Real-time DVR usage and reporting system
View Patent ↗Techniques for real-time DVR usage and reporting enable using instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time DVR usage data and to report data reflecting such usage in real-time. An example of DVR usage data comprises data reflecting that a viewer is viewing a video program which is R-rated. Another example of DVR usage data comprises a viewer entering a password, such as a kids zone password, to exit kids zone operational mode.
1. A method, comprising:
detecting, by a device, that one or more particular activities are being performed at the device, the one or more particular activities involving at least one of: the device receiving a request that begins playback of particular content, the device starting to record particular content, the device completing recording of particular content, or the device changing to a different operational mode that applies different restriction criteria on content available for presentation through the device; and
responsive to detecting that the one or more particular activities are being performed at the device, automatically sending, by the device, message information reflecting the one or more particular activities in real-time in one or more instant messages to a receiving device.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the device is a digital video recorder (DVR).
3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the receiving device is any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a server.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more instant messages cause the receiving device to perform one or more post-processing activities, responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages.
5. A method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the one or more post-processing activities comprise any of:
updating a log file with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device;
updating one or more database tables with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device; or
sending a second instant message containing information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device to any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a second server.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise exiting out of a first operational mode and entering a second operational mode.
7. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise playing a media content with a rating equal to or greater than a threshold.
8. A method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages and prior to performing one or more post-processing activities, the one or more instant messages causing the receiving device to check a rules list and to determine one or more rules to follow from the rules list;
wherein the receiving device performing one or more post-processing activities is based, in part, on the one or more determined rules.
9. A method, comprising:
receiving, at a server, one or more instant messages from a remote device in real-time reflecting one or more particular activities taking place-in real-time at the remote device, the one or more particular activities involving at least one of the remote device receiving a request that begins playback of particular content, the remote device starting to record particular content, the remote device completing recording of particular content, or the remote device changing to a different operational mode that applies different restriction criteria on content available for presentation through the device; and
responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages, the server performing one or more post-processing activities.
10. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the remote device is a DVR.
11. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the one or more post-processing activities comprise any of:
updating a log file with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device;
updating one or more database tables with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device; or
sending a second instant message containing information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device to any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a second server.
12. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise exiting out of a first operational mode and entering a second operational mode.
13. A method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise playing a media content with a rating equal to or greater than a threshold.
14. A method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising:
responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages and prior to performing one or more post-processing activities, the server checking a rules list and determining one or more rules to follow from the rules list based, in part, on the one or more particular activities taking place in real-time on the remote device;
wherein the receiving device performing one or more post-processing activities is based, in part, on the one or more determined rules.
15. An apparatus, comprising:
a detector subsystem for detecting, by a device, that one or more particular activities are being performed at the device, the one or more particular activities involving at least one of: the device receiving a request to begin playback of particular content, the device starting to record particular content, the device completing recording of particular content, or the device changing to a different operational mode that applies different restriction criteria on content available for presentation through the device; and
a sending subsystem for automatically sending, by the device, message information reflecting the one or more particular activities in real-time in one or more instant messages to a receiving device, responsive to detecting that the one or more particular activities are being performed at the device.
16. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the device is a digital video recorder (DVR).
17. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 , the receiving device is any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a server.
18. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more instant messages cause the receiving device to perform one or more post-processing activities, responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages.
19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18 , wherein the one or more post-processing activities comprise any of:
updating a log file with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device;
updating one or more database tables with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device; or
sending a second instant message containing information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device to any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a second server.
20. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise exiting out of a first operational mode and entering a second operational mode.
21. An apparatus as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise playing a media content with a rating equal to or greater than a threshold.
22. An apparatus as recited in claim 18 , wherein responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages and prior to performing one or more post-processing activities, the one or more instant messages cause the receiving device to check a rules list and to determine one or more rules to follow from the rules list; and
wherein the receiving device performing one or more post-processing activities is based, in part, on the one or more determined rules.
23. An apparatus, comprising:
a receiver for receiving, at a server, one or more instant messages from a remote device in real-time reflecting one or more particular activities taking place-in real-time at-the remote device, the one or more particular activities involving at least one of: the remote device receiving a request that begins playback of particular content, the remote device starting to record particular content, the remote device completing recording of particular content, or the remote device changing to a different operational mode that applies different restriction criteria on content available for presentation through the device; and
a post-processor for performing one or more post-processing activities, at the server, responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages.
24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the remote device is a second DVR.
25. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the post-processor further comprises any of:
a logging subsystem for updating a log file with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device;
a database subsystem for updating one or more database tables with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device; or
a sending subsystem for sending a second instant message containing information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device to any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a second server.
26. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise exiting out of a first operational mode and entering a second operational mode.
27. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise playing a media content with a rating equal to or greater than a threshold.
28. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 , further comprising:
a rules subsystem for checking a rules list and for determining one or more rules to follow from the rules list based, in part, on the one or more particular activities taking place in real-time on the remote device, responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages and prior to performing one or more post-processing activities;
wherein the receiving device performing one or more post-processing activities is based, in part, on the one or more determined rules.
29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
detecting, by a device, that one or more particular activities are being performed at the device, the one or more particular activities involving at least one of: the device receiving a request to begin playback of particular content, the device starting to record particular content, the device completing recording of particular content, or the device changing to a different operational mode that applies different restriction criteria on content available for presentation through the device; and
responsive to detecting that the one or more particular activities are being performed at the device, automatically sending, by the device, message information reflecting the one or more particular activities in real-time in one or more instant messages to a receiving device.
30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29 , wherein the device is a digital video recorder (DVR).
31. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29 , wherein the receiving device is any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a server.
32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29 , wherein the one or more instant messages cause the receiving device to perform one or more post-processing activities, responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages.
33. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 32 , wherein the one or more post-processing activities comprise any of:
updating a log file with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device;
updating one or more database tables with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device; or
sending a second instant message containing information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the device to any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a second server.
34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise exiting out of a first operational mode and entering a second operational mode.
35. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 29 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise playing a media content with a rating equal to or greater than a threshold.
36. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 32 , further comprising instructions which when executed cause the step of:
responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages and prior to performing one or more post-processing activities, the one or more instant messages causing the receiving device to check a rules list and to determine one or more rules to follow from the rules list;
wherein the receiving device performing one or more post-processing activities is based, in part, on the one or more determined rules.
37. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
receiving, at a server, one or more instant messages from a remote device in real-time reflecting one or more particular activities taking place in real-time at the remote device, the one or more particular activities involving at least one of: the remote device receiving a request that begins playback of particular content, the remote device starting to record particular content, the remote device completing recording of particular content, or the remote device changing to a different operational mode that applies different restriction criteria on content available for presentation through the device; and
responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages, the server performing one or more post-processing activities.
38. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37 , wherein the remote device is a DVR.
39. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37 , wherein the one or more post-processing activities comprise any of:
updating a log file with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device;
updating one or more database tables with information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device; or
sending a second instant message containing information that is associated with the one or more particular activities being performed on the remote device to any of a DVR, a personal computer, a portable device, or a second server.
40. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise exiting out of a first operational mode and entering a second operational mode.
41. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37 , wherein the one or more particular activities comprise playing a media content with a rating equal to or greater than a threshold.
42. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 37 , further comprising instructions which when executed cause:
responsive to receiving the one or more instant messages and prior to performing one or more post-processing activities, the server checking a rules list and determining one or more rules to follow from the rules list based, in part, on the one or more particular activities taking place in real-time on the remote device;
wherein the receiving device performing one or more post-processing activities is based, in part, on the one or more determined rules.