Patent ID: 7529471

Claim:
A method for automated personal video recording on a multi-user personal video recorder (“PVR”), the method comprising: recording for a borrower a show owned by the borrower, the borrower being a user having allocated storage space on the PVR optionally including free space, the show having a storage space requirement exceeding the borrower's free space by a deficit amount; selecting, in dependence upon the deficit amount, one or more lenders, wherein the lenders are users having allocated storage space on the PVR including free space; wherein selecting a lender comprises selecting as lenders one or more users whose free space is at least equal to the deficit amount and wherein selecting lenders is carried out in dependence upon a lending authorization record comprising: an identification of a lender; and a maximum loan amount of storage space authorized for borrowing from the lender, the lending authorization record further comprises an identification of a borrower authorized to borrow from the lender identified in the lending authorization record no more than the maximum loan amount identified in the lending authorization record; determining whether lenders authorize borrowing; determining whether the borrower is authorized to borrow from the lenders; and borrowing, in dependence upon the deficit amount, from the lenders for the borrower, at least one loan amount of storage space.