Interactive television systems with digital video recording and adjustable reminders

• US 9,369,741 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/741,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 725 93- 95, 386/86
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/262 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 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4343 Extraction or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

An interactive television system is provided in which an interactive television application is used to support network-based or local personal video recorder capabilities. A user may use this application to view lists of program listings. The user may select a program listing of interest. The interactive television application may allow the user to set a reminder for the selected program at the scheduled broadcast time. This application may also allow the user to set a reminder for the selected program at a later time at which the program is not scheduled to be broadcast. The user may be provided with a reminder at this later time. In response, the user may direct the network-based or local personal video recorder to play back the program or may defer the reminder again. The interactive television application may collect information on program usage and popularity to determine how long to retain certain programming.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

storage circuitry for storing archived copies of videos;

control circuitry configured to;

transmit a video to a plurality of user equipment, wherein the transmitting begins at a start time and ends at an end time;

access a database to determine whether an archived copy corresponding to the video is available to a user after the start time;

based on determining that the archived copy is available to the user after the start time, cause an indication corresponding to the archived copy to be displayed simultaneously with the video after a specified time after the start time but before the end time, wherein the specified time was configured prior to the start time;

receive a user response to the indication that is displayed; and

based on the received user response, retrieve, from the storage circuitry, the archived copy.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a request to record the video to create the archived copy for later viewing, wherein the request to record is received if the user is not watching the video at the start time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to maintain a list associated with the user that includes pointers to archived copies corresponding to selected videos on the storage device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the list associated with the user is stored in a personal storage area associated with the user, and wherein access to the personal storage area requires entry of a valid symbol associated with the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to copy the archived copy to a personal storage area associated with the user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein copying the archived copy to the personal storage area is automatically initiated when the user response is received.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the archived copy on the storage device is associated with a retention period, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to remove the archived copy from the storage device at an end of the retention period.

8. A method comprising:

transmitting a video to a plurality of user equipment, wherein the transmitting begins at a start time and ends at an end time;

accessing a database to determine whether an archived copy corresponding to the video is available to a user after the start time;

based on the determining, causing an indication corresponding to the archived copy to be displayed simultaneously with the video after a specified time after the start time, but before the end time, wherein the specified time was configured prior to the start time;

receiving a user response to the indication that is displayed; and

based on the received user response, retrieving from storage the archived copy.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request to record the video to create the archived copy for later viewing, wherein the request to record is received if the user is not watching the video at the start time.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining a list associated with the user that includes pointers to archived copies corresponding to selected videos on the storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the list associated with the user is stored in a personal storage area associated with the user, and wherein access to the personal storage area requires entry of a valid symbol associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

copying the archived copy to a personal storage area associated with the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein copying the archived copy to the personal storage area is automatically initiated when the user response is received.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

removing the archived copy from the storage device at an end of a retention period, wherein the archived copy on the storage device is associated with the retention period.

15. A system comprising:

means for transmitting a video to a plurality of user equipment, wherein the transmitting begins at a start time and ends at an end time;

means for accessing a database to determine whether an archived copy corresponding to the video is available to a user after the start time;

means for causing, based on the determining, an indication corresponding to the archived copy to be displayed simultaneously with the video after a specified time after the start time, but before the end time, wherein the specified time was configured prior to the start time;

means for receiving a user response to the indication that is displayed; and

means for retrieving from storage, based on the received user response, the archived copy.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving a request to record the video to create the archived copy for later viewing, wherein the request to record is received if the user is not watching the video at the start time.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for maintaining a list associated with the user that includes pointers to archived copies corresponding to selected videos on the storage device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the list associated with the user is stored in a personal storage area associated with the user, and wherein access to the personal storage area requires entry of a valid symbol associated with the user.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for copying the archived copy to a personal storage area associated with the user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the archived copy on the storage device is associated with a retention period, and further comprising means for removing the archived copy from the storage device at an end of the retention period.

21. A system comprising:

a user equipment configured to;

receive an indication of a user selection of a video after a start time; and

a server configured to;

transmit the video to a plurality of user equipment, wherein the transmitting begins at the start time and ends at an end time;

store, with storage circuitry, archived copies corresponding to videos;

transmit the video to a plurality of users, wherein the transmission of the video begins at the start time and ends at an end time

access a database to determine whether an archived copy corresponding to the video is available to the user after the start time; and

based on determining that the video is available to the user after the start time, cause an indication corresponding to the archived copy to be displayed at the user equipment simultaneously with the video after a specified time after the start time but before the end time, wherein the specified time was configured prior to the start time;

receive, with communications circuitry, an indication of a user response to the indication that is displayed; and

based on the received user response, retrieve, from the storage circuitry, the archived copy.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is further configured to:

receive a request to record the video to create the archived copy for later viewing, wherein the request to record is received if the user is not watching the video at the start time.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is further configured to maintain a list associated with the user that includes pointers to archived copies corresponding to selected videos on the storage device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the list associated with the user is stored in a personal storage area associated with the user, and wherein access to the personal storage area requires entry of a valid symbol associated with the user.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the user equipment is further configured to copy the archived copy to a personal storage area associated with the user.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the archived copy on the storage device is associated with a retention period, and wherein the user equipment is further configured to remove the archived copy from the storage device at an end of the retention period.