Method and system for remote television replay control
View Patent ↗A method, system, computer medium, and other embodiments for integrating unrelated web hosted services with stand-alone media-based devices are provided. Users can access and control the media-based device conveniently with a web-browser through various portals on the Internet. In one embodiment, users access the media-based device through one or more unrelated web portals, so as to control and to program the media-based device in a single web session, and to see information both stored on the media-based device and originating from third-party online sources of information and services in a single integrated presentation.
1. A method of remote control of at least one digital video recorder, the method comprising:
determining, by a processing system including a processor, that a replay guide associated with a digital video recorder is up to date, wherein the replay guide comprises one or more replay channels that each include a replay channel name, a replay channel identifier, and information about one of pending and completed program recording requests;
in response to determining that the replay guide is not up to date, (a) requesting, by the processing system, replay guide information via at least a first function of an Application Programming Interface (API) capable of communicating with the digital video recorder to extract data therefrom, the API comprising a plurality of functions that comprise the first function, and (b) updating, by the processing system, the replay guide based on replay-guide information;
in response to determining that the replay guide is up to date, displaying, by the processing system, the replay guide;
receiving, by the processing system, a replay-guide request associated with the digital video recorder based on the replay guide;
in response to determining that the replay-guide request is a request to record one or more episodes of one or more shows, requesting, by the processing system, that the one or more episodes be recorded via at least a second function of the API, wherein the request to record the one or more episodes is associated with addition of a new replay channel, wherein the new replay channel comprises a new replay channel name and a new replay channel identifier;
in response to determining that the replay-guide request is a request to cancel a show-recording request, cancelling, by the processing system, a show-recording request via at least a third function of the API and deleting a replay channel associated with the show-recording request based on a replay channel identifier in the replay-guide request;
updating, by the processing system, the replay guide for the digital video recorder based on the replay-guide request resulting in an updated replay guide; and
displaying, by the processing system, the updated replay guide.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processing system, a request for detailed information about a show in the replay guide;
retrieving, by the processing system, the detailed information using a fourth function of the API; and
displaying, by the processing system, at least part of the detailed information.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the API is configured to communicate with the digital video recorder via a network, and wherein the network comprises an Internet.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein data for the replay guide is stored in at least one database.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the replay guide comprises information about one or more replay requests, wherein information for a given request of the one or more replay requests includes channel information, show information, status information, and a request date.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a fifth function of the API is configured to provide information related to an electronic program guide (EPG).
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
instantiating, by the processing system, a plurality of objects associated with the API.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a sixth function of the API comprises a create account function.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each function in the plurality of functions of the API is associated with at least one file in XML format.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the replay guide is in an electronic format.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a seventh function of the API comprises a login function.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein displaying the updated replay guide comprises displaying the updated replay guide using a browser.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining that the replay guide is up to date comprises periodically determining that the replay guide is up to date.
14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining that a replay guide associated with a first digital video recorder is up to date, wherein the replay guide comprises one or more replay channels that each include a replay channel name, a replay channel identifier, and information about one of pending and completed program recording requests;
in response to determining that the replay guide is not up to date, (a) requesting replay guide information via at least a first function of an Application Programming Interface (API) capable of communicating with the first digital video recorder to extract data therefrom, the API comprising a plurality of functions that comprise the first function, and (b) updating the replay guide based on replay-guide information;
in response to determining that the replay guide is up to date, displaying the replay guide;
receiving a replay-guide request associated with the first digital video recorder based on the replay guide;
in response to determining that the replay-guide request is a request to record one or more episodes of one or more shows, requesting that the one or more episodes be recorded via at least a second function of the API, wherein the request to record the one or more episodes is associated with addition of a new replay channel, wherein the new replay channel comprises a new replay channel name and a new replay channel identifier;
in response to determining that the replay-guide request is a request to cancel a show recording request, cancelling a show-recording request via at least a third function of the API and deleting a replay channel associated with the show-recording request based on a replay channel identifier in the replay-guide request;
updating the replay guide for the first digital video recorder based on the replay-guide request resulting in an updated replay guide; and
displaying the updated replay guide.
15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a request for detailed information about a show in the replay guide;
retrieving the detailed information using a fourth function of the API; and
displaying at least part of the detailed information.
16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the API is configured to communicate with the first digital video recorder via a network, and wherein the network comprises an Internet.
17. A device, comprising:
a processing system including a processor;
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining that a replay guide associated with a digital video recorder is up to date, wherein the replay guide comprises one or more replay channels that each include a replay channel name, a replay channel identifier, and information about one of pending and completed program recording requests;
in response to determining that the replay guide is not up to date, (a) requesting replay guide information via at least a first function of an Application Programming Interface (API) capable of communicating with the digital video recorder to extract data therefrom, the API comprising a plurality of functions that comprise the first function, and (b) updating the replay guide based on replay-guide information;
in response to determining that the replay guide is up to date, displaying the replay guide;
receiving a replay-guide request associated with the digital video recorder based on the replay guide;
in response to determining that the replay-guide request is a request to record one or more episodes of one or more shows, requesting that the one or more episodes be recorded via at least a second function of the API, wherein the request to record the one or more episodes is associated with addition of a new replay channel, wherein the new replay channel comprises a new replay channel name and a new replay channel identifier;
in response to determining that the replay-guide request is a request to cancel a show-recording request, cancelling a show-recording request via at least a third function of the API and deleting a replay channel associated with the show-recording request based on a replay channel identifier in the replay-guide request;
updating the replay guide for the digital video recorder based on the replay-guide request resulting in an updated replay guide; and
displaying the updated replay guide.
18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the operations comprise:
receiving a request for detailed information about a show in the replay guide;
retrieving the detailed information using a fourth function of the API; and
displaying at least part of the detailed information.
19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the API is configured to communicate with the digital video recorder via a network, and wherein the network comprises an Internet.
20. The device of claim 17 , wherein data for the replay guide is stored in at least one database.