Inter-residence computing resource sharing

• US 10,432,296 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Martch, Henry Gregg
• Primary Examiner(s): Chae, Kyu
• Application Number:
  US14/981,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18526 Arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling computing device or system resource sharing between two or more satellite television customers are disclosed. This may be achieved by partitioning resources of a television receiver system such that a first party and at least a second party have access to the various features or functionality in a manner similar to that as if each respective party has a standalone instance of the same. A server system may facilitate the resource sharing between satellite television customers by receiving a request from a first party and identifying a second party within suitable distance from the first party. The server system may send configuration instructions to the television receiver of the hosting party that include instructions as to how the resources of the computing system are to be allocated.

Claims

1. A method for sharing resources of a television receiver between two or more customers, the method comprising:

establishing, at a server system, a first network connection between the server system and a computing device associated with a first television customer account;

receiving, using the first network connection, a request to engage the first television customer account in an agreement to share television receiver resources associated with a different television customer account;

identifying, by the server system, a second television customer account to engage in an agreement with the first television customer account to share the television receiver resources of a television receiver located at a residence associated with the second television customer account, the television receiver being a satellite television receiver coupled with a satellite dish to receive satellite television programming, and the television receiver resources comprising television tuner resources of the satellite television receiver;

establishing, at a server system, a second network connection between the server system and the television receiver;

facilitating establishment of a direct point-to-point network connection between the television receiver and the computing device;

sending, using the second network connection, instructions to configure the television receiver to serve content to the first television customer account over the direct point-to-point network connection, wherein the instructions include an allocation of resources of the television receiver for use by the first television customer account, wherein the allocation of resources includes partitioning the tuner resources so that the first television customer account has allocated thereto a first set of one or more tuners of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has allocated thereto a second set of one or more tuners of the television receiver different than the first set of one or more tuners; and

facilitating sending content from the television receiver to the computing device using the direct point-to-point network connection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the second television customer account to engage in the agreement with the first television customer account to share resources of the television receiver based upon a particular criterion that specifies a maximum allowable distance between a first residence associated with the first television customer account and a second residence, the second residence being the residence associated with the second television customer account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the direct point-to-point network connection includes a wireless communication bridge.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of resources of the television receiver includes partitioning tuner resources so that the first television customer account has exclusively allocated thereto the first set of one or more tuners of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has exclusively allocated thereto the second set of tuners of the television receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of resources of the television receiver includes partitioning disk drive resources so that the first television customer account has allocated thereto a first portion of disk drive storage of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has allocated thereto a second portion of disk drive storage of the television receiver different than the first portion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the second network connection, a message that confirms successful configuration of the television receiver to serve content to the first television customer account over the direct point-to-point network connection.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a residence associated with the first television customer account lacks satellite uplink access for obtaining satellite television programming content, and wherein the residence associated with the second television customer account has satellite uplink access for obtaining satellite television programming content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

separately monitoring access to television programming associated with the first television customer account and the second television customer account so that an invoice for services rendered levied against the first television customer account is separate from an invoice for services rendered levied against the second television customer account.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of resources includes partitioning transcoding resources so that the first television customer account has allocated thereto a first portion of transcoding resources of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has allocated thereto a second portion of transcoding resources of the television receiver.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocation of resources includes partitioning the television receiver resources so that an individual associated with the second television customer account is unable to identify content served to the first television customer account.

9. A non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

establishing, at a server system, a first network connection between the server system and a computing device associated with a first television customer account;

receiving, using the first network connection, a request to engage the first television customer account in an agreement to share television receiver resources associated with a different television customer account;

identifying, by the server system, a second television customer account to engage in an agreement with the first television customer account to share the television receiver resources of a television receiver located at a residence associated with the second television customer account, the television receiver being a satellite television receiver coupled with a satellite dish to receive satellite television programming, and the television receiver resources comprising television tuner resources of the satellite television receiver;

establishing, at a server system, a second network connection between the server system and the television receiver;

facilitating establishment of a direct point-to-point network connection between the television receiver and the computing device;

sending, using the second network connection, instructions to configure the television receiver to serve content to the first television customer account over the direct point-to-point network connection, wherein the instructions include an allocation of resources of the television receiver for use by the first television customer account, wherein the allocation of resources includes partitioning the tuner resources so that the first television customer account has allocated thereto a first set of one or more tuners of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has allocated thereto a second set of one or more tuners of the television receiver different than the first set of one or more tuners; and

facilitating sending, using the direct point-to-point network connection, content to the computing device.

10. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

selecting the second television customer account to engage in the agreement with the first television customer account to share resources of the television receiver based upon a particular criterion that specifies a maximum allowable distance between a residence associated with the first television customer account and the residence associated with the second television customer account.

11. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the allocation of resources of the television receiver includes partitioning tuner resources so that the first television customer account has exclusively allocated thereto the first set of one or more tuners of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has exclusively allocated thereto the second set of one or more tuners of the television receiver.

12. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the allocation of resources of the television receiver includes partitioning disk drive resources so that the first television customer account has allocated thereto a first portion of disk drive storage of the television receiver and so that the second television customer account has allocated thereto a second portion of disk drive storage of the television receiver different than the first portion.

13. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including:

receiving, using the second network connection, a message that confirms successful configuration of the television receiver to serve content to the first television customer account over the direct point-to-point network connection.

14. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 9, wherein identifying the second television customer account includes querying a database of television customer accounts.

15. A satellite television receiver comprising:

a receiver interface configured to receive media content from a content provider via a satellite dish located at a residence associated with a second television customer account;

an output interface configured to output media content to a display device;

a network interface configured to establish network connections with remote devices and to transmit and receive data over the network connections;

a plurality of tuners in data communication with the receiver interface, the plurality of tuners configured to provide tuner resources;

one or more processors configured to perform operations including;

establishing a first network connection with a server system using the network interface;

receiving, using the first network connection, instructions to allocate television receiver resources for use by a first television customer and to serve content to the first television customer, wherein;

the instructions are associated with the server system receiving a request to engage an account of the first television customer in an agreement to share the television receiver resources;

the instructions are associated with the server system identifying an account of the second television customer to engage in the agreement; and

the instructions allocate the television receiver resources at least by partitioning the tuner resources so that the first television customer account has allocated thereto a first set of one or more tuners of the plurality of tuners and so that the second television customer account has allocated thereto a second set of one or more tuners of the plurality of tuners;

allocating the television receiver resources for use by the first television customer according to the instructions;

establishing a direct point-to-point network connection with a computing device associated with the first television customer using the network interface;

configuring the television receiver to serve content to the first television customer over the direct point-to-point network connection; and

sending the content to the computing device using the direct point-to-point network connection.

16. The television receiver of claim 15, wherein the first set of one or more tuners is exclusively allocated to the first television customer account and the second set of one or more tuners is exclusively allocated to the second customer account.

17. The television receiver of claim 15, further comprising storage resources, wherein the instructions allocate resources by partitioning the storage resources so that the second television customer associated with the television receiver has allocated thereto a first portion of the storage resources and so that the first television customer has allocated thereto a second portion of the storage resources different than the first portion.

18. The television receiver of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to perform operations including:

sending, using the first network connection, a message that confirms successful configuration of the television receiver to serve content to the first television customer.