Client-server based interactive guide with server recording

• US 9,021,538 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L., Lemmons, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/254,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20140229995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 725/54, 725/89, 725 93- 95
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2318 using striping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 : for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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 21/47217 : for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 : Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.

Claims

1. A method for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:

receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program;

processing the record request;

scheduling a recording of the program for storage in a storage device, in the location remote to users, in response to processing the record request;

recording the program to the storage device in a first video format;

receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;

processing the playback request;

converting the recorded program from the first video format to a second video format; and

causing the converted recorded program to be transmitted to the user equipment in response to processing the playback request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs recorded in response to receiving record requests from a user of the user equipment; and

transmitting, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment in response to receiving the access request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

causing an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and

in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmitting the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an information request, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and

in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmitting information about the program to the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the record request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for recording the program; and

recording the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.

8. A system for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:

a server in the location remote to the users comprising;

a storage device;

communications circuitry configured to;

receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program,

receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, and

transmit programs, over the communications, to the user equipment; and

control circuitry configured to;

process the record request,

schedule a recording of the program for storage in the storage device in response to processing the record request,

record the program to the storage device in a first video format,

process the playback request,

convert the recorded program from the first video format to a second video format, and

cause the converted recorded program to be transmitted by the communications circuitry, over the communications path, in response to processing the playback request.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs recorded in response to receiving record requests from a user of the user equipment, and

transmit, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment in response to receiving the access request.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the control circuitry is further configured to;

cause an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and

in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmit the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive an information request using IP, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and

in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmit information about the program to the user equipment.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

transmit media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the record request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for recording the program; and

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to;

record the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.

15. A method for storing programs in a location remote to users comprising:

receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a storage request, generated by a user equipment, to store a program;

processing the storage request;

storing the program to a storage device, in the location remote to the users, in a first video format;

receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;

processing the playback request;

converting the stored program from the first video format to a second video format; and

causing the converted stored program to be transmitted to the user equipment in response to processing the playback request.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs stored in response to receiving storage requests from a user of the user equipment; and

transmitting, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

causing an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and

in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmitting the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving an information request using IP, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and

in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmitting information about the program to the user equipment.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the storage request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for storing the program; and

storing the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.

22. A system for storing programs in a location remote to users comprising:

a server in the location remote to the users comprising;

a storage device;

communications circuitry configured to;

receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a storage request, generated by a user equipment, to store a program,

receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, and

transmit programs, over the communications path, to the user equipment; and

control circuitry configured to;

process the storage request,

store the program to the storage device in a first video format,

process the playback request,

convert the stored program from the first video format to a second video format, and

cause the converted stored program to be transmitted by the communications circuitry in response to processing the playback request.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive, over the communications path using IP, an access request, generated by the user equipment, to access a user directory of program listings for programs stored in response to receiving storage requests from a user of the user equipment, and

transmit, over the communications path, the user directory of program listings to the user equipment in response to receiving the access request.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the control circuitry is further configured to;

cause an overlay, to be displayed over a program that the user of the user equipment is watching, in response to receiving the access request to access the user directory of program listings.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive, over the communications path using IP, a retrieval request, generated by the user equipment to retrieve the program; and

in response to receiving the retrieval request, transmit the program to the user equipment for storage at the user equipment, wherein the transmitted program is stored at the user equipment for subsequent playback in response to a subsequent playback request generated at the user equipment.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive an information request using IP, generated by the user equipment, to access information about the program; and

in response to receiving the information request to access information about the program, transmit information about the program to the user equipment.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

transmit media guidance data associated with the program, over the communications path using IP, to the user equipment, wherein the storage request is based on the transmitted media guidance data associated with the program.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the communications circuitry is further configured to;

receive, over the communications path using IP, an indication from the user equipment of the first video format for storing the program; and

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to;

store the program to the storage device using the indicated first video format.