Patent Publication Number: US-2009222860-A1

Title: Video recording device and reserved video recording method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to video processing devices, and particularly to a video recording device and a reserved and scheduled video recording method thereof. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional video recording device such as a set-top box (STB) with a video recording function typically needs to be pre-set with a video recording request prior to recording video data. However, if a user of the video recording device is not at home and wants to record a TV program, he/she would typically be unable to do so without the help of a friend or family member. 
     Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the video recording device to overcome the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a video recording device. The video recording device includes a mail transceiving module, a mail analyzing module, and a scheduling module. The mail transceiving module retrieves an E-mail including a title, an identification message, and a video request. The mail analyzing module analyzes the title and the identification message to determine whether the title and the identification message comply with predefined requirements. The scheduling module automatically schedules the video request when both the title and the identification message comply with the predefined requirements. 
     Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a reserved and scheduled video recording method applied in the video recording device. The reserved video recording method includes the steps of: retrieving an E-mail including a title, an identification message, and a video request; analyzing the title to determine whether the title complies with predefined requirements; analyzing the identification message to determine whether the identification message complies with the predefined requirements if the title complies with the predefined requirements; and automatically scheduling the video request if the identification message complies with the predefined requirements. 
     Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an application environment and function modules of a video recording device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a reserved and scheduled video recording method according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an application environment and functional modules of a video recording device  10  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the video recording device  10  connects to a mail server  30  over the Internet  20 , and further connects to an information device  40  and a television (TV) program mail server  50  via the mail server  30 . In this embodiment, the video recording device  10  is an electronic device, such as a set-top box (STB) or a personal computer (PC) with a TV card, which can be connected to the Internet  20  for recording video data under control. The information device  40  is a device that can be connected to the Internet  20 , such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a notebook computer, or a personal computer. 
     In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a user of the video recording device  10  may use the information device  40  to send an E-mail with a video request to the video recording device  10  via the mail server  30  over the Internet  20 . After receiving the E-mail, the video recording device  10  schedules video data to be recorded according to the video request in the E-mail. 
     In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the user of the video recording device  10  may subscribe to TV programs from a TV system operator via E-mail, telephone, or another means. The TV program mail sender  50  could send an E-mail with a TV program list to the video recording device  10 . The video recording device  10  receives the E-mail with the TV program list via the mail server  30  over the Internet  20 , and then schedules the TV programs to be recorded according to the TV program list. 
     Thus, the user can record video data conveniently by sending an E-mail with the video request to the video recording device  10  without having to be near the video recording device  10 . The video recording device  10  then schedules the video data to be recorded according to the video request in the E-mail. 
     In this embodiment, the video recording device  10  includes a mail transceiving module  100 , a mail analyzing module  102 , a scheduling module  104 , and a timer  106 . 
     The mail transceiving module  100  is provided for retrieving the E-mail. In the exemplary embodiment, the timer  106  reminds the mail transceiving module  100  to retrieve the E-mail periodically. The mail transceiving module  100  connects to the mail server  30  when notified to do so by the timer  106 , and retrieves the E-mail from the mail server  30 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the video recording device  10  may not include the timer  106 , and the mail transceiving module  100  may connect to the mail server  30  to retrieve E-mail when a new mail notice is sent by the mail server  30 . 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the E-mail includes a title, an identification message, and the video request. The title primarily identifies whether the E-mail includes the video request, and can be distinguished by identifying words such as “reserved video recording” or “TV program list.” 
     The identification message includes a username, a password, and an encrypted key. The username and password included in the E-mail must be correct in order for the video request to be accepted. The encrypted key ensures that the transferred information is secure. 
     The video request includes a video recording channel, a program class, a recording type, a start time, an end time, program description information, recording extending information, and so on. The video recording channel indicates the channel of the video to be recorded from the video request. The program class indicates a class of the video data, which includes sports, educations, news, entertainments, and so on. The recording type indicates a recording type of the video data, including high definition (HD), standard definition (SD) and so on. The start time indicates a time when the video data starts to be played. The end time indicates a time when the video data ends playing. The program description information includes brief description of the video data. The recording extending information includes extending information of the video data, such as an extending game of baseball or football. 
     When the sender of the E-mail is the information device  40 , the title of the E-mail may be distinguished by identifying words such as “reserved video recording,” the identification message may only include the username and the password, and the video request may only include the video recording channel, the start time, and the end time, etc. 
     When the sender of the E-mail is the TV program mail sender  50 , the title of the E-mail may be distinguished by identifying words “TV program list,” the identification message may include the username, the password, and the encrypted key, and the video request may include the video recording channel, the program class, the recording type, the start time, the end time, the program description information, and the recording extending information. 
     The mail analyzing module  102  analyzes the title and the identification message of the E-mail to determine whether the title and the identification message comply with predefined requirements. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the information device  40 . In this case, the identifying words are “reserved video recording,” and the identification message only includes the username and the password. In this case, the mail analyzing module  102  determines that the title complies the predefined requirements if the title of the E-mail includes the identifying words “reserved video recording,” otherwise, determines that the title does not comply with the predefined requirements. The mail analyzing module  102  determines that the identification message complies with the predefined requirements if both of the username and the password of the identification message are correct, otherwise, determines that the identification message does not comply with the predefined requirements. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the TV program mail sender  50 . In this case, the identifying words are “TV program list,” and the identification message includes the username, the password, and the encrypted key. In this case, the mail analyzing module  102  determines that the title complies with the predefined requirements if the title of the E-mail includes the identifying words “TV program list,” otherwise, determines that the title does not comply with the predefined requirements. The mail analyzing module  102  determines that the identification message complies with the predefined requirements if the username, the password, and the encrypted key of the identification message are all correct, otherwise, determines that the identification message does not comply with the predefined requirements. 
     In this exemplary embodiment, the mail transceiving module  100  further determines whether all E-mails have been retrieved when the title or the identification message is incorrect, and retrieves the next E-mail when there are E-mails that have not yet been retrieved. 
     The scheduling module  104  automatically schedules the video request when both the title and the identification message comply with the predefined requirements. 
     The mail transceiving module  100  further transmits an acknowledgement E-mail to the sender of the E-mail including the information device  40  or the TV program mail sender  50  to acknowledge that the video request has been successfully scheduled after the scheduling module  104  schedules the video request. 
     Afterwards, the video recording device  10  automatically records the video data according to the video request. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a reserved video recording method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     In step S 200 , the mail transceiving module  100  connects to the mail server  30 . In the exemplary embodiment, the mail transceiving module  100  connects the mail server  30  when notified by the timer  106 . 
     It should be noted that the mail transceiving module  100  may not necessarily need to be notified by the timer  106  in order to retrieve mail. The mail transceiving module  100  also connects to the mail server  30  when it receives a new mail notice sent by the mail server  30 . 
     In step S 202 , the transceiving module  100  retrieves an E-mail from the mail server  30 . In the exemplary embodiment, the E-mail includes a title, an identification message, and a video request. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the information device  40 . In this case, the title of the E-mail is distinguished by the identifying words “reserved video recording,” the identification message only includes the username and the password, and the video request only includes the video recording channel, the start time, and the end time. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the TV program mail sender  50 . In this case, the title of the E-mail may be distinguished by the identifying words “TV program list,” the identification message may include the username, the password, and the encrypted key, and the video request may include the video recording channel, the program class, the recording type, the start time, the end time, the program description information, and the recording extending information. 
     In step S 204 , the mail analyzing module  102  analyzes the title of the E-mail to determine whether the title complies with predefined requirements. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the information device  40 , wherein the identifying words may be “reserved video recording.” In this case, the mail analyzing module  102  determines that the title complies with the predefined requirements if the title of the E-mail includes the identifying words “reserved video recording,” otherwise, determines that the title does not comply with the predefined requirements. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the TV program mail sender  50 , wherein the identifying words may be “TV program list.” In this case, the mail analyzing module  102  determines that the title complies with the predefined requirements if the title of the E-mail includes the identifying words “TV program list,” otherwise, determines that the title does not comply with the predefined requirements. 
     If the title of the E-mail complies with the predefined requirements, in step S 206 , the mail analyzing module  102  analyzes the identification message of the E-mail to determine whether the identification message complies with the predefined requirements. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the information device  40 , wherein the identification message may include only a username and a password. In this case, the mail analyzing module  102  determines that the identification message complies with the predefined requirements if both the username and the password of the identification message are correct, otherwise, determines that the identification message does not comply with the predefined requirements. 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the sender of the E-mail may be the TV program mail sender  50 , wherein the identification message of the E-mail may include the username, the password, and the encrypted key. In this case, the mail analyzing module  102  determines that the identification message complies with the predefined requirements if the username, the password, and the encrypted key of the E-mail are all correct, otherwise, determines that the identification message does not comply with the predefined requirements. 
     If the identification message of the E-mail complies with the predefined requirements, in step S 208 , the scheduling module  104  automatically schedules the video request. 
     In step S 210 , the mail transceiving module  100  transmits an acknowledgement E-mail to the sender of the E-mail via the mail server  30  to acknowledge that the video request has been successfully scheduled. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the mail transceiving module  100  may transmit the acknowledgement E-mail to the information device  40 . 
     In another exemplary embodiment, the mail transceiving module  100  may transmit the acknowledgement E-mail to the TV program mail sender  50 . 
     In step S 212 , the video recording device  10  automatically records video data according to the video request. 
     If the title or the identification message does not comply with the predefined requirements, in step S 214 , the mail transceiving module  100  determines whether all E-mails have been retrieved. 
     If one E-mail has not been retrieved, in step S 216 , the mail transceiving module  100  retrieves next E-mail. The above steps will be repeated until all E-mails have been retrieved. 
     Therefore, the user can record video data conveniently by sending the E-mail with the video request to the video recording device  10  without having to be near the video recording device  10 . The video recording device  10  then automatically schedules the video data to be recorded according to the video request in the E-mail, and thereby automatically records the video data according to the video request. 
     While various embodiments and methods of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.