Patent ID: 8677429

Claim:
A system for managing resource-usage conflict among a plurality of viewers associated with a plurality of TVs, comprising: a plurality of resources for shared usage among the viewers, the resources including at least one input device adapted to receive a program broadcast and to transmit the program broadcast onward for display; and a resolution arrangement operationally connected to the at least one input device, the resolution arrangement being adapted to: identify a usage conflict of at least one of the resources; pass, in a consecutive manner, an on-screen display having a resource usage action-choice among the TVs for display by the TVs, so that the on-screen display is first displayed by one of the TVs and then displayed by another one of the TVs; and determine the order of passing the on-screen display based on a priority assignment of the TVs, the priority assignment being based at least in part on a nature of viewing currently being viewed on each of the TVs, wherein a playback nature of viewing is accorded a lower priority than a live with simultaneous recording nature of viewing which, in turn, is accorded a lower priority than a live viewing which is not being recorded.