Resource sharing system of set-top boxes

a technology applied in the field of set-top boxes and resources sharing systems, can solve the problems of increasing the cost of set-top boxes, wasting the available space on storage devices, and affecting the quality of set-top boxes,

Inactive Publication Date: 2014-02-06
ROVI GUIDES INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This system extends the usable life of set-top box resources, preventing rapid exhaustion and reducing costs by allowing shared access to tuners and storage, thus enhancing user capabilities without increasing hardware costs.

Problems solved by technology

In either case, such actions could quickly exhaust the available space on the storage device and the available tuners.
This approach, however, is problematic for several reasons.
First, the set-top boxes become more costly when they have their resources enhanced.
From a consumers perspective, this is unacceptable because they are often not willing to pay large amounts of money for set-top boxes.
From a manufacturer's or distributor's perspective this is unacceptable as well, because the consumer is usually renting the set-top box and the manufacturer or distributor does not want to risk a lot of money in the case of a broken or not-returned set-top.

Method used

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  • Resource sharing system of set-top boxes

Examples

Experimental program
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Embodiment Construction

[0028]The present invention is directed to a resource sharing system of set-top boxes. A set-top box is a device that is connected to or incorporated within an output device, such as a television set or computer monitor. The set-top box typically has the functionality of a computing device, including a processor that is controlled by software or firmware and a storage device that includes any or all of a combination of hard drives, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, caches, and buffers. The set-top box takes a broadcast signal as input, for instance from an antenna or cable line, and transforms the broadcast signal into output that allows a user to watch television. The set-top box also stores the broadcast signal on a storage device, when instructed, and retrieves the signal at an appropriate time and transforms it into viewer-usable output on the output device.

[0029]Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of ...

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PUM

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to a resource sharing system of set-top boxes. The set-top boxes are arranged in a network. The resources of each set-top box in the network are potentially available to another set-top box in the network that has run out of resources. When a user needs a tuner resource, the set-top box determines if it has a local tuner available. If not, the set-top box attempts to use the tuner of another set-top box in the network. In one embodiment all of the tuners in the network are pooled together and used as a global resource of tuners for all of the set-tops. Alternatively, if a set-top box runs out of resource space on a storage device, it attempts to use the storage device on another set-top box before deleting shows locally to make room for the new show.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This Application claims priority to Provisional Application Entitled Resource Sharing System of Set-Top Boxes Filed Nov. 6, 2003, Application No. 60 / 517,842.COPYRIGHT STATEMENT[0002]All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and of other countries. Portions of the material in this patent document are also subject to protection under the maskwork registration laws of the United States and of other countries. The owner of the copyright and maskwork rights has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright and maskwork rights whatsoever.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention relates generally to systems that allow users to watch television shows and ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & AuthorityApplications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H04N21/433H04N21/426H04N5/00H04N5/445H04N5/765H04N5/775H04N5/781H04N5/907H04N7/24
CPCH04N21/4263H04N21/433H04N5/765H04N5/775H04N5/781H04N5/907H04N21/4331H04N21/4334H04N21/43615H04N21/44231H04N21/4424H04N21/47214H04N21/4788
InventorBUMGARDNER, JAMES A.KRAKIRIAN, HAIG H.
OwnerROVI GUIDES INC