Hybrid tuner control

• US 8,984,554 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Shigeru, Osaki, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, AN SON PHI
• Application Number:
  US12/949,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 725/27, 725/58, 725/78, 725/86, 725/110, 725/131, 725/133, 725/139, 725/141, 725/147, 348/731, 348/732
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42638 involving a hybrid front-end, e.g. analog and digital tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/46 for receiving on more than one standard at will deflecting circuits of multi-standard receivers H04N3/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control

Abstract

A hybrid tuner, comprising multiple individual tuners having differing capabilities of receiving programs or channels of broadcast audio or video content, can be controlled by periodically determining the capabilities of each individual tuner to receive broadcast channels, storing such information into a guide database and then utilizing such information to select appropriate individual tuners to tune in desired programs. If the tuners that can receive a desired program are already in use, the program they are currently receiving can be switched to a different tuner to free up the tuner that can receive the desired program without interrupting the consumption of the program currently being received. When determining the capabilities of an individual tuner to receive a particular channel, one or more tokens associated with such a channel, and utilized to prevent unauthorized access to such a channel, can be obtained from the guide database and provided to the tuner.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for controlling a hybrid tuner comprising a first tuner and a second tuner, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:

periodically and automatically providing, to a first tuner and a second tuner, both part of a hybrid tuner system, one or more tokens comprising cryptographic information directed to tuning in one or more protected channels of broadcast content, the one or more protected channels of broadcast content being transmitted in a protected form such that they can only be tuned in by tuners possessing valid tokens, wherein one of the first tuner and the second tuner can properly tune in at least one channel of the broadcast content that another of the first tuner and the second tuner cannot properly tune in;

periodically and automatically causing the first tuner and the second tuner to attempt to tune in the one or more protected channels of broadcast content utilizing the provided one or more tokens;

storing, in a guide database, on a per-channel basis, a capability of the first tuner and the second tuner to tune in the one or more protected channels of broadcast content, as determined by a most recent periodic check;

receiving an indication of a desired program of broadcast content;

identifying, with reference to the tuning capability stored in the guide database, at least one of the first tuner and the second tuner that is capable of tuning in a channel of broadcast content on which the desired program of broadcast content is being broadcast;

determining that the identified tuner is currently being utilized to tune in a different program from the desired program;

determining whether a tuner different from the identified tuner is capable of tuning in a channel on which the different program is being broadcast; and

in response to the determining that the tuner different from the identified tuner is capable, continuing to receive the different program while simultaneously receiving the desired program by instructing the tuner different from the identified tuner to tune in the different program and instructing the identified tuner to tune in the desired program;

wherein the providing and the causing are performed at predetermined intervals of time and are triggered independently of user utilization of the first and second tuners.

2. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

obtaining the one or more tokens from one or more broadcast signals received by the at least one of the first tuner and the second tuner; and

storing, in the guide database, on the per-channel basis, the one or more tokens.

3. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

notifying a user of a conflict between the desired program and the different program if the tuner different from the identified tuner is not capable of tuning in the channel on which the different program is being broadcast.

4. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

obtaining information regarding the broadcast content from broadcast signals; and

storing the obtained information in the guide database.

5. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

obtaining information regarding the broadcast content through a network interface that is independent of both the first tuner and the second tuner; and

storing the obtained information in the guide database.

6. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic information comprises a cryptographic key with which the one or more protected channels of broadcast content can be decrypted.

7. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the cryptographic information comprises an algorithm with which the one or more protected channels of broadcast content can be descrambled.

8. A method of controlling a hybrid tuner comprising a first tuner and a second tuner, the method comprising the steps of:

periodically and automatically providing, to a first tuner and a second tuner, both part of a hybrid tuner system, one or more tokens comprising cryptographic information directed to tuning in one or more protected channels of broadcast content, the one or more protected channels of broadcast content being transmitted in a protected form such that they can only be tuned in by tuners possessing valid tokens, wherein one of the first tuner and the second tuner can properly tune in at least one channel of the broadcast content that another of the first tuner and the second tuner cannot properly tune in;

periodically and automatically causing the first tuner and the second tuner to attempt to tune in the one or more protected channels of broadcast content utilizing the provided one or more tokens;

modifying a guide database by storing, in the guide database, on a per-channel basis, a tuning capability of the first tuner and the second tuner to tune in the one or more protected channels of broadcast content, as determined by a most recent periodic check;

receiving an indication of a desired program of broadcast content;

identifying, with reference to the tuning capability stored in the guide database, at least one of the first tuner and the second tuner that is capable of tuning in a channel of broadcast content on which the desired program of broadcast content is being broadcast;

determining that the identified tuner is currently being utilized to tune in a different program from the desired program;

determining whether a tuner different from the identified tuner is capable of tuning in a channel on which the different program is being broadcast; and

in response to the determining that the tuner different from the identified tuner is capable, continuing to receive the different program while simultaneously receiving the desired program by instructing the tuner different from the identified tuner to tune in the different program and instructing the identified tuner to tune in the desired program;

wherein the providing and the causing are performed at predetermined intervals of time and are triggered independently of user utilization of the first and second tuners.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining the one or more tokens from one or more broadcast signals received by the at least one of the first tuner and the second tuner; and

storing, in the guide database, on the per-channel basis, the one or more tokens.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

notifying a user of a conflict between the desired program and the different program if the tuner different from the identified tuner is not capable of tuning in the channel on which the different program is being broadcast.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining information regarding the broadcast content from broadcast signals; and

storing the obtained information in the guide database.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining information regarding the broadcast content through a network interface that is independent of both the first tuner and the second tuner; and

storing the obtained information in the guide database.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the cryptographic information comprises a cryptographic key with which the one or more protected channels of broadcast content can be decrypted.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the cryptographic information comprises an algorithm with which the one or more protected channels of broadcast content can be descrambled.

15. A computing device providing broadcast content to a user, the computing device comprising:

a hybrid tuner for receiving the broadcast content, the hybrid tuner comprising;

a first tuner and a second tuner, wherein one of the first tuner and the second tuner can properly tune in at least one channel of the broadcast content that another of the first tuner and the second tuner cannot properly tune in; and

one or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising;

periodically and automatically providing to the first tuner and the second tuner, one or more tokens comprising cryptographic information directed to tuning in one or more protected channels of broadcast content, the one or more protected channels of broadcast content being transmitted in a protected form such that they can only be tuned in by tuners possessing valid tokens;

periodically and automatically causing the first tuner and the second tuner to attempt to tune in the one or more protected channels of broadcast content utilizing the provided one or more tokens;

storing, in a guide database, on a per-channel basis, a tuning capability of the first tuner and the second tuner to tune in the one or more protected channels of broadcast content, as determined by a most recent periodic check;

receiving an indication of a desired program of broadcast content;

identifying, with reference to the tuning capability stored in the guide database, at least one of the first tuner and the second tuner that is capable of tuning in a channel of broadcast content on which the desired program of broadcast content is being broadcast;

determining that the identified tuner is currently being utilized to tune in a different program from the desired program;

determining whether a tuner different from the identified tuner is capable of tuning in a channel on which the different program is being broadcast; and

in response to the determining that the tuner different from the identified tuner is capable, continuing to receive the different program while simultaneously receiving the desired program by instructing the tuner different from the identified tuner to tune in the different program and instructing the identified tuner to tune in the desired program;

wherein the providing and the causing are performed at predetermined intervals of time and are triggered independently of user utilization of the first and second tuners.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more computer-readable media comprise further computer-executable instructions for:

obtaining the one or more tokens from one or more broadcast signals received by the at least one of the first tuner and the second tuner; and

storing, in the guide database, on the per-channel basis, the one or more tokens.

17. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the one or more computer-readable media comprise further computer-executable instructions for:

notifying a user of a conflict between the desired program and the different program if the tuner different from the identified tuner is not capable of tuning in the channel on which the different program is being broadcast.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the first and second tuners have the differing capabilities to tune in the channels of broadcast content because the first tuner is communicationally coupled to a different broadcast content delivery mechanism than the second tuner.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the first and second tuners and both communicationally coupled to a same broadcast content delivery mechanism, and wherein further the first tuner comprises a sub-card providing the first tuner with the different capabilities to tune in the channels of broadcast content from the second tuner.

20. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising a network interface independent of the hybrid tuner;

wherein the one or more computer-readable media comprise further computer-executable instructions for;

obtaining information regarding the broadcast content through the network interface; and

storing the obtained information in the guide database.