Interactive television systems with digital video recording and adjustable reminders

• US 8,806,546 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US13/866,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20130247099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725 93- 95, 386/86
• US Class Current: 725/93
• 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 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4343 Extraction or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

An interactive television system is provided in which an interactive television application is used to support network-based or local personal video recorder capabilities. A user may use this application to view lists of program listings. The user may select a program listing of interest. The interactive television application may allow the user to set a reminder for the selected program at the scheduled broadcast time. This application may also allow the user to set a reminder for the selected program at a later time at which the program is not scheduled to be broadcast. The user may be provided with a reminder at this later time. In response, the user may direct the network-based or local personal video recorder to play back the program or may defer the reminder again. The interactive television application may collect information on program usage and popularity to determine how long to retain certain programming.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user access to stored media, the method comprising:

maintaining a list, in memory, associated with a user that includes pointers to stored media in a network;

receiving a request to store an additional media;

determining, in response to the request, that a previously stored instance of the additional media exists at a location in the network; and

updating, using processing circuitry, the list associated with the user with a new pointer that points to the previously stored instance of the additional media instead of storing a new instance of the additional media.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously stored instance of the additional media is stored in a centrally located storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the centrally located storage device is accessible by a plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list associated with the user is stored in a personal storage area associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising copying the previously stored instance of the additional media to a personal storage area associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating the list associated with the user with another new pointer that points to the copied previously stored instance of the additional media in the personal storage area.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising removing the new pointer that points to the previously stored instance of the additional media.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to store the additional media is initiated when a reminder is set for the additional media.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional media has a scheduled broadcast time, and wherein the request to store the additional media is initiated when a reminder is set for the additional media for a time that is after the scheduled broadcast time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to store additional media is made by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to store the additional media is generated automatically by a system operator in accordance with retention criteria.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously stored instance of the additional media is associated with a retention-period, and wherein the method further comprises removing the previously stored instance of the additional media at the end of the retention-period.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is a first location, the previously stored instance of the additional media is a first previously stored instance of the additional media, and the new pointer is a first new pointer, further comprising determining if a second previously stored instance of the additional media exists at a second location on the network when the previously stored instance of the additional media is removed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the list associated with the user with a second new pointer that points to the second previously stored instance of the additional media of the media at the second location on the network.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising removing the first new pointer that points to the previously stored instance of the additional media.

16. A system of providing a user access to stored media, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

maintain a list associated with a user that includes pointers to stored media in a network;

receive a request to store an additional media;

determine, in response to the request, that a previously stored instance of the additional media exists at a location on the network; and

update the list associated with the user with a new pointer that points to the previously stored instance of the additional media instead of storing a new instance of the additional media.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the previously stored instance of the additional media is stored in a centrally located storage device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the centrally located storage device is accessible by a plurality of users.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the list associated with the user is stored in a personal storage area associated with the user.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to copy the previously stored instance of the additional media to a personal storage area associated with the user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to update the list associated with the user with another new pointer that points to the copied previously stored instance of the additional media in the personal storage area.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to remove the new pointer that points to the previously stored instance of the additional media.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the request to store the additional media is initiated when a reminder is set for the additional media.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the additional media has a scheduled broadcast time, and wherein the request to store the additional media is initiated when a reminder is set for the additional media for a time that is after the scheduled broadcast time.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the request to store the additional media is made by the user.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the request to store the additional media is generated automatically by a system operator in accordance with retention criteria.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the previously stored instance of the additional media is associated with a retention-period, and wherein the processor is further configured to remove the previously stored instance of the additional media at the end of the retention-period.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the location is a first location, the previously stored instance of the additional media is a first previously stored instance of the additional media, and the new pointer is a first new pointer, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine if a second previously stored instance of the additional media exists at a second location on the network when the previously stored instance of the additional media is removed.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to update the list associated with the user with a second new pointer that points to the second previously stored instance of the additional media at the second location on the network.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to remove the first new pointer that points to the first previously stored instance of the additional media.