System and method for dynamically adjusting recording parameters

• US 9,350,937 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David A., Swenson, Erik J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/154,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 386/298, 386/291, 386/296, 386/297, 386/323
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

Content receivers may be configured to simultaneously record multiple instances of content for multiple programming channels based on content provider instructions. Systems and methods utilize the content receivers to dynamically adjust recording parameters to account for instances of content with a start time and/or end time that falls outside of predefined recording parameters. The dynamically adjusted recording parameters may adjust the number of channels recorded and/or instances of content recorded. The content receiver may compare programming information received at a processing unit with predefined recording parameters and may dynamically adjust the recording parameters based on the comparison. The content receiver may generate on screen display content to include information on the dynamically adjusted recording parameters and may transmit the on screen display content to a content display device for notifying the user of the dynamically adjusted recoding parameters.

Claims

1. A method for handling recording of a plurality of instances of content, the method comprising:

analyzing programming information for the plurality of instances of content to determine for each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content;

a start time and an end time, wherein at least some of the plurality of instances of content are scheduled to be broadcast on different television channels at a same time;

performing a first comparison of a start time of a predefined recording time period with each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content;

performing a second comparison of an end time of the predefined recording time period with each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content; and

configuring recording parameters at a content receiver based on the first comparison and the second comparison, wherein configuring the recording parameters at the content receiver based on the first comparison and the second comparison results in one or more instances of content of the plurality of instances of content having recording scheduled to;

start, by the content receiver, prior to the start time of the predefined recording window; and

/or

complete, by the content receiver, after the end time of the predefined recording window.

2. The method for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by the content receiver, the plurality of instances of content based on the configured recording parameters.

3. The method for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the content receiver, from a content provider, at least a portion of the recording parameters.

4. The method for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the content receiver, an electronic programming guide for presentation that indicates the plurality of instances of content to be recorded based on the recording parameters.

5. The method for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the content receiver, the plurality of instances of content via a single tuner of the content receiver.

6. The method for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 1, wherein the first comparison and the second comparison is performed by a processing unit of the content receiver.

11. The system for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 5, wherein the content receiver is further configured to:

receive the plurality of instances of content via a single tuner of the content receiver.

7. A system for handling recording of a plurality of instances of content, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

analyze programming information for the plurality of instances of content to determine for each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content;

a start time and an end time, wherein at least some of the plurality of instances of content are scheduled to be broadcast on different television channels at a same time;

perform a first comparison of a start time of a predefined recording time period with each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content;

perform a second comparison of an end time of the predefined recording time period with each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content; and

configure recording parameters at a content receiver based on the first comparison and the second comparison, wherein configuring the recording parameters based on the first comparison and the second comparison results in one or more instances of content of the plurality of instances of content having recording scheduled to;

start prior to the start time of the predefined recording window;

and/or

complete after the end time of the predefined recording window.

8. The system for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 7, the system further comprising the content receiver, configured to:

record the plurality of instances of content based on the configured recording parameters.

9. The system for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 8 wherein the content receiver is further configured to:

receive, from a content provider, at least a portion of the recording parameters.

10. The system for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 8, wherein the content receiver is further configured to:

output an electronic programming guide for presentation that indicates the plurality of instances of content to be recorded based on the recording parameters.

12. The system for handling recording of the plurality of instances of content of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are part of the content receiver.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for handling recording of a plurality of instances of content, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

analyze programming information for the plurality of instances of content to determine for each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content;

a start time and an end time, wherein at least some of the plurality of instances of content are scheduled to be broadcast on different television channels at a same time;

perform a first comparison of a start time of a predefined recording time period with each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content;

perform a second comparison of an end time of the predefined recording time period with each instance of content of the plurality of instances of content; and

configure recording parameters at a content receiver based on the first comparison and the second comparison, wherein configuring the recording parameters based on the first comparison and the second comparison results in one or more instances of content of the plurality of instances of content having recording scheduled to;

start prior to the start time of the predefined recording window;

and/or

complete after the end time of the predefined recording window.