Interactive load balancing among DVRs based on customer selection

• US 9,712,861 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ansfield, Fred, Milne, James R., Zustak, Frederick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles N
• Application Number:
  US15/066,470
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42623 involving specific decryption arrangements
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/60 Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client , e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client

Abstract

A technique for load balancing between first and second DVRs includes receiving a customer selection of content with respect to load balancing between the DVRs, and responsive to the customer selection and based at least in part on a storage size of one content, execute a load balancing algorithm to move at least some content from the first DVR to the second DVR. Responsive to the customer selection and based at least in part on a storage size of a future content, a DVR is selected to record the future content at a future recording time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at least one customer selection of content; and

based at least in part on the customer selection, executing a load balancing algorithm to move content from a first digital video recorder (DVR) to a second DVR, the method also comprising;

exchanging content lists between the first and second DVRs and storage size of each content and/or storage size of each element of each piece of content to be recorded in the future;

accessing, by the first and second DVRs, future recording instructions input to them, identifying at least one program to be recorded in the future;

using an identity of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as entering argument to a data store to retrieve a size of the at least one program commanded to be recorded, and/or determining from internal storage how much storage space one or more previously recorded programs consumed to infer that the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume a same amount of storage space, and/or accessing an electronic program guide (EPG) listing the at least one program commanded to be recorded to determine from a length of the program as indicated by the EPG and a format of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as indicated by the EPG how much space the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

based at least in part on the customer selection, executing a load balancing algorithm to record on a predetermined one of the DVRs at least one future content at a future recording time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer selection of content exempts the content from load balancing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer selection of content requires the content to be subject to load balancing.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising providing a selector selectable to command that all content on the DVRs be balanced as part of a load balancing algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising:

determining from internal storage how much storage space one or more previously recorded programs consumed to infer that the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume a same amount of storage space.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

using an identity of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as entering argument to a data store to retrieve a size of the at least one program commanded to be recorded.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

accessing an EPG listing the at least one program commanded to be recorded to determine from a length of the program as indicated by the EPG and a format of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as indicated by the EPG how much space the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to record digital video; and

at least one computer storage that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by the at least one processor for;

receiving at least one customer selection of content; and

based at least in part on the customer selection, executing a load balancing algorithm to move content from a first digital video recorder (DVR) to a second DVR, the method also comprising;

exchanging content lists between the first and second DVRs and storage size of each content and/or storage size of each element of each piece of content to be recorded in the future;

accessing, by the first and second DVRs, future recording instructions input to them, identifying at least one program to be recorded in the future;

using an identity of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as entering argument to a data store to retrieve a size of the at least one program commanded to be recorded, and/or determining from internal storage how much storage space one or more previously recorded programs consumed to infer that the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume a same amount of storage space, and/or accessing an electronic program guide (EPG) listing the at least one program commanded to be recorded to determine from a length of the program as indicated by the EPG and a format of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as indicated by the EPG how much space the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for:

based at least in part on the customer selection, executing a load balancing algorithm to record on a predetermined one of the DVRs at least one future content at a future recording time.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the customer selection of content exempts the content from load balancing.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for:

providing a selector selectable to command that all content on the DVRs be balanced as part of a load balancing algorithm.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for:

determining from internal storage how much storage space one or more previously recorded programs consumed to infer that the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume a same amount of storage space.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for:

using an identity of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as entering argument to a data store to retrieve a size of the at least one program commanded to be recorded.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are executable for:

accessing an EPG listing the at least one program commanded to be recorded to determine from a length of the program as indicated by the EPG and a format of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as indicated by the EPG how much space the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume.

16. An article of manufacture, comprising:

at least one computer storage that is not a transitory signal and that comprises instructions executable by at least one processor for;

receiving at least one customer selection of content; and

based at least in part on the customer selection, executing a load balancing algorithm to move content from a first digital video recorder (DVR) to a second DVR, the method also comprising;

exchanging content lists between the first and second DVRs and storage size of each content and/or storage size of each element of each piece of content to be recorded in the future;

accessing, by the first and second DVRs, future recording instructions input to them, identifying at least one program to be recorded in the future;

using an identity of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as entering argument to a data store to retrieve a size of the at least one program commanded to be recorded, and/or determining from internal storage how much storage space one or more previously recorded programs consumed to infer that the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume a same amount of storage space, and/or accessing an electronic program guide (EPG) listing the at least one program commanded to be recorded to determine from a length of the program as indicated by the EPG and a format of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as indicated by the EPG how much space the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable for:

providing a selector selectable to command that all content on the DVRs be balanced as part of a load balancing algorithm.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable for:

determining from internal storage how much storage space one or more previously recorded programs consumed to infer that the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume a same amount of storage space.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable for:

using an identity of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as entering argument to a data store to retrieve a size of the at least one program commanded to be recorded.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable for:

accessing an EPG listing the at least one program commanded to be recorded to determine from a length of the program as indicated by the EPG and a format of the at least one program commanded to be recorded as indicated by the EPG how much space the at least one program commanded to be recorded will consume.