Detecting and processing corrupted video recordings

• US 8,995,817 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bhogal, Kulvir S., Boss, Gregory J., Hamilton, Rick A. II, O'Connell, Brian M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEKLE, DANIEL T
• Application Number:
  US13/495,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20120251074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/06 for recorders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include a method that comprises receiving a request to record television content on a specified channel for a specified period of time. The method can also include tuning to the specified channel at the specified time, and recording the specified content. The method can also include determining that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted. The method can also include presenting a notification indicating that some of the television content is corrupted, retuning to the specified channel made by the request, and acquiring uncorrupted television content for use in replacing the one or more segments of corrupted television content.

Claims

1. A method of recording content by a digital video recorder (DVR), the method comprising:

the DVR receiving a request to record television content on a specified channel at a specified time;

the DVR tuning to the specified channel at the specified time;

the DVR recording some of the television content;

the DVR determining that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted;

the DVR presenting a notification indicating that some of the television content is corrupted;

in response to the DVR determining that the one or more segments of the television content is corrupted, the DVR automatically retuning to the specified channel; and

responsive to the retuning, the DVR recording, from the retuned specified channel, more of the television content to acquire uncorrupted content from a rebroadcast of the television content for use in replacing the one or more segments of corrupted television content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the DVR retuning to the specified channel includes transmitting a signal including a key sequence and the specified channel to another device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the DVR receiving a request to record television content on a specified channel at a specified time includes the DVR receiving a user selection of the television content from a menu of television content available for recording.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the DVR determining that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted includes the DVR analyzing the television content using one or more analysis methods selected from the group consisting of reduced signal strength analysis, stagnant pixel analysis, silent and white noise detection analysis, mismatch checksum analysis, user demarcation analysis, and digital block detection analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes one or more indicia selected from the group consisting of a pop-up window, an icon in a program guide screen, an icon in a recorded content screen, and an indicator on a digital video recorder.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the DVR determining that the television content will be rebroadcast, and wherein the DVR retuning is performed responsive to determining that the television content will be rebroadcast.

7. A media content delivery system comprising:

a DVR unit configured to record a first content, to detect corruption in the first content, and, in response to detecting the corruption in the first content, to automatically transmit wireless signals specifying a key sequence and a channel to cause a satellite dish to retune to the specified channel; and

a satellite dish configured to receive the wireless signals from the DVR unit and, in response to receiving the wireless signals, to retune to the specified channel according to the key sequence and the channel, the satellite dish also configured to receive and provide to the DVR unit, a second content to replace a corrupted portion of the first content from a rebroadcast of the first content contained in the second content.

8. The media content delivery system of claim 7, wherein the DVR unit is configured to detect the corruption in the first content by one or more analysis methods selected from the group consisting of reduced signal strength analysis, stagnant pixel analysis, silent and white noise detection analysis, mismatch checksum analysis, user demarcation analysis, and digital block detection analysis.

9. The media content delivery system of claim 7, wherein the DVR unit is unit configured to present notifications about the corruption in the first content.

10. The media content delivery system of claim 9, wherein the notifications include one or more selected from the group consisting of a pop-up screen indicating that the first content is corrupted, an icon in a recorded content interface, an indicator on the DVR unit, and a message describing the corruption and time.

11. The media content delivery system of claim 7, wherein the DVR unit is configured to create metadata to indicate when to present the second content.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a bus;

a machine-readable tangible storage device connected to the bus;

machine-readable program instructions, stored on the machine-readable tangible storage device, to receive a request to record television content on a specified channel for a specified period of time;

machine-readable program instructions, stored on the machine-readable tangible storage device, to determine that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted;

machine-readable program instructions, stored on the machine-readable tangible storage device, to present a notification that the one or more segments of the television content is corrupted, wherein the machine-readable program instructions to present the notification present indicia indicating that the one or more segments of the television content is corrupted; and

machine-readable program instructions, stored on the machine-readable tangible storage device, to, in response to a determination that the one or more segments of the television content is corrupted, automatically retune to the specified channel;

machine-readable program instructions, stored on the machine-readable tangible storage device, to, responsive to retuning to the specified channel, record, from the retuned specified channel, more of the television content to acquire uncorrupted content from a rebroadcast of the television content for use in replacing the one or more segments of corrupted television content.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable program instructions to determine that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted analyze the television content using one or more analysis methods selected from the group consisting of reduced signal strength analysis, stagnant pixel analysis, silent and white noise detection analysis, mismatch checksum analysis, user demarcation analysis, and digital block detection analysis.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising machine-readable program instructions, stored on the machine-readable tangible storage device, to present indicia that include one of more selected from the group consisting of a pop-up window, an icon in a program guide screen, an icon in a recorded content screen, and an indicator on a digital video recorder.

15. A machine-readable hardware storage device having machine-readable program instructions stored thereon, said machine-readable program instructions being configured to be executed by a digital video recorder (DVR) to implement a method of recording video content by the DVR, the method comprising:

the DVR receiving a request to record television content on a specified channel at a specified time;

the DVR tuning to the specified channel at the specified time;

the DVR recording some of the television content;

the DVR determining that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted;

the DVR presenting a notification indicating that some of the television content is corrupted;

in response to the DVR determining that the one or more segments of the television content is corrupted, the DVR automatically retuning to the specified channel, the retuning including transmitting a signal indicating the specified channel and a key sequence; and

responsive to the retuning, the DVR recording, from the retuned specified channel, more of the television content to acquire uncorrupted content from a rebroadcast of the television content for use in replacing the one or more segments of corrupted television content.

16. The machine-readable hardware storage device of claim 15, wherein the DVR receiving a request to record television content on a specified channel at a specified time includes the DVR receiving a user selection of the television content from a menu of television content available for recording.

17. The machine-readable hardware tangible storage device of claim 15, wherein the DVR determining that one or more segments of the television content is corrupted includes the DVR analyzing the content using one or more analysis methods selected from the group consisting of reduced signal strength analysis, stagnant pixel analysis, silent and white noise detection analysis, mismatch checksum analysis, user demarcation analysis, and digital block detection analysis.