Systems and methods for reducing cut-offs in program recording

• US 9,307,278 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2010
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Berezowski, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US12/775,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20100215341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital

Abstract

A media recording system may be provided. The recording system may include features for reducing recording cut-off of a particular media event due to changes in the start time and end time of what is scheduled to be recorded. The recording system may provide a user with an opportunity to select a program by for example, selecting a listing, to have that program automatically recorded at a scheduled time for presentation to viewers. Changes in the schedule of programs may be compensated manually or automatically when the recording system receives information about actual or predicted time changes. In a manual mode, a user may adjust start or end times based on time change information that is displayed. For an automatic mode, the recording system may automatically compensate for predicted or actual time changes that are known by automatically adjusting the start and end times of recording.

Claims

1. A method for use in a recording system for reducing cut-offs when programs are recorded, the method comprising:

receiving at the user equipment a user indication to record a program based on a recording setting during nominal start and end times associated with the program;

receiving, at the user equipment, prior to a broadcast of the program, data corresponding to the program;

determining a program type of the program based on the data;

accessing a database that tracks how often programs of a given program type of a plurality of program types are subject to variation, wherein the database comprises entries that indicate whether a given program type is subject to variation based on how often programs of the given program type have been subject to variation in the past;

determining whether the program type is a type associated with programs that are subject to variation by comparing the program type to the entries of the database;

in response to determining that the program type is a type that is associated with programs that are subject to variation, determining, prior to a broadcast of the program, that the nominal start or end times are subject to variation based on the program type of the program;

providing, in response to the determining, a display that inquires the user about whether to modify the recording setting to extend the recording of the program beyond the nominal end time associated with the program; and

recording by the user equipment the program according to the user modified recording setting.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the display includes time delay information.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the display further includes a predicted time change associated with the program.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining is based on a stored log of time changes of previous programs related to the program.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the display includes an option for the user to extend an end time of the recording setting.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the nominal start and end times correspond to a scheduled broadcast time of the program.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the display includes an option for the user to modify a start time of the recording setting.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically selecting a different start time or a different end time for the recording setting.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying an icon in a program listing for the program to indicate availability of time change information for the program.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the display is provided before any part of the program is recorded.

11. A system for use in a recording system for reducing cut-offs when programs are recorded, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

receive a user indication to record a program based on a recording setting during nominal start and end times associated with the program;

receive, at the user equipment, prior to a broadcast of the program, data corresponding to the program;

determine a program type of the program based on the data;

access a database that tracks how often programs of a given program type of a plurality of program types are subject to variation, wherein the database comprises entries that indicate whether a given program type is subject to variation based on how often programs of the given program type have been subject to variation in the past;

determine whether the program type is a type associated with programs that are subject to variation by comparing the program type to the entries of the database;

in response to determining that the program type is a type that is associated with programs that are subject to variation, determine, prior to a broadcast of the program, that the nominal start or end times are subject to variation based on the program type of the program; and

provide, in response to the determining, a display for display on a display screen that inquires the user about whether to modify the recording setting to extend the recording of the program beyond the nominal end time associated with the program; and

a media storage device configured to record the program according to the user modified recording setting.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the display includes time delay information.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the display further includes a predicted time change associated with the program.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the determining is based on a stored log of time changes of previous programs related to the program.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the display includes an option for the user to extend an end time of the recording setting.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the nominal start and end times correspond to a scheduled broadcast time of the program.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the display includes an option for the user to modify a start time of the recording setting.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to automatically select a different start time or a different end time for the recording setting.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to display on the display screen an icon in a program listing for the program to indicate availability of time change information for the program.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the display is provided before any part of the program is recorded.