be recorded in the future, the programs include television broadcast programs and/or Universal Resource Locators (URLs);

a subsystem in the multimedia recording device that generates an ordered list of future showings of a specific program of interest using the database of program guide objects;

a subsystem in the multimedia recording device that checks showing(s) of the specific program of interest in the ordered list for input source or storage space conflicts with programs previously scheduled for recording using the schedule of time versus available storage space until a particular showing of the specific program of interest is found having no input and/or space conflicts for the time the particular showing is available such that a recording of the specific program of interest is made as soon as possible and scheduling the particular showing of the specific program of interest for recording, the subsystem that checks showing(s) making a determination of conflicts for an explicitly selected program immediately upon the viewer making the explicit selection of the specific program of interest to record;

upon the subsystem that checks showing(s) failing to find a particular showing of the specific program of interest having no input and/or space conflicts for the time the particular showing is available, a subsystem in the multimedia recording device sorts the ordered list of future showings, the ordering of the ordered list of future showings results in the viewer being presented with any conflicting explicit program selections in order from least impact on programs previously scheduled for recording to greatest.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a highest possible priority is assigned to programs that the viewer requests to be captured.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

an input schedule; and

wherein the input schedule tracks free and occupied time slots for each input source.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a total amount of space available at any given moment in time is found by generating a sum of all occupied space or space that will be occupied at that particular time, and subtracting the sum from total capacity available to store programs.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein an input must be available from which to record for the duration of the program.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein only those types of inputs from which the desired program can be recorded are considered during scheduling.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a program is recorded when, at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein for each candidate showing in the list, the viewer is presented with an option of shortening expiration dates for conflicting explicit preferred program selections.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the viewer is presented with the option to cancel each previously scheduled recording that has an input conflict with the desired program.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein when there are schedule conflicts with other programs that the viewer has selected for recording, the viewer is asked which scheduled recordings should be canceled and which should be completed.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising software instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform:

generating a schedule of time versus available storage space that is optimal for a viewer'"'"'s explicitly scheduled program recordings using a database of program guide objects, the schedule of time versus available storage space tracks all stored programs and programs that have been scheduled to be recorded in the future, the programs include television broadcast programs and/or Universal Resource Locators (URLs);

generating an ordered list of future showings of a specific program of interest using the database of program guide objects;

checking showing(s) of the specific program of interest in the ordered list for input source or storage space conflicts with programs previously scheduled for recording using the schedule of time versus available storage space until a particular showing of the specific program of interest is found having no input and/or space conflicts for the time the particular showing is available such that a recording of the specific program of interest is made as soon as possible and scheduling the particular showing of the specific program of interest for recording, the checking step making a determination of conflicts for an explicitly selected program immediately upon the viewer making the explicit selection of the specific program of interest to record;

upon the checking step failing to find a particular showing of the specific program of interest having no input and/or space conflicts for the time the particular showing is available, sorting the ordered list of future showings, the ordering of the ordered list of future showings results in the viewer being presented with any conflicting explicit program selections in order from least impact on programs previously scheduled for recording to greatest.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein a highest possible priority is assigned to programs that the viewer requests to be captured.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, further comprising:

creating an input schedule; and

wherein the input schedule tracks free and occupied time slots for each input source.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein a total amount of space available at any given moment in time is found by generating a sum of all occupied space or space that will be occupied at that particular time, and subtracting the sum from total capacity available to store programs.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein an input must be available from which to record for the duration of the program.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein only those types of inputs from which the desired program can be recorded are considered during scheduling.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein a program is recorded when, at all times between when the recording would be initiated and when it expires, sufficient space is available to hold it.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein for each candidate showing in the list, the viewer is presented with an option of shortening expiration dates for conflicting explicit preferred program selections.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the viewer is presented with the option to cancel each previously scheduled recording that has an input conflict with the desired program.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein when there are schedule conflicts with other programs that the viewer has selected for recording, the viewer is asked which scheduled recordings should be canceled and which should be completed.