IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,893,194
Granted Patent B2
US 8,893,194 · App. 12/818,863 · Granted Nov 18, 2014

Personal video recorder systems and methods

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,893,194
App. No.
12/818,863
Granted
Nov 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an interactive television system for recording television programming. The interactive television system may include components for providing personal video recorder (PVR) functionality, such as an interactive television program guide (IPG), PVR extensions, PVR application programming interfaces (APIs), a PVR device, any suitable hardware or software, or a combination thereof. These components may be implemented in, for example, an arrangement having an integrated PVR-compliant device with a PVR device, or in an arrangement having a PVR-compliant device (e.g., a set-top box) coupled to PVR equipment (e.g., a remote PVR server or a PVR sidecar) with a PVR device. The PVR-compliant device may include software and hardware configured to implement the IPG. The PVR APIs may be a library of intelligent vendor-specific and vendor-independent APIs able to determine the type of PVR device being used. The PVR extensions and PVR APIs may be configured to provide a seamless integration of functionality associated with the PVR-compliant device and the PVR device. A full port of the IPG may be implemented in both the PVR-compliant device and the PVR device.

Claims (23)

1. A method for operating a personal video recorder compliant device, the method comprising:

detecting, using a processor, a coupling of a personal video recorder device to the personal video recorder compliant device;

determining, using the processor, a type of the personal video recorder device being used from a plurality of compatible types of personal video recorder devices based on information received from the personal video recorder device; and

selecting, using the processor, a communication method for communicating with the personal video recorder device, from a plurality of available communication methods, based on the determined type of the personal video recorder device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the type of personal video recorder device being used compromises using a handshake protocol to request and receive the information from the personal video recorder device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining the type of personal video recorder device being used compromises using application programming interfaces to interpret in the information received from the personal video recorder device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the application programming interfaces include routines.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the type of personal video recorder device comprises at least one of a model and a manufacturer of the personal video recorder device.

6. A non-transitory machine readable medium for a personal video recorder compliant device, the non-transitory machine readable medium having machine program logic recorded thereon for:

detecting, using a processor, a coupling of a personal video recorder device to the personal video recorder compliant device;

determining, using the processor, a type of the personal video recorder device being used from a plurality of compatible types of personal video recorder devices based on information received from the personal video recorder device; and

selecting, using the processor, a communication method for communicating with the personal video recorder device, from a plurality of available communication methods, based on the determined type of the personal video recorder device.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 6 wherein the type of personal video recorder device comprises at least one of a model and a manufacturer of the personal video recorder device.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 6 wherein the determining the type of personal video recorder device being used compromises using application programming interfaces to interpret in the information received from the personal video recorder device.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8 wherein the application programming interfaces include routines.

10. A personal video recorder compliant device, comprising:

a processor configured to:

detect a coupling of a personal video recorder device to the personal video recorder compliant device;

determine a type of the personal video recorder device being used from a plurality of compatible types of personal video recorder devices based on information received from the personal video recorder device; and

select a communication method for communicating with the personal video recorder device, from a plurality of available communication methods, based on the determined type of the personal video recorder device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the type of personal video recorder device comprises at least one of a model and a manufacturer of the personal video recorder device.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein determining the type of personal video recorder device being used compromises using application programming interfaces to interpret the information received from the personal video recorder device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the application programming interfaces include routines.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053481/0790 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC
To: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053458/0749 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2020
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.; VEVEO, INC.; INVENSAS CORPORATION; INVENSAS BONDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TESSERA, INC.; TESSERA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DTS, INC.; PHORUS, INC.; IBIQUITY DIGITAL CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053468/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 25, 2019
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051110/0006 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 25, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: APTIV DIGITAL INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; SONIC SOLUTIONS LLC; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 051145/0090 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2019
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051143/0468 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: TV GUIDE, INC.
To: ROVI GUIDES, INC.
Reel/Frame 035848/0245 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
To: UV CORP.
Reel/Frame 035893/0241 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2015
From: UV CORP.
To: TV GUIDE, INC.
Reel/Frame 035848/0270 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 24, 2014
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; SONIC SOLUTIONS LLC; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 033407/0035 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Jul 24, 2014
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ALL MEDIA GUIDE, LLC; APTIV DIGITAL, INC.; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC.; ROVI CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC.; TV GUIDE INTERNATIONAL, INC.; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 033396/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2011
From: APTIV DIGITAL, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; GEMSTAR DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; INDEX SYSTEMS INC, A BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS COMPANY; ROVI CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, A DELAWARE CORPORATION; STARSIGHT TELECAST, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 027039/0168 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2010
From: BAUMGARTNER, JOSEPH P.; CARPENTER, KENNETH F., JR.; ELLIS, MICHAEL D.; GAYDOU, DANNY R.
To: UNITED VIDEO PROPERTIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 024561/0253 →