IP Library Granted Patent US 8,175,442
Granted Patent B2
US 8,175,442 · App. 11/537,639 · Granted May 8, 2012

Program recording completion

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,175,442
App. No.
11/537,639
Granted
May 8, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A program recording completion system automatically completes an incomplete program recording of a program. A recording application creates a program recording completion event corresponding to the incomplete program recording which includes program information to automatically complete the incomplete program recording. The recording application can initiate recording a re-broadcast of the program to create a complete program recording, or the recording application can record a segment of a re-broadcast of the program and combine the program segment with the incomplete program recording to create a complete program recording.

Claims (32)

1. A program recording completion system, comprising:

a memory component configured to maintain an incomplete program recording of a program broadcast for viewing;

a recording application configured to:

create a program recording completion event corresponding to the incomplete program recording,

determine a missed-recording time which is a difference between when the program broadcast started and when during the program broadcast the incomplete program recording started,

determine a percentage of a missed-recording time of the program to a total program broadcast time, and

initiate recording a segment of the program when the program is re-broadcast and the percentage is less than a complete program record limit, the program segment and the incomplete program recording maintained with the memory component as a complete program recording.

2. A program recording completion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording application is further configured to create the program recording completion event to include a first time that indicates when during the program broadcast the incomplete program recording started, and to further include a second time that indicates when the program broadcast started.

3. A program recording completion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording application is further configured to create the program recording completion event if a time difference between when the program broadcast started and when the incomplete program recording started is greater than a missed-recording time limit.

4. A program recording completion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording application is further configured to create the program recording completion event if a category of the program is designated for program recording completion.

5. A program recording completion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording application is further configured to compare a composite key of the program with an electronic program guide to determine whether the program will be re-broadcast, the composite key including at least one of a program title, a program description, a broadcast channel number, a program broadcast start time, and a program rating.

6. A program recording completion system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the recording application is further configured to compare a composite key of the program with an electronic program guide to determine whether the program will be re-broadcast, and schedule a record event to record the segment of the program when the program is re-broadcast.

7. A client device, comprising:

a recording application configured to initiate recording a first program segment when a program is broadcast; a memory component configured to maintain the first program segment as an incomplete program recording; and the recording application further configured to determine whether the program will be re-broadcast and initiate recording at least a second program segment, when the program is re-broadcast, to be combined with the first program segment to form a complete program recording, wherein a frame pattern recognition algorithm is implemented to combine the first program segment with the second program segment.

8. A client device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the recording application is further configured to determine whether the program will be re-broadcast, and initiate recording the second program segment when the program is re-broadcast.

9. A client device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the recording application is further configured to receive the second program segment from a content provider via a back-channel communication link.

10. A client device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the recording application is further configured to receive the second program segment from a content provider via a two-way communication link between the client device and the content provider.

11. A client device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the recording application is further configured to communicate a request for the second program segment to a program provider, and receive the second program segment from the program provider.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving a request to record a program;

determining whether a broadcast of the program has already started;

recording a first program segment to create an incomplete program recording if the broadcast of the program has already started;

creating a program recording completion event;

determining when the program will be re-broadcast;

determining a missed-recording time which is a difference between when the program broadcast started and when during the program broadcast the incomplete program recording started;

determining a percentage of a missed-recording time of the program to a total program broadcast time; and

recording a second program segment when the program is re-broadcast if the percentage is less than a complete program record limit, such that the first program segment and the second program segment are together a complete program recording.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising creating the program recording completion event to include a first time that indicates when during the program broadcast the incomplete program recording started, and to further include a second time that indicates when the program broadcast started.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the program recording completion event is created if a time difference between when the program broadcast started and when the incomplete program recording started is greater than a missed-recording time limit.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the program recording completion event is created if a category of the program is designated for program recording completion.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising determining when the program will be re-broadcast by comparing a composite key of the program with an electronic program guide, the composite key including at least one of a program title, a program description, a broadcast channel number, a program broadcast start time, and a program rating.

17. A method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising rendering the second program segment along with the first program segment when receiving a request to playback the program.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2016
From: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
To: ZHIGU HOLDINGS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 040354/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034542/0001 →