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US 8,798,444 B1Granted
Automatic prioritization of timers based on frequency
AssigneeEchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
InventorDavid Lee Crandall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A television receiver includes control circuitry and a DVR. The control circuitry is configured to receive a request to record first and second media programs to the DVR. The control circuitry determines if there is a scheduling conflict between the first and second media programs. If there is a scheduling conflict the control circuitry counts the number of times that each of the first and second media programs will air in a given time period and assigns a higher recording priority to the media program that will air fewer times.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- receiving, in a television receiver, a request to set a first recording timer to record a first media program;
- receiving, in the television receiver, a request to set a second recording timer to record a second media program;
- checking a recording schedule stored in a memory of the television receiver to determine whether there is a conflict between the first and the second recording timers;
- and
- if there is a conflict between the first and second recording timers, then determining, in a control circuit of the television receiver, a number of times that the first media program is scheduled to be broadcast by reviewing programming guide data stored in the memory;
- and
- assigning, in the control circuit, respective recording priorities to the first and second recording timers based on the number of times that the first program will be broadcast.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving, in a television receiver, a request to record a first media program;
- receiving, in the television receiver, a request to record a second media program;
- determining, in a control circuitry of the television receiver, if there is a scheduling conflict between the first and the second media programs;
- executing a recording priority protocol stored in a memory of the television receiver, the recording priority protocol including;
- counting a number of air times of the first media program;
- and
- counting a number of air times of the second media program;
- assigning respective recording priorities to the first and second media programs based on the recording priority protocol and without receiving user priority input.
5 more elements
A television receiver comprising:
- a media input configured to receive media content;
- a DVR configured to record selected media content;
- a memory configured to store programming data and software instructions for operating the television receiver;
- a media output configured to output media content to a display;
- and
- control circuitry configured to receive a request to record first and second media programs, to check the memory to determine if there is a scheduling conflict between the first and the second media programs, to determine respective numbers of times that the first and second media programs will air in a selected time period, and to assign respective recording priorities to the first and the second media programs based on the respective numbers of times that the first and the second media programs will air.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.