Real-time DVR polling system

• US 9,271,040 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Okeke, Izunna
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shayanfar, Ali
• Application Number:
  US14/159,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 386/261, 725/97
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• 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 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape

Abstract

Techniques for real-time DVR usage and reporting enable using instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time DVR usage data and to report data reflecting such usage in real-time. An example of DVR usage data comprises data reflecting that a viewer is viewing a video program which is R-rated. Another example of DVR usage data comprises a viewer entering a password, such as a kids zone password, to exit kids zone operational mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a message from a client requesting a recording event for a user device, the client being different than the user device;

responsive to the message, updating, by the server, a database at the server to include one or more database entries that indicate that the user device is to perform the recording event;

sending, by the server, in one or more instant messages to the user device, a request to initiate synchronization of the one or more database entries between the database at the server and a local database at the user device;

wherein the user device is configured to receive program guide data describing listings of programs;

transmitting, by the server, information from the one or more database entries to the user device, the information, when stored in the local database at the user device, instructing the user device to perform the recording event;

wherein the recording event causes the user device to schedule a recording of a data stream comprising a program indicated by the message from the client, the program guide data including a program description for the program;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a digital media recorder.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, from the server, to the user device, the program guide data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a request from the user device to establish a connection over which to perform the synchronization, in response to the user device receiving the one or more instant messages from the server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing, by the server, a connection to the user device, wherein the transmitting is performed over the connection and the server establishes the connection to the user device prior to receiving the message from the client.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server sends the one or more instant messages over an instant message connection to the user device and further comprising:

detecting, by the server, that the instant message connection to the user device has dropped and in response automatically reestablishing the instant message connection.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the server periodically transferring content from the database to the user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more instant messages conform to an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol.

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

receiving, by a server, a message from a client requesting a recording event for a user device, the client being different than the user device;

responsive to the message, updating, by the server, a database at the server to include one or more database entries that indicate that the user device is to perform the recording event;

sending, by the server, in one or more instant messages to the user device, a request to initiate synchronization of the one or more database entries between the database at the server and a local database at the user device;

wherein the user device is configured to receive program guide data describing listings of programs;

transmitting, by the server, information from the one or more database entries to the user device, the information, when stored in the local database at the user device, instructing the user device to perform the recording event;

wherein the recording event causes the user device to schedule a recording of a data stream comprising a program indicated by the message from the client, the program guide data including a program description for the program.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the user device is a digital media recorder.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the steps further comprise:

sending, from the server, to the user device, the program guide data.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the steps further comprise:

receiving, by the server, a request from the user device to establish a connection over which to perform the synchronization, in response to the user device receiving the one or more instant messages from the server.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the steps further comprise:

establishing, by the server, a connection to the user device, wherein the transmitting is performed over the connection and the server establishes the connection to the user device prior to receiving the message from the client.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the server sends the one or more instant messages over an instant message connection to the user device and the steps further comprise:

detecting, by the server, that the instant message connection to the user device has dropped and in response automatically reestablishing the instant message connection.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, the steps further comprising the server periodically transferring content from the database to the user device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more instant messages conform to an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a receiving subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for receiving, by a server, a message from a client requesting a recording event for a user device, the client being different than the user device;

an updating subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for responsive to the message, updating, by the server, a database at the server to include one or more database entries that indicate that the user device is to perform the recording event;

a sending subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for sending, by the server, in one or more instant messages to the user device, a request to initiate synchronization of the one or more database entries between the database at the server and a local database at the user device;

wherein the user device is configured to receive program guide data describing listings of programs;

a transmitting subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for transmitting, by the server, information from the one or more database entries to the user device, the information, when stored in the local database at the user device, instructing the user device to perform the recording event;

wherein the recording event causes the user device to schedule a recording of a data stream comprising a program indicated by the message from the client, the program guide data including a program description for the program.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user device is a digital media recorder.

19. The apparatus of claim 17,

wherein the transmitting subsystem is further configured to send, from the server, to the user device, the program guide data.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a second receiving subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for receiving, by the server, a request from the user device to establish a connection over which to perform the synchronization, in response to the user device receiving the one or more instant messages from the server.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an establishing subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for establishing, by the server, a connection to the user device, wherein the transmitting is performed over the connection and the server establishes the connection to the user device prior to receiving the message from the client.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sending subsystem is configured to send the one or more instant messages over an instant message connection to the user device and further comprising:

a detecting subsystem, implemented at least partially in hardware, for detecting, by the server, that the instant message connection to the user device has dropped and in response automatically reestablishing the instant message connection.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transmitting subsystem is further configured to periodically transfer content from the database to the user device.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the one or more instant messages conform to an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol.