# US 2013/0160040 A1 · Method To Enable Cooperative Processing And Resource Sharing Between Set-Top Boxes, Personal Computers, And Local Devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0160040 A1 - Document ID: US20130160040A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/597,319 - Filed: 2012-08-29 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2002-03-27 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. via transfer from BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation - Inventors: James H. Gray; Scott Russell Swix; P. Thomas Watson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130160040A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/4424: {Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used (error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04)} - H04N 7/15: Conference systems - H04N 7/16: Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems - H04N 21/4113: {PC} - H04N 21/426: Internal components of the client {; Characteristics thereof} (H04N5/44 takes precedence) - H04N 21/42661: {for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive} - H04N 21/42676: {for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem} - H04N 21/43615: {Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805)} - H04N 21/44204: {Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31)} - 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)} - H04N 21/4782: Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV} - H04N 7/106: {for domestic distribution} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A system and method for resource sharing are provided. The method includes storing an electronic programming guide (EPG) application and an EPG, determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the EPG, and communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the other device to download the additional time of the EPG to storage in the other device. The method also includes processing for display monitoring data that indicates remaining storage space in the storage of the other device, querying the other device to determine what programming is being viewed, and processing controls included in the EPG application that enable access to the storage of the other device to interact with the EPG stored on the other device through the local video device to schedule a programming event at the local video device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A video device, comprising: a local memory; a communications element for communicating with the local memory, the local memory storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide; and a processing element for determining when the local memory lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide; the processing element causing the communications element to communicate with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element queries the another device to determine what programming is being viewed at the another device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element processes controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the processing element to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local memory. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element determines that a resource is needed to perform a task. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element queries the another device to determine whether a shared resource associated with the another device is available to a second video device, in response to receiving a resource request from the second video device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element collects a viewing history associated with the another device and processes an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the local memory stores a predetermined amount of recently viewed video content on a revolving basis, and the processing element causes the communications element to communicate with a remote personal computer to send a segment of stored video content to a recipient at a remote location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element deletes content from the local memory due to lack of activity. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The video device of claim 1, wherein the processing element performs a security check that prevents access and copying of pay-per-view video. ### Claim 10 A method of resource sharing, comprising: storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide; determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide; and communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: querying the another device to determine what programming is being viewed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: processing controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the local video device to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local video device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: when a resource is not available, then querying a second device to determine whether a shared resource is available from the second device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising collecting a viewing history associated with the another device and processing an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising storing a predetermined amount of recently viewed video content on a revolving basis, and communicating with a remote personal computer to send a segment of stored video content to a recipient at a remote location. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is encoded instructions for performing: storing an electronic programming guide application and an electronic programming guide; determining when local memory of a local video device lacks capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide; and communicating with another device to transmit a resource request to the another device to download the additional time of the electronic programming guide to storage in the another device upon the local memory lacking capacity to download additional time of the electronic programming guide. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for performing: querying the another device to determine what programming is being viewed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for performing: processing controls included in the electronic programming guide application that enable access to the storage of the another device to interact with the electronic programming guide stored on the another device through the local video device to schedule recording of a broadcast program at the local video device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for performing: when a resource is not available, then querying a second device to determine whether a shared resource is available from the second device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions for performing: collecting a viewing history associated with the another device and to process an instruction to disable the another device when a maximum allowable viewing time is exceeded.