System and method for networked PVR storage and content capture

• US 8,615,573 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qurio Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quiro Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Walsh, Richard J., Issa, Alfredo C., Stafford, Sid, Evans, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECHTEL, KEVIN M
• Application Number:
  US11/479,553
• Time in Patent Office: 2,734 Days
• Field of Search: 709/233, 709201-211, 709213-219, 709/223, 707769-780, 707964-972
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client

Abstract

A content management system for managing content stored by a number of networked Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) associated with a user community is provided. More specifically, the storage space of each of the personal video recorders is physically or logically partitioned into a personal space and a community space. The content management system manages the community spaces of the PVRs such that content relevant to the user community is stored in the collective community space of the PVRs and available to the user community.

Claims

1. A method of managing a collective community space provided by a plurality of networked Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), wherein each PVR of the plurality of networked PVRs includes a storage space comprising a community space, where the collective community space includes the community space of each PVR, the method comprising, at a server:

receiving a plurality of user interest events from the plurality of networked PVRs;

generating a user interest model based on the plurality of user interest events;

generating a community content model based on information describing media content stored in the collective community space;

receiving notification that one of the plurality of networked PVRs has recorded content, wherein the content was recorded after generation of the user interest model;

obtaining information describing the recorded content;

determining whether to copy the recorded content from the one of the plurality of networked PVRs to the collective community space based on a comparison of the information describing the recorded content to one or both of the user interest model and the community content model, wherein the determination is made in response to the content being recorded on one of the plurality of networked PVRs; and

instructing, based on the determination, the one of the plurality of networked PVRs to copy the recorded content to a community space of one or more additional PVRs of the plurality of networked PVRs, in order to copy the recorded content to the collective community space.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising instructing the one of the plurality of networked PVRs to add the recorded content to the community space of the one of the plurality of networked PVRs.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising effecting distribution of the recorded content to at least one additional one of the plurality of networked PVRs.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising effecting distribution of the recorded content to a community space of at least one playback device other than the plurality of networked PVRs.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying at least one of the plurality of networked PVRs to which the recorded content is to be added; and

effecting copying of the recorded content to the at least one of the plurality of networked PVRs.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying at least one device from the plurality of networked PVRs and a plurality of playback devices to which the recorded content is to be added; and

effecting copying of the recorded content to the at least one device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein for each one of the plurality of networked PVRs, receiving the plurality of user interest events comprises receiving at least one of a group consisting of:

information identifying content scheduled to be recorded by the one of the plurality of networked PVRs;

information identifying content watched by a user of the one of the plurality of networked PVRs but not recorded;

information identifying actions taken by the user while watching particular content; and

information identifying how long the user watches particular content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of user interest events is associated with media content and generating the user interest model comprises generating the user interest model based on information describing the media content associated with each of the plurality of user interest events.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein generating the user interest model further comprises providing additional weight to user interest events associated with a particular user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of user interest events is associated with media content and generating the user interest model comprises:

scoring nodes of a content ontology based on information describing the media content for each of the plurality of user interest events; and

combining the scores of the nodes of the content ontology for the plurality of user interest events to provide the user interest model.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining information describing the recorded content, wherein determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space comprises:

scoring nodes of a content ontology based on the information describing the recorded content;

comparing the scored nodes of the content ontology to the user interest model; and

determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space based on the comparison.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining information describing the recorded content, wherein determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space comprises:

scoring nodes of a content ontology based on the information describing the recorded content;

comparing the scored nodes of the content ontology to the user interest model;

comparing the scored nodes of the content ontology to the community content model; and

determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space based on the comparisons.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the media content stored by the collective community space comprises a plurality of media content units and generating the community content model comprises:

for each media content unit of the plurality of media content units, scoring nodes of a content ontology based on information describing the media content unit; and

combining the scores of the nodes of the content ontology for the plurality of media content units to provide the community content model.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space comprises determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space based on the user interest model and device capabilities of each of the plurality of networked PVRs.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the community content model further comprises providing additional weight to a portion of the media content stored in the community space of one of the plurality of networked PVRs associated with a particular user.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising obtaining information describing the recorded content, wherein determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space comprises:

scoring nodes of a content ontology based on the information describing the recorded content;

comparing the scored nodes of the content ontology to the community content model; and

determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space based on the comparison.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space comprises determining whether to copy the recorded content to the collective community space based on the community content model and device capabilities of each of the plurality of networked PVRs.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage space of each PVR of the plurality of networked PVRs further comprises a personal space separate from the community space, where the recorded content is added to the community space of each PVR.

19. A server for managing a collective community space provided by a plurality of networked Personal Video Recorders (PVRs), wherein each PVR of the plurality of networked PVRs includes a storage space comprising a community space, where the collective community space includes the community space of each PVR, the server comprising:

memory;

a communication interface communicatively coupling the server to the plurality of networked PVRs via a network; and

a control system associated with the memory and the communication interface and configured to;

receive a plurality of user interest events from the plurality of networked PVRs;

generate a user interest model based on the plurality of user interest events;

generate a community content model based on information describing media content stored in the collective community space;

receive notification that one of the plurality of networked PVRs has recorded content, wherein the content was recorded after generation of the user interest model;

obtain information describing the recorded content;

determine whether to copy the recorded content from the one of the plurality of networked PVRs to the collective community space based on a comparison of the information describing the recorded content to one or both of the user interest model and the community content model, wherein the determination is made in response to the content being recorded on one of the plurality of networked PVRs; and

instruct, based on the determination, the one of the plurality of networked PVRs to copy the recorded content to a community space of one or more additional PVRs of the plurality of networked PVRs, in order to copy the recorded content to the collective community space.

20. The server of claim 19 wherein each of the plurality of user interest events is associated with media content and the control system is further configured to generate the user interest model based on information describing the media content associated with each of the plurality of user interest events.

21. The server of claim 19 wherein the media content stored by the collective community space comprises a plurality of media content units and, in order to generate the community content model, the control system is further configured to:

for each media content unit of the plurality of media content units, score nodes of a content ontology based on information describing the media content unit; and

combine the scores of the nodes of the content ontology for the plurality of media content units to provide the community content model.