# US 2014/0212113 A1 · Systems and methods for interactive program guides with personal video recording features

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0212113 A1
- Document ID: US20140212113A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/229,758
- Filed: 2014-03-28
- Published: 2014-07-31
- Earliest claimed: 2001-02-21
- Assignees: United Video Properties, Inc.
- Applicants: United Video Properties, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael D. Ellis; Danny R. Gaydou; M. Scott Reichardt; Joseph P. Baumgartner; William L. Thomas
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140212113A1

## CPC

- H04N 21/23406: {involving management of server-side video buffer}
- G11B 27/005: {Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording (for television signals H04N5/783)}
- G11B 27/034: on discs (G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence)
- G11B 27/329: {on a disc [VTOC]}
- G11B 27/34: Indicating arrangements {(indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D)}
- H04N 5/76: Television signal recording
- H04N 7/163: {by receiver means only}
- H04N 7/165: {Centralised control of user terminal (subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345); Registering at central (by two-way working H04N7/17309)}
- H04N 21/2387: Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
- H04N 21/2747: Remote storage of video programmes received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
- H04N 21/4147: PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40})
- H04N 21/4263: {involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners}
- H04N 21/4312: {involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations}
- H04N 21/4314: {for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid}
- H04N 21/4331: {Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback}
- H04N 21/4333: {Processing operations in response to a pause request}
- 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)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/44004: {involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer}
- H04N 21/4532: {involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- H04N 21/454: Content {or additional data} filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
- 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 21/47: End-user applications
- 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)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/4751: {for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children}
- H04N 21/4753: {for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password (cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08)}
- H04N 21/4755: {for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre (retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306)}
- H04N 21/478: Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N 21/4782: Web browsing {, e.g. WebTV}
- H04N 21/482: End-user interface for programme selection
- H04N 21/4828: {for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739)}
- H04N 21/485: End-user interface for client configuration
- H04N 21/4882: {for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders (arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895)}
- H04N 21/632: {using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices (broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104)}
- H04N 21/6587: Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments}
- G11B 2020/10962: {wherein both recording and playback take place simultaneously}
- G11B 2220/41: Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
- H04N 5/782: on tape
- H04N 5/783: Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
- H04N 9/7921: {for more than one processing mode}
- H04N 21/42214: {using alphanumerical characters}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

Methods and systems that provide enhanced personal video recorder (“PVR”) and interactive television program guide (“IPG”) functionality are provided. An interactive television application may be used to display a list of PVR recordings, schedule recordings to a PVR, configure recordings, view a list of scheduled recordings, configure recording settings, or select delete priority settings for recordings. The application may integrate pay-per-view and PVR functionality. The application may send user notifications for changes that are to be made to the recording content of a PVR. Live programming may be buffered by the application using straight buffers that are created for each new program. Parallel buffers for concurrent programs may be implemented using multiple tuners. Straight buffers may be used in managing or controlling the flow of programming. Television content may be automatically paused when a user is using the application. Multiple IPGs for different users of a PVR may be implemented.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-146. (canceled)

### Claim 147

A method comprising:
storing first information identifying media assets that have been stored;
automatically storing second information identifying at least one media asset that has been viewed by a user;
receiving, with control circuitry, a first user selection to cause a media asset series to be stored;
receiving a second user selection not to store media assets in the series that the user has viewed;
determining which media assets in the series have been viewed by the user based on the second information;
automatically selecting for storage only unviewed media assets of the series based on the determining and the second user selection; and
storing the automatically selected unviewed media assets of the series.

### Claim 148 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, further comprising scheduling to record the unviewed media assets of the series.

### Claim 149 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, further comprising retrieving from a database the unviewed media assets of the series.

### Claim 149 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, further comprising preventing the storing of one of the unviewed media assets if the one of the unviewed media assets is already stored.

### Claim 150 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, further comprising generating for display a listing of at least one stored media asset of the unviewed media assets.

### Claim 151 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, further comprising:
receiving a third user selection of a stored media asset; and
playing back the selected stored media asset.

### Claim 152 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, wherein the storing comprises storing the unviewed media assets of the series on a storage device.

### Claim 153 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, wherein the user is a first user and the second information includes a first log, the method further comprising:
maintaining a second log of media assets that have been viewed by a second user;
receiving from the second user a selection to schedule at least one series for storage;
identifying which media assets in the at least one series have been viewed by the second user based on the second log; and
in response to the identifying, storing only those media assets of the at least one selected series that have not been viewed by the second user.

### Claim 154 (depends on 147)

The method of claim 147, wherein the first information is a list of recorded programs.

### Claim 155

A system comprising:
a storage device; and
control circuitry configured to:
store first information identifying media assets that have been stored;
automatically store second information identifying at least one media asset that has been viewed by a user;
receive a first user selection to cause a media asset series to be stored;
receive a second user selection not to store media assets in the series that the user has viewed;
determine which media assets in the series have been viewed by the user based on the second information;
automatically select for storage only unviewed media assets of the series based on the determining and the second user selection; and
store the automatically selected unviewed media assets of the series.

### Claim 156 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to schedule to record the unviewed media assets of the series.

### Claim 157 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to retrieve from a database the unviewed media assets of the series.

### Claim 158 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to prevent the storing of one of the unviewed media assets if the one of the unviewed media assets is already stored.

### Claim 159 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display a listing of at least one stored media asset of the unviewed media assets.

### Claim 160 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
receive a third user selection of a stored media asset; and play back the selected stored media asset.

### Claim 161 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the storing comprises storing the unviewed media assets of the series on a storage device.

### Claim 162 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the user is a first user and the second information includes a first log, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
maintain a second log of media assets that have been viewed by a second user;
receive from the second user a selection to schedule at least one series for storage;
identify which media assets in the at least one series have been viewed by the second user based on the second log; and
in response to the identify, store only those media assets of the at least one selected series that have not been viewed by the second user.

### Claim 163 (depends on 155)

The system of claim 155, wherein the first information is a list of recorded programs.