The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 03, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 01, 2004
Paul Alexander, Sanford, NC (US);
Christopher P. Williams, Oak Hill, VA (US);
Kenneth Gould, Herndon, VA (US);
David Christman, Rowayton, CT (US);
Paul Alexander, Sanford, NC (US);
Christopher P. Williams, Oak Hill, VA (US);
Kenneth Gould, Herndon, VA (US);
David Christman, Rowayton, CT (US);
Time Warner Cable, Inc., Stamford, CT (US);
Abstract
A system and method for controlling a digital video recorder on a cable network. Signaling associated with the answering or initiation of a digital telephone call by a digital telephone subscriber is used to issue commands to a digital video recorder (DVR). A signal is generated by an MTA when the telephone is enters an 'off-hook' state and sent to the DVR to initiate recording of a program being viewed by the called party. When the phone goes 'on-hook', the called party resumes watching the program from exactly where it was interrupted. The MTA may be connected directly to the VTD/DVR and the telephone state is determined by the DVR from information provided by the MTA. Alternatively, a soft switch monitors signaling from the MTA indicative of the state of the called telephone. A telephone state message comprising the telephone state information is then sent over an out-of-band channel/path to a DVR client within the VTD. The DVR client uses the telephone state information to control a DVR.