Real-time DVR programming

• US 9,961,400 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): KURIEN, CHRISTEN A
• Application Number:
  US14/805,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• 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 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• 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 21/4882 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 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

Techniques for real-time DVR programming employ secure instant message protocol in a DVR environment. An embodiment sends an instant message to the DVR which causes the DVR to open a new secure connection with the service provider for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider. Another embodiment uses an already established connection with an instant message server for synchronizing data on the DVR with updated programming data from the service provider.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a device, a command to add a season pass to record episodes of a series on a media recording device;

in response to receiving the command, the device generating an instant message for delivery to the media recording device, the instant message containing data that causes the media recording device to add the season pass;

sending, by the device, the instant message for delivery to the media recording device via an instant message server;

after a specified length of time from the sending of the instant message, determining by the device, whether a notification message was received from the media recording device during the specified length of time, the notification message indicating whether the media recording device has received the instant message to add the season pass; and

responsive to determining the notification message was not received during the specified length of time, resending the instant message.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device maintains a connection with the instant message server.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

opening, by the device, a connection with the instant message server, prior to the server sends the instant message for delivery to the media recording device.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the device or the instant message server, a notification message when the delivery is successful.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

resending, by the device or the instant message server, the instant message until the delivery is successful or until a retry limit is reached.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the instant message is resent on a periodic basis.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the retry limit being reached, the device receiving a notification message indicating that the delivery failed.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

in response to the retry limit being reached, displaying on a display of the device, a message indicating that the programming event failed.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the device is any of:

a personal computer, a portable device, or a server.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving, at a device, a command to add a season pass to record episodes of a series on a media recording device;

in response to receiving the command, the device generating an instant message for delivery to the media recording device, the instant message containing data that causes the media recording device to add the season pass;

sending, by the device, the instant message for delivery to the media recording device via an instant message server;

after a specified length of time from the sending of the instant message, determining by the device, whether a notification message was received from the media recording device during the specified length of time, the notification message indicating whether the media recording device has received the instant message to add the season pass; and

responsive to determining the notification message was not received during the specified length of time, resending the instant message.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for the device maintaining a connection with the instant message server.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

opening, by the device, a connection with the instant message server, prior to the server sends the instant message for delivery to the media recording device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

receiving, by the device or the instant message server, a notification message when the delivery is successful.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

resending, by the device or the instant message server, the instant message until the delivery is successful or until a retry limit is reached.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for resending the instant message on a periodic basis.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

receiving, by the device, a notification message indicating that the delivery failed, in response to the retry limit being reached.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:

displaying on a display of the device, a message indicating that the programming event failed, in response to the retry limit being reached.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the device is any of:

a personal computer, a portable device, or a server.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiving module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that receives at a device, a command to add a season pass to record episodes of a series on a media recording device;

an instant message generation module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that generates, by the device, an instant message for delivery to the media recording device, the instant message containing data that causes the media recording device to add the season pass, in response to receiving the command;

a sending module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that sends, by the device, the instant message for delivery to the media recording device via an instant message server;

a determination module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that after a specified length of time from the sending of the instant message, determines, by the device, whether a notification message was received from the media recording device during the specified length of time, the notification message indicating whether the media recording device has received the instant message to add the season pass, and responsive to determining the notification message was not received during the specified length of time, resending the instant message.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein the device is configured to maintain a connection with the instant message server.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a connecting module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that opens, by the device, a connection to the instant message server, prior to the server sends the instant message for delivery to the media recording device.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a notification receiving module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that receives by the device or the instant message server, a notification message when the delivery is successful.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a resending module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that resends, by the device or the instant message server, the instant message until the delivery is successful or until a retry limit is reached.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the instant message is resent on a periodic basis.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

a notification receiving module, at least partly implemented in hardware, that receives by the device a notification message indicating that the delivery failed, in response to the retry limit being reached.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

a display of the device that displays a message indicating that the programming event failed, in response to the retry limit being reached.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein the device is any of:

a personal computer, a portable device, or a server.