System and method for employing a controlled-modification current time value

• US 9,996,103 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Card, II, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choudhury, Zahid
• Application Number:
  US14/816,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20150338876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 713170, 713178, 713600, 726226, 726 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/04 Generating or distributing clock signals or signals derived directly therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/08 Clock generators with changeable or programmable clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/14 Time supervision arrangements, e.g. real time clock
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/725 operating on a secure reference time value

Abstract

A method for employing a controlled-modification current time value is presented. In the method, the current time value is maintained. Also, requests for modification of the current time value are received. The requests are processed so that the requested modification associated with one of the requests is immediately incorporated into the current time value, and so that the requested modification associated with another one of the requests is not immediately incorporated into the current time value.

Claims

1. A method for employing a controlled-modification of a current time value of a clock of an electronic device, the method comprising:

maintaining the current time value of the clock;

receiving a request to modify the current time value of the clock;

tracking an amount of time of a countdown timer,

wherein the countdown timer is set in response to receiving a previous request to modify the current time value of the clock, and

wherein the amount of time of the countdown timer is based upon a function of a magnitude of a previous requested modification;

immediately incorporating the request to modify the current time value into the current time value of the clock if the countdown tinier amount of time has expired; and

delaying the request to modify the current time value for a period of time corresponding to an expiration of the countdown timer, wherein the requested modification is incorporated into the current time value of the clock after the countdown timer has expired.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of time of the countdown timer increases with an increasing amount of adjustment to the current time value of the clock made in response to the previous request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a current time value offset corresponding to the current time value of the clock; and

producing a second current time value viewable by a user, wherein the second current time value comprises the current time value adjusted by the current time value offset; and

wherein the requested modification of the current time value is immediately incorporated into the current time value offset such that a new second current time value viewable by the user corresponds to the second current time value modified by the requested modification of the current time value.

4. The method of claim 1, where in response to delaying the request to modify the current time value, the method further comprising:

increasing the amount of time of the countdown timer such that the period of time corresponding to the expiration of the countdown timer increases by the increased amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to modify the current time value of the clock is a first request, the method further comprising:

receiving a second request to modify the current time value, the second request received after the first request;

processing the second requested modification,

wherein the second requested modification is immediately incorporated into the current time value if the countdown timer amount of time has expired and the first request was not incorporated, and

wherein the second requested modification associated with the request is not immediately incorporated into the current time value if the countdown timer amount of time has not expired.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing an amount of the requested modification to the current time value with a threshold;

ignoring the requested modification if the amount of the requested modification to the current time value exceeds the threshold; and

modifying the current time value if the amount of the requested modification to the current time value is less than or equal to the threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing the requested modification to the current time value as a set of smaller modification spread over a period of time.

8. A method for employing a controlled-modification of a current time value of a clock of an electronic device, the method comprising:

maintaining the current time value of the clock;

tracking an amount of time of a countdown timer, wherein the countdown timer is set in response to receiving a previous request to modify the current time value of the clock;

receiving a request to modify the current time value of the clock, wherein the request specifies a total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock;

comparing the requested total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock with a predetermined threshold;

immediately incorporating the requested total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock if the countdown timer amount of time has expired and the requested total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock is not greater than the predetermined threshold;

immediately incorporating a first reduced magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock if the countdown timer amount of time has not yet expired, wherein the first reduced magnitude of modification is less than the requested total magnitude of modification of the request; and

immediately incorporating a second reduced magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock if the requested total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock is greater than the predetermined threshold, wherein the first reduced magnitude of modification is less than the requested total magnitude of modification of the request.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first reduced magnitude of modification is the same as the second reduced magnitude of modification.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second reduced magnitude of modification is the same as the predetermined threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the requested total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock is a first requested total magnitude of modification received in a first request, the method further comprising:

receiving a second request to modify the current time value of the clock, wherein the request specifies a second total magnitude of modification to the current time value of the clock;

comparing a sum of the first requested total magnitude of modification and the second requested total magnitude of modification with a limit;

incorporating the requested second total magnitude of modification if the countdown timer amount of time has expired and the sum of the first and the second requested total magnitudes of modification is not greater than the limit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the sum of the first and the second requested total magnitudes of modification exceeds the limit, the method further comprising:

determining a difference between the sum of the first and the second requested total magnitudes of modification and the limit; and

incorporating the difference to the current time value of the clock.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein when the sum of the first and the second requested total magnitudes of modification exceeds the limit, the method further comprising:

ignoring the requested second reduced magnitude of modification.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein when the sum of the first and the second requested total magnitudes of modification exceeds the limit, and wherein the countdown timer amount of time is a first countdown timer amount of time, the method further comprising:

delay incorporation of the requested second reduced magnitude of modification until a second countdown timer amount of time has expired.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the second countdown timer amount of time is the same as the first countdown timer amount of time.

16. A system for maintaining a controlled-modification current time value, the system comprising:

a system clock configured to maintain a current time;

an interface configured to receive a request from a user to modify the current time of the system clock; and

a processor configured to;

track an amount of time of a countdown timer, wherein the countdown timer is set in response to receiving a previous request to modify the current time value of the clock;

immediately incorporate the request to modify the current time value into the current time value of the clock if the countdown timer amount of time has expired,

wherein the amount of time of the countdown timer is based upon a function of a magnitude of the previous requested modification.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the amount of time of the countdown timer increases with an increasing amount of adjustment to the current time made in response to the previous request.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

delay the request to modify the current time value for a period of time corresponding to an expiration of the countdown timer, wherein the requested modification is incorporated into the current time value of the clock after the countdown timer has expired.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein a current time value offset corresponding to the current time value of the clock is maintained during the delay, the system further comprising:

a user clock that produces a second current time value that is viewable by the user, wherein the second current time value comprises the current time value adjusted by the current time value offset,

wherein the requested modification of the current time value is immediately incorporated into the current time value offset such that a new second current time value viewable by the user corresponds to the second current time value modified by the requested modification of the current time value.