Personal video recording with further compression of recorded shows

• US 8,849,099 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Boston, Stephen B., Blaschke, David Earl, Brown, Michael Wayne, Hately, Andrew Douglas, Paolini, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/771,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20070286581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,650 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/328
• 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 21/4335 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 21/440254 by altering signal-to-noise parameters, e.g. requantization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Automated personal video recording on a personal video recorder, including recording shows, each show having an original compression level; further compressing a recorded show to a new compression level, the new compression level being higher than the recorded show'"'"'s original compression level, thereby making available free space; and recording at least part of a new show in free space made available by further compressing the recorded show. Embodiments include recording a show having a compression level and increasing the show'"'"'s compression level while recording.

Claims

1. A method for recording a video file on a personal video recorder, the method comprising:

receiving by the personal video recorder a video stream for the video file, wherein the video file has a duration;

estimating a total amount of storage space projected to be used for storing the video file based on the duration and one or more compression parameters associated with the video file;

recording the video stream to a storage space of the personal video recorder using a codec to encode the video stream into a first portion of the video file, the codec configured to use a first compression level for the encoding;

while recording the video stream to the storage space;

responsive to a period of video file that has been recorded being equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage of the duration of the video file, comparing an amount of the actual storage space used for storing the period of video file that has been recorded with an amount of the storage space projected to be used for storing the period of video file; and

responsive to the amount of the storage space used being greater than the amount of the storage space projected to be used;

configuring the codec to use a second compression level that is greater than the first compression level;

recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream into a second portion of the video file;

re-encoding the first portion of the video file using the codec configured with the second compression level;

concatenating the second portion of the video file to the re-encoded first portion of the video file to form a concatenated video file; and

saving the concatenated video file to the storage space of the personal video recorder.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream further comprises:

closing the video file recorded with the first compression level;

opening a second video; and

encoding the remaining portion of the received video stream into a second video file.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing the second compression level with a highest compression level supported by the personal video recorder; and

configuring the codec to use the highest compression level to re-encode the video stream.

4. A personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) for recording a video file on the PVR, comprising;

means for configuring a computer system to execute steps, comprising;

receiving by the personal video recorder a video stream for the video file, wherein the video file has a duration;

estimating a total amount of storage space projected to be used for storing the video file based on the duration and one or more compression parameters associated with the video file;

recording the video stream to a storage space of the personal video recorder using a codec to encode the video stream into a first portion of the video file, the codec configured to use a first compression level for the encoding;

while recording the video stream to the storage space;

responsive to a period of video file that has been recorded being equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage of the duration of the video file, comparing an amount of the actual storage space used for storing the period of video file that has been recorded with an amount of the storage space projected to be used for storing the period of video file; and

responsive to the amount of the storage space used being greater than the amount of the storage space projected to be used;

configuring the codec to use a second compression level that is greater than the first compression level;

recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream into a second portion of the video file;

re-encoding the first portion of the video file using the codec configured with the second compression level;

concatenating the second portion of the video file to the re-encoded first portion of the video file to form a concatenated video file; and

saving the concatenated video file to the storage space of the personal video recorder.

5. The PVR of claim 4 wherein recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream further comprises:

closing the video file recorded with the first compression level;

opening a second video; and

encoding the remaining portion of the received video stream into a second video file.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding a computer program product for recording a video file on a personal video recorder, the computer program product comprising:

computer program for receiving by the personal video recorder a video stream for the video file, wherein the video file has a duration;

computer program for estimating a total amount of storage space projected to be used for storing the video file based on the duration and one or more compression parameters associated with the video file;

computer program for recording the video stream to a storage space of the personal video recorder using a codec to encode the video stream into a first portion of the video file, the codec configured to use a first compression level for the encoding;

computer program for, while recording the video stream to the storage space, responsive to a period of video file that has been recorded being equal to or greater than a predetermined percentage of the duration of the video file, comparing an amount of the actual storage space used for storing the period of video file that has been recorded with an amount of the storage space projected to be used for storing the period of video file; and

computer program for, responsive to the amount of the storage space used being greater than the amount of the storage space projected to be used;

configuring the codec to use a second compression level that is greater than the first compression level;

recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream into a second portion of the video file;

re-encoding the first portion of the video file using the codec configured with the second compression level;

concatenating the second portion of the video file to the re-encoded first portion of the video file to form a concatenated video file; and

saving the concatenated video file to the storage space of the personal video recorder.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 wherein computer program for recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream further comprises:

computer program for closing the video file recorded with the first compression level;

computer program for opening a second video; and

computer program for encoding the remaining portion of the received video stream into a second video file.

8. A method recording a video file on a personal video recorder, the method comprising:

receiving by the personal video recorder a video stream for the video file, wherein the video file has a duration;

estimating a total amount of storage space projected to be used for storing the video file based on the duration and one or more compression parameters associated with the video file;

recording the video stream to a storage space of the personal video recorder using a codec to encode the video stream into a first portion of the video file, the codec configured to use a first compression level for the encoding;

while recording the video stream to the storage space, determining a percentage of the video file that has been recorded;

responsive to the percentage of video file that has been recorded being equal to or greater than a threshold percentage, comparing an amount of the storage space used for storing the percentage of video file that has been recorded with an estimated amount of the storage space projected to be used for storing the percentage of video file; and

responsive to the amount of the storage space used being greater than the amount of the storage space projected to be used;

configuring the codec to use a second compression level that is greater than the first compression level;

recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream into a second portion of the video file;

re-encoding the first portion of the video file using the codec configured with the second compression level;

concatenating the second portion of the video file to the re-encoded first portion of the video file to form a concatenated video file; and

saving the concatenated video file to the storage space of the personal video recorder.

9. A personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) for recording a video file on the PVR, comprising;

means for configuring a computer system to execute steps, comprising;

receiving by the personal video recorder a video stream for the video file, wherein the video file has a duration;

estimating a total amount of storage space projected to be used for storing the video file based on the duration and one or more compression parameters associated with the video file;

recording the video stream to a storage space of the personal video recorder using a codec to encode the video stream into a first portion of the video file, the codec configured to use a first compression level for the encoding;

while recording the video stream to the storage space, determining a percentage of the video file that has been recorded;

responsive to the percentage of video file that has been recorded being equal to or greater than a threshold percentage, comparing an amount of the storage space used for storing the percentage of video file that has been recorded with an estimated amount of the storage space projected to be used for storing the percentage of video file; and

responsive to the amount of the storage space used being greater than the amount of the storage space projected to be used;

configuring the codec to use a second compression level that is greater than the first compression level;

recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream into a second portion of the video file;

re-encoding the first portion of the video file using the codec configured with the second compression level;

concatenating the second portion of the video file to the re-encoded first portion of the video file to form a concatenated video file; and

saving the concatenated video file to the storage space of the personal video recorder.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding a computer program product for recording a video file on a personal video recorder, the computer program product comprising:

computer program for receiving by the personal video recorder a video stream for the video file, wherein the video file has a duration;

computer program for estimating a total amount of storage space projected to be used for storing the video file based on the duration and one or more compression parameters associated with the video file;

computer program for recording the video stream to a storage space of the personal video recorder using a codec to encode the video stream into a first portion of the video file, the codec configured to use a first compression level for the encoding;

computer program for, while recording the video stream to the storage space, determining a percentage of the video file that has been recorded;

computer program for, responsive to the percentage of video file that has been recorded being equal to or greater than a threshold percentage, comparing an amount of the storage space used for storing the percentage of video file that has been recorded with an amount of the storage space projected to be used for storing the percentage of video file; and

computer program for, responsive to the amount of the storage space used being greater than the amount of the storage space projected to be used;

configuring the codec to use a second compression level that is greater than the first compression level;

recording a remaining portion of received video stream to the storage space using the codec configured with the second compression level to encode the remaining portion of the video stream into a second portion of the video file;

re-encoding the first portion of the video file using the codec configured with the second compression level;

concatenating the second portion of the video file to the re-encoded first portion of the video file to form a concatenated video file; and

saving the concatenated video file to the storage space of the personal video recorder.