System and method for time-shifted program viewing

• US 9,350,934 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Lang, Richard A., Walters, Eric H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/788,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 386/328, 386/291, 386/326, 386/329, 386/332, 386/335, 386/356
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42224 Touch pad or touch panel provided on the remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/47217 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 21/6587 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 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A system and method for time-shifted viewing of broadcast television programs is disclosed. Simultaneous recording and playback are provided by using buffer storage as the source and destination of compressed or uncompressed digital video/audio programs. Full VCR-like control is provided for all playback within the buffer storage. Playback and control of recorded programs may be initiated by the user at any time after initiation of the broadcast program with simultaneous continuous recording of the ongoing live broadcast. Larger archival storage and removable is also provided for storing and building a library of programs. Viewer playback control data may be stored as part of the program or used as edit points prior to archival. Numerous options are provided for features such as continuous automatic recording in a circular buffer fashion, program archival, editing, Internet interfaces, multiple-channel recording and more.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a recording device, video content from at least two video sources;

capturing, at the recording device, video content received from each of the two video sources, the capturing including;

writing a first compressed video stream to one or more storage devices, the first compressed video stream comprising first video content received from a first video source, the first compressed video stream having a first data rate;

writing a second compressed data stream to the one or more storage devices, the second compressed video stream comprising second video content received from a second video source, the second compressed video stream having a second data rate that is different from the first data rate;

based on the first data rate, the recording device responding to a first playback command by playing back at least a first portion of the first compressed video stream, the playing back of the first portion comprising reading, by the recording device, the first portion from the one or more storage devices at a first time subsequent to capturing the first portion;

based on the second data rate, the recording device responding to a second playback command by playing back at least a second portion of the second compressed video stream, the playing back of the second portion comprising reading, by the recording device, the second portion from the one or more storage devices at a second time subsequent to capturing of the second portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first video source is an Internet-based source received via a network connection of the recording device and the second video source is one of a broadcast source, cable source, or satellite source received by a tuner of the recording device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising capturing the first compressed video stream concurrently with capturing the second compressed video stream.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing back the first portion concurrently with playing back the second portion.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device identifying the first data rate and/or the second data rate for compressing the video content based at least partially on a sustained data rate for writing to the one or more data storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device identifying values for one or more configuration parameters for compressing the video content, the configuration parameters including one or more of:

a video quality parameter, a compression method parameter, and/or a video resolution parameter;

wherein the first data rate and/or the second data rate is a function of the one or more configuration parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device adjusting a compression configuration parameter for the compressing, thereby affecting the first data rate or the second data rate, based on a command received in the first video content or the second video content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device adjusting a compression configuration parameter for the compressing, thereby affecting the first data rate or the second data rate, based on a command from a user operating the recording device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein playing back the second portion occurs while the recording device is still capturing the second compressed video stream.

10. A system comprising:

inputs configured to receive video content from at least two video sources;

a capture subsystem configured to capture video content received from each of the two video sources by writing compressed video streams to one or more storage devices, the compressed video streams including at least a first compressed video stream compressed at a first data rate and a second compressed video stream compressed at a second data rate that is different than the first data rate;

the one or more storage devices, configured to archive the captured video content;

a playback control module configured to respond to playback commands by reading portions of compressed video streams from the one or more storage devices at times subsequent to the capture subsystem capturing the respective portions and, based on corresponding data rates of the respective portions, playing back the respective portions.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the inputs include:

a network interface configured to receive first video content from an Internet-based source of the two video sources; and

a tuner configured to receive second video content from a second video source of the two video sources, the second video source being one of a broadcast source, cable source, or satellite source.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the capture subsystem is configured to capture the first compressed video stream concurrently with capturing the second compressed video stream.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the playback control module is configured to play back a first portion of the first compressed video stream concurrently with playing back a second portion of the second compressed video stream.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the capture subsystem is configured to compress the video content, and the system further comprises a configuration subsystem configured to identify data rates for compressing the video content based at least partially on a sustained data rate for writing to the one or more data storage device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the capture subsystem is configured to compress the video content, and the system further comprises a configuration subsystem configured to identify values for one or more configuration parameters for compressing the video content, the configuration parameters including one or more of:

a video quality parameter, a compression method parameter, and/or a video resolution parameter;

wherein the first data rate and/or the second data rate is a function of the one or more configuration parameters.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the capture subsystem is configured to compress the video content, and the system further comprises a configuration subsystem configured to adjust a compression configuration parameter for the compressing, thereby affecting the first data rate or the second data rate, based on a command received in the first video content or the second video content.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the capture subsystem is configured to compress the video content, and the system further comprises a configuration subsystem configured to adjust a compression configuration parameter for the compressing, thereby affecting the first data rate or the second data rate, based on a command from a user operating the recording device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the playback control module is configured to play back a portion of a particular compressed video stream while the capture subsystem is still capturing the particular compressed video stream.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of:

receiving, at a recording device, video content from at least two video sources;

capturing, at the recording device, video content received from each of the two video sources, the capturing including;

writing a first compressed video stream to one or more storage devices, the first compressed video stream comprising first video content received from a first video source, the first compressed video stream having a first data rate;

writing a second compressed data stream to the one or more storage devices, the second compressed video stream comprising second video content received from a second video source, the second compressed video stream having a second data rate that is different from the first data rate;

based on the first data rate, the recording device responding to a first playback command by playing back at least a first portion of the first compressed video stream, the playing back of the first portion comprising reading, by the recording device, the first portion from the one or more storage devices at a first time subsequent to capturing the first portion;

based on the second data rate, the recording device responding to a second playback command by playing back at least a second portion of the second compressed video stream, the playing back of the second portion comprising reading, by the recording device, the second portion from the one or more storage devices at a second time subsequent to capturing of the second portion.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the first video source is an Internet-based source received via a network connection of the recording device and the second video source is one of a broadcast source, cable source, or satellite source received by a tuner of the recording device.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

capturing the first compressed video stream concurrently with capturing the second compressed video stream.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

playing back the first portion concurrently with playing back the second portion.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device identifying the first data rate and/or the second data rate for compressing the video content based at least partially on a sustained data rate for writing to the one or more data storage device.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device identifying values for one or more configuration parameters for compressing the video content, the configuration parameters including one or more of;

a video quality parameter, a compression method parameter, and/or a video resolution parameter;

wherein the first data rate and/or the second data rate is a function of the one or more configuration parameters.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device adjusting a compression configuration parameter for the compressing, thereby affecting the first data rate or the second data rate, based on a command received in the first video content or the second video content.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause performance of:

the recording device compressing the video content, and the recording device adjusting a compression configuration parameter for the compressing, thereby affecting the first data rate or the second data rate, based on a command from a user operating the recording device.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein playing back the second portion occurs while the recording device is still capturing the second compressed video stream.