Peer to peer broadcast acquisition

• US 20030237097A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Lake, Adam T., Marshall, Carl S., Needham, Bradford H.
• Application Number:
  US10/177,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20030237097A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• 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 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Peer to peer (P2P) technology is utilized to allow a personal video recorder (PVR) to obtain copies of past broadcasts. In one configuration, electronic program guides (EPGs) are used to display past, present and future broadcasts, where selection of a past broadcast results in a search of a P2P network for the broadcast. If the broadcast is available, it is provided to the requester. Various embodiments are disclosed for controlling costs associated with broadcast acquisition, identifying a desired quality level for a broadcast, applying policies to regulate receipt of broadcast data, and for renting broadcasts.

Claims

1. A method for a requesting device to record a broadcast, comprising:

providing an electronic program guide (EPG) comprising entries identifying past broadcasts and characteristics of the past broadcasts;

selecting an entry of the EPG corresponding to a past broadcast having a desired characteristic;

sending a download request to a peer to peer (P2P) network, the download request identifying the past broadcast and the desired characteristic; and

recording the past broadcast from a peer of the P2P network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the download request from a first time zone;

determining the peer is recording the broadcast in a second time zone.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving search results responsive to the download request from at least one peer device of the P2P network;

applying a policy to the search results; and

removing a search result from the search results based on applying the policy.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

including in the download request an other characteristic of the broadcast not included in the EPG.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the search results identify the peer device that has the broadcast with the desired characteristic and the other characteristic.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

wherein characteristics identified by the EPG comprise selected ones of a recording quality of the broadcast stored by the peer device, a connection speed between the peer device and the P2P network, and a throughput estimate for data transfers between the requesting device and the peer device; and

wherein the other characteristic not included in the EPG comprise selected ones of an author for the broadcast;

a context

7. The method of claim 1, wherein characteristics identified by the EPG comprise selected ones of availability of the broadcast from the peer device, recording quality of the broadcast as stored by the peer device, a connection speed between the peer device and the P2P network, and a throughput estimate for data transfers between the requesting device and the peer device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving pushed updates to the EPG to update identified characteristics of past broadcasts.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to selecting the entry of the EPG, dynamically updating the EPG to update identified characteristics of past broadcasts.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving search results responsive to the download request from at least one peer device of the P2P network; and

dynamically updating the EPG according to the received search results.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the download request to a central server communicatively coupled with peers of the P2P network; and

receiving search results from the central server comprising results collated by the central server from peer devices of the P2P network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a server to identify peer devices communicatively coupled with the P2P network; and

sending the download request to peer devices identified by the server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search result comprising an identifier of the peer having the broadcast, and access terms associated with obtaining the broadcast from the peer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

fulfilling the access terms for obtaining the broadcast.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search result comprising an identifier of the peer capable of providing the broadcast in multiple quality levels.

16. The method claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the download request to request the broadcast without commercials.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the P2P network is not trusted, the method further comprising:

receiving the past broadcast from the peer in an encrypted format.

18. A method, comprising:

searching a peer to peer network (P2P);

receiving results responsive to the searching identifying a peer storing a past broadcast and characteristics of the past broadcast as stored by the peer; and

updating an electronic program guide (EPG) comprising entries identifying past broadcasts with the results of the searching.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing the EPG to the requesting device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a request for the past broadcast from a requesting device; and

performing the searching the P2P network for the broadcast.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said searching comprises requesting peer devices of the P2P to identify broadcasts stored by the peer devices.

22. A method for a requesting device to receive in a first time zone a broadcast occurring in a second time zone, the method comprising:

providing an electronic program guide (EPG);

selecting an entry of the EPG corresponding to a broadcast occurring in the second time zone but not in the first time zone;

sending a request to a peer to peer (P2P) network for obtaining the broadcast; and

receiving the broadcast from a peer of the P2P network.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

recording the broadcast; and

updating the EPG to indicate availability of the broadcast from the requesting device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein peers of the P2P network share a common EPG.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the broadcast is blacked out in the first time zone.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving search results responsive to the download request from at least one peer device of the P2P network;

applying a policy to the search results; and

removing a search result from the search results based on applying the policy.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving a search result comprising an identifier of the peer having the broadcast, and access terms associated with obtaining the broadcast from the peer;

fulfilling the access terms for obtaining the broadcast.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving from the peer an identifier indicating the peer is capable of providing the broadcast in multiple quality levels.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

configuring the request to request the broadcast without commercials.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving the broadcast from the peer in an encrypted format.

31. An article, comprising:

a machine-accessible media having associated data for a requesting device to record a broadcast, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing;

providing an electronic program guide (EPG) comprising entries identifying past broadcasts and characteristics of the past broadcasts;

selecting an entry of the EPG corresponding to a past broadcast having a desired characteristic; and

sending a download request to a peer to peer (P2P) network, the download request identifying the past broadcast and the desired characteristic; and

recording the broadcast from a peer of the P2P network.

32. The article of claim 31 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

sending the download request from a first time zone;

determining the peer is recording the broadcast in a second time zone.

33. The article of claim 32 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving search results responsive to the download request from at least one peer device of the P2P network;

applying a policy to the search results; and

removing a search result from the search results based on applying the policy.

34. The article of claim 32 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

including in the download request an other characteristic of the broadcast not included in the EPG.

35. The article of claim 34 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

sending the download request to a central server communicatively coupled with peers of the P2P network; and

receiving search results from the central server comprising results collated by the central server from peer devices of the P2P network.

36. The article of claim 31 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

querying a server to identify peer devices communicatively coupled with the P2P network; and

sending the download request to peer devices identified by the server.

37. The article of claim 31 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving a search result comprising an identifier of the peer having the broadcast, and access terms associated with obtaining the broadcast from the peer.

38. The article of claim 37 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

fulfilling the access terms for obtaining the broadcast.

39. The article of claim 31 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving a search result comprising an identifier of the peer capable of providing the broadcast in multiple quality levels.

40. The article of claim 31 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

configuring the download request to request the broadcast without commercials.

41. An article, comprising:

a machine-accessible media having associated data for a requesting device to receive in a first time zone a broadcast occurring in a second time zone, wherein the data, when accessed, results in a machine performing;

providing an electronic program guide (EPG);

selecting an entry of the EPG corresponding to a broadcast occurring in the second time zone but not in the first time zone;

sending a request to a peer to peer (P2P) network for obtaining the broadcast; and

receiving the broadcast from a peer of the P2P network.

42. The article of claim 41 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

recording the broadcast; and

updating the EPG to indicate availability of the broadcast from the requesting device.

43. The article of claim 41 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving search results responsive to the download request from at least one peer device of the P2P network;

applying a policy to the search results; and

removing a search result from the search results based on applying the policy.

44. The article of claim 41 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving a search result comprising an identifier of the peer having the broadcast, and access terms associated with obtaining the broadcast from the peer;

fulfilling the access terms for obtaining the broadcast.

45. The article of claim 41 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

receiving from the peer an identifier indicating the peer is capable of providing the broadcast in multiple quality levels.

46. The article of claim 41 wherein the machine-accessible media further includes data, when accessed by the machine, results in the machine performing:

configuring the request to request the broadcast without commercials.