Client-server based interactive guide with server recording

• US 9,118,948 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Thomas, William L., Lemmons, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US13/918,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20130279887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 386/86, 725/87, 725/89, 725 93- 95
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2318 using striping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4335 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 : for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• 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 21/47217 : for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• 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 21/643 : Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• 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 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive television program guide system is provided. An interactive television program guide provides users with an opportunity to select programs for recording on a remote media server. Programs may also be recorded on a local media server. The program guide provides users with VCR-like control over programs that are played back from the media servers and over real-time cached copies of the programs. The program guide also provides users with an opportunity to designate gift recipients for whom programs may be recorded.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first user equipment associated with a first user, a first record request to record a first program;

in response to receiving the first record request from the first user equipment, directing a first tuner of a plurality of tuners to tune to the first program;

recording the first program received from the first tuner;

receiving, from a second user equipment associated with a second user, a second record request to record a second program;

in response to receiving the second record request from the second user equipment, directing a second tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the second program, wherein the first tuner and the second tuner are located at a remote server; and

simultaneously recording the second program received from the second tuner and at least a portion of the first program received from the first tuner.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a user directory for each user of a plurality of users including the first user and the second user; and

wherein recording the first program comprises recording a copy of the first program to a first user directory of the plurality of user directories, and

wherein recording the second program comprises recording a copy of the second program to a second user directory of the plurality of user directories.

3. The method of claim 2

wherein recording the copy of the first program comprises recording the copy of the first program to a first storage device,

wherein recording the copy of the second program comprises recording the copy of the second program to a second storage device, and

wherein the first storage device and the second storage device are located at the remote server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a retrieval request from the first user equipment to retrieve the recorded copy of the first program; and

in response to receiving the retrieval request, distributing the recorded copy of the first program to the first user equipment for subsequent playback.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving a delete request from the first user equipment to delete the recorded copy of the first program; and

in response to receiving the delete request, deleting the recorded copy of the first program from the user directory of the first user stored on the first storage device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a playback request from the first user equipment to playback the recorded copy of the first program; and

in response to receiving the playback request from the first user equipment, transmitting the recorded copy of the first program to the first user equipment for immediate playback.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a pause request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the pause request, pausing the playback of the first program.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a stop request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the stop request, stopping the playback of the first program.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a fast forward request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the fast forward request, fast forwarding the first program.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a rewind request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the rewind request, rewinding the first program.

11. A system comprising:

a remote server;

a plurality of tuners located at the remote server; and

control circuitry in the remote server configured to;

receive, from a first user equipment associated with a first user, a first record request to record a first program;

in response to receiving the first record request from the first user equipment, direct a first tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the first program;

record the first program received from the first tuner;

receive, from a second user equipment associated with a second user, a second record request to record a second program;

in response to receiving the second record request from the second user equipment, direct a second tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the second program; and

simultaneously record the second program received from the second tuner and at least a portion of the first program received from the first tuner.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

maintain a user directory for each user of a plurality of users including the first user and the second user; and

wherein recording the first program comprises recording a copy of the first program to a first user directory of the plurality of user directories, and

wherein recording the second program comprises recording a copy of the second program to a second user directory of the plurality of user directories.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising:

a first storage device located at the remote server;

a second storage device located at the remote server; and

wherein recording the copy of the first program comprises recording the copy of the first program to the first storage device, and

wherein recording the copy of the second program comprises recording the copy of the second program to the second storage device.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a retrieval request from the first user equipment to retrieve the recorded copy of the first program; and

in response to receiving the retrieval request, distribute the recorded copy of the first program to the first user equipment for subsequent playback.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a delete request from the first user equipment to delete the recorded copy of the first program; and

in response to receiving the delete request, delete the recorded copy of the first program from the user directory of the first user stored on the first storage device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a playback request from the first user equipment to playback the recorded copy of the first program; and

in response to receiving the playback request from the first user equipment, transmit the recorded copy of the first program to the first user equipment for immediate playback.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a pause request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the pause request, pause the playback of the first program.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a stop request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the stop request, stop the playback of the first program.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a fast forward request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the fast forward request, fast forward the first program.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive a rewind request from the first user equipment during playback of the first program; and

in response to receiving the rewind request, rewind the first program.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first user equipment associated with a first user, a first record request to record a first program;

in response to receiving the first record request from the first user equipment, directing a first tuner of a plurality of tuners to tune to the first program;

recording the first program received from the first tuner;

receiving, from a second user equipment associated with a second user, a second record request to record a second program;

in response to receiving the second record request from the second user equipment, directing a second tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the second program, wherein the first tuner and the second tuner are located at a server; and

simultaneously recording the second program received from the second tuner and at least a portion of the first program received from the first tuner.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the server is a local server.

23. A system comprising:

a server;

a plurality of tuners located at the server; and

control circuitry in the server configured to;

receive, from a first user equipment associated with a first user, a first record request to record a first program;

in response to receiving the first record request from the first user equipment, direct a first tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the first program;

record the first program received from the first tuner;

receive, from a second user equipment associated with a second user, a second record request to record a second program;

in response to receiving the second record request from the second user equipment, direct a second tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the second program; and

simultaneously record the second program received from the second tuner and at least a portion of the first program received from the first tuner.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the server is a local server.

25. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first user equipment associated with a first user, a first record request to record a first program;

in response to receiving the first record request from the first user equipment, directing a first tuner of a plurality of tuners to tune to the first program;

recording the first program received from the first tuner;

receiving, from a second user equipment associated with a second user, a second record request to record a second program;

in response to receiving the second record request from the second user equipment, directing a second tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the second program; and

simultaneously recording the second program received from the second tuner and at least a portion of the first program received from the first tuner.

26. A system comprising:

a plurality of tuners; and

control circuitry configured to;

receive, from a first user equipment associated with a first user, a first record request to record a first program;

in response to receiving the first record request from the first user equipment, direct a first tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the first program;

record the first program received from the first tuner;

receive, from a second user equipment associated with a second user, a second record request to record a second program;

in response to receiving the second record request from the second user equipment, direct a second tuner of the plurality of tuners to tune to the second program; and

simultaneously record the second program received from the second tuner and at least a portion of the first program received from the first tuner.