Set-Top Box Automatic Deferred Live Mode for Favorite Programs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for watching live television programs require manual intervention, such as scheduling recordings or accessing catch-up infrastructure, which can be inconvenient and require additional network resources, and do not allow seamless viewing of favorite programs if the user is occupied or late.
Innovation Solution
A method for automatically triggering a deferred direct mode on favorite programs based on user viewing habits, using a set-top box to record and manage favorite programs without manual action, optimizing resource use and eliminating the need for catch-up infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual recording scheduling is used, then programs can be recorded for later viewing, but the user must remember to schedule recordings and focus attention on non-current tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors user viewing habits and triggers deferred live mode without manual intervention. The decoder box self-manages the recording process by detecting when users are watching a program and automatically initiating the deferred mode, eliminating the need for users to manually schedule recordings while ensuring reliable program capture
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors user viewing behavior and uses this feedback to automatically adjust and trigger deferred live mode. By analyzing viewing patterns and providing real-time feedback to the control logic, the system learns user preferences and automatically initiates recordings when appropriate, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation
2Ease of operation
If catch-up infrastructure is implemented, then users can watch programs from the beginning, but substantial network infrastructure and active network connection are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the essential functionality of catch-up TV from the complex network infrastructure and implements it using only the set-top box's existing recording capabilities. By taking out the core function of watching programs from the beginning and implementing it through local deferred live mode, the system eliminates the need for substantial network infrastructure while maintaining viewing accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on permanent, expensive catch-up infrastructure, the system uses temporary, on-demand recordings that are automatically created and managed. These temporary recordings serve the immediate need of watching programs from the beginning without requiring long-term storage infrastructure, effectively replacing expensive permanent solutions with cheaper temporary ones
3Reliability
If classic recording features are used, then programs can be recorded on hard drive, but disk space must be regularly freed and users must master advanced functions
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages recording lifecycle including creation, maintenance, and deletion of recordings without user intervention. The decoder box self-services by monitoring program broadcasts, automatically creating deferred live recordings, and managing disk space by deleting completed recordings, thereby maintaining reliable recording capability while eliminating the complexity of manual recording management
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic discarding of completed program recordings once they have served their purpose. By continuously creating new temporary recordings and discarding old ones after use, the system maintains a rolling buffer of available programs without requiring manual disk space management, effectively recovering storage space automatically and eliminating complex user intervention
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The present invention essentially relates to a method for the automatic triggering of a direct delayed mode by a decoder unit (100), characterised in that the method comprises the following steps: - reading (200), by a reading means of the decoder unit, into a favourites memory (120.2) of the decoder unit, a favourite programmes recording list, a favourite programme recording comprising at least a start time (1202.2) and a broadcast channel identifier (1202.1), - filtering (210) the favourite programmes recordings list according to a temporal criterion for selecting recordings which correspond to favourite programmes which commence less than a predetermined first period (120.3) after a current date, - for each selected recording, allocating (220) direct delayed mode resources, these resources comprising at least one receiver and a delayed mode memory for triggering a direct delayed mode.