MAINTAINING VIEWER ACTIVITY INFORMATION OF A RECORDED PROGRAM FOR PROGRAM DELETION DECISIONS

• US 20130071093A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hanks, William Turner, Hanks, Gina Marie
• Application Number:
  US13/234,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20130071093A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/295
• 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for program deletion decisions are provided. Viewer activity information for a recorded program is collected and can be displayed automatically or on request at delete decision time. Viewer activity information can be collected manually or automatically. Program deletion can be manual or automatic based on the viewer activity information.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for program deletion decisions comprising:

storing viewer activity information for a recorded program; and

displaying the viewer activity information of the recorded program at delete decision time to aid a user in making a deletion decision for the recorded program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program and storing the indication for each viewer as viewer activity information for the recorded program.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

storing a list of prospective viewers;

wherein prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program comprises displaying the list of prospective viewers and prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the list of prospective viewers is generated based on manual input.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the list of prospective viewers is generated based on a pre-existing list.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the pre-existing list is a list of authorized users.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the list of prospective viewers include at least one device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewer activity information for the recorded program is determined based on identifying information entered prior to display of the recorded program.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewer activity information is automatically displayed when a user is prompted on whether to delete a program.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewer activity information is displayed only when requested.

11. A method for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for a program deletion decision comprising:

storing viewer activity information for a recorded program; and

deleting the recorded program based on the viewer activity information.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising associating a deletion rule with the recorded program wherein the deletion rule is based on the viewer activity information and deleting the recorded program based on the deletion rule.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the viewer activity information for the recorded program is determined based on identifying information entered prior to display of the recorded program.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing a list of prospective viewers;

displaying the list of prospective viewers and prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program; and

storing the indication for each viewer as viewer activity information for the recorded program.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the list of prospective viewers is generated based on manual input.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the list of prospective viewers is generated based on a pre-existing list.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the pre-existing list is a list of authorized users.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the list of prospective viewers include at least one device.

24. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program and storing the indication for each viewer as viewer activity information for the recorded program.

25. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for storing a list of prospective viewers.

wherein means for prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program comprises means for displaying the list of prospective viewers and prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program.

27. The system of claim 18 further comprising means for associating a deletion rule with the recorded program wherein the deletion rule is based on the viewer activity information.

28. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

means for storing a list of prospective viewers;

means for displaying the list of prospective viewers and prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program; and

means for storing the indication for each viewer as viewer activity information for the recorded program.

19. A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for program deletion decisions, the method comprising:

prompting each viewer of a recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program; and

storing the indication for each viewer as viewer activity information for the recorded program.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, the method further comprising displaying the viewer activity information of the recorded program when a user is prompted on whether to delete the recorded program.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program comprises displaying the list of prospective viewers and prompting each viewer of the recorded program to indicate that the viewer has viewed the recorded program.

22. A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for program deletion decisions, the method comprising:

associating a deletion rule with a recorded program wherein the deletion rule is based on viewer activity information; and

deleting the recorded program based on viewer activity information.

23. A system for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for program deletion decisions comprising:

means for storing viewer activity information for a recorded program; and

means for displaying the viewer activity information of the recorded program when a user is prompted on whether to delete the recorded program.

26. A system for maintaining viewer activity information of a recorded program for program deletion decisions comprising:

means for storing viewer activity information for a recorded program; and

means for deleting the recorded program based on the viewer activity information.