Method and apparatus for transmitting non-VOD services

• US 20030084461A1
• Filed: 10/25/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PrediWave Corp.
• Original Assignee: PrediWave Corp.
• Inventors: Hoang, Khoi
• Application Number:
  US10/003,642
• Publication Number:
  US 20030084461A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/145
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method of retrieving data files broadcast repetitively over at least a first time interval and a second time interval comprising, receiving a file request from a user selecting at least one of the broadcast data files, requesting an authorization for retrieval of the file requested, initiating an authorized file retrieval process to retrieve at least a first part of the data file broadcast during the first time interval, and subsequently retrieving a second part of the data file broadcast during the second time interval, and rearranging the first and second parts to reconstitute at least a part of the data file.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving repetitively broadcast data files over at least a first time interval and a second time interval comprising:

receiving a file request from a user selecting at least one of the repetitively broadcast data files;

initiating an authorized file retrieval process to retrieve at least a first part of the repetitively broadcast data file during the first time interval, and subsequently retrieving a second part of the repetitively broadcast data file during the second time interval; and

rearranging the first and second parts to reconstitute at least a part of the repetitively broadcast data file.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting an authorization for retrieval of the file requested.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a third part of the data file broadcast during a third time interval; and

rearranging the first, second and third parts to reconstitute the complete data file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein different types of files are broadcast in each of a plurality of sub-channels within a given channel, and wherein each file has a different rate of broadcast.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an EPG is received by a user STB and presented to the user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the user STB automatically selects a download time from an EPG corresponding to the file selected by the user, each file including data corresponding to at least a download interval.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the user STB automatically calculates the download window length using an EPG.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the download window length is longer than the longest broadcast interval corresponding to the largest file.

9. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium for retrieving repetitively broadcast data files over at least a first time interval and a second time interval comprising:

code means for receiving a file request from a user selecting at least one of the broadcast data files;

code means for initiating an authorized file retrieval process to retrieve at least a first part of the data file broadcast during the first time interval, and subsequently retrieving a second part of the data file broadcast during the second time interval; and

code means for rearranging the first and second parts to reconstitute at least a part of the data file.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising requesting an authorization for retrieval of the file requested.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising:

code means for retrieving a third part of the data file broadcast during a third time interval; and

code means for rearranging the first, second and third parts to reconstitutes the complete data file.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein different types of file may be broadcast in each sub-channel within a given channel, and wherein each file has a different broadcast rate.

13. The computer program method of claim 9 wherein an EPG is received by a user STB and presented to the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the user STB automatically selects a download time from an EPG corresponding to the file selection by the user, each file including data corresponding to at least a download interval.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the user STB automatically calculates the download window length using an EPG.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the download window length is longer than the longest broadcast interval corresponding to the largest file.

17. An apparatus for retrieving data files broadcast repetitively over at least a first time interval and a second time interval comprising:

means for receiving a file request from a user selecting at least one of the broadcast data files;

means for initiating an authorized file retrieval process to retrieve at least a first part of the data file broadcast during the first time interval, and subsequently retrieving a second part of the data file broadcast during the second time interval; and

means for rearranging the first and second parts to reconstitute at least a part of the data file.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising requesting an authorization for retrieval of the file requested.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

means for retrieving a third part of the data file broadcast during a third time interval; and

means for rearranging the first, second and third parts to reconstitutes the complete data file.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein different types of file may be broadcast in each sub-channel within a given channel, and wherein each file has a different broadcast rate.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein an EPG is received by a user STB and presented to the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the user STB automatically selects a download time from an EPG corresponding to the file selection by the user, each file including data corresponding to at least a download interval.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the user STB automatically calculates the download window length using an EPG.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the download window length is longer than the longest broadcast interval corresponding to the largest file.

25. A method of downloading video files broadcast periodically, using an intelligent STB comprising:

receiving a user input including at least one selected video file;

sending user selection information to a file server;

obtaining authorization from the file server to download the selected video file;

initiating an authorized download of at least a first part of the selected video file broadcast during the first time interval, and subsequently retrieving a second part of the video file broadcast during the second time interval; and

rearranging the first and second parts to reconstitute at least a part of the video file.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

retrieving additional parts of the video file broadcast during additional time interval; and

rearranging all the parts to reconstitutes the complete video file.

27. A method of supplying video files for download by an intelligent STB comprising:

broadcasting repetitively at least one video file over a predetermined bandwidth wherein the rate of broadcast may be different from the encoding rate, and wherein each of a plurality of sub-channels may operate at a different rate of broadcast.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving a request to download a video file being broadcast repetitively from an intelligent STB; and

sending an authorization to download at least one broadcast video file.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein each video file is broadcast continuously.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the within a given channel, video files with different encoding rate are broadcast over different bandwidths.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein several video files are broadcast over the same bandwidth.

32. A system for supplying video files for download by an intelligent STB comprising:

means for broadcasting repetitively at least one video file over a predetermined bandwidth;

means for receiving a request to download a video file being broadcast repetitively from an intelligent STB;

means for sending an authorization to download at least one broadcast video file; and

means for receiving the authorization to download and downloading the video file.

33. A method for storing data files broadcast repetitively in a over a transmission medium for future access, comprising:

requesting an authorization to use a selected data file;

receiving at least a portion of a plurality of said selected data files, said plurality including a first transmission of said selected data file and a second transmission of said selected data file, wherein said portion includes and end portion of said first transmission of said selected data file and a beginning portion of said second transmission of said selected data file;

receiving an authorization to use said selected data file;

initiating an authorized data file storage process to store said end portion and said beginning portion such that said end portion and said beginning portion forms a complete data file.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising reconstructing said selected data file from said stored end portion and said beginning portion.

35. The method of claim 33 further comprising constructing a data file substantially similar to said selected data file from said stored end portion and said beginning portion.

36. The method of claim 33 further comprising displaying a visual representation of at least a portion of said complete data file.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein said selected data file is an audio/visual display program.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein said selected data file is an interactive machine executable program.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein said first and second transmissions of said selected data file are encoded to prevent unauthorized access to said selected data file.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein a client set-top-box is used to decipher said encoded selected data file using said authorization.

41. The method of claim 33 further comprising receiving an electronic programming guide (EPG), wherein said requesting an authorization to use a selected data file is facilitated by said EPG.