Server-based program recording scheduling

• US 9,179,115 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US13/915,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20130272682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4335 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 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A DVR sends, over the Internet, to a server, information that indicates a set of programs. The information also may indicate a ranking of the programs in the set relative to each other. In response to receiving the information from the DVR, the server determines a “to do” list of programs that the DVR should record as those programs are broadcasted in the future. The “to do” list indicates recording times and channels for each program. The server sends the “to do” list back to the DVR over the Internet. The DVR receives the “to do” list over the Internet and stores the “to do” list. As the programs on the “to do” list are broadcasted, the DVR automatically records those programs at the list-specified times and on the list-specified channels. The DVR stores those programs on the DVR'"'"'s hard disk drive for later viewing by the DVR user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending, by a media recorder, over a network to a server, a list that identifies two or more programs that have been requested to be recorded;

receiving, over the network, from the server, an updated program recording schedule that the server generated based on a server generated program recording schedule for the list merged with an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder maintained by the server;

replacing, by the media recorder, an existing program recording schedule with the received updated program recording schedule; and

automatically recording programs identified in the received updated program recording schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording step automatically records programs identified in the recording schedule by recording programs that occur at dates and times specified in the recording schedule on channels specified in the recording schedule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording step automatically records programs identified in the recording schedule by recording programs specified in the recording schedule from sources specified in the recording schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list indicates a relative ranking of the two or more programs.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional user input that indicates a change to the list; and

sending, by the media recorder, over the network to the server, information that indicates the change to the list.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

sending, by a media recorder, over a network to a server, a list that identifies two or more programs that have been requested to be recorded;

receiving, over the network, from the server, an updated program recording schedule that the server generated based on a server generated program recording schedule for the list merged with an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder maintained by the server;

replacing, by the media recorder, an existing program recording schedule with the received updated program recording schedule; and

automatically recording programs identified in the received updated program recording schedule.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the recording step automatically records programs identified in the recording schedule by recording programs that occur at dates and times specified in the recording schedule on channels specified in the recording schedule.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the recording step automatically records programs identified in the recording schedule by recording programs specified in the recording schedule from sources specified in the recording schedule.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the list indicates a relative ranking of the two or more programs.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving additional user input that indicates a change to the list; and

sending, by the media recorder, over the network to the server, information that indicates the change to the list.

11. A media recorder that is configured to:

send, over a network, to a server, a list that identifies two or more programs that have been requested to be recorded;

receive, over the network, from the server, an updated program recording schedule that the server generated based on a server generated program recording schedule for the list merged with an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder maintained by the server;

replace an existing program recording schedule with the received updated program recording schedule; and

automatically record programs identified in the received updated program recording schedule.

12. The media recorder of claim 11, wherein the media recorder is configured to automatically record programs identified in the recording schedule by recording programs that occur at dates and times specified in the recording schedule on channels specified in the recording schedule.

13. The media recorder of claim 11, wherein the media recorder is configured to automatically record programs identified in the recording schedule by recording programs specified in the recording schedule from sources specified in the recording schedule.

14. The media recorder of claim 11, wherein the list indicates a relative ranking of the two or more programs.

15. The media recorder of claim 11, wherein the media recorder is further configured to:

receive additional user input that indicates a change to the list; and

send, to the server, over the network, information that indicates the change to the list.