Storing and accessing segments of recorded programs

• US 9,961,396 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Mary C., Lopez, Elizabeth, Montalvo, Valerie H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Traore, Fatoumata
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRONG H
• Application Number:
  US14/673,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• 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 21/47214 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 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

An apparatus for recording multimedia content transmitted over a network including a reception interface for receiving the multimedia content from the network, a user input interface for receiving user inputs, and a storage resource including executable instructions including a recording module for recording the multimedia content in accordance with the user inputs. The user inputs also include a multimedia selection signal for indicating the multimedia content to be recorded, and a segmenting signal for indicating a size of at least one of a plurality of segments in which the multimedia content is recorded.

Claims

1. A multimedia recorder, comprising:

a hardware processor;

a network adapter for receiving multimedia content delivered from a multimedia service provider via a multimedia network;

a user input interface for receiving user input; and

a storage resource comprising processor executable instructions wherein the instructions, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a signal indicative of a request to record a program;

generating a plurality of suggested segment sizes using metadata of the program;

prompting a user to indicate a particular segment size by displaying a program segment menu including;

a suggested segment size menu element indicating the plurality of suggested segment sizes and a user specified segment size menu element;

storing the program in a plurality of program segments of the particular segment size in the storage resource;

responsive to a request to playback the program, prompting the user to indicate particular program segments by displaying a segment selection menu including a single segment selection menu element, a multiple segment selection menu element, and an all segments selection menu element;

prompting the user to indicate an ordering of playing back of the particular program segments; and

playing back the particular program segments in accordance with the ordering of playing back.

2. The multimedia recorder of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of program segments records a successive transmission segment of the multimedia content.

3. The multimedia recorder of claim 1, wherein the multimedia network includes an Internet protocol television network.

4. The multimedia recorder of claim 3, wherein the multimedia network includes a coaxial cable-based network.

5. The multimedia recorder of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

accessing data indicative of a default segment size.

6. The multimedia recorder of claim 5, wherein the operations further include:

listing programs stored in the storage resource; and

enabling the user to select a particular program from the listing.

7. The multimedia recorder of claim 6, wherein the operations further include:

responsive to determining that the selected particular program has segments, displaying a separate menu of the segments of the selected particular program to the user.

8. The multimedia recorder of claim 6, wherein the operations further include:

playing back a selected content segment and successive program segments responsive to determining one content segment was selected.

9. The multimedia recorder of claim 8, wherein the ordering of playing back specifies a sequence of the particular program segments in which a first particular program segment precedes a second particular program segment during the playing back of the particular program segments, wherein the second particular program segment precedes the first particular program segment chronologically.

10. The multimedia recorder of claim 9, wherein the ordering of playing back omits a third particular program segment and wherein the playing back of the particular program segments includes skipping over the third particular program segment.

11. A program recording method, comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of a request to record a program;

generating a plurality of suggested segment sizes using metadata of the program;

prompting a user to indicate a particular segment size by displaying a program segment menu including;

a suggested segment size menu element indicating the plurality of suggested segment sizes and a user specified segment size menu element;

storing the program in a plurality of program segments of the particular segment size in a storage resource;

responsive to a request to playback the program, prompting the user to indicate particular program segments by displaying a segment selection menu including a single segment selection menu element, a multiple segment selection menu element, and an all segments selection menu element;

prompting the user to indicate an ordering of playing back of the particular program segments; and

playing back the particular program segments in accordance with the ordering of playing back.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of program segments records a successive transmission segment of the program, the method further comprising:

enabling the user to select a plurality of programs to record.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the particular segment size indicates a segment size applicable to the plurality of programs.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising, enabling the user to erase specific segments from storage.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein each segment is listed in a catalogue and the catalogue is saved in storage.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating a plurality of suggested segment sizes using metadata of a program;

prompting a user to indicate a particular segment size by displaying a program segment menu including;

a suggested segment size menu element indicating the plurality of suggested segment sizes and a user specified segment size menu element;

storing the program in a plurality of program segments of the particular segment size in a storage resource;

responsive to a request to playback the program, prompting the user to indicate particular program segments by displaying a segment selection menu including a single segment selection menu element, a multiple segment selection menu element, and an all segments selection menu element;

prompting the user to indicate an ordering of playing back of the particular program segments; and

playing back the particular program segments in accordance with the ordering of playing back.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further include:

responding to receiving a selection signal corresponding to a specific segment from the user by displaying the specific segment.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further include:

automatically inserting a plurality of bookmarks at user selectable locations within a selected program.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of bookmarks demarcate chapters.