Server-based program recording scheduling

• US 9,699,510 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US14/930,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4334 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 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A DVR sends, over the Internet, to a server, information that indicates a set of programs. The information also may indicate a ranking of the programs in the set relative to each other. In response to receiving the information from the DVR, the server determines a “to do” list of programs that the DVR should record as those programs are broadcasted in the future. The “to do” list indicates recording times and channels for each program. The server sends the “to do” list back to the DVR over the Internet. The DVR receives the “to do” list over the Internet and stores the “to do” list. As the programs on the “to do” list are broadcasted, the DVR automatically records those programs at the list-specified times and on the list-specified channels. The DVR stores those programs on the DVR'"'"'s hard disk drive for later viewing by the DVR user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a media recorder from a server over a network, a first program recording schedule that the server generated that is an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder and is maintained by the server;

replacing, by the media recorder, an existing program recording schedule with the first program recording schedule;

receiving, by the media recorder, user input specifying a program to be recorded by the media recorder;

sending, by the media recorder, an instant message to the server indicating an identifier of the program to be recorded;

receiving, by the media recorder from the server over the network, a second program recording schedule that the server generated in response to receiving the identifier of the program to be recorded, the second program recording schedule is an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder;

replacing, by the media recorder, the first program recording schedule with the second program recording schedule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate channels, dates, and times for programs that are to be recorded by the media recorder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate Internet streaming content to be recorded by the media recorder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate Internet downloadable content to be recorded by the media recorder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server creates and stores recording schedules for a plurality of media recorders thereby offloading processing demands from the plurality of media recorders, the media recorder among the plurality of media recorders.

6. A media recorder, comprising:

a communication interface that receives from a server over a network a first program recording schedule that the server generated that is an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder and is maintained by the server;

a recording device that replaces an existing program recording schedule with the first program recording schedule;

wherein the communication interface receives user input specifying a program to be recorded by the media recorder;

wherein the communication interface sends an instant message to the server indicating an identifier of the program to be recorded;

wherein the communication interface receives from the server over the network, a second program recording schedule that the server generated in response to receiving the identifier of the program to be recorded, the second program recording schedule is an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder; and

wherein the recording device replaces the first program recording schedule with the second program recording schedule.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate channels, dates, and times for programs that are to be recorded by the media recorder.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate Internet streaming content to be recorded by the media recorder.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate Internet downloadable content to be recorded by the media recorder.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the server creates and stores recording schedules for a plurality of media recorders thereby offloading processing demands from the plurality of media recorders, the media recorder among the plurality of media recorders.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

receiving, by a media recorder from a server over a network, a first program recording schedule that the server generated that is an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder and is maintained by the server;

replacing, by the media recorder, an existing program recording schedule with the first program recording schedule;

receiving, by the media recorder, user input specifying a program to be recorded by the media recorder;

sending, by the media recorder, an instant message to the server indicating an identifier of the program to be recorded;

receiving, by the media recorder from the server over the network, a second program recording schedule that the server generated in response to receiving the identifier of the program to be recorded, the second program recording schedule is an overall program recording schedule for the media recorder;

replacing, by the media recorder, the first program recording schedule with the second program recording schedule.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate channels, dates, and times for programs that are to be recorded by the media recorder.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate Internet streaming content to be recorded by the media recorder.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first program recording schedule and the second program recording schedule indicate Internet downloadable content to be recorded by the media recorder.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the server creates and stores recording schedules for a plurality of media recorders thereby offloading processing demands from the plurality of media recorders, the media recorder among the plurality of media recorders.