Personal video recording with apportioned loans of storage space

• US 8,867,904 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2002
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Boston, Stephen B., Brown, Michael Wayne, Hately, Andrew Douglas, Paolini, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shibru, Helen
• Application Number:
  US10/180,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20030235395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,501 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/4, 386/35, 386/295, 386/294, 386/299, 386/326, 386/322, 725/51
• US Class Current: 386/295
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Automated personal video recording, including recording, for a group comprising a number of members, a show having a storage space requirement, in which each of the members has allocated storage space on a personal video recorder (“PVR”) optionally including free space, and apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, including apportioning to each member an apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement. When a member'"'"'s apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the member'"'"'s free space by a deficit amount: selecting, in dependence upon the deficit amount, one or more lenders; borrowing, in dependence upon the deficit amount, from the lenders for the group, at least one loan amount of storage space; and apportioning the loan amount among the members.

Claims

1. A method for automated personal video recording, the method comprising:

determining a storage space requirement for storing a show in a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) for a group comprising a number of members, the show having a storage space requirement, wherein each of the members has allocated storage space on the PVR optionally including free space, and wherein the members of the group share a joint ownership of the show;

apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, including apportioning to each member an apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement;

responsive to a member opting out of the apportionment of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement by opting out of the group'"'"'s joint ownership of the show, reapportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement by reapportioning to each remaining member a reapportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement; and

recording the show in the allocated storage space on the PVR.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises apportioning according to the number of members.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises apportioning according to predefined proportions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises apportioning according to members'"'"' preferences.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one member'"'"'s apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the member'"'"'s free space by a deficit amount, the method comprising:

selecting, in dependence upon the deficit amount, one or more lenders;

borrowing, in dependence upon the deficit amount, from the lenders for the group, at least one loan amount of storage space; and

apportioning the loan amount among the members.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein lenders comprise users having free storage space and pools having free storage space.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein apportioning the loan amount comprises apportioning the loan amount according to the number of members.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein apportioning the loan amount comprises apportioning the loan amount according to predefined proportions.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein apportioning the loan amount comprises apportioning the loan amount according to members'"'"' preferences.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a member opting out of an apportionment of a loan amount, reapportioning the loan amount, including reapportioning to each remaining member a reapportioned amount of the loan amount.

11. A system for automated personal video recording, the system comprising:

means for determining a storage space requirement for storing a show in a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) for a group comprising a number of members, the show having a storage space requirement, wherein each of the members has allocated storage space on the PVR optionally including free space, and wherein the members of the group share a joint ownership of the show;

means for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, including means for apportioning to each member an apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement;

means for, responsive to a member opting out of the apportionment of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement by opting out of the group'"'"'s joint ownership of the show, reapportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement by reapportioning to each remaining member a reapportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement; and

means for recording the show in the allocated storage space on the PVR.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein means for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises means for apportioning according to the number of members.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein means for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises means for apportioning according to predefined proportions.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein means for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises means for apportioning according to members'"'"' preferences.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one member'"'"'s apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the member'"'"'s free space by a deficit amount, the system comprising:

means for selecting, in dependence upon the deficit amount, one or more lenders;

means for borrowing, in dependence upon the deficit amount, from the lenders for the group, at least one loan amount of storage space; and

means for apportioning the loan amount among the members.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein lenders comprise users having free storage space and pools having free storage space.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein means for apportioning the loan amount comprises means for apportioning the loan amount according to the number of members.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein means for apportioning the loan amount comprises means for apportioning the loan amount according to predefined proportions.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein means for apportioning the loan amount comprises means for apportioning the loan amount according to members'"'"' preferences.

20. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

means for reapportioning the loan amount, including reapportioning to each remaining member a reapportioned amount of the loan amount responsive to a member opting out of an apportionment of a loan amount.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program product for automated personal video recording, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining a storage space requirement for storing a show in a personal video recorder (“

PVR”

) for a group comprising a number of members, the show having a storage space requirement, wherein each of the members has allocated storage space on the PVR optionally including free space, and wherein the members of the group share a joint ownership of the show;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement, including means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning to each member an apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for reapportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement by reapportioning to each remaining member a reapportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement responsive to a member opting out of the apportionment of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement by opting out of the group'"'"'s joint ownership of the show; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for recording the show in the allocated storage space on the PVR.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning according to the number of members.

23. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning according to predefined proportions.

24. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the show'"'"'s storage space requirement comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning according to members'"'"' preferences.

25. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein at least one member'"'"'s apportioned amount of the show'"'"'s storage space requirement exceeds the member'"'"'s free space by a deficit amount, the computer program product comprising:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting, in dependence upon the deficit amount, one or more lenders;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for borrowing, in dependence upon the deficit amount, from the lenders for the group, at least one loan amount of storage space; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount among the members.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein lenders comprise users having free storage space and pools having free storage space.

27. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount according to the number of members.

28. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount according to predefined proportions.

29. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for apportioning the loan amount according to members'"'"' preferences.

30. The computer program product of claim 21 further comprising:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for reapportioning the loan amount, including reapportioning to each remaining member a reapportioned amount of the loan amount responsive to a member opting out of an apportionment of a loan amount.