Interactive television systems with digital video recording and adjustable reminders

• US 9,591,373 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• 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:
  US15/154,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 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 for determining a first or a second network on which to perform a recording based on a type of user command, and for maintaining a data structure that tracks whether the recording was performed on the first or the second network, the system comprising:

a memory; and

control circuitry configured to;

maintain, in the memory, a data structure that includes pointers to storage locations of recordings on a second network that is remote from a first network;

receive a request at the first network to record a program;

based on receiving the request, determine whether the program was previously recorded to any of the storage locations;

based on determining that the program was not previously recorded to any of the storage locations;

cause a recording of the program to be performed at a storage location of the storage locations on the second network, and

cause an update to the data structure with a new pointer that points to the storage location on the second network;

receive a request at the first network to pause the program; and

based on receiving the request to pause the program, cause a recording of the program to be performed at a storage location on the first network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording of the program at the storage location on the first network and the recording of the program at the storage location on the second network is simultaneous.

3. The system of claim 1, the control circuitry further configured to:

receive, at the first network, a request to resume the program; and

based on receiving the request to resume the program, cause the first network to generate for display the recording of the program at the storage location on the first network.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein generating for display the recording of the program at the storage location on the first network and the recording of the program at the storage location on the second network is simultaneous.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the causing the recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network further comprises:

receiving instructions to set a reminder for the program; and

causing a recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network based on the reminder.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the causing the recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network further comprises:

receiving a user request to record the program; and

causing a recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network based on the user request.

7. The system of claim 1, the control circuitry further configured to:

cause updates to the data structure to be stored on one of the storage location on the first network or the storage location on the second network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein causing updates to the data structure to be stored on one of the storage location on the first network or the storage location on the second network further comprises:

causing the updates to the data structure to be stored in one of a personal storage area on one of the storage location on the first network or in a personal storage area on the storage location on the second network.

9. The system of claim 1, the control circuitry further configured to:

cause a copy of the program to be copied from the storage location on the second network and stored in a personal storage area on the storage location on the first network.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage location on the second network is accessible by a plurality of users.

11. A method for determining a first or a second network on which to perform a recording based on a type of user command, and for maintaining a data structure that tracks whether the recording was performed on the first or the second network, the method comprising:

maintaining, in a memory, a data structure that includes pointers to storage locations of recordings on a second network that is remote from a first network;

receiving a request at the first network to record a program;

based on receiving the request, determining whether the program was previously recorded to any of the storage locations;

based on determining that the program was not previously recorded to any of the storage locations;

causing a recording of the program to be performed at a storage location of the storage locations on the second network, and

causing an update to the data structure with a new pointer that points to the storage location;

receiving a request at the first network to pause the program; and

based on receiving the request to pause the program, causing a recording of the program to be performed at a storage location on the first network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the recording of the program at the storage location on the first network and the recording of the program at the storage location on the second network is simultaneous.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, at the first network, a request to resume the program; and

based on receiving the request to resume the program, causing the first network to generate for display the recording of the program at the storage location on the first network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein generating for display the recording of the program on the first network and the recording of the program at the storage location on the second network is simultaneous.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the causing the recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network further comprises:

receiving instructions to set a reminder for the program; and

causing a recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network based on the reminder.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the causing the recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network further comprises:

receiving a user request to record the program; and

causing a recording of the program to be performed at the storage location on the second network based on the user request.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing updates to the data structure to be stored on one of the storage location on the first network or the storage location on the second network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein causing updates to the data structure to be stored on one of the storage location on the first network or the storage location on the second network further comprises:

causing the updates to the data structure to be stored in one of a personal storage area on the storage location on the first network or in a personal storage area on the storage location on the second network.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing a copy of the program to be copied from the storage location on the second network and stored in a personal storage area on the storage location on the first network.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the storage location on the second network is accessible by a plurality of users.