System and method for managing storage capacity on a digital video recorder

• US 8,826,351 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Jian, Li, Zhi, Shrikhande, Kapil
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US12/208,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,182 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/100
• 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 21/47214 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 21/64322 IP
• 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

Abstract

An Internet protocol television system includes a server that records content on a set-top box, determines storage capacity utilization, and when utilization is greater than a threshold, prompts to select other content on the storage device to be deleted.

Claims

1. A set-top box, comprising:

a memory having executable instructions; and

a controller coupled to the memory, wherein executing the instructions causes the controller to perform operations comprising;

selecting a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than a storage capacity of a content memory of the set-top box and defined as a first fraction of the storage capacity, and wherein the second threshold is less than the storage capacity of the content memory, greater than the first threshold, and defined as a second fraction of the storage capacity;

receiving a first request to record first content;

initiating a recording of the first content for storage in the content memory;

monitoring a utilization of the storage capacity of the content memory while the first content is being recorded in the content memory without displaying a memory usage prompt until the utilization exceeds the first threshold;

in response to the utilization exceeding the first threshold;

displaying a first prompt, while the first content is being recorded, to select a first option to continue recording the content or a second option to cease recording of the first content;

in response to receiving the second option, ceasing the recording of the first content; and

in response to receiving the first option;

continuing recording the first content;

displaying a second prompt, while the first content is being recorded, to select a third option to delete one of a first plurality of pre-recorded content items stored in the content memory or a fourth option to not delete one of the first plurality of pre-recorded content items;

in response to receiving the third option, receiving a first selection of the first content to delete from the first plurality of pre-recorded content items stored in the content memory, and deleting the first selection from the content memory; and

in response to receiving the fourth option;

 

continuing to record the first content past the first threshold; and

 

monitoring the utilization of the storage capacity of the content memory while the first content is being recorded in the content memory without displaying the memory usage prompt until the utilization exceeds the second threshold and in response to the utilization exceeding the second threshold during the recording of the first content, automatically deleting pre-recorded content in the content memory;

in response to an additional request to record second content when the utilization exceeds the first threshold, displaying a third prompt to select a fifth option to continue recording the second content or a sixth option to discontinue recording of the second content;

in response to receiving the fifth option, presenting a fourth query to select a seventh option to delete content or an eighth option to not delete content;

in response to receiving the sixth option, cancelling the additional request;

responsive to a selection of the seventh option, receiving a second selection of the second content to delete from a second plurality of pre-recorded content items stored in the content memory, and deleting the second selection from the content memory; and

responsive to a selection of the eighth option, recording the second content into the content memory and when the utilization exceeds the second threshold, automatically deleting pre-recorded content in the content memory.

2. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the automatically deleted content is selected as a result of selecting an earliest pre-recorded content item stored in the memory.

3. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the automatically deleted content is selected as a result of selecting a least often viewed pre-recorded content item stored in the memory.

4. A digital video recorder, comprising:

a storage device having executable instructions; and

a controller coupled to the storage device, wherein executing the instructions causes the controller to perform operations comprising;

selecting a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than a storage capacity of a storage device of the digital video recorder and defined as a first fraction of the storage capacity, and wherein the second threshold is less than the storage capacity of the storage device, greater than the first threshold, and defined as a second fraction of the storage capacity;

initiating a recording of content for storage in the storage device of the digital video recorder;

displaying a set of selectable options regarding the content, the selectable options comprising delete settings including a selectable date for automatically deleting the content;

monitoring a utilization of the storage capacity of the storage device of the digital video recorder while the storage device is recording the content without prompting a user until the utilization exceeds the first threshold;

in response to the utilization exceeding the first threshold;

displaying a first query, while the storage device is recording the content, that prompts a selection of one of selecting pre-recorded content in the storage device to delete in order to reduce the utilization to a level below the first threshold or a selection to not delete the pre-recorded content in the storage device, wherein the first query is displayed independently of a size of the content;

in response to receiving the selection of selecting pre-recorded content to delete, selecting first content to delete from a plurality of pre-recorded content items stored in the storage device, and deleting the first content from the storage device; and

in response to receiving a selection to not delete;

deleting no content from the storage device and continuing to record the content;

monitoring the utilization of the storage capacity of the storage device while the first content is being recorded in the storage device without prompting the user until the utilization exceeds a second threshold;

in response to the utilization exceeding the second threshold while recording the content;

selecting second content in the storage device without receiving a signal external to the digital video recorder corresponding to a selection of the second content;

automatically deleting the second content from the storage device;

in response to an additional request to record additional content when the utilization exceeds the first threshold, displaying a second query, the second query including an option to continue recording the additional content or an option to discontinue recording the additional content;

in response to receiving the discontinue recording option, cancelling the additional request;

in response to receiving the option to continue recording, presenting a third query, the third query including a delete content selection or a not delete content selection;

responsive to a selection of the delete content selection, receiving a second selection of the additional content to delete from a second plurality of pre-recorded content items stored in the storage device, and deleting the second selection from the storage device; and

responsive to the not delete selection, recording the additional content into the storage capacity of the storage device and when the utilization exceeds the second threshold, automatically deleting pre-recorded content in the storage capacity of the storage device.

5. The digital video recorder of claim 4, wherein the second content is selected as a result of selecting an earliest pre-recorded content stored in the storage device.

6. The digital video recorder of claim 4, wherein the second content is selected as a result of selecting a least often viewed pre-recorded content stored in the storage device.

7. A method comprising:

initiating a recording of content in a digital video recorder;

selecting a first threshold and a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is less than a storage capacity of a memory space of the digital video recorder and defined as a first fraction of the storage capacity, and wherein the second threshold is less than the storage capacity of the memory space, greater than the first threshold, and defined as a second fraction of the storage capacity;

displaying a set of selectable options regarding the content, the selectable options comprising delete settings including a selectable date for automatically deleting the content;

determining a utilization of storage capacity of the memory space in the digital video recorder while the digital video recorder is recording the content without prompting a user until the utilization exceeds the first threshold;

in response to the utilization exceeding the first threshold;

displaying a query, while the digital video recorder is recording the content, that prompts a selection of one of choosing content in the digital video recorder to delete in order to reduce the utilization to a level below the first threshold or to not delete the content in the digital video recorder, wherein the query is displayed independently of a size of the content; and

in response to receiving a selection of first content to delete from the content stored in the digital video recorder, deleting the first content from the digital video recorder; and

in response to receiving a selection to not delete content from the digital video recorder, continuing recording past the first threshold;

in response to the utilization exceeding the second threshold while recording the content past the first threshold;

selecting second content stored in the digital video recorder without receiving a signal from a source external to the digital video recorder corresponding to a selection of the second content;

automatically deleting the second content from the digital video recorder;

in response to an additional request to record additional content when the utilization exceeds the first threshold, displaying a second query to choose to continue recording the additional content or to discontinue recording the additional content;

in response to receiving the choice to continue recording, presenting a third query to choose to delete content or to not delete content;

in response to receiving the discontinue recording choice, cancelling the additional request;

responsive to the delete content choice, receiving a second selection of the second content to delete from a second plurality of pre-recorded content items stored in the storage capacity of the memory space, and deleting the second selection from the memory space; and

responsive to the choice to not delete, recording the additional content into the storage capacity of the memory space and when the utilization exceeds the second threshold, automatically deleting pre-recorded content in the storage capacity of the memory space.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selection of the second content is based on selection criteria selected at a time the second content is stored in the digital video recorder.

9. The method of claim 8 comprising displaying a query at the time the second content is stored in the digital video recorder that prompts a request for information to generate the selection criteria.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the selection criteria includes selecting an earliest recorded content stored in the digital video recorder.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the selection criteria includes selecting a least often viewed content stored in the digital video recorder.