Patent ID: 7543325
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A process for remotely controlling storage and the operations of a client system, comprising the steps of: authoring a capture request on a server; sending said capture request from said server to a client system among a plurality of client systems; wherein said capture request is received by a client system; wherein said capture request instructs said client system to record specific content from a television broadcast signal or record specific content from a source across a network; monitoring said capture request on said client system and tuning an input tuner that is among a plurality of input tuners on said client system to said television broadcast signal and recording said specific content in digital form on a local storage device, or storing specific content from a source across a network in digital form on the local storage device; autonomously scheduling, by said client system, capture request recordings, user initiated request recordings, and inferred content recordings using a local program guide, resolving recording conflicts, and simultaneously recording content from at least two input sources on the local storage device; resolving recording conflicts, by said client system, using information that concerns availability of input tuners, available storage space on the local storage device at the time said capture request is instructing said client system to record specific content, and a priority of said capture request and/or said specific content; wherein said client sends to said server any of: a report on success or failure of a capture request received from said server, a report on how recorded data or media was used, or data or media that are to be redistributed via a distribution service; and wherein said client system refers to the local program guide to determine when to start recording a particular content.