Cloud-based digital content recorder apparatus and methods

• US 10,687,115 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2016
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Muvavarirwa, Ranga
• Primary Examiner(s): Langhnoja, Kunal
• Application Number:
  US15/170,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20170353768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• 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 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/432 Content retrieval operation from a local storage medium, e.g. hard-disk details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85403 by describing the content as an MPEG-21 Digital Item
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for the storage and delivery of content over a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a managed content distribution network, and the apparatus comprises a “cloud” digital video recorder (cDVR) server which stores, processes and assembles content prior to its delivery in a way that obviates superfluous storage, and gains significant network efficiencies. This approach also facilitates various pre-streaming processing in the video recording (e.g., cDVR) system. One or more content libraries adapted to facilitate cDVR content assembly and access are also disclosed. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively inserted into cDVR content. Various access, business or operational rules and methods implementing the foregoing are also described.

Claims

1. A computerized method of managing digitally rendered content within a content delivery network for at least one of a plurality of users of the content delivery network, the computerized method comprising:

receiving, at a computerized entity of the content delivery network, data representative of a request to record the digitally rendered content, the request originating from a computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users of the content delivery network;

based at least in part on the request, causing at least a first portion of the digitally rendered content to be stored on a first storage device of the content delivery network, the at least first portion of the digitally rendered content stored at a storage location specifically associated with the at least one of the plurality of users; and

causing at least a second portion of the digitally rendered content to be stored at a storage location not specific to the at least one of the plurality of users;

wherein the second portion comprises a numeric complement of the first portion of the digitally rendered content, the numeric complement necessary to assemble the digitally rendered content such that the digitally rendered content is unique to the computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users when the numeric complement is assembled with the first portion, the assembly of the numeric complement with the first portion being in accordance with a numerical model assigned to the computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the computerized method further comprises:

subsequent to said causing the at least first and second portions to be stored, receiving data representative of a request from the at least one of the plurality of users to access the digitally rendered content; and

based at least on the request to access the digitally rendered content, assembling the digitally rendered content from both the storage location specifically associated with the at least one of the plurality of users and the storage location not specific to the at least one of the plurality of users.

3. The computerized method of claim 2, wherein the assembling the digitally rendered content comprises further assembling the digitally rendered content from both:

(i) the storage location specifically associated with the at least one of the plurality of users, and the storage location not specific to the at least one of the plurality of users; and

(ii) a storage location associated with a different one of the plurality of users.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the causing the at least first portion to be stored at the storage location specifically associated with the at least one of the plurality of users comprises storing the at least first portion so that it is only accessible to the at least one of the plurality of users.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the content delivery network comprises a managed network having a network operator, and the plurality of users comprise a plurality of subscribers who are bound to the network operator pursuant to respective subscription agreements.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising, based at least on a second request, causing delivery of the at least first and second portions of the digitally rendered content to another computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the causing to be stored comprises transcoding at least one of the at least first and second portions of the content from a first encoding format to a second encoding format.

8. The computerized method of claim 7, wherein the first encoding format comprises a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-2 format and the second encoding format comprises an MPEG-4 AVC or H.264 format.

9. A computerized method of operating a content delivery network having a plurality of users, the plurality of users having a respective plurality of computer client devices associated therewith, the computerized method comprising:

receiving at least one digitally rendered content element from a content source;

receiving data representative of a plurality of requests from respective ones of the plurality of computerized client devices to record the at least one digitally rendered content element;

based at least on the plurality of requests, storing respective ones of first versions of the at least one digitally rendered content element, each of the respective ones of the first versions accessible only by the respective ones of the plurality of users associated with the respective ones of the first versions;

after expiration of a period of time, storing respective second versions of the at least one digitally rendered content element, the second versions being compressed with respect to the respective first versions thereof, and at least a portion of each of the second versions accessible by one or more users other than the respective one of the plurality of users associated with the respective one of the first versions; and

storing a computerized allocation algorithm, the storing of the computerized allocation algorithm enabling a subsequent software process to identify a respective plurality of numerically-based schemes used for assembly of the at least one digitally rendered content element;

wherein the storing of the respective second versions of the at least one digitally rendered content element comprises at least storing the portion of each of the respective second versions accessible by one or more users other than the respective one of the plurality of users associated with the respective one of the first versions in a shared or common library data structure based at least on the computerized allocation algorithm; and

wherein the assembly of the at least one digitally rendered content element comprises use of at least some of the stored ones of first versions and at least some of the stored portion of the second versions, based on the respective plurality of numerically-based schemes, the respective plurality of numerically-based schemes being assigned to respective ones of the plurality of computerized client devices such that uniqueness is created for each respective digital content stream delivered to the plurality of computerized client devices.

10. The computerized method of claim 9, further comprising dynamically determining, on a per-user basis, respective ones of the period of time, the storage of each of the respective second versions of the at least one digitally rendered content element based on the respective ones of the period of time.

11. The computerized method of claim 9, further comprising:

after the storing of the respective second versions, receiving a subsequent request from one of the plurality of users to access the at least one digitally rendered content element; and

accessing the respective second versions for the one of the plurality of users, the accessing comprising;

accessing the at least portion of the respective second versions from the shared or common library data structure;

accessing a remainder of the respective second versions from a user-specific data structure, the user-specific data structure being specific to the one of the plurality of users; and

assembling the accessed at least portion and the accessed remainder into a digital content stream for delivery to one of the plurality of computerized client devices.

12. The computerized method of claim 11, wherein the storing respective second versions of the at least one digitally rendered content element further comprises:

storing a first portion of the at least one digitally rendered content element at a first data storage location that is unique to one of the plurality of users associated with a respective one of the first versions.

13. The computerized method of claim 12, wherein the storing respective second versions of the at least one digitally rendered content element further comprises allocating a plurality of segments associated with the at least one content element between the first data storage location and the shared or common library data structure.

14. The computerized method of claim 13, wherein the allocation algorithm comprises identifying a plurality of numeric sequences or their complements, and the allocating of the plurality of segments comprises allocating the plurality of segments corresponding to one of the plurality of numeric sequences or its complement, the one of the plurality of numeric sequences comprising a Fibonacci sequence.

15. A content delivery network architecture configured to service a plurality of users, the content delivery network architecture comprising:

a first storage repository, the first storage repository configured to store ingested digitally rendered content elements obtained from a content source;

a second storage repository, the second storage repository in data communication with the first storage repository and configured to provide storage of at least first portions of each of the ingested digitally rendered content elements, respective ones of the at least first portions being uniquely associated with respective computerized client devices of the plurality of users; and

a third storage repository, the third storage repository in data communication with at least the first data storage repository and configured to provide storage of at least second portions of each of the ingested digitally rendered content elements, the at least second portions not being uniquely associated with any of the users; and

wherein the content delivery network architecture achieves storage compression at least through configuration to, based at least on a digitally rendered content element access request from originating from a respective one of the respective computerized client devices of the plurality of users, utilize a randomized sequence assignment scheme to assign a respective unique first portion of the digitally rendered content element from the second storage repository to at least one of the at least second portions of the digitally rendered content element from the third storage repository to service the request by delivery of a digital content stream to respective one of the computerized client devices of the plurality of users; and

wherein the randomized sequence assignment scheme is assigned to the respective one of the computerized client devices of the plurality of users such that the digital content stream is unique to the respective one of the computerized client devices.

16. The content delivery network architecture of claim 15, wherein the content delivery network architecture further comprises a computerized packaging entity, the computerized packaging entity configured to assemble the respective unique first portion of the digitally rendered content element from the second storage repository and the second portion of the digitally rendered content element from the third data repository to support the servicing of the request.

17. The content delivery network architecture of claim 16, wherein the content delivery network architecture is configured to assemble the respective unique first portion of the digitally rendered content element from the second storage repository and the second portion of the digitally rendered content element from the third data repository to support the servicing of the request only after meeting of one or more criteria.

18. A content delivery network apparatus configured to service content requests originating from a respective plurality of computerized client devices associated with a plurality of users, the content delivery network apparatus comprising:

at least one data interface for data communication;

processing apparatus in data communication with the at least one interface; and

storage apparatus in data communication with the processing apparatus and comprising at least one computer program, the at least one program configured to, when executed on the processing apparatus;

store, within a first storage repository in data communication with the interface, the content element in its entirety, the first repository configured to store ingested digitally rendered content elements obtained from a content source and comprising a plurality of first storage locations uniquely associated with respective ones of the plurality of users;

thereafter, upon expiry of a prescribed period of time after receipt of a recording request relating to a digitally rendered content element, the request originated by a computerized client device of one of the plurality of users, access the first storage repository to retrieve the digitally rendered content element, the retrieved digitally rendered content element comprising a plurality of segments;

utilize an allocation algorithm to allocate the plurality of segments of the digitally rendered content element into at least first and second portions each having some of the plurality of segments, the at least first portion being uniquely associated with the one of the plurality of users, and the at least second portion being unassociated with any of the plurality of users;

store the at least first portion within a second storage repository in data communication with the at least one data interface, the second storage repository comprising a plurality of second storage locations uniquely associated with the respective ones of the plurality of users; and

store the at least second portion within a third storage repository in data communication with the at least one data interface, the third storage repository comprising at least one location shared between each of the plurality of users;

wherein the allocation by the allocation algorithm comprises assignment of one of a plurality of different numerical models to the computerized client device of the one of the plurality of users.

19. The content delivery network apparatus of claim 18, wherein the allocation by the allocation algorithm comprises:

application of the selected one model to the plurality of segments of the digitally rendered content element so as to produce the first portion and the second portion, the second portion being a complement to the first portion and having none of the same segments.

20. The content delivery network apparatus of claim 19, wherein the plurality of different numerical models comprise at least an even numbered segment model, and odd numbered segment model, and a sequential segment model.

21. The content delivery network apparatus of claim 19, wherein the storage of the at least second portion comprises storage of multiple identical copies of the at least second portion.

22. A computerized method of managing digitally rendered content within a content delivery network for at least one of a plurality of users of the content delivery network, the computerized method comprising:

receiving, at an entity of the content delivery network, data representative of a request to record the digitally rendered content from a computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users of the content delivery network;

based at least in part on the request;

causing a first portion of the digitally rendered content to be stored on a first storage device of the content delivery network, the first portion of the digitally rendered content stored at a storage location specifically associated with the at least one user, the first storage device located at a first portion of the content delivery network; and

causing at least one representation of a second portion of the digitally rendered content to be stored on a second storage device of the content delivery network, the at least one representation comprising a numeric complement of the first portion and being stored at a storage location not specific to the at least one of the plurality of users, the second storage device located at a second portion of the content delivery network different from the first portion of the content delivery network and providing reduced content transport cost as compared to the first portion of the content delivery network;

wherein the numeric complement is part of a numeric sequence assigned to the computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users such that the numeric sequence is configured to render the digitally rendered content unique to the computerized client device associated with the at least one of the plurality of users when assembled with the first portion.

23. The computerized method of claim 22, wherein the second portion of the content delivery network comprises an edge cache.