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US 10,484,739 B2Granted
Apparatus, systems and methods for synchronizing calendar information with electronic program guide information
AssigneeDISH Technologies L.L.C.
InventorDale Mountain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods of media devices are operable to receive appointment information from an electronic device, wherein the appointment information is defined by a time period for a scheduled appointment for a user, and wherein the scheduled appointment requires the user to be at a remote location that is remote from a location of the media device such that the user is unable to manually operate or use their media device. The media device is configured to automatically modify at least one operation of the media device based on the received appointment information that is associated with the scheduled appointment.
Claims19
A media device, comprising:
- a communication system interface that receives appointment information from an electronic device via a communication system that communicatively couples the electronic device to the media device,
- wherein the appointment information is defined by a time period for a scheduled appointment for a user, and
- wherein the scheduled appointment requires the user to be at a remote location that is remote from a location of the media device such that the user is unable to manually operate or use their media device;
- a media content stream interface configured to receive a broadcasting media content stream;
- a digital video recorder (DVR) that is configured to record a plurality of media content events that are received in the broadcasting media content stream;
- and
- a processor system that:
- automatically modifies presentation of an electronic program guide (EPG) to indicate the time period of the scheduled appointment using a scheduled appointment region that overlays media content event information of the presented modified EPG, wherein the scheduled appointment region presented on the modified EPG indicates at least a start time of the scheduled appointment and an end time of the scheduled appointment;
- receives a first specification of a first media content event that is to be recorded in the DVR when the first media content event is being received in the broadcasting media content stream, wherein the first specification is received via the modified EPG that is being presented to the user;
- receives a second specification of a second media content event that is to be recorded in the DVR when the second media content event is being received in the broadcasting media content stream, wherein the second specification is received via the modified EPG that is being presented to the user;
- and
- determines whether there is sufficient capacity in the DVR to concurrently record the first media content event and the second media content event into the DVR,
- wherein the second media content event is recorded when the second media content event is being received in the broadcasting media content stream only when there is sufficient capacity in the DVR to record both the first media content event and the second media content event.
10 more elements
A media device, comprising:
- a communication system interface that receives appointment information from an electronic device via a communication system that communicatively couples the electronic device to the media device,
- wherein the appointment information identifies an appointment start time and identifies an appointment end time for a scheduled appointment for a user, and
- wherein the scheduled appointment requires the user to be at a remote location that is remote from a location of the media device such that the user is unable to manually operate or use their media device;
- a media content stream interface configured to receive a broadcasting media content stream;
- a digital video recorder (DVR) that is configured to record a plurality of media content events that are received in the broadcasting media content stream;
- and
- a processor system that:
- determines the remote location of the scheduled appointment;
- determines a travel time duration associated with the user travelling from the determined remote location of the scheduled appointment to a location of the media device;
- determines an arrival time, wherein the arrival time corresponds to the determined travel time duration added to the appointment end time;
- compares a scheduled broadcast start time of a media content event of interest with the determined arrival time;
- and
- automatically modifies at least one operation of the media device when the scheduled broadcast start time of the media content event of interest is before the determined arrival time.
10 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving appointment information at a media device from an electronic device via a communication system that communicatively couples the electronic device to the media device,
- wherein the appointment information identifies an appointment start time and identifies an appointment end time for a scheduled appointment for a user, and
- wherein the scheduled appointment requires the user to be at a remote location that is remote from a location of the media device such that the user is unable to manually operate or use their media device;
- receiving a broadcasting media content stream at the media device;
- identifying a media content event of interest to the user, wherein the media content event of interest is scheduled to be broadcast to the media device in the broadcasting media content stream, wherein the scheduled broadcast start time of the media content event of interest is included in electronic program guide (EGP) information stored at the media device;
- determining the remote location of the scheduled appointment;
- determining a travel time duration associated with the user travelling from the determined remote location of the scheduled appointment to a location of the media device;
- determining an arrival time, wherein the arrival time corresponds to the determined travel time duration added to the appointment end time;
- comparing a scheduled broadcast start time of a media content event of interest with the determined arrival time;
- and
- automatically modifying at least one operation of the media device when the scheduled broadcast start time of the media content event of interest is before the determined arrival time.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.