Systems and methods for providing storage of data on servers in an on-demand media delivery system

• US 20020059621A1
• Filed: 10/09/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Michael D., Reichardt, M. Scott, Thomas, William L., Knee, Robert A., Easterbrook, Kevin B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,650,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 : for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 : for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 : for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 : for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A system and method may be provided that allows users to store, retrieve, and manipulate on-demand media content and data stored on a remote server network in an on-demand media delivery system. More particularly, the system may allow a user to access his or her on-demand media account from user equipment in different locations as long as the current user equipment can communicate with a remote server that stores user-specific information. The system upon user selection may freeze the delivery of on-demand media at a particular point and allow the user to resume the media at a later time from some other network location in system. Users may upload personal images or files to an on-demand delivery server for later retrieval and display. Users may be permitted to assign access rights to the uploaded files.

Claims

1. An interactive media-on-demand system, comprising:

a plurality of user equipment that are each configured to present media-on-demand programming delivered from a remote media-on-demand server, configured to allow a user to request to freeze delivery of a media-on-demand program, and configured to allow the user to request to have the delivery resumed from the point at which the delivery was frozen; and

the remote media-on-demand server being configured to deliver media-on-demand programming to each of the plurality of user equipment, configured to freeze the delivery of the media-on-demand program when the remote media-on-demand server receives a request to freeze delivery from a first one of the plurality of user equipment, and configured to resume the delivery to a second one of the plurality of user equipment when a request to resume delivery is received from the second user equipment.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote media-on-demand server includes user-allocated storage space partitioned for different users to store user-specific data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least the first one of the user equipment is configured to display a relocate option in a display screen to allow the user to request to freeze the delivery of the media-on-demand program.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least the second one of the user equipment is configured to display an option in a display screen to allow the user to request to have the delivery resumed.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote media-on-demand server saves a current position of the media-on-demand program when the request to freeze delivery is received from the first one of the user equipment.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the media-on demand program is resumed on the second one of the user equipment when the remote server retrieves the current position and plays the media-on-demand program on the second one of the user equipment starting from the current position.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote media-on-demand server begins recording the media-on-demand program when the request to freeze delivery is received from the first user equipment.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the media-on-demand presentation is resumed on the second user equipment when the remote media-on-delivery server retrieves the beginning of the recorded media-on-demand program and plays the media-on-demand program from the beginning of the recorded media-on-demand program on the second user equipment.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote media-on-demand server and the plurality of user equipment are configured to provide the user with an opportunity to log into the system from the plurality of user equipment.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first one of the user equipment is configured to display a display screen that includes a login option to provide the user with an opportunity to login and be permitted to request to freeze the delivery.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second one of the user equipment is configured to allow the user to request to resume delivery when the user has logged into the system.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote media-on-demand server and the plurality of user equipment are configured to provide the user with an opportunity to log out of the system from the plurality of user equipment.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first one of the a user equipment is configured to display a logout option to provide the user with an opportunity to log out of the system.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the first one of the user equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to request to freeze delivery is provided in response to the logout option being selected.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the remote media-on-demand server and the first one of the user equipment are configured to provide the user with an opportunity to upload that user'"'"'s personal media from the first one of the user equipment to the remote media-on-demand server.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein remote media-on-demand server is configured to save the point at which the media-on-demand program was frozen to the a user-specific storage space on the remote media-on-demand server.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the request to freeze delivery saves the point at which the media-on-demand program was frozen on the user-allocated storage space on the remote media-on-demand server.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising storing user-specific data in user-allocated storage space partitioned for different users in the remote media-on-demand server.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying a relocate option in a display screen on the first user equipment to allow the user to request to freeze the delivery of the media-on-demand program.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising displaying an option in a display screen on the second user equipment to provide an opportunity for the request to resume delivery.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising saving a current position of the media-on-demand program on the remote media-on-demand server when the request to freeze delivery is received.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the resuming comprises:

retrieving the current position at the remote media-on-demand server; and

playing the media-on-demand program from the current position on the second user equipment.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising recoding the media-on-demand program on the remote media-on-demand server when the request to freeze delivery is received from the first user equipment.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the resuming comprises:

retrieving the beginning of the recorded media-on-demand program; and

playing the media-on-demand program from the beginning of the recorded media-on-demand program on the second user equipment.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the providing users comprises providing the user with an opportunity to enter personal identification information.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising identifying the user based on the personal identification information.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to request to resume delivery when the user has logged into the system.

29. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to log out of the system from the first user equipment.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the providing the user with an opportunity to log out comprises displaying a display screen that includes a logout option.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising providing the request to freeze delivery to the user in response to the logout option being selected.

32. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to upload that user'"'"'s personal media from the first user equipment to the remote media-on-demand server.

33. The method of claim 18 further comprising saving the point at which the media-on-demand program was frozen in user-specific data on the remote media server when the request to freeze delivery is received by the remote media-on-demand server.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to retrieve user-specific media from the Internet for upload to the video-on-demand server.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to retrieve the user-specific media from the storage device for upload to the video-on-demand server.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to display an upload option in a display screen.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to assign access rights to user-specific media that has been uploaded to the video-on-demand server.

39. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to assign access rights for user-specific media to be public access rights.

40. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to provide the user with an opportunity to select which users will have access rights to user-specific media that has been uploaded by that user.

41. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to upload and the video-on-demand server is configured to store for presentation user-specific media that is a photograph.

42. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to upload and the video-on-demand server is configured to store for presentation user-specific media that is an audio recording.

43. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to upload and the video-on-demand server is configured to store for presentation user-specific media that is a video.

44. The system of claim 34 wherein the user equipment is configured to upload and the video-on-demand server is configured to store for presentation user-specific media that is graphics.

46. The method of claim 45 further comprising retrieving user-specific media from the Internet for upload to the video-on-demand server.

47. The method of claim 45 further comprising retrieving the user-specific media from the storage device for upload to the video-on-demand server.

48. The method of claim 45 further comprising displaying an upload option in a display screen.

49. The method of claim 45 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to assign access rights to user-specific media that has been uploaded to the video-on-demand server.

50. The method of claim 45 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to assign access rights for user-specific media to be public access rights.

51. The method of claim 45 further comprising providing the user with an opportunity to select which users will have access rights to user-specific media that has been uploaded by that user.

52. The method of claim 45 further comprising uploading user-specific media that is a photograph.

53. The method of claim 45 further comprising uploading user-specific media that is a an audio recording.

54. The method of claim 45 further comprising uploading user-specific media that is a video.

55. The method of claim 45 further comprising uploading user-specific media that is a graphics.

18. A method, comprising:

presenting a media-on-demand program on a first user equipment;

freezing the presentation of the media-on-demand program upon a request to freeze delivery from the user from the first user equipment;

providing users with an opportunity to log into the system through a second user equipment;

resuming the presentation of the media-on-demand program upon a request to resume delivery from the second user equipment; and

providing a remote media-on-demand server that can communicate with the first and second user equipment; and

34. A system comprising:

a plurality of user equipment, each being configured to present video and being configured to upload user-specific media to a video-on-demand server and each user equipment comprising a storage device; and

the video-on-demand server being in a client-server relationship with the plurality of user equipment and being configured for on-demand delivery of media including video for presentation on one or more of the user equipment, and wherein some of the media or on-demand delivery includes user-specific media that was uploaded to the video-on-demand server from at least one of the user equipment.

45. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of user equipment, each being configured to present video and configured to upload user-specific media to a video-on-demand server and each comprising a storage device;

providing the video-on-demand server that is in a client-server relationship with the plurality of user equipment and that is configured for on-demand delivery of media including video to one or more of the user equipment;

uploading some of the media to the video-on-demand server from at least one of the user equipment; and

presenting the user-specific media on at least one of the user equipment.