Method and system for remote television replay control

• US 8,949,374 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sweatt, Millard E III, Hastings, Jeff, Woodward, Don, Matichuk, Chris E, Kianersi, Shahriar, Sunner, Gurminder, Regnier, Alain, Mohan, Sunil, King, Edward, Pignon, Philippe, Nudelman, Mark, Cooney, Hugh E
• Primary Examiner(s): Benoit, Esther
• Application Number:
  US09/925,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20020038358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,927 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/203, 709/217, 715/740, 715/700, 725/54, 725/87, 725/93, 386/46
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/72 using electronic programme guides [EPG] focusing on identifying broadcast space time H04H60/39 ; menu type display of EPG in television receivers H04N21/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2183 Cache memory caches in web servers or browsers G06F16/9574; intermediate storage and caching in data networks H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• 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 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 : involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method, system, computer medium, and other embodiments for integrating unrelated web hosted services with stand-alone media-based devices are provided. Users can access and control the media-based device conveniently with a web-browser through various portals on the Internet. In one embodiment, users access the media-based device through one or more unrelated web portals, so as to control and to program the media-based device in a single web session, and to see information both stored on the media-based device and originating from third-party online sources of information and services in a single integrated presentation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a web portal capable of communicating with a first digital video recorder;

receiving channel lineup information for the first digital video recorder, wherein the channel lineup comprises a list of channels selected based on one or more lineup preferences;

displaying the channel lineup information through the web portal;

receiving, through a web portal client interface, a plurality of commands for the first digital video recorder to execute a function;

storing the plurality of commands in a first transaction file;

receiving, from the first digital video recorder, a request for the first transaction file; and

in response to the request, transmitting the first transaction file to the first digital video recorder, wherein the first transaction file includes the plurality of commands.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, through the web portal, a second command for the operation of a second digital video recorder different from the first digital video recorder;

storing the second command in a second transaction file;

receiving, from the second digital video recorder, a request for the second transaction file; and

in response to the request, transmitting the second transaction file to the second digital video recorder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more lineup preferences comprise a preference to delete a channel from program guide information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of channels is further selected based on whether a channel is available to the first digital video recorder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of commands comprises at least one command selected from the group of commands consisting of:

a command to add a request to record a show, a command to add a channel to a channel guide, a commands to delete a request to record a show, a command to delete a channel from the channel guide, and a command to modify a parameter of a channel of the channel guide.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction file is formatted using the eXtended Markup Language (XML).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving the first transaction file, parsing the first transaction file into one or more requests, the one or more requests including a request to perform at least one command of the plurality of commands; and

performing the one or more requests using the first digital video recorder.

8. A device, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory memory unit, configured to store at least instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform actions comprising;

providing a web portal capable of communicating with a first digital video recorder;

receiving channel lineup information for the first digital video recorder, wherein the channel lineup comprises a list of channels selected based on one or more lineup preferences;

displaying the channel lineup information through the web portal;

receiving, through a web portal client interface, a plurality of commands for the first digital video recorder to execute a function;

storing the plurality of commands in a first transaction file;

receiving, from the first digital video recorder, a request for the first transaction file; and

in response to the request, transmitting the first transaction file to the first digital video recorder, wherein the first transaction file includes the plurality of commands.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving, through the web portal, a second command for the operation of a second digital video recorder different from the first digital video recorder;

storing the second command in a second transaction file;

receiving, from the second digital video recorder, a request for the second transaction file; and

in response to the request, transmitting the second transaction file to the second digital video recorder.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the one or more lineup preferences comprise a preference to delete a channel from program guide information.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the list of channels is further selected based on whether a channel is available to the first digital video recorder.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of commands comprises at least one command selected from the group of commands consisting of:

a command to add a request to record a show, a command to add a channel to a channel guide, a commands to delete a request to record a show, a command to delete a channel from the channel guide, and a command to modify a parameter of a channel of the channel guide.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the first transaction file is formatted using the eXtended Markup Language (XML).

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the actions further comprise:

after receiving the first transaction file, parsing the first transaction file into one or more requests, the one or more requests including a request to perform at least one command of the plurality of commands; and

performing the one or more requests using the first digital video recorder.

15. A non-transitory computer readable memory, configured to store at least instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform actions comprising:

providing a web portal capable of communicating with a first digital video recorder;

receiving channel lineup information for the first digital video recorder, wherein the channel lineup comprises a list of channels selected based on one or more lineup preferences;

displaying the channel lineup information through the web portal;

receiving, through a web portal client interface, a plurality of commands for the first digital video recorder to execute a function;

storing the plurality of commands in a first transaction file;

receiving, from the first digital video recorder, a request for the first transaction file; and

in response to the request, transmitting the first transaction file to the first digital video recorder, wherein the first transaction file includes the plurality of commands.

16. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the actions further comprise:

receiving, through the web portal, a second command for the operation of a second digital video recorder different from the first digital video recorder;

storing the second command in a second transaction file;

receiving, from the second digital video recorder, a request for the second transaction file; and

in response to the request, transmitting the second transaction file to the second digital video recorder.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the one or more lineup preferences comprise a preference to delete a channel from program guide information.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the list of channels is further selected based on whether a channel is available to the first digital video recorder.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the plurality of commands comprises at least one command selected from the group of commands consisting of:

a command to add a request to record a show, a command to add a channel to a channel guide, a commands to delete a request to record a show, a command to delete a channel from the channel guide, and a command to modify a parameter of a channel of the channel guide.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the first transaction file is formatted using the eXtended Markup Language (XML).

21. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the actions further comprise:

after receiving the first transaction file, parsing the first transaction file into one or more requests, the one or more requests including a request to perform at least one command of the plurality of commands; and

performing the one or more requests using the first digital video recorder.