Multimedia mobile personalization system

• US 9,788,068 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockett, David, Feder, Adam, Barton, James M., Klar, Michael F., Goodman, Andrew M., Platt, David C., Beach, Brian, Brown, David Avraham
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US12/861,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20100319014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,605 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• 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 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7605 on discs or drums H04N5/781, H04N5/805, H04N5/83, H04N5/85 take precedence

Abstract

A multimedia mobile personalization system allows a user to record and play multimedia content on a set top box at a location other than his home using the user'"'"'s preferences from his home DVR.

Claims

1. A method for serving content to a plurality of client devices, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in a plurality of users, each individual multimedia content recording schedule in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules specifying a respective listing of programs that have been scheduled to be recorded for a respective individual user in the plurality of users;

generating, by the server, server-generated multimedia content recording schedules for the individual users in the plurality of users based at least in part on the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in the plurality of users;

aggregating, by the server, the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules into an aggregated recording schedule;

recording, by the server, a particular multimedia content that has been scheduled for recording in two or more server-generated multimedia content recording schedules of the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules by two or more users of the plurality of users, the server storing a single copy of the particular multimedia content;

allowing, by the server, client devices associated with each user of the two or more users to access the single copy of the particular multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client devices communicate with the server across a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the server receives one or more individual multimedia content recording schedules in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules from a DVR service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server receives multimedia content recording requests from a client device associated with a user, and wherein the server creates the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules at least partly from multimedia content recording requests.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a client device is associated with a user upon the user checking into a hotel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a client device associated with a user downloads programs from the server onto a storage device in communication with the client device that the server has recorded for the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording step records multimedia content listed in the multimedia content recording schedules.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording step records multimedia content that is determined to be of interest to a user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining multimedia content that may be of interest to a user among multimedia content that have previously been recorded by the server.

10. A method for serving content to a plurality of client devices, comprising:

receiving, by a server, a plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in a plurality of users, each individual multimedia content recording schedule in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules specifying a respective listing of programs that have been scheduled to be recorded for a respective individual user in the plurality of users;

generating, by the server, server-generated multimedia content recording schedules for the individual users in the plurality of users based at least in part on the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in the plurality of users;

aggregating, by the server, the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules into an aggregated recording schedule;

recording, by the server, a particular multimedia content that has been scheduled for recording in the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules by the plurality of users, the server storing the particular multimedia content;

allowing, by the server, client devices associated with each user of the plurality of users to access the particular multimedia content stored by the server.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the server stores a single copy of the particular multimedia content.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the client devices communicate with the server across a network.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the server receives the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules from a DVR service.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the server receives multimedia content recording requests from a client device associated with a user, and wherein the server creates the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules at least partly from multimedia content recording requests.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein a client device is associated with a user upon the user checking into a hotel.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a client device associated with a user downloads programs from the server onto a storage device in communication with the client device that the server has recorded for the user.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the recording step records multimedia content that is determined to be of interest to a user.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining multimedia content that may be of interest to a user among multimedia content that have previously been recorded by the server.

19. An apparatus for serving content to a plurality of client devices, comprising:

an aggregation device, at a server, that receives, by the server, a plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in a plurality of users, each individual multimedia content recording schedule in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules specifying a respective listing of programs that have been scheduled to be recorded for a respective individual user in the plurality of users;

generates, by the server, server-generated multimedia content recording schedules for the individual users in the plurality of users based at least in part on the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in the plurality of users;

aggregates, by the server, the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules into an aggregated recording schedule;

a recording device, at the server, that records a particular multimedia content that has been scheduled for recording in two or more server-generated multimedia content recording schedules of the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules by two or more users of the plurality of users, the server storing a single copy of the particular multimedia content;

a multimedia content access device, at the server, that allows client devices associated with each user of the two or more users to access the single copy of the particular multimedia content.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the client devices communicate with the server across a network.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the server receives the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules from a DVR service.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the server receives multimedia content recording requests from a client device associated with a user, and wherein the server creates the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules at least partly from multimedia content recording requests.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a client device is associated with a user upon the user checking into a hotel.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a client device associated with a user downloads programs from the server onto a storage device in communication with the client device that the server has recorded for the user.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the recording step records multimedia content listed in the multimedia content recording schedules.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the recording step records multimedia content that is determined to be of interest to a user.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a multimedia interest determination device, at the server that determines multimedia content that may be of interest to a user among multimedia content that have previously been recorded by the server.

28. An apparatus for serving content to a plurality of client devices, comprising:

an aggregation device, at a server, that receives, by the server, a plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in a plurality of users, each individual multimedia content recording schedule in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules specifying a respective listing of programs that have been scheduled to be recorded for a respective individual user in the plurality of users;

generates, by the server, server-generated multimedia content recording schedules for the individual users in the plurality of users based at least in part on the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in the plurality of users;

aggregates, by the server, the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules into an aggregated recording schedule;

a recording device, at the server, that records a particular multimedia content that has been scheduled for recording in the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules by the plurality of users, the server storing the particular multimedia content;

a multimedia content access device, at the server, that allows client devices associated with each user of the plurality of users to access the particular multimedia content stored by the server.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the server stores a single copy of the particular multimedia content.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the client devices communicate with the server across a network.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the server receives the individual multimedia content recording schedules from a DVR service.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the server receives multimedia content recording requests from a client device associated with a user, and wherein the server creates the individual multimedia content recording schedules at least partly from multimedia content recording requests.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a client device is associated with a user upon the user checking into a hotel.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a client device associated with a user downloads programs from the server onto a storage device in communication with the client device that the server has recorded for the user.

35. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the recording step records multimedia content that is determined to be of interest to a user.

36. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

a multimedia interest determination device, at the server that determines multimedia content that may be of interest to a user among multimedia content that have previously been recorded by the server.

37. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for serving content to a plurality of client devices, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving, by a server, a plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in a plurality of users, each individual multimedia content recording schedule in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules specifying a respective listing of programs that have been scheduled to be recorded for a respective individual user in the plurality of users;

generating, by the server, server-generated multimedia content recording schedules for the individual users in the plurality of users based at least in part on the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in the plurality of users;

aggregating, by the server, the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules into an aggregated recording schedule;

recording, by the server, a particular multimedia content that has been scheduled for recording in two or more server-generated multimedia content recording schedules of the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules by two or more users of the plurality of users, the server storing a single copy of the particular multimedia content;

allowing, by the server, client devices associated with each user of the two or more users to access the single copy of the particular multimedia content.

38. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the client devices communicate with the server across a network.

39. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the server receives the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules from a DVR service.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the server receives multimedia content recording requests from a client device associated with a user, and wherein the server creates the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules at least partly from multimedia content recording requests.

41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein a client device is associated with a user upon the user checking into a hotel.

42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein a client device associated with a user downloads programs from the server onto a storage device in communication with the client device that the server has recorded for the user.

43. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the recording step records multimedia content listed in the multimedia content recording schedules.

44. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, wherein the recording step records multimedia content that is determined to be of interest to a user.

45. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 37, further comprising:

determining multimedia content that may be of interest to a user among multimedia content that have previously been recorded by the server.

46. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for serving content to a plurality of client devices, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving, by a server, a plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in a plurality of users, each individual multimedia content recording schedule in the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules specifying a respective listing of programs that have been scheduled to be recorded for a respective individual user in the plurality of users;

generating, by the server, server-generated multimedia content recording schedules for the individual users in the plurality of users based at least in part on the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules for individual users in the plurality of users;

aggregating, by the server, the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules into an aggregated recording schedule;

recording, by the server, a particular multimedia content that has been scheduled for recording in the server-generated multimedia content recording schedules by the plurality of users, the server storing the particular multimedia content;

allowing, by the server, client devices associated with each user of the plurality of users to access the particular multimedia content stored by the server.

47. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein the server stores a single copy of the particular multimedia content.

48. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein the client devices communicate with the server across a network.

49. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein the server receives the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules from a DVR service.

50. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein the server receives multimedia content recording requests from a client device associated with a user, and wherein the server creates the plurality of individual multimedia content recording schedules at least partly from multimedia content recording requests.

51. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein a client device is associated with a user upon the user checking into a hotel.

52. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein a client device associated with a user downloads programs from the server onto a storage device in communication with the client device that the server has recorded for the user.

53. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein the recording step records multimedia content that is determined to be of interest to a user.

54. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 46, further comprising:

determining multimedia content that may be of interest to a user among multimedia content that have previously been recorded by the server.