Method of Sharing Personal Media Using a Digital Recorder

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing personal media using a digital recorder allows multimedia devices to view content stored on a DVR across a network. The DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet.

1 . A method for sharing multimedia content using a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:
 receiving, by a multimedia device, a user command to view a video content stored on a DVR, the multimedia device in communication with the DVR, the multimedia device is in communication with at least one input tuner for receiving broadcast signals;   in response to the user command, transferring the video content stored on the DVR to the multimedia device;   sending, by the multimedia device, the video content for display to a user.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the multimedia device processes the video content prior to sending the video content to be displayed to the user. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the multimedia device communicates with the DVR via a local network. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein an input section of the multimedia device is connected to an output section of the DVR. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the transferring step receives the video content via the input section of the multimedia device that is connected to the output section of the DVR. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the sending step sends the video content for display to the user as the video content is being transferred from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the video content is not stored at the multimedia device. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the user specifies a position within the video content from which to start the transfer from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the multimedia device, a list of video content stored on the DVR;   sending, by the multimedia device, the list for display to the user.   
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for sharing multimedia content using a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:
 a multimedia device, the multimedia device is in communication with at least one input tuner for receiving broadcast signals;   a user command receiving subsystem, at the multimedia device, that receives a user command to view a video content stored on a DVR, the multimedia device in communication with the DVR;   a video content transfer subsystem, at the multimedia device, that, in response to the user command, transfers the video content stored on the DVR to the multimedia device;   a video content display subsystem, at the multimedia device, that sends the video content for display to a user.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the video content display subsystem processes the video content prior to sending the video content to be displayed to the user. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the multimedia device communicates with the DVR via a local network. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an input section in communication with the multimedia device;   wherein the input section of the multimedia device is connected to an output section of the DVR.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the video content transferring subsystem receives the video content via the input section of the multimedia device that is connected to the output section of the DVR. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the video content display subsystem sends the video content for display to the user as the video content is being transferred from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the video content is not stored at the multimedia device. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the user specifies a position within the video content from which to start the transfer from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a DVR video content list retrieval subsystem, at the multimedia device, that retrieves a list of video content stored on the DVR;   a DVR video content list display subsystem, at the multimedia device, that sends the list for display to the user.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet. 
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for sharing multimedia content using a digital video recorder (DVR), which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
 receiving, by a multimedia device, a user command to view a video content stored on a DVR, the multimedia device in communication with the DVR, the multimedia device is in communication with at least one input tuner for receiving broadcast signals;   in response to the user command, transferring the video content stored on the DVR to the multimedia device;   sending, by the multimedia device, the video content for display to a user.   
     
     
         22 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the multimedia device processes the video content prior to sending the video content to be displayed to the user. 
     
     
         23 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the multimedia device communicates with the DVR via a local network. 
     
     
         24 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein an input section of the multimedia device is connected to an output section of the DVR. 
     
     
         25 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 24 , wherein the transferring step receives the video content via the input section of the multimedia device that is connected to the output section of the DVR. 
     
     
         26 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the sending step sends the video content for display to the user as the video content is being transferred from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         27 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the video content is not stored at the multimedia device. 
     
     
         28 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the user specifies a position within the video content from which to start the transfer from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         29 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the multimedia device, a list of video content stored on the DVR;   sending, by the multimedia device, the list for display to the user.   
     
     
         30 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet. 
     
     
         31 . A method for sharing multimedia content using a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:
 receiving, by a multimedia device, a user command to view a video content stored on a DVR, the multimedia device in communication with the DVR, an input section of the multimedia device is connected to an output section of the DVR;   in response to the user command, transferring the video content stored on the DVR to the multimedia device, the video content received via the input section of the multimedia device that is connected to the output section of the DVR;   sending, by the multimedia device, the video content for display to a user, the sending step sends the video content for display to the user as the video content is being transferred from the DVR to the multimedia device.   
     
     
         32 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the multimedia device processes the video content prior to sending the video content to be displayed to the user. 
     
     
         33 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the multimedia device communicates with the DVR via a local network. 
     
     
         34 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the video content is not stored at the multimedia device. 
     
     
         35 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the user specifies a position within the video content from which to start the transfer from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         36 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the multimedia device, a list of video content stored on the DVR;   sending, by the multimedia device, the list for display to the user.   
     
     
         37 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein the DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet. 
     
     
         38 . An apparatus for sharing multimedia content using a digital video recorder (DVR), comprising:
 a multimedia device, the multimedia device in communication with a DVR, an input section of the multimedia device is connected to an output section of the DVR;   a user command receiving subsystem, at the multimedia device, that receives a user command to view a video content stored on a DVR;   a video content transfer subsystem, at the multimedia device, that, in response to the user command, transfers the video content stored on the DVR to the multimedia device, the video content received via the input section of the multimedia device that is connected to the output section of the DVR;   a video content display subsystem, at the multimedia device, that sends the video content for display to a user, the video content display subsystem sends the video content for display to the user as the video content is being transferred from the DVR to the multimedia device.   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the video content display subsystem processes the video content prior to sending the video content to be displayed to the user. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the multimedia device communicates with the DVR via a local network. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the video content is not stored at the multimedia device. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the user specifies a position within the video content from which to start the transfer from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 a DVR video content list retrieval subsystem, at the multimedia device, that retrieves a list of video content stored on the DVR;   a DVR video content listing subsystem, at the multimedia device, that sends the list for display to the user.   
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet. 
     
     
         45 . A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for sharing multimedia content using a digital video recorder (DVR), which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
 receiving, by a multimedia device, a user command to view a video content stored on a DVR, the multimedia device in communication with the DVR, an input section of the multimedia device is connected to an output section of the DVR;   in response to the user command, transferring the video content stored on the DVR to the multimedia device, the video content received via the input section of the multimedia device that is connected to the output section of the DVR;   sending, by the multimedia device, the video content for display to a user, the sending step sends the video content for display to the user as the video content is being transferred from the DVR to the multimedia device.   
     
     
         46 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the multimedia device processes the video content prior to sending the video content to be displayed to the user. 
     
     
         47 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the multimedia device communicates with the DVR via a local network. 
     
     
         48 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the video content is not stored at the multimedia device. 
     
     
         49 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the user specifies a position within the video content from which to start the transfer from the DVR to the multimedia device. 
     
     
         50 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 45 , further comprising:
 retrieving, by the multimedia device, a list of video content stored on the DVR;   sending, by the multimedia device, the list for display to the user.   
     
     
         51 . A computer-readable storage medium as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the DVR records video content from broadcast signals and records video content downloaded via the Internet.