Dynamic tuner allocation

• US 9,549,213 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Templeman, Mark, Yang, Yunfeng
• Primary Examiner(s): JONES, HEATHER RAE
• Application Number:
  US13/801,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/026 on discs G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• 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 21/4335 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/47202 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 21/47217 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83 Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 : Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 : Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 : Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/797 : for recording the signal in a plurality of channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the signal H04N9/804, H04N9/81, H04N9/82 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 : Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

In response to receiving a request, a current status of each one of a number of tuners of a television receiver may be determined. A ranking may be assigned to each one of the number of tuners based on an associated determined status. A listing may be generated based on the ranking and, when selected, a particular tuner of ranking greater than other ones of the plurality of tuners may be allocated for the recording of a particular broadcast program.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a television receiver device comprising a plurality of tuners, a request to record a particular broadcast program at a scheduled future time;

determining, by the television receiver device, a set of tuners from the plurality of tuners of the television receiver device that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time;

identifying within the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, one or more tuners that are currently being used for recording television programming, and one or more other tuners that are not currently in-use;

assigning, by the television receiver device, a first tuner to record the particular broadcast program at the scheduled future time, based on the determination that the first tuner is in the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, and based on the determination that the first tuner is currently being used for recording television programming; and

recording, by the television receiver device, the particular broadcast program using the first tuner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received at a predetermined time prior to broadcast of the particular broadcast program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding, from the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, tuners of the television receiver device that are currently active and providing live content for presentation by a primary display of a presentation device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

excluding, from the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, tuners of the television receiver device that are currently active and providing live content for presentation by a secondary display of a presentation device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the request at a predetermined time less than or equal to sixty seconds prior to broadcast of the particular broadcast program.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the current status of each one of the plurality of tuners of the television receiver from one of seven possible statuses.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user-specified indication denying allocation of the first tuner for the recording of the particular broadcast program.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a ranking to each of the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, wherein assigning the rankings comprises:

ranking a first subset of tuners determined to have a current status of active higher than a second subset of tuners determined to have a current status of inactive.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein assigning rankings to each of the set of tuners further comprises:

ranking the second subset of tuners determined to have a current status of inactive higher than a third subset of tuners determined to have a current status of active and providing live content for presentation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising assigning a ranking to each of the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, wherein assigning the rankings comprises:

ranking a first subset of tuners determined to have a current status of active and providing live content for presentation via a picture-in-picture window of a display of a presentation device, higher than a second subset of tuners determined to have a current status of active and providing live content to a primary display of a presentation device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein assigning rankings to each of the set of tuners further comprises:

ranking a third subset of tuners determined to have a current status of active and providing live delayed content for presentation via a presentation device, lower than either the first subset of tuners or the second subset of tuners.

12. A 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;

receive a request to record a particular broadcast program at a scheduled future time;

determine a set of tuners, from a plurality of tuners of a television receiver, that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time;

identify within the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, one or more tuners that are currently being used for recording television programming, and one or more other tuners that are not currently in-use;

assign a first tuner to record the particular broadcast program at the scheduled future time, based on the determination that the first tuner is in the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, and based on the determination that the first tuner is currently being used for recording television programming; and

record the particular broadcast program using the first tuner.

13. The system of claim 12, the memory having stored therein further processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

exclude, from the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, tuners that are currently active and providing live content for presentation by a primary display of a presentation device.

14. The system of claim 12, the memory having stored therein further processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

exclude, from the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, tuners that are currently active and providing live content for presentation by a secondary display of a presentation device.

15. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive request to record a particular broadcast program at a scheduled future time;

determine a set of tuners, from a plurality of tuners of a television receiver, that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time;

identify within the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, one or more tuners that are currently being used for recording television programming, and one or more other tuners that are not currently in-use;

assign a first tuner to record the particular broadcast program at the scheduled future time, based on the determination that the first tuner is in the set of tuners that are assignable for recording at the scheduled future time, and based on the determination that the first tuner is currently being used for recording television programming; and

record the particular broadcast program using the first tuner.