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TiVo Granted PVR Patents

Posted by michael on from the lawyers-already-dispatched-to-UltimateTV dept.

mnip sent in a Reuters story about TiVo getting patents on its digital television recording technology (also see their press release). Here's one of them - recording one program while watching another.

5 of 212 comments (clear)

  1. Creative ? by AftanGustur · · Score: 5


    2. The primary gist seems to be the use of a MPEG-specific coprocessor in a certain way that unloads the main CPU from having to do any video encoding / decoding work. IANAL but this does not seem to cover PVR functionality implemented in a PC, given the way most videocards are implemented.

    And this is judged creative enought to be granted a patend ??

    Sorry, but isn't this *exactly* what MPEG-specific coprocessors are designed for ???


    --
    echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb15CB32EF3AF9C0E5D7272 C3AF4F2snlbxq'|dc

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    echo '[q]sa[ln0=aln80~Psnlbx]16isb572CCB9AE9DB03273snlbxq' |dc
  2. A preventative chill pill by RebornData · · Score: 5

    I can already hear the flamethrowers warming up from people who haven't bothered to read the press release or the patent filing. In an attempt to head off what will undoubtably be some common misconceptions:

    1. The patent does not cover timeshifting- it covers a specific implementation of timeshifting. They reference use of VCRs and hard-disk based video recording systems in the prior-art section.

    2. The primary gist seems to be the use of a MPEG-specific coprocessor in a certain way that unloads the main CPU from having to do any video encoding / decoding work. IANAL but this does not seem to cover PVR functionality implemented in a PC, given the way most videocards are implemented.

    3. There's a lot of other stuff in there about refinements to the technique- sniffing out program start / stop info by scanning closed captioning information, and so on. Seems legitimately innovative to me.

    Of course, if you believe the whole patent system is bunk all of this is irrelevant, but it doesn't look like anything to freak out about. However, it does reference a previous patent on hard-drive video recording dating back to 1994 that might be more troublesome... but I haven't read it.

  3. This is not like a VCR! by scottdj · · Score: 5
    From my reading of the patent application as linked above, you will see that what they are patenting is not being able to watch one program while taping another, but the ability to tape one program while watching another one that is already recorded. This is a significant and concrete improvement over the state of the art, and seems, IMO, worthy of a patent.


    --Scott D. Iekel-Johnson

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    Type something, will you? We're paying for this stuff!
  4. Slashdot is getting just a bit too sensationalist by irn_bru · · Score: 5

    "The Patents cover a METHOD for recording one program while playing back another"

    It is obvious that TiVo have patented the act of recording one programme whilst watching another by whatever processes go on within their box, rather than the whole concept of it.

    Suggesting the former is just a good way of getting your submission noticed, and causing rampant hysteria in the forums...

  5. Cool by sharkticon · · Score: 5

    TiVo managed to come up with an innovative product that plenty of people (especially here) have found to be extremely useful and worth the price. As such, they deserve to have their advances in technology formally protected, and they have.

    See - the patent system isn't all bad :) With all the whinging about one-click patents, we forget that every month, hundreds of patents are granted for worthwhile products, ensuring that research and development continue to thrive.

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