Mobile personal video recorder

• US 9,077,955 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wachtfogel, Reuven, Atlow, Shabtai
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn, Mishawn
• Application Number:
  US14/017,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20140003786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 386/200, 386/213, 386/216, 386/219, 386/230, 386/234, 386/239, 386/248, 386/249, 386/262, 386/291, 386/296, 386/326, 386/353, 386358-362, 725/37, 725/38, 725/42, 725/44, 725/46, 725/97, 725/135, 725139-143, 725151-153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/4334 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 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A method of digital television recording including receiving a content item at a first Personal Video Recorder (PVR), determining whether to transfer the content item based, at least in part, on at least one of the following: currentness of the content item, a user preference, and a user profile; and transferring the content item from the first PVR to a mobile PVR only upon a positive result of the determining. Related methods and apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of digital television recording comprising:

receiving a content item at a first Personal Video Recorder (PVR);

determining whether to transfer the content item based on at least one of the following;

groups to which a user is known to belong;

user purchase history;

user recording history; and

broadcaster requirements; and

synchronizing the first PVR to a mobile PVR, the synchronizing comprising;

updating an electronic program guide (EPG);

updating conditional access information; and

transferring the content item from the first PVR to the mobile PVR only upon a positive result of the determining.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on currentness of the content item.

3. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on a user preference.

4. The method according to claim 3 and wherein the user preference comprises a plurality of individual user preferences.

5. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the determining is based, at least in part, on a user profile.

6. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the transferring occurs without user intervention.

7. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the transferring occurs in response to a user initiated request.

8. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the mobile PVR comprises a plurality of individual mobile PVRs.

9. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the mobile PVR comprises a television tuner.

10. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the EPG is updateable in at least one of the following ways:

wirelessly; and

over a cable.

11. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the mobile PVR comprises a wireless remote control communication port, and also comprising:

a remote control device, the wireless remote control communication port being operative to communicate with the remote control device.

12. The method according to claim 11 and wherein the wireless remote control communication port is an infra-red communication port.

13. The method according to claim 1 and wherein the content item comprises an advertisement.

14. The method according to of claim 1 and wherein the first PVR comprises a plurality of individual first PVRs.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to transfer the content item based on at least groups to which the user is known to belong.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the groups to which a user is known to belong are formed based on where the user lives.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the groups to which a user is known to belong are formed based on what age children the user may have.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the groups to which a user is known to belong are formed based on the user'"'"'s income.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the groups to which a user is known to belong are formed based on the user'"'"'s occupation.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to transfer the content item based on at least user purchase history.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to transfer the content item based on at least user recording history.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining whether to transfer the content item based on at least broadcaster requirements.

23. A digital television recording system comprising:

a first Personal Video Recorder (PVR) operative to receive a content item, the first PVR comprising;

a determining unit on the first PVR operative to determine whether to copy the content item based on at least one of the following;

groups to which a user is known to belong;

user purchase history;

user recording history; and

broadcaster requirements;

and

a synchronizer operative to synchronize the first PVR to a mobile PVR, the synchronizing comprising;

updating an electronic program guide (EPG);

updating conditional access information; and

transferring the content item from the first PVR to the mobile PVR only upon a positive result of the determining.

24. A digital television recording system comprising:

a first Personal Video Recorder (PVR) operative to receive a content item, the first PVR comprising;

determining means comprised in the first PVR for determining whether to copy the content item based on at least one of the following;

groups to which a user is known to belong;

user purchase history;

user recording history;

broadcaster requirements; and

synchronizing means synchronizing from the first PVR to a mobile PVR, the synchronizing comprising;

updating an electronic program guide (EPG);

updating conditional access information; and

transferring the content item from the first PVR to the mobile PVR only upon a positive result of the determining.

25. A method of digital television recording comprising:

receiving a content item at a first Personal Video Recorder (PVR);

determining whether to transfer the content item based, at least in part, on at least one of the following;

groups to which a user is known to belong;

user purchase history; and

broadcaster requirements;

and

synchronizing the first PVR to a mobile PVR, the synchronizing comprising;

updating an electronic program guide (EPG);

updating conditional access information; and

transferring the content item from the first PVR to the mobile PVR only upon a positive result of the determining.