Patent Publication Number: US-2010131982-A1

Title: Method for generating and accessing scheduled program list and multimedia device for the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a method and multimedia device for generating a program list from EPG, and more specifically, to a method and multimedia device for generating and accessing scheduled program list from EPG. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Currently, most digital consumer devices such as hard disk drive (HDD) DVD recorder or TV built-in personal video recorder (PVR) module provide one or more USB ports for playing media files (audio files or video files) from USB storage device. Despite the expandability for adding peripheral devices, digital consumer devices are still close systems since they lack for network connection capability and therefore connecting with a PC, a game console, or network-ready devices for network flexibility is not practical. On the other hand, for most devices that have network connection capability such as a PC or a game console (PS3, XBOX . . . ), digital broadcasting recording is not an available function, either. 
     In some products according to the prior art, adding the network connection function to a TV set or HDD DVD recorder takes a lot increase in cost, and so does making the network-ready devices capable of recording digital broadcasting programs. 
     Additionally, when a user wants to make a scheduling recording through a HDD DVD recorder or a digital TV set, setting the scheduling recording always requires the user to do it in front of the machine. Remote operation is not an option for scheduling recording through the HDD DVD recorder or the digital TV set. And finally, PCs or game consoles nowadays almost have the ability to play various kinds of media files, including video files or audio files with many kinds of formats. However, not being able to access the recorded programs (or the program information in audio/video format) on the digital TV set or the HDD DVD recorder by operating from a PC or a game console apparently limits the functionality of both the PC (or the game console) and the digital TV set (or the HDD DVD recorder). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
     The claimed invention provides a method for generating and accessing scheduled program list. A multimedia device generates the scheduled program list according to electronic program guides (EPG) and an external host accesses the scheduled program list. The method comprises updating electronic program guides (EPG) in the multimedia device; establishing a data link between the multimedia device and the external host; generating a scheduled program list from the EPG; converting the scheduled program list into a plurality of data blocks; storing the plurality of data blocks in a storage medium; and accessing the stored data blocks through the data link. 
     The claimed invention also provides a multimedia device capable of generating a scheduled program list. The multimedia device comprises a storage medium, a controller, a PVR (personal video recording) module and a data link. The controller is for updating electronic program guides (EPG) for programs, generating a scheduled program list from the EPG, and converting the scheduled program list into a plurality of data blocks. The PVR module is coupled to the controller for storing the plurality of data blocks in the storage medium. The data link is coupled to the PVR module and to an external host for the external host to access the stored data blocks. 
     The claimed invention also provides a method for converting data according to electronic program guides (EPG). The method comprises updating the EPG; generating a scheduled program list from the EPG; and converting the scheduled program list into a plurality of multimedia files. 
     These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         FIG. 1  is an illustration of the method for generating and accessing scheduled program list. 
         FIG. 2  is an illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of the multimedia device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of the multimedia device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of the mapping relation between the partitions of the storage medium and the logical units of the USB device. 
         FIG. 5  is an illustration of the hierarchical file system of the EPG data stored in the storage medium. 
         FIG. 6  is an illustration of the hierarchical file system of the scheduled program files stored in the storage medium. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     The present invention provides a method accompanying a multimedia device for generating and accessing scheduled program list. The scheduled program list is mainly generated from electronic program guides (EPG), a digital multimedia data regarding the programs broadcasted through digital carriers, either the video broadcasting or the audio broadcasting. Please refer to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 1  is an illustration of the method for generating and accessing scheduled program list, and  FIG. 2  is an illustration of a first exemplary embodiment of the multimedia device  10  according to the present invention. The multimedia device  10  comprises a storage medium  12  which generally is a high speed hard disk drive (HDD) or a memory for storing accessible files, a personal video recorder (PVR) module  14  where the storage medium  12  is coupled to the PVR module  14 , a controller  16  coupled to the PVR module  14 , and a tuner  181  (or more than one tuner, i.e. two or more tuners  181 , 182  for simultaneously scheduling and recording with more than one programs) coupled to the controller  16  and to the RF coaxial cable. The PVR module  14  is for recording the program received by the controller  16  from the RF coaxial cable according to the scheduled program list and is further coupled to an external host  30  (such as a PC or a game console) that connects with a network  40  via a data link  15  where the external host  30  or any network-ready device from the network  40  can access media files in the storage medium  12  through the data link  15 . A second exemplary embodiment according to the present invention realizes the method for generating and accessing scheduled program list with a HDD recorder or a set-top box as shown in  FIG. 3 . The multimedia device  30  in  FIG. 3  comprises a recorder  201  (HDD recorder or set-top box) and a TV set  202 . The TV set  202  is for playing programs received by the recorder  201 . The recorder  201  comprises a controller  26  that has the same functions as the controller  16  and the PVR module  14  in the first exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 2 . A storage medium  22  is also coupled to the controller  26  for storing accessible files. The controller  26  is further coupled to the external host  30  via a data link  25  so that the external host  30  can access media files in the storage medium  22  through the data link  25 . The method of the present invention has steps as followed: 
     Step S 100 : the multimedia device receives the electronic program guides (EPG) from the program provider via an RF coaxial cable; 
     Step S 120 : configure the USB port of the multimedia device as device mode (or USB on-the-go mode) for the external host and establish a data link between the multimedia device and the external host; 
     Step S 140 : the multimedia device generates a scheduled program list from the EPG; 
     Step S 160 : convert the scheduled program list generated in Step S 160  into accessible media files; 
     Step S 180 : store the accessible media files into the storage medium; 
     Step S 200 : the external host access the stored media files through the data link. 
     Take the first exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 2  for example, the multimedia device  10  can be a digital TV with USB port for external USB device. Generally, the controller  16  of the multimedia device  10  connects to an RF coaxial cable for receiving and updating EPG and digital programs from the program provider (Step S 100 ). One or more tuners  181 ,  182  are coupled between the RF coaxial cable and the controller  16  for changing channels and receiving programs from the selected channel so that the multimedia device  10  can play programs in selected channel (or channels if the multimedia device  10  has more than one tuner as the exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 2 ). Generally the external host  30  can be a personal computer, a game console or any network-ready device that has network connection capability and both the multimedia device  10  and the external host  30  have one or more USB-compatible ports and therefore, the data link  15  is an USB-compatible link in the exemplary embodiment while other connecting interfaces such as IEEE 1394 (firewire) can be applied as the data link  15  between the multimedia device  10  and the external host  30 . The present invention configures the USB port of the multimedia device  10  as device mode by the controller  16  (Step S 120 ) so that after establishing the data link  15  between the multimedia device  10  and the external host  30  by connecting the USB ports at both end, the external host  30  detects the multimedia device  10  as a USB device that contains accessible files. 
     The controller  16  of the multimedia device  10  can generate a scheduled program list from the EPG received via the RF coaxial cable. According to some user operation from the network  40 , the preferred scheduling recording information can be transmitted to the multimedia device  10  from the external host  30  and the controller  16  generates the scheduled program list according to the scheduling recording information (Step S 140 ). Then the controller  16  converts the scheduled program list into various accessible media files (Step S 160 ) and the PVR module  14  (or the controller  16  itself) can store the accessible media files into the storage medium  12  (Step S 180 ). Finally, the external host  30  can access the media files in the storage medium  12  since the multimedia device  10  is treated as an USB device by the external host  30  after the data link  15  is established. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 4 . To configure the USB port of the multimedia device  10  as a device for the external host  30  as Step S 120  shows, the PVR module  14  (or the controller  26  in  FIG. 3 ) configures the storage medium  12  as four partitions that map into four individual USB logical units in one USB device. The first partition  121  storing the recorded title is mapped into LUN  0  (logical unit  0 ), the second partition  122  storing the jukebox files (such as MP3 files or photo files) is mapped into LUN  1 , the third partition  123  storing the EPG data is mapped into LUN  2 , and the fourth partition  124  storing the scheduled program files is mapped into LUN  3 . After the data link  15  is established between the multimedia device  10  and the external host  30 , the external host  30  detects a USB hub having four USB devices (that map into four partitions in the storage medium  12 ). The external host  30  can access the files in the devices. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 5 . As mentioned previously, the third partition  123  of the storage medium  12  stores the original EPG data, which is generated and stored by the controller  16  from the EPG received from the RF coaxial cable. The EPG data is stored in the third partition  123  in a hierarchical file system. To provide the external host  30  with maximal compatibility, the file system in the partitions of the storage medium can be file allocation table (FAT) format and all the USB devices of the multimedia device  10  in  FIG. 4  are with mass storage protocol so that the external host  30  can access the storage medium  12  in a most compatible way, i.e. the external host  30  uses logical address to access the files in the storage medium  12  through the data link  15 . Please also refer to  FIG. 6 , which is an illustration of a hierarchical file system of the fourth partition  124  that stores the scheduled program files. The controller  16  generates the original EPG data according to the EPG and stores the original EPG data in the third partition  123 . The original EPG data are stored in the file system with layer 1 as channel folders, layer 2 as date folders, and layer 3 as program files. The program files in layer 3 are exemplified by beginning with date followed by an underline and the start time and the stop time of the program. Two video objects .AVI and .TXT are stored for each program files where the .AVI file is the content of the program information of the EPG and the .TXT is descriptive text to be rendered into the .AVI file when the program information is in the scheduled program list. The .AVI format video file has the most compatibility for the external host  30  to successfully access and it is also a common video format to easily render a text file as the subtitle. However, the format of the generated video file can also be media file compatible with MPEG-4 format file in the present invention. 
     In  FIG. 6 , the file system in the fourth partition  124  is also hierarchical but is a read/write file system for allowing the external host  30  to access. The program files are stored in the file system of the fourth partition  124  with layer 1 as tuner folders (if there are more one tuner in the multimedia device  10 ) and with layer 2 as program files. The program files in the fourth partition  124  have similar file examples as that in the third partition  123 . After the multimedia device  10  receives the scheduling recording information from the external host  30 , a series of program information can be “picked” from the EPG and the controller  16  forms a scheduled program list. Then the external host  30  controls the controller  16  to converts the scheduled program list into a plurality of program files by merging the .AVI file with the .TXT file of the program files on the scheduled program list and copying the merged .AVI file to the address occupied by the corresponding file name of the program files in the fourth partition  124 . In the exemplary embodiment, the program files are generated into a plurality of data block and moved on the data block basis. Generally, all the program files in the scheduled program list are converted and stored in the fourth partition  124  once the scheduled program list is generated. However, to save the disk space, the .AVI files in the fourth partition  124  can be generated in a run-time manner whenever the external host  30  selects the very program information. 
     Since the multimedia device  10  (or more precisely, the storage medium  12 ) is viewed as a USB device (an removable medium since the data link  15  is detachable) by the external host  30 , the external host  30  accesses the media files in the storage medium  12  such as copying the media files from one address (partition) to another address (partition) and playing the media files on the multimedia device  10  or on a display. Secondly, since the multimedia device  10  has the capability to receive the digital broadcasting programs and EPG via the RF coaxial cable, the multimedia device  10  stores the EPG and provides updated EPG data for the external host  30 . Once the data link  15  is detached, the controller  16  can receive new EPG and generate new EPG data or re-schedule the original EPG data if EPG is refreshed. And the scheduled program files in the fourth partition  124  are parsed if needed. After the update of EPG is completed, the data link  15  is reattached for providing updated information for the external host  30 . 
     The method and multimedia device of the present invention configures the data link between the multimedia device and a network-ready external host so that the external host can access the media files in the multimedia device and perform scheduling recording. By generating the scheduled program list and converting the scheduled program list into program files, the information of scheduled programs from EPG according to scheduling information from the external host end can be converted into a series of media files stored in a hierarchical way for being copied and played by the external host. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.