Systems and methods for recording and playing back programs having desirable recording attributes

• US 8,625,971 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Spiegel, Reed S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/623,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20100135639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 386/291, 386/296, 386/297, 386/235, 386/248, 386/323, 386/324
• US Class Current: 386/291
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• 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 21/4583 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 21/4622 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 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording multiple copies of a program are provided. The method may include receiving a user instruction to record a program. A determination may be made to record multiple copies of the program. In response to the determination, multiple copies of the program may be recorded. A user instruction to display the recorded program may be received. A copy of the program may be played back. The user may switch to another copy of the recorded program if the original copy lacks desirable recording attributes, or the interactive television application may automatically switch to another copy of the program.

Claims

1. A method for recording and playing back copies of a program with an interactive media application, the method comprising:

recording multiple copies of a program at different transmission times, each respective copy of the program having respective recording attributes;

receiving a user request to play back the program;

selecting one of the multiple copies of the program; and

playing back at least a portion of the selected copy of the program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording comprises recording multiple copies of the program in response to a user request to record multiple copies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording comprises automatically recording multiple copies of the program based on a recording priority assigned to the program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of copies to record for the program.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of copies is set in response to a user instruction.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the number of copies is determined based on a recording option set for the program.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises receiving a user selection of a first copy of the program from the multiple copies.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the first copy of the program lacks a desirable recording attribute; and

automatically selecting a second copy of the program, wherein the second copy of the program has at least one recording attribute that is more desirable than a recording attribute of the first copy of the program.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises identifying a copy of the program that has the most desirable recording attributes from the multiple copies.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that all copies of the program lack desirable recording attributes; and

in response to the determining, combining portions from at least two copies of the program to create a new copy that does not lack desirable recording attributes.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting all copies of the program when one of the copies of the program is deleted.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting all of the multiple copies of the program when the selected one of the multiple copies of the program is deleted in response to a user request to delete all of the multiple copies after playing back the portion of the selected copy of the program.

12. A system for recording and playing back copies of a program, the system comprising a recording device and control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to:

record multiple copies of a program at different transmission times, each respective copy of the program having respective recording attributes;

receive a user request to play back the program;

select one of the multiple copies of the program; and

play back at least a portion of the selected copy of the program.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to record the multiple copies of the program in response to a user request to record multiple copies.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to automatically record the multiple copies of the program based on a recording priority assigned to the program.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine a number of copies to record for the program.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the number of copies is set in response to a user instruction.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the number of copies is determined based on a recording option set for the program.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select one of the multiple copies of the program by receiving a user selection of a first copy of the program from the multiple copies.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that the first copy of the program lacks a desirable recording attribute; and

automatically select a second copy of the program, wherein the second copy of the program has at least one recording attribute that is more desirable than a recording attribute of the first copy of the program.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select one of the multiple copies of the program by identifying a copy of the program that has the most desirable recording attributes from the multiple copies.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine that all copies of the program lack desirable recording attributes; and

in response to the determination, combine portions from at least two copies of the program to create a new copy that does not lack desirable recording attributes.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to delete all copies of the program when one of the copies of the program is deleted.

24. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to delete all of the multiple copies of the program when the selected one of the multiple copies of the program is deleted in response to a user request to delete all of the multiple copies after playing back the portion of the selected copy of the program.