PVR Compliant Device Integration with IPG via APIs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal video recorder (PVR) systems and interactive television guide (IPG) technologies are often separate, making it difficult for users to seamlessly integrate PVR functionality with IPG services, requiring additional input devices and graphic interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A PVR-compliant media recording system is developed, incorporating a PVR device, PVR application programming interfaces (APIs), and PVR extensions to integrate PVR functionality with IPGs, allowing for seamless communication and operation between PVR equipment and IPGs, enabling unified control and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If PVR functionality is integrated with IPG, then user experience and ease of operation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges PVR functionality with IPG by implementing PVR extensions that integrate recording capabilities into the existing IPG interface. This allows users to access PVR features through the same remote control and interface used for IPG navigation, eliminating the need for separate input devices and graphic interfaces while maintaining unified control functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The IPG is enhanced with multi-functionality by adding PVR extensions that enable it to perform both guide and recording functions. The system allows a single device to serve multiple purposes (program guide, recording, playback, scheduling) through standardized PVR APIs that work across different PVR devices, reducing the need for separate dedicated PVR equipment
2Reliability
If separate PVR and IPG systems are used, then device functionality is maintained, but integration difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces PVR APIs as an intermediary layer that standardizes communication between IPG and PVR devices. These standardized interfaces act as mediators that enable reliable integration without requiring complex custom connection protocols, allowing different PVR devices to work with the IPG through a common interface standard
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments PVR functionality into separate PVR extensions and APIs that can be independently implemented and loaded into the IPG. This modular approach allows the IPG to maintain its core guide functionality while adding PVR capabilities through optional extensions, making integration more manageable and reliable
Data Source
AI summary
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.