Shared DVR programming via a web page

• US 8,818,179 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/270,493
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/47214 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Techniques for shared DVR programming via a web page enable using a DVR widget in a web page and DVR environment on a network to view DVR content from a publisher'"'"'s DVR usage data and based on the viewed DVR content from the publisher'"'"'s DVR, record or schedule to record particular content on the viewer'"'"'s DVR.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a device, a selected metadata item selected from a list of one or more selectable metadata items on a first user'"'"'s web page from a social network web site displayed on the device, the web page comprising code that executes a web widget, execution of the web widget by the device causing display of the list of one or more selectable metadata items, each of the one or more selectable metadata items are associated with one or more content stored or scheduled to be recorded in a first DVR; and

responsive to receiving, from the device, an indication that the metadata item was selected from the one or more selectable metadata items, automatically sending in real-time across a network a message causing a second DVR to record or schedule to record a content associated with the selected metadata item;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the message is an instant message and is sent using instant message communication protocol.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

prior to execution of the web widget causing the display of the one or more selectable metadata items, authenticating a second user and authorizing the second user for access to the displayed one or more selectable metadata items.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to sending the message, receiving first data that are associated with a second user and second data that are associated with the second DVR, wherein the first data and the second data are used for obtaining access to the second DVR and wherein the first data and the second data are reflected in the message.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein sending the message causing a second DVR to record or schedule to record the content further comprises the step of:

sending the message to a server coupled to a storage device that stores database tables that are associated with the second DVR;

wherein the message comprises data that cause the database tables that are associated with the second DVR to be updated to reflect that the content is to be recorded or is scheduled to record and that cause synchronization between the updated database tables and the second DVR.

6. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising:

causing data corresponding to authenticating the second user and authorizing the second user to be stored in a cookie.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein causing the second DVR to record further comprises copying the content and metadata that is associated with the content from the first DVR directly to the second DVR.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein causing the second DVR to record further comprises copying the content and metadata that is associated with the content from the first DVR to the second DVR through an intermediate storage device.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a web page receiving subsystem that receives from, a device, a selected metadata item selected from a list of one or more selectable metadata items on a first user'"'"'s web page from a social network web site displayed on the device, the web page comprising code that executes a web widget, execution of the web widget by the device causing display of the list of one or more selectable metadata items, each of the one or more selectable metadata items are associated with one or more content stored or scheduled to be recorded in a first DVR; and

a sending processor that responsive to receiving, from the device, an indication that the metadata item was selected from the one or more selectable metadata items, automatically sends in real-time across a network a message causing a second DVR to record or schedule to record a content associated with the selected metadata item.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the message is an instant message and is sent using instant message communication protocol.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

an authenticating and authorizing subsystem for authenticating a second user and authorizing the second user for access to the displayed one or more selectable metadata items, prior to execution of the web widget causing the display of one or more selectable metadata items.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein prior to sending the message, first data that are associated with a second user and second data that are associated with the second DVR, wherein the first data and the second data are used for obtaining access to the second DVR and wherein the first data and the second data are reflected in the message.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the sending subsystem is configured to send the message to a server coupled to a storage device that stores database tables that are associated with the second DVR, and wherein the message comprises data that cause the database tables that are associated with the second DVR to be updated to reflect that the content is to be recorded or is scheduled to record and that cause synchronization between the updated database tables and the second DVR.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the authenticating and authorizing subsystem causes data corresponding to authenticating the second user and authorizing the second user to be stored in a cookie.

15. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the message comprising data that cause the second DVR to record or schedule to record the content item further comprises data that cause the content and metadata that is associated with the content to be copied from the first DVR directly to the second DVR.

16. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the message comprising data that cause the second DVR to record or schedule to record the content item further comprises data that cause the content and metadata that is associated with the content to be copied from the first DVR to the second DVR through an intermediate storage device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving, from a device, a selected metadata item selected from a list of one or more selectable metadata items on a first user'"'"'s web page from a social network web site displayed on the device, the web page comprising code that executes a web widget, execution of the web widget by the device causing display of the list of one or more selectable metadata items, each of the one or more selectable metadata items are associated with one or more content stored or scheduled to be recorded in a first DVR; and

responsive to receiving, from the device, an indication that the metadata item was selected from the one or more selectable metadata items, automatically sending in real-time across a network a message causing a second DVR to record or schedule to record a content associated with the selected metadata item.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the message is an instant message and is sent using instant message communication protocol.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, further comprising instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

prior to execution of the web widget causing the display of the one or more selectable metadata items, authenticating a second user and authorizing the second user for access to the displayed one or more selectable metadata items, prior to execution of the web widget causing the display of one or more selectable metadata items.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein prior to sending the message, receiving first data that are associated with a second user and second data that are associated with the second DVR, wherein the first data and the second data are used for obtaining access to the second DVR and wherein the first data and the second data are reflected in the message.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions for sending the message further comprise instructions, which when executed cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

sending the message to a server coupled to a storage device that stores database tables that are associated with the second DVR;

wherein the message comprises data that cause the database tables that are associated with the second DVR to be updated to reflect that the content is to be recorded or is to be scheduled to record and that cause synchronization between the updated database tables and the second DVR.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, further comprising instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of:

causing data corresponding to authenticating the second user and authorizing the second user to be stored in a cookie.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein instructions causing the second DVR to record further comprises instructions, which when executed cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of copying the content and metadata that is associated with the content from the first DVR directly to the second DVR.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, wherein instructions causing the second DVR to record further comprises instructions, which when executed cause the one or more processors to carry out the step of copying the content and metadata that is associated with the content from the first DVR to the second DVR through an intermediate storage device.