Cloud based location shifting service

• US 10,154,294 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kanojia, Chaitanya, Lipowski, Joseph Thaddeus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, William J
• Application Number:
  US15/018,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

A method and system for enabling a user to access video capture services from a home market while temporarily located in outside of it, i.e., roaming. The user temporarily located outside of their home market uses a regional system as a proxy in a home market in which the user is able to receive regional content. The regional system transfers the regional content to the roaming user.

Claims

1. A national system for streaming content to a user, the national system comprising:

regional systems for capturing and distributing requested broadcast television content transmissions to the user from the home markets associated with each of the regional systems, wherein each of the regional capture and distribution systems comprises an array of antennas, with each of the antennas being able to capture broadcast television content transmissions from television broadcasting entities located within the respective market of that regional capture and distribution system, wherein the regional capture and distribution systems transcode and store an individual copy of the broadcast television content transmissions for the user with the regional capture and distribution systems transferring the individual copy of the requested transcoded content transmissions to the user, wherein the regional systems capture the content transmissions with antennas that are uniquely assigned to the user; and

a qualifying system that determines geographical locations of the user by accessing a global position system, accessing cellular phone systems, or looking up Internet protocol addresses assigned to the user in an address geographical location directory and determines the home market for the user, in response to determining that the geographic location of the user is located outside of a geographic region of the user'"'"'s respective home market, the qualifying system then passes the user to the regional systems covering the home market of the user and restricts access of the user only to the regional systems located within the respective home markets of the user.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the regional systems transfer the requested broadcast television content transmissions to the users via Internet streaming.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the qualifying system determines the home market of the user based on account information associated with the user.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the qualifying system determines the home market of the user based user selections.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising broadcasting entities that broadcast over the air broadcasts that are captured and encoded by the regional systems.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the broadcasting entities are television networks transmitting over the air broadcasts.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the regional systems are geographical proxies in the respective home markets of the users.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the regional systems are nodes of a content delivery network.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising dedicated links that connect the regional systems and transfer data between the regional systems.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the dedicated links transfer the user requested content transmissions to local regional systems and the local regional systems then stream the user requested content transmission to the users via the Internet streaming.