Method and system for memory PVR functions in a broadcast environment

• US 8,468,570 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Lockridge, Terry Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US10/526,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20060130094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,574 Days
• Field of Search: 725/82, 725/88, 725/89, 725/91, 725/92, 725/93, 725/94, 725/102, 386/86
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/43615 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 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method and system for providing personal video recording functions to a client viewing a broadcast program in a multi-client network. To provide the PVR functions, predetermined storage limits are allocated for each client in a storage device on the network. Each client is permitted to execute the PVR functions if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit. Otherwise, the client is only permitted to view the broadcast program in real time or the stored broadcast program. A client may clear space in the client'"'"'s allocated portion of the storage device by fast-forwarding through stored broadcast programming.

Claims

1. A method of providing a pause function for a broadcast program in a multi-client network, the method comprising:

allocating predetermined storage limits in a storage device for a plurality of clients on the network;

delivering first portions of a broadcast program to a client;

receiving a pause request from the client;

determining if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

pausing the delivery of the broadcast program to the client and delivering second portions of the broadcast program to a storage device responsive to receipt of the pause request and a determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

delivering the stored second portions of the broadcast program from the storage device to the client while delivering third portions of the broadcast program to the storage device responsive to a further determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

receiving a rewind request from the client; and

permitting the client to rewind through the stored second portions of the broadcast program if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit.

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

receiving a play request from the client; and

delivering the stored second portions of the broadcast program to the client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of allocating predetermined storage limits for the plurality of clients includes allocating identical storage limits for the plurality of clients.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of allocating predetermined storage limits for the plurality of clients includes allocating different storage limits for some of the plurality of clients.

5. A system for providing a pause function for a broadcast program in a multi-client network, the system comprising:

a processor;

said processor performing the steps of;

allocating predetermined storage limits in a storage device for a plurality of clients on the network;

delivering first portions of a broadcast program to a client;

receiving a pause request from the client;

determining if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

pausing the delivery of the broadcast program to the client and delivering second portions of the broadcast program to storage responsive to receipt of the pause request and a determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

delivering the stored second portions of the broadcast program from the storage to the client while delivering third portions of the broadcast program to the storage responsive to a further determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

receiving a rewind request from the client; and

permitting the client to rewind through the stored second portions of the broadcast program if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processor further performs the steps of:

receiving a play request from the client; and

delivering the stored second portions of the broadcast program to the client.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor further performs the steps of:

allocating predetermined storage limits for the plurality of clients including allocating identical storage limits for the plurality of clients.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the processor further performs the steps of:

allocating predetermined storage limits for the plurality of clients including allocating different storage limits for some of the plurality of clients.

9. A method of providing a pause function for a broadcast program in a multi-client network, the method comprising:

allocating predetermined storage limits in a storage device for a plurality of clients on the network;

delivering first portions of a broadcast program to a client;

receiving a pause request from the client;

determining if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

pausing the delivery of the broadcast program to the client and delivering second portions of the broadcast program to a storage device responsive to receipt of the pause request and a determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

delivering the stored second portions of the broadcast program from the storage device to the client while delivering third portions of the broadcast program to the storage device responsive to a further determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

receiving a fast forward request from the client;

fast forwarding through the stored second portions of the broadcast programming; and

permitting the client to pause the display of the program until the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit is again reached.

10. A system for providing a pause function for a broadcast program in a multi-client network, the system comprising:

a processor;

said processor performing the steps of

allocating predetermined storage limits in a storage device for a plurality of clients on the network;

delivering first portions of a broadcast program to a client;

receiving a pause request from the client;

determining if the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

pausing the delivery of the broadcast program to the client and delivering second portions of the broadcast program to storage responsive to receipt of the pause request and a determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has not reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

delivering the stored second portions of the broadcast program from the storage to the client while delivering third portions of the broadcast program to the storage responsive to a further determination that the client'"'"'s stored broadcast programming has reached the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit;

receiving a fast forward request from the client;

fast forwarding through the stored second portions of the broadcast programming; and

permitting the client to pause the display of the program until the client'"'"'s predetermined storage limit is again reached.