Broadband set-top box front-end storage system

• US 20030214957A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Wahoske, Matthew John, Liu, Xiaodong, Jones, Thomas Herbert
• Application Number:
  US10/146,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20030214957A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

A user-side receiver system includes a gateway device, which provides an interface between a subscriber-based network, and an output device. A storage system is disposed externally from the gateway device and is coupled to the gateway device through a network interface. The storage system provides memory for storage of data streams transmitted from the network to the gateway device. The network interface links the gateway device to the storage system to cooperatively access and store data to/from the storage system in a way that limits access to the data by a user.

Claims

1. A user-side receiver system, comprising:

a gateway for providing a link between a network that carries content and an output device; and

an interface coupling the gateway to an external storage device for storage of content on the external storage device such that access to the stored content is controlled via the gateways.

2. The receiver system as recited in claim 1, wherein the gateway device includes a set-top box.

3. The receiver system as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage system includes a personal computer.

4. The receiver system as recited in claim 3, wherein the personal computer is maintained and operated by the user.

5. The receiver system as recited in claim 3, wherein the personal computer includes a partition, which is accessible only through the gateway device.

6. The receiver system as recited in claim 3, wherein the personal computer includes other uses by the user.

7. The receiver system as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage system includes an operating system compatible with the gateway device.

8. The receiver system as recited in claim 1, wherein data received from the network is compatible with the operating system of the storage system.

9. The receiver system as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage system stores encrypted data and the gateway device includes decryption codes for decrypting the encrypted data.

10. The receiver system as recited in claim 1, wherein the network interface includes a home phoneline network alliance interface.

11. A method for receiving and storing data from a subscriber-based network, comprising the steps of:

providing a gateway device between a subscriber-based network and an output device;

coupling a storage system to the gateway device for providing memory for storage of data streams transmitted from the network to the gateway device, said storage system being external to the gateway device;

interfacing the gateway device to the storage system with a networking protocol;

receiving a data stream through the gateway device from the subscriberbased network; and

storing the data stream on the storage system.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of providing a gateway device includes the step of providing a set-top box for the gateway device and providing a personal computer for the storage system.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of forming a partition on the personal computer, which is accessible only through the gateway device.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of interfacing the gateway device includes employing a home phoneline network alliance interface.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of storing includes storing encrypted data wherein the gateway device includes decryption codes for decrypting the encrypted data.

16. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising the step of charging a user for accessing data stored by the storage system.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the step of charging a user for accessing data stored by the storage system includes charging on a per access basis.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the step of deleting the data stored by the storage system after a predetermined amount of time.