Technique for delivering network personal video recorder service and broadcast programming service over communications network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9398323-B2
Application number	US-92472410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2010
Priority date	May 3, 2002
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A resident application and a second application are provided in a set-top terminal to receive a TV broadcast service and network personal video recorder (NPVR) service, respectively. The resident application is suspended in favor of the second application when a user changes from a broadcast channel to an NPVR enabled channel, and vice versa. In an embodiment where a digital video recorder (DVR) set-top terminal is used, a DVR server therein provides trick mode functions (pause, rewind and fast-forward) before an NPVR session, e.g., a Look Back session, is established. In another embodiment, during an NPVR session the DVR server plays back recorded programming content downloaded from a communications network, and provides trick mode functions as well.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for use in an apparatus for receiving programming content, the method comprising:
realizing a first programming service on a first channel dedicated to the first program service by providing first programming content from a first programming source to a display device in accordance with a broadcast schedule, by a first software application;
receiving a first channel change request from a user to change from the first channel to a second channel dedicated to a second program source to receive second programming content
accessing the second program source, by the first software application, in response to the first channel change request to the second channel;
monitoring for the first channel change request to the second channel, independent of the first software application, by a second software application running in the background, the second software application for realizing a second programming service to provide second programming content recorded during broadcast thereof at a location remote from the apparatus;
wherein the first software application accesses the second program source independent of the second software application; and
detecting the first channel change request to the second channel, by the second software application, independent of the first software application;
the second software application, after detecting the first channel change request:
determining whether the second program source is afforded the second programming service, independent of the first software application, while the second software application is running in the background;
self-activating if the second program source is afforded the second programming service, independent of the first software application;
after self-activating, becoming receptive to a second request for obtaining a selected portion of the second programming content; and
providing the selected portion of the second programming content to a display device in accordance with a received second request.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after self-activation of the second software application, changing a state of the first software application from an activated state to realize the first programming service to an off state by the second software application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first software application is resident on the apparatus, the method further comprising:
downloading the second software application to the apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
registering the first software application in a registry of software applications; and
registering the second software application in the registry separate from the first software application.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a third request to manipulate the presentation of the second programming content; and
causing manipulation of the presentation of the second programming content by the second software application, based on the third request.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising requesting manipulated second programming content from the remote location, in response to the third request, by the second software application.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing on the display device, a user interface for selecting the selected portion of the second programming content, after receiving the second request, by the second software application.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the selected portion is available for selection for a predetermined period of time after broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining the selected portion from the remote location through a communications network, by the second software application, in response to the second request.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a set-top terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion is available for selection only for a predetermined period of time after broadcast thereof, the processor being further configured to:
obtain the selected portion from the remote location through a communications network, by the second software application, after receiving the second request.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second software application directly monitors for and detects the first channel change request.

13. A method for use in an apparatus for receiving programming content, the apparatus comprising a digital video recorder, the method comprising:
realizing a first programming service on a first channel dedicated to the first programming service by providing first programming content from a first programming source to a display device in accordance with a broadcast schedule, by a first software application;
receiving a first channel change request from a user to change from the first channel to a second channel to receive second programming content from a second program source to provide second programming content recorded during broadcast thereof at a location remote from the apparatus;
accessing the second program source by the first software application, in response to the first channel change request from the user;
recording second programming content from the second program source, by the digital video recorder;
manipulating the second program content by a digital video recorder, by the first software application, in response to a second request from the user to manipulate presentation of the second programming content provided to the display device;
monitoring for the first channel change request to the second channel, by a second software application while running in the background, independent of the first software application;
wherein the second program source is accessed by the first software application independent of the second software application; and
detecting by the second software application, while running in the background and independent of the first software application, the first change request;
the second software application, after detecting the first channel change request:
determining whether the second program source is afforded the second programming service, independent of the first software application, while running in the background;
becoming receptive to a third request for obtaining a selected portion of the second programming content from the second program source, if the second program source is afforded the second programming service, the selected second programming content being available for selection for only a predetermined period of time after the broadcast of the selected second programming content, in accordance with the second programming service; and
providing the selected portion of the second programming content to the display device in accordance with a received third request.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the digital video recorder comprises a server, the method comprising:
storing first programming content received from the first program source; and
providing the stored first programming content to the display device, by the server, by the first software application.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a fourth request to manipulate presentation of first programming content; and
manipulating a presentation of the stored programming content by the server by the first software application, in response to a fourth request.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
registering the first software application in a registry of software applications; and
registering the second software application in

Assignees

• Patel Vipul B
• Callahan John W
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Patel Vipul B
• Callahan John W

Classifications

• G06F3/0482 Primary

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04N21/4331

  Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback · CPC title

• H04N5/602

  for digital sound signals · CPC title

• H04N21/4147 Primary

  PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40}) · CPC title

• H04N21/4532

  involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18) · CPC title