Systems and methods for storing a plurality of video streams on re-writable random-access media and time- and channel-based retrieval thereof

Abstract

A digital video recorder (DVR) and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the DVR includes: (1) a mass data storage unit that concurrently and continuously receives and digitally stores a plurality of channels and (2) a channel viewer, coupled to the mass data storage unit, that retrieves a portion of one of the plurality of channels from the mass data storage unit based on a received command and presents the portion on a video display device.

1 . A method for the simultaneous storage and play back of multimedia data, the method comprising:
 receiving television signals;   tuning the television signals to a specific channel;   converting the specific channel to a compressed digital data stream;   storing the compressed digital data stream on a random access storage device;   storing program information relating to the compressed digital data stream on the random access storage device;   extracting the compressed digital data stream from the random access storage device;   converting the compressed digital data stream into output signals;   delivering the output signals to a display;   accepting control commands from a user, wherein the control commands request that the delivered output signals change from a program that was originally received on a first channel at a first time to a program that was originally received on a second channel at a second time, the second channel and time being different than the first channel and time; and   accepting additional control commands from the user, wherein the additional control commands request that the delivered output signals change from the program that was originally received on the second channel at the second time to a program that was originally received on the second channel at a third time, the third time being different than the second time.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving television signals comprises receiving television signals via a satellite dish. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving television signals comprises receiving cable television signals. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving television signals comprises receiving analog television signals. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein storing the compressed digital data stream on a random access storage device comprises storing the compressed digital data stream on a hard disk drive. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein storing the compressed digital data stream on a random access storage device comprises storing the compressed digital data stream on a RAID. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the compressed digital data stream comprises a Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) formatted stream. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein tuning the television signals to a specific channel comprises simultaneously tuning the television signals to a plurality of specific channels. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein storing the compressed digital data stream on a random access storage device comprises storing a compressed digital data stream for each of the specific channels. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  and further comprising automatically generating a table of contents of the specific channels stored on the random access storage device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  and further comprising providing information related to the table of contents for display to a user, wherein information includes, for each program stored on the random access storage device, a title of the program, a date the program was recorded, and a channel upon which the program was originally broadcast. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein at least one of the programs is marked so that the marked program will not be automatically overwritten. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  and further comprising providing a television guide for display to the user, wherein tuning the television signals to a specific channel comprises tuning the television signals to a specific channel that is selected by the user based upon the television guide. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein providing a television guide comprises receiving program information from the same medium as the television signals. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the television signals and the program information are both received via a satellite dish. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the specific channel is selected by the user using a keyword. 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a digital video recorder, the method comprising:
 providing a television guide to a user, the television guide containing program information;   receiving an indication of programming that is of interest to a user, the indication indicating programming on at least a first channel and a second channel;   tuning to the first channel during a first time period when the programming that is of interest to the user is being broadcast;   storing video data representing a first program carried on the first channel during the first time, the video data representing the first program being stored on a random access mass storage unit;   storing program information related to the first program, the program information being stored on the random access mass storage unit;   tuning to the second channel during the first time period;   storing video data representing a second program carried on the second channel during the first time, the video data representing the second program being stored on the random access mass storage unit;   storing program information related to the second program, the program information being stored on the random access mass storage unit;   generating a list of programs that have been stored on the random access mass storage unit;   providing the list of programs for display to the user, wherein for each program in the list of programs the display includes at least a title of the program, a date the program was stored, and a channel on which the program was originally broadcast;   marking the second program so that the video data representing the second program will not be automatically overwritten;   receiving a second indication from the user to provide the video data representing the first program, the second indication being received at a second time which occurs after the first time period;   providing the first program to a display device in response to the second indication;   receiving a third indication from the user to skip forward an amount of time; and   in response to the third indication, skipping over an amount of the first program that is determined by the amount of time.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein storing program information related to the first program comprises storing time, date and channel information related to the first program and wherein storing program information related to the second program comprises storing time, date and channel information related to the second program. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising tuning to eight to thirteen additional channels during the first time period. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising receiving the first channel and the second channel via a satellite dish. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising receiving the first channel and the second channel via a cable television system. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising receiving a channel selection indication from the user, the channel selection indication indicating a particular channel source. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein storing video data and storing program information comprise storing to a hard disk drive. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein storing video data and storing program information comprise storing to a RAID. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein storing video data representing a first program comprises storing video data to a first hard disk drive and wherein storing video data representing a second program comprises storing video data to a second hard disk drive. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the amount of time comprises an integer multiple of fifteen seconds. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the amount of time comprises one second. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the plurality of channels are received over a medium, the method further comprising downloading the television guide over the medium. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising downloading the television guide from the Internet. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 17  wherein storing program information related to the first program comprises maintaining a content file for every time unit recorded. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 17  wherein marking the second program comprises marking the second channel for archiving once the second channel is being recorded. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  and further comprising creating a virtual channel to replay a plurality of archived programs, the plurality of archived programs including the second program. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 17  and further comprising automatically cataloging audio content of the first program and the second program. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  wherein automatically cataloging comprises:
 feeding an audio portion of the first and second programs into a speech recognition capability; and 
 indexing resulting text into a full-text database. 
 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein automatically cataloging comprises using a text translated close-caption signal. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the video data representing the first program is stored in a first file and wherein the video data representing the second program is stored in a second file, the first file being a separate file from the second file. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 17  wherein storing program information comprises storing a directory structure that includes time information and channel information. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the time information comprises a “second number” and wherein the channel information comprises a “channel number.” 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the video data representing the first program is stored in a first file and wherein the video data representing the second program is stored in the first file. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39  wherein the video data representing the first program and the video data representing the second program are stored using disk file time division multiplexing. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 17  wherein generating a list of programs comprises automatically constructing a table of contents based upon information broadcast with the plurality ‘of channels along with program information stored on the random access mass storage unit. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the program information comprises time and channel information. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 17  wherein receiving an indication of programming that is of interest to a user comprises receiving an indication of a plurality of channels that are of interest to a user.