HK1179449B - Recommended recording and downloading guides - Google Patents

Description

Recommended recording and download guidance

The present application is a divisional application of a patent application having an application date of 2007, 6/2, and an application number of CN200780007271.8, entitled "recommended recording and download guidance".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to Digital Video Recorders (DVRs).

Background

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Accordingly, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

The introduction of DVRs into the consumer world has revolutionized the way viewers watch and record television programs. DVRs eliminate the complexity of VCRs and the need for videotapes. DVRs record television programs on hard disk drives that are capable of storing large numbers of television programs. Because DVRs are typically box-shaped and often placed on top of a television set to which they are connected, DVRs are often included in a broad class of devices now referred to as "set-top boxes". More like a VCR, a DVR receives as input one or more television signals (which may represent television programs and/or movies) from a cable or satellite antenna (or, in some cases, from a broadband network connection, unlike a VCR), and also outputs the television signals to a television or other display.

A user of the DVR may instruct the DVR to schedule the recording of specified content that may be broadcast or otherwise transmitted to the DVR at some future time. Thus, the user can schedule the work of automatically recording content before the time the DVR receives the content. For example, the user can instruct the DVR to record unspecified content that is to be broadcast on a specified channel, starting at a specified data time and ending at another specified time. In another example, the user can instruct the DVR to record a particular show (on a specified channel and starting at a specified date and time) of a particular movie, a particular event, or a particular episode of a multi-episode television series. In another example, the user can instruct the DVR to record an instance of a particular movie, a particular event, or a particular episode of a multi-episode television series that is to be broadcast next, without specifying the date, time, or channel on which the instance is to be broadcast. In another example, the user can instruct the DVR to record all (or all first-run) episodes of a multi-episode television series on a specified channel without specifying the dates and times at which those episodes are to be broadcast. In another example, the user can instruct the DVR to record all (or all first-run) episodes of a movie, event, or multi-episode television series that are related to a particular keyword, a particular actor, and/or a particular director without specifying the titles, channels, or broadcast times of these instances.

While some modern DVRs give DVR users a number of options for programming those DVRs to record upcoming content in an automated manner, DVR users may still be overwhelmed by the large number and variety of available television programming. Many DVR users have difficulty deciding which broadcasted content they want their DVRs to record. Some DVR users are largely unaware of the broadcasted content, and may be interested if they are aware of the existence of such content. DVRs may often feel that they are drifting in the ocean for a large amount of content without a reliable compass to guide them.

Drawings

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system by which a DVR user may "subscribe" to a recommended list of recording and/or downloading suggestions for a recommending entity, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a technique for enabling a DVR to record and/or download suggestions using a recommending entity, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an example of the operation and internal structure of a DVR, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a system on which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 5 shows a list of recommending entities that may be displayed by a DVR, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows an example of a DVR display screen that provides additional information regarding selectable recommending entities, according to one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 shows an example of a DVR display screen that lists recommended suggestions that are mapped to a particular recommending entity, according to one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.

In the discussion that follows, like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Embodiments are described herein according to the following outline:

1.0 general overview

2.0 System structural overview

3.0 example techniques

4.0 DVR dedicated to recommended suggestions

5.0 example DVR

6.0 execution mechanisms-hardware overview

1.0 general overview

The systems and techniques described herein help a DVR user decide which content the user's DVR will record and/or download. According to one such technique, a recommending entity other than the DVR user or owner sends a list of one or more recommended recording and/or downloading suggestions to the DVR service provider (e.g., TiVo corporation). In many cases, the entities are well known organizations that have specific interests of a very broad recognition agenda (recognizedagenda) or cater to a broad recognized and defined group of people (e.g., sports enthusiasts, video game enthusiasts, animation enthusiasts, car enthusiasts, fitness enthusiasts, travel enthusiasts, music enthusiasts, shopping enthusiasts, food enthusiasts, pet owners, home owners, parents, women, men, adults, children, the elderly, religious beliefs, publishers, political party members, liberals, conservatives, singles, people with different lifestyles, and so forth). In other cases, the entity may be an individual who has some opinion regarding the content that the DVR should record and/or download.

For example, the list may include one or more titles, keywords, directors, actors, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) (for downloadable content), TiVoID, etc. recommended by the entity (TiVoID is a target identifier assigned to content by TiVo corporation. Thus, a recommended recording or download suggestion may include one or more criteria that the content needs to meet in order for the content to become a considered content that the corresponding recommending entity recommends recording or downloading. The list may include instances of particular movies, events or multi-episode television series and particular episodes of those series, and/or downloaded files. The recommended recording and/or downloading suggestions may be directed to the interests of persons who are typical members of or otherwise related to the recommending entity. The DVR service provider may receive the recommended list of recording and/or downloading suggestions from the recommending entity in any of a variety of ways. For example, the recommending entity may submit a list of recommended suggestions to the DVR service provider over the Internet via the DVR service provider's website. In another example, the recommending entity may call the DVR service provider or an employee thereof and verbally transmit the list to the DVR service provider over the telephone. The DVR service provider may establish and store (e.g., in a database) a mapping between the recommending entity and a list of recommended recording and/or downloading suggestions.

Over time, the DVR service provider may receive such lists from multiple different recommending entities and establish a separate recommending entity-to-list mapping for each recommending entity. The DVR service provider may display the identifiers (e.g., names) of the recommending entities that map to the list of recommended suggestions on an internet-accessible web page or a screen displayed by the DVR. For example, FIG. 5 shows a list of recommending entities that may be displayed by a DVR, according to one embodiment of the invention. The list shown in fig. 5 includes the recommending entities "public sensory media (commonsemnedia)", "parental selection foundation (PatentsChoiceFoundation)", "parental television studios (ParentsTelevisionCouncil)" and "TiVo presentation E/I programming (tiveposentse/IProgramming)".

In one embodiment of the invention, a DVR user may log into a DVR service provider's website or other information system by providing the website or other information system with (a) a user identifier (e.g., an identity that uniquely identifies the DVR user, DVR service account, and/or DVR unit), and (b) a relevant credential (e.g., a password) using an Internet browser (e.g., Mozilla Firefox) or other client device (e.g., a mobile communication device or DVR). The DVR user may select one or more of those recommending entities listed on the DVR service provider's web page or on a DVR's displayed screen. FIG. 6 shows an example of a DVR-displayed screen that provides additional information regarding selectable recommending entities, according to one embodiment of the invention. The screen shown in fig. 6 provides descriptive information about the selectable recommending entity "public sensory media" and provides the DVR user with additional choices such as "get this guide" (gethisguide) and "view upcoming programs" (viewupcomengprograms). In one embodiment of the invention, selection of the "get this guide" option by the DVR user indicates that the DVR user has selected the recommending entity and wishes to "subscribe" to the recommending suggestions of the recommending entity. In one embodiment of the invention, the recommending entities may be mapped to a plurality of different lists of recommended suggestions, and the DVR user's selection of a particular recommending entity causes a different set of lists to be presented to the user than those mapped to the particular recommending entity. The user can then select any of the presentation lists that is of interest to the user.

For each recommending entity or list of recommended suggestions that the DVR user selects (e.g., by selecting "get this guide" from an on-screen display menu such as that shown in fig. 6), the DVR service provider may establish and store (e.g., in a database) a mapping between the user DVR unit and one or more lists of user selections that have been mapped to the recommending entity. A particular DVR unit may be mapped to a list of multiple recommended suggestions and a particular list of recommended suggestions may be mapped to multiple DVR units. In one embodiment of the invention, each DVR unit-to-list mapping may also indicate one or more user-selected exceptions to the list of recommended suggestions indicated by the mapping.

In one embodiment of the invention, the DVR user may view a list of recommended suggestions that are mapped to a particular recommending entity before deciding whether to select one of the lists that are mapped to that recommending entity. It can be seen that the recommended suggestions that map to a particular recommending entity can help the DVR user decide whether to select or "trust" the recommending entity. For example, FIG. 7 shows an example of a DVR-displayed screen that lists some of the recommended suggestions that are mapped to a particular recommending entity, according to one embodiment of the invention. The screen shown in fig. 7 lists four programs that are included in a list of recommended suggestions that are mapped to "public sensory media" recommending entities. By selecting a particular recommended suggestion (which is currently highlighted as shown in fig. 7), the DVR user can receive descriptive information about the recommended suggestion, for example, about what the recommending entity believes the DVR user should be aware of. The descriptive information may be generated and provided by the recommending entity.

Periodically and/or in response to a particular event, the DVR service provider may automatically determine (via the selection process described above) a set of one or more "candidate" items for each DVR unit associated with at least one recommended suggestion list based, at least in part, on the recommended suggestion lists mapped to the DVR units. In one embodiment of the invention, the DVR service provider may also determine the set of candidate items based at least in part on one or more user-selected exceptions to the recommended suggestion list described above. For example, the DVR service provider may query a database of available content items (e.g., identifiers of content items to be broadcast and/or downloadable) to determine a set of candidate items that meet criteria specified by the recommended suggestions. The DVR service provider may store the set of candidate items determined for a particular DVR unit until the next time that the particular DVR unit synchronizes with the DVR service provider (e.g., over the internet). Alternatively, the DVR service provider may send the set of candidate items to a particular DVR unit immediately.

When the DVR unit synchronizes with the DVR service provider (which may occur periodically), the DVR service provider may transmit all new candidate items (those that have not yet been transmitted to the DVR unit) to the DVR unit. A scheduling mechanism operating within the DVR unit may prioritize and filter new candidate items in view of content items that the DVR unit has already scheduled for recording. Based on the prioritization and filtering, the scheduling mechanism may add one or more candidate items to the set of content items that the DVR unit is scheduled to record and/or download.

Thus, recommending entities other than DVR owners and users may assist those owners and users in selecting content for recording and/or downloading, should such assistance be desired. DVR owners and users may "subscribe" to recommended suggestions by recommending entities that the DVR owner and user know and trust, and the DVR owner and user share interests and/or value through the recommending entities. Additionally, in one embodiment of the invention, users and owners of the DVRs can "unsubscribe (anti-subscribe)" to recommended suggestions of selected recommending entities, so that the DVRs of these users or owners do not record any content suggested by the selected recommending entities.

The embodiments of the invention summarized above will be described in more detail below, along with some alternative embodiments. Although the embodiments of the present invention described below are described in the context of a DVR, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, devices other than a DVR may be substituted and the same operations as a DVR may be performed. For example, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the radio (e.g., satellite radio) receiver and/or recorder may be designed to record audio content that is suggested by the recommending entity to which the radio owner has subscribed a recommendation list. 2.0 System structural overview

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system by which a DVR user may "subscribe" to a recommending entity's list of recommended recording and/or downloading suggestions, according to one embodiment of the invention. The system shown is but one of a number of different systems in which various embodiments of the invention may be implemented. Other systems in which embodiments of the invention may be implemented may include more or fewer elements than shown in fig. 1.

The system shown in fig. 1 includes a recommending entity's Personal Computer (PC) 104, the internet 102, a DVR service provider's web server 106, a database 118, a DVR user's PC112, a DVR108 (e.g., as described with reference to fig. 5 below), a LAN110, a television content provider 116 (e.g., a broadcaster, a satellite television provider, a cable television provider, etc.), and a downloadable content provider's web server 114. Both DVR108 and DVR user's PC112 are connected (physically or wirelessly) to LAN 110. Typically, DVR108, LAN110, and DVR user's PC112 will all be located in the same residence.

DVR108 receives, records, and presents television content that DVR108 receives from television content provider 116. LAN110 is connected to internet 102. Through LAN110, DVR user's PC112 and DVR108 may communicate with other devices that are also connected to Internet 102. DVR service provider's web server 106 is also connected to internet 102. DVR service provider network server 106 and DVR108 may communicate with each other through Internet 102 and LAN110 using network services protocols. The DVR user's PC112 may execute an Internet browser application (e.g., Mozilla Firefox). DVR user's PC112 and DVR service provider's web server 106 may communicate with each other through Internet 102 and LAN110 using Hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

DVR service provider web server 106 is connected to database 118. DVR service provider network server 106 also stores data into database 118 and retrieves data from database 118. A downloadable content provider's web server 114 is also connected to the internet 102. DVR108 may download content (e.g., files) from downloadable content provider's web server 114 through Internet 102 and LAN110 using, for example, HTTP and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) protocols.

The recommending entity's PC104 is also connected to the internet 102. The recommending entity's PC104 can communicate with DVR service provider web server 106 through the internet 102 using, for example, the HTTP protocol. The recommending entity's PC104 may execute an internet browser application. The recommending entity's PC104 may be a personal computer, server, or other type of computing device. In one embodiment of the invention, the recommending entity creates a list of recommendations on its own PC and then sends the recommendations to an intermediate network server, which sends the recommendations to DVR service provider's network server 106.

3.0 example techniques

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the technical steps for enabling a DVR to record and/or download suggestions using a recommending entity, according to one embodiment of the invention. In various alternative embodiments of the invention, more or fewer steps than those shown in FIG. 2 may be performed.

At block 202, a list of one or more recommended suggestions is received from a recommending entity. For example, a DVR service provider may receive such a list. The recommended suggestions may identify content to be broadcast (e.g., movies, events, television series, episodes in a television series, etc.) that the recommending entity recommends for future recording by the DVR. Additionally or alternatively, the recommended suggestions may identify downloadable content (e.g., a file located at a particular URL accessed through the downloadable content provider's web server 114) that the recommending entity recommends for downloading by the DVR. Additionally or alternatively, the recommended suggestions may specify search queries that, when executed by the DVR, will result in a set of query-matching DVR-available content being determined.

For example, a recommending entity (e.g., a parent tv council) may submit such a list to the DVR service provider, which may be submitted by: (a) a URL that directs an internet browser (on the recommending entity's PC 104) to a web page accessible through DVR service provider's web server 106; (b) enter recommended suggestions into the form of the web page, and (c) submit the completed form to DVR service provider's web server 106. The list may be submitted through a network service provided by the DVR service provider. DVR service provider's web server 106 may receive the list over internet 102. Alternatively, the recommending entity may mail such a list to the DVR service provider's email address. In this case, the DVR service provider may receive the list through the postal system.

The recommended suggestions may identify individual content items by, for example, channel and title or start and end broadcast times, and/or by URL or other identifier (for downloadable content). The recommended suggestions may identify multiple episodes of a television series by channel and title. The recommended suggestions may identify keywords, actors, and/or directors. The recommended suggestions that identify a keyword, actor, or director may, in fact, indirectly identify a set of content items that are relevant to the keyword, actor, or director. For example, a recommendation suggestion identifying a director stanley kubrick may indirectly identify a recommendation suggestion where the title is "eyes widehut", "fullmetaljack", "the shinning", "AClockworkOrange", "2001: SpaceOdyssey, Dr.Strangelove, and Spartacus. The recommended suggestions may identify a particular level (e.g., a number of stars), in which case the recommended suggestions may identify a set of content items associated with a level at least as high as the particular level. The recommended suggestions may identify a particular genre (e.g., horror, drama, stage play, action, science fiction, adventure, adult, etc.), in which case the recommended suggestions may identify a set of content items that are related to the genre. The recommended suggestion may identify a period (e.g., minutes), in which case, according to the suggestion, the recommended suggestion may identify a set of content items that are not longer than or not shorter than the period in time-wise length. The user may subscribe to recommended suggestions directly from the DVR. In one embodiment of the invention, the recommendation suggestion may comprise a logical statement including one or more logical operators (e.g., "and", "or", "not", etc.) that connect together or represent a relationship between two or more sets of conditions. In such embodiments of the invention, the recommended suggestions may identify a set of content items based on the values of the suggested logical statements containing logical operators.

At block 204, the identifier of the recommending entity is mapped to the list received at block 202. Thus, an entity-list mapping is established. For example, the DVR service provider may store (manually or automatically via DVR service provider's web server 106) a mapping between the entity identifier and a list of recommended suggestions that the DVR service provider received from the entity in database 118. In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of different lists may be received from and mapped to the same recommending entity.

At block 206, user selection data is received. The user selection data represents a user selection of a list of recommended suggestions, the list mapped to a recommending entity that recommended the selection. An example of a set of recommending entities is shown in FIG. 5. For example, a user of DVR108 may direct an Internet browser (executing on DVR user's PC 112) to a web page accessible through service provider's web server 106. The web page (which may be dynamically generated in response to a request for the web page) may list all recommending entities that have submitted a list of recommended suggestions to the DVR service provider (e.g., recommending entities for which an all entities-to-list mapping has been established in database 118). With its browser, the user can select a particular recommending entity. In one embodiment of the invention, a user may select multiple recommending entities. Typically, the selected recommending entity or entities are those with which the user is familiar, trusted, or whose opinion is substantially agreed to by the user. DVR service provider's web server 106 may receive identifiers of the selected entity or entities from the user over internet 102. After selecting one or more recommending entities, the user may select one or more lists from the lists mapped to the selected recommending entities.

At block 208, the list identifier identified by the user selection data received at block 206 is mapped to a particular DVR associated with the user from whom the user selection data was received. Thus, a mapping of at least one DVR to the list of recommended suggestions is established. For example, during a login process for a session in which the user selects the recommending entity at the same time, the user may provide an identifier of the user, or an identifier of a user account, or an identifier of DVR108 to DVR service provider's web server 106. Using the provided information and other information stored in database 118, DVR service provider's web server 106 may determine that the user is associated with DVR 108. DVR service provider's web server 106 may store the mapping between the selected list and DVR108 in database 118.

In the mapping, DVR108 may be identified by a DVR identifier that is not related to other DVRs. For example, the DVR identifier may be located on a tag that is connected to DVR 108. A user may submit a DVR identifier to a DVR service provider when the user registers for DVR108 and establishes an account with the DVR service provider; thus, database 118 may already contain mappings between DVR108 and DVR users. In one embodiment of the invention, DVR108 is not owned or operated by the recommending entity.

At block 210, one or more candidate items are automatically selected from a set of content items based at least in part on the DVR-list mapping established at block 208. The candidate items may identify certain specific displays (specific channels at specific times on specific dates) of the content to be broadcast. Alternatively, the candidate item may identify a URL of a file (e.g., a file located on the downloadable content provider's web server 114).

For example, DVR service provider's web server 106 may determine one or more lists that map to DVRs 108 in database 118. For each recommended suggestion in each such list, DVR service provider's web server 106 may select one or more candidate items from database 118 based on the recommended suggestion.

For example, if the recommended suggestion identifies a particular content item (e.g., a particular display of content to be broadcast), then DVR service provider's web server 106 may select a candidate item that identifies the content item. If the recommended suggestion identifies a multi-episode series, the DVR service provider's web server 106 may select a plurality of candidate items, each candidate item identifying a separate episode in the series. If the recommended suggestion identifies a keyword, actor, or director, DVR service provider's web server 106 may select a number of candidate items that identify content to be broadcast that is relevant to the keyword, actor, or director. If the recommended suggestion identifies a URL, DVR service provider's web server 106 may select or create a candidate item that identifies the URL. Alternatively, DVR service provider's web server 106 may send recommended suggestions to DVR108, and DVR108 may select and/or search for candidate items based on the recommended suggestions.

At block 212, an identifier of the selected candidate is sent to the particular DVR. For example, network server 106 of the DVR service provider may send the identifiers of the candidates selected at block 210 to DVR 108. For example, DVR service provider's web server 106 may send an identifier of the selected candidate item over Internet 102 using a web services protocol. DVR108 may receive and store the identifiers of the selected candidates. A scheduling mechanism executing on DVR108 may automatically prioritize and filter candidate items based on the content DVR108 has scheduled to record. Those candidate items that pass filtering (i.e., those that do not conflict with the high-priority content that DVR108 has scheduled for recording) may be scheduled for recording.

If one or more of the selected candidate items identify a URL, DVR108 may automatically download and locally store the file located at the URL. For example, DVR108 may automatically download files from downloadable content provider's web server 114 via Internet 102. For example, the file may be a video file that the user of DVR108 may later view at his convenience.

In one embodiment of the invention, the web page sent by DVR service provider's web server 106 to DVR user's PC112 indicates each recommended suggestion for each selected recommending entity that is indicated in the user selection data (received in block 206). For example, the web page may display identifiers of three television series that the recommending entity suggests for recording. In one embodiment of the invention, the web page additionally includes a control section that allows the user to "exclude (opt)" one or more recommended suggestions. For example, next to the identifier of each tv series, the web page may display a check box (checkbox) that defaults to check (check), but the user may cancel the check (uncheck) to "exclude" the corresponding series. Recommended suggestions that the user has "excluded" may be annotated in the database 118, e.g., the "exclusion" of a recommended suggestion may map to an identifier of the user's DVR. In one embodiment of the invention, the candidate item is not selected based on any of those user's "excluded" recommendation suggestions (at block 210). For example, if the user has canceled the check box next to the identifier of the second of the three televised series, the DVR service provider's web server 106 may select a candidate item based on the first and third televised series, rather than the second televised series. Thus, if the user does not fully agree to the recommendations of the entities, the user may further customize the recommendations of the recommending entities according to the user's objectives.

After obtaining a content item by DVR108 in response to a recommended suggestion as described above, the list of content items available for viewing that DVR108 displays to the user may display, in addition to other information about the content item, some data identifying the recommending entity whose recommendation caused DVR108 to obtain the content item. For example, in a "now playing" list or menu, DVR108 may display an icon submitted by a recommending entity whose recommendation caused DVR108 to obtain the content item, next to the title of the content item obtained in the manner described above. In one embodiment of the invention, the screen layout (including menu items, background, etc.) presented by DVR108 is specifically customized by the recommending entity.

4.0 DVR dedicated to recommended suggestions

As described above, the techniques of various embodiments of the invention allow a DVR user to "subscribe" to recommended suggestions of one or more user-selected recommending entities. Depending on the scheduling restrictions and conflicts, the DVR user's DVR may automatically record programs that are contained in the recommended suggestion list of the recommending entity that the DVR user has selected. However, in at least one embodiment of the invention, this does not prevent the DVR user from planning the recording of other programs that are not included in any list of recommended suggestions for any recommending entity that the DVR user has selected.

There may be situations where it is desirable to limit the recording, downloading, and/or viewing of content through a DVR. For example, an elementary school may have a number of DVRs that the elementary school wishes to use to automatically record educational programs. The elementary school may wish to ensure that the DVR is not used to view or record or download non-educational content and/or content that is not suitable for viewing by the elementary school student.

Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the DVR provides a user-selectable option that places the DVR in a "recommend suggestion specific" mode of operation. The DVR may require that the user submit an authorization password in order to place the DVR in that mode or to place the DVR in a different mode when the DVR is placed in that mode. According to one embodiment of the invention, when the DVR is in a "recommended-suggestion-specific" mode, the DVR is prevented from recording or downloading any content that is not included in the recommended suggestions of the at least one recommending entity that the DVR user has selected. Thus, elementary school children may be prevented from instructing the DVR to record or download content that the teacher-selected recommending entity does not suggest. According to one embodiment of the invention, when the DVR is in a "recommend suggest dedication" mode, additional recommending entities cannot be selected or added to the DVR-selected recommending entity list without submitting an authorized password. Therefore, elementary school children can be prevented from adding recommending entities that the teacher does not agree with to the DVR-related selected recommending entity list.

According to one embodiment of the invention, when the DVR is in a "recommend suggest dedication" mode, the DVR cannot be used to watch live television unless the live television includes a program that the DVR is currently recording. For example, when in the "recommend suggestions dedicated" mode, the DVR may be prevented from displaying any content that the DVR is not currently recording or has not previously recorded. Thus, elementary school children may be prevented from using the DVR to tune to a channel that presents programs that are not within any of the recommended suggestions of any of the recommending entities selected by the teacher.

5.0 example DVR

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the operation and internal structure of a DVR, according to one embodiment of the invention. Examples of internal structures and DVR operation are further described in U.S. patent No. 6,233,389, which is hereby incorporated by reference as original disclosure.

The DVR shown in fig. 3 comprises an input module 301, a media switch 302, and an output module 303. Input module 301 receives any of various forms of Television (TV) input streams. For example, the TV input stream received through input module 301 may be in the form of a national television System Standard (NTSC) compliant signal or a PAL compliant broadcast signal. In another example, the TV input stream received by input module 301 is in a digital format such as a Digital Satellite System (DSS) compliant signal, a Digital Broadcast Service (DBS) compliant signal, or an Advanced Television Standards Committee (ATSC) compliant signal. DBS, DSS, and ATSC are based on a standard known as moving Picture experts group 2 (MPEG-2) and the MPEG-2 transport standard. MPEG-2 transmission is the formatting of a digital data stream from a TV source transmitter so that a TV receiver can parse the input stream to find programs in a multi-channel signal. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the input module 301 generates streams encoded with different codecs.

MPEG-2 multiplexing supports multiple programs on the same broadcast channel, multiplexed (multiple) with multiple video and audio transport signals (feeds) and private data. The input module 301 tunes a channel to a particular program, decompresses a specified MPEG stream from the channel, and feeds the MPEG stream to the rest of the system. Analog TV signals are encoded into a similar MPEG format using separate video and audio encoders so that the rest of the system is not aware of how the signal was obtained. Information can be modulated into the vertical blanking interval (vertical blanking interval vbi) of an analog TV signal in a number of standard ways; for example, the North American Broadcast Text Standard (NABTS) may be used to modulate information on some lines of an NTSC signal, and the FCC approves some other lines for close-latency (cc) and Extended Data Services (EDS). Such signals are decoded by the input module 301 and passed to the other modules as if the signals had been sent over an MPEG-2 private data channel.

The media switch 302 is interposed between the microprocessor CPU306, the hard disk or storage device 305, and the memory 304. The input stream is converted to an MPEG stream and sent to the media switch 302. The media switch 302 buffers the MPEG stream into the memory 304. Then, if the DVR user is watching real-time television, media switch 302 performs two operations: the media switch 302 sends the MPEG stream to the output module 303 and simultaneously writes the MPEG stream to the hard disk or storage device 305.

Output module 303 receives the MPEG stream as input and generates analog signals according to NTSC, PAL, or other TV standards. The output module 303 includes an MPEG decoder, an on-screen display (OSD) generator, an analog TV encoder, and audio logic. The OSD generator allows the program logic to provide images that can be superimposed on the resulting TV analog signal. In addition, output module 303 may modulate information provided by the program logic onto the VBI of the output signal in a variety of standard formats, including NABTS, CC, and EDS.

6.0 hardware overview

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a system upon which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. Computer system 400 includes a bus 402 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 404 coupled with bus 402 for processing information. Computer system 400 also includes a main memory 406, such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to bus 402 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 404. Main memory 406 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor 404. Computer system 400 further includes a Read Only Memory (ROM) 408 or other static storage device coupled to bus 402 for storing static information and instructions for processor 404. A storage device 410, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and connected to bus 402 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 400 may be coupled via bus 402 to a display 412, such as a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), for displaying information to a computer user. An input device 414, including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to bus 402 for communicating information and selection commands to processor 404. Another type of user input device is cursor control 416, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and selection commands to processor 404 and for controlling cursor movement on display 412. The input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), allowing the device to specify positions in a plane.

The invention is related to the use of computer system 400 for implementing the techniques described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention, those techniques are performed by computer system 400 in response to processor 404 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in main memory 406. Such instructions may be read into main memory 406 from another machine-readable medium, such as storage device 410. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in main memory 406 causes processor 404 to perform the process steps described herein. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

The term "machine-readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operation in a specific fashion. In one implementation implemented using computer system 400, the various machine-readable media are involved, for example, in providing instructions to processor 404 for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as storage device 410. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory 406. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise bus 402. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during acoustic and infrared data communications. All such media must be tangible to enable the instructions carried by the media to be detected by a physical mechanism that reads the instructions into a machine.

Common forms of machine-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk (flexible disk), a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

The carrying of one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 404 for execution may involve different forms of machine-readable media. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to computer system 400 can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infra-red transmitter to convert the data to an infra-red signal. An infra-red detector can receive the data transmitted in the infra-red signal and appropriate circuitry can place the data on bus 402. Bus 402 carries the data to main memory 406, from which processor 404 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory 406 may optionally be stored on storage device 410 either before or after execution by processor 404.

Computer system 400 also includes a communication interface 418 coupled to bus 402. Communication interface 418 provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 420, and network link 420 is connected to a local network 422. For example, communication interface 418 may be an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, communication interface 418 may be a Local Area Network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a matching LAN. A wireless link may be implemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 418 sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information.

Network link 420 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, network link 420 may provide a connection through local network 422 to a host computer 424 or to data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 426. ISP426 in turn provides data communication services through the wide area data packet communication network now commonly referred to as the "Internet" 428. Local network 422 and internet 428 both use electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams. The signals through the various networks and the signals on network link 420 and through communication interface 418, which carry the digital data to computer system 400 and the data sent by computer system 400, are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information.

Computer system 400 can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), network link 420 and communication interface 418. In an internet embodiment, a server 430 might transmit a requested code for an application program through internet 428, ISP426, local network 422 and communication interface 418.

The received code may be executed by processor 404 as it is received, and/or stored in storage device 410, or stored in another non-volatile storage device for later execution. In this manner, computer system 400 may obtain application program code in the form of a carrier wave.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. Thus, the sole and exclusive indicator of what is the invention, and is intended by the applicants to be the invention, is the set of claims that issue from this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction. Any definitions expressly set forth herein for inclusion in the claims shall govern the meaning of such terms as used in the claims. Hence, no limitation, element, property, feature, advantage or attribute that is not expressly recited in a claim should limit the scope of such claim in any way. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims (10)

1. A method of recording content, comprising:

allowing a device to display live content when not operating in a particular mode, regardless of whether the live content was previously formulated for recording;

receiving user input while the apparatus is not operating in a particular mode, the input selecting one or more recommending entities from a plurality of recommending entities to add to the selected recommending entities for the apparatus;

receiving, at the apparatus, an identifier of a content item from a server, the identifier of the content item selected based on one or more recommended suggestions from one or more recommended entities in a selected list of recommended entities for the apparatus;

formulating one or more records of the content item;

setting the device to the particular operating mode based on a user input;

preventing the apparatus from displaying content that is not currently recorded, or content that has not yet been recorded, while the apparatus is in the particular mode;

preventing the device from recording or downloading new content that has not been suggested by the selected one or more recommending entities while the device is in the particular mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is prevented from displaying content not specified in at least one set of recommended suggestions of at least one recommending entity when the device is in the particular mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more recommending entities comprise at least one recommending entity, wherein the at least one recommending entity is different from the user providing the input.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

automatically customizing a recording of one or more content items in response to receiving the identifier from the server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing a user from selecting additional recommending entities without submitting an authorized password to add a list of selected recommending entities for the device while the device is in the particular mode.

6. An apparatus for recording content, comprising:

a device which is used for controlling the flow of the gas,

a first module that allows the device to display live content when not operating in a particular mode, regardless of whether the live content was previously formulated for recording;

a second module to receive user input selecting one or more recommending entities from a plurality of recommending entities to add to the selected recommending entities for the apparatus while the apparatus is not operating in a particular mode;

a third module that receives, at the apparatus, an identifier of a content item from a server, the identifier of the content item selected based on one or more recommended suggestions from one or more recommended entities in a selected list of recommended entities for the apparatus;

a fourth module that formulates one or more records of the content item;

a fifth module that sets the device to the particular operating mode based on a user input;

a sixth module that prevents the apparatus from displaying content that is not currently recorded or content that has not been recorded when the apparatus is in the specific mode;

a seventh module that prevents the device from recording or downloading new content that has not been suggested by the selected one or more recommending entities while the device is in the particular mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is prevented from displaying content not specified in at least one set of recommended suggestions of at least one recommending entity when the apparatus is in the particular mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein one or more recommending entities comprise at least one recommending entity, wherein the at least one recommending entity is different from the user providing the input.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an eighth module automatically customizes a recording of one or more content items in response to receiving the identifier from the server.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a ninth module that prevents a user from selecting additional recommending entities to add a list of selected recommending entities for the apparatus without submitting an authorized password when the apparatus is in the particular mode.