Preference setting in a computer system

• US 20100316354A1
• Filed: 08/21/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Harris Technology LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Scott C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

A profile of likelihoods of actions that will occur on a computer is stored. The computer may be likely to be off between time periods, e.g., between midnight and 7 am. Some action is taken relative to the actions that are likely to occur, before those actions actually happen.

Claims

1. -8. (canceled)

9. A digital video recorder, comprising:

a recording part that includes a computer device that records a video program and which allows watching the video program, allows pausing the video program during recording, and rewinding the video program during recording, said recording part storing data indicative of the video program on a memory device; and

a detector, that detects an indication of activity, wherein said computer device operates to continually record during said indication of activity and automatically stops recording responsive to there being no indication of activity for a specified time period.

10. A digital video recorder as in claim 9, wherein said detector detects operation of the digital video recorder, determines a time since a last operation, and stops the recording when said time is greater than a specified amount.

11. A digital video recorder as in claim 10, wherein said computer device terminates a first part of the video recording when the time since the last operation is greater than a first amount, and stops a second part of the video recording when the time is greater than a second amount, where the second part of the video recording stops more recording than said first part.

12. A device as in claim 11, wherein said first part is a quality of the recording, so the computer device records less quality of the recording when the time since last operation is greater than said first amount.

13. A device as in claim 11 wherein said first part is a data stream from one of multiple different tuners that are simultaneously recording.

14. A device as in claim 9, wherein said detector comprises a profile indicating a likelihood that a specified action will occur at a specified time, and wherein said recording is controlled to start and stop based on said likelihood, even when said action does not occur.

15. A device as in claim 14, wherein said profile is updated based on actual actions taken on the digital video recorder.

16. -19. (canceled)

20. A method comprising:

during a first mode, continually recording an incoming video program;

Allowing the continually recorded video to be played while recording and to be paused while recording;

detecting an indication of activity on a device that is used to play the video; and

based on said indication, changing a characteristic of the recording.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said changing comprises accessing a stored profile to determine a likelihood that an action will occur, and changing said characteristic based on said likelihood, without said action actually occurring.