Client-server based interactive guide with server recording
AssigneeUnited Video Properties, Inc.
InventorsMichael D. Ellis, William L. Thomas, Thomas R. Lemmons
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims30
(canceled)
-329. (canceled)
A method for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
- receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program;
- processing the record request;
- scheduling a recording of the program for storage in a storage device, in the location remote to users, in response to processing the record request;
- recording the program to the storage device in a first video format;
- receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;
- processing the playback request;
- converting the recorded program from the first video format to a second video format;
- and
- causing the converted recorded program to be transmitted to the user equipment in response to processing the playback request.
A system for recording programs in a location remote to users comprising:
- a server in the location remote to the users comprising:
- a storage device;
- communications circuitry configured to:
- receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a record request, generated by a user equipment, to record a program,
- receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, and
- transmit programs, over the communications, to the user equipment;
- and
- control circuitry configured to:
- process the record request,
- schedule a recording of the program for storage in the storage device in response to processing the record request,
- record the program to the storage device in a first video format,
- process the playback request,
- convert the recorded program from the first video format to a second video format, and
- cause the converted recorded program to be transmitted by the communications circuitry, over the communications path, in response to processing the playback request.
A method for storing programs in a location remote to users comprising:
- receiving, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a storage request, generated by a user equipment, to store a program;
- processing the storage request;
- storing the program to a storage device, in the location remote to the users, in a first video format;
- receiving, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment;
- processing the playback request;
- converting the stored program from the first video format to a second video format;
- and
- causing the converted stored program to be transmitted to the user equipment in response to processing the playback request.
A system for storing programs in a location remote to users comprising:
- a server in the location remote to the users comprising:
- a storage device;
- communications circuitry configured to:
- receive, over a communications path using Internet Protocol (IP), a storage request, generated by a user equipment, to store a program,
- receive, over the communications path using IP, a playback request for the program from the user equipment, and
- transmit programs, over the communications path, to the user equipment;
- and
- control circuitry configured to:
- process the storage request,
- store the program to the storage device in a first video format,
- process the playback request,
- convert the stored program from the first video format to a second video format, and
- cause the converted stored program to be transmitted by the communications circuitry in response to processing the playback request.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.