Subscription video on demand delivery

• US 20040268410A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Encore Group LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Barton, Scott G., Beyler, John C., DePrez, Gregory R.
• Application Number:
  US10/863,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268410A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

According to the invention, a video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to a user location is disclosed. The video delivery system has a number of channels that are normally viewable within the user location and a content receiver coupled to the plurality of channels. A hidden channel of the plurality of channels transports a hidden video stream that cannot be viewed as streamed to the user location. The content receiver includes a storage device and a video rendering circuit. The storage device is coupled to the hidden channel and proximate to the user location. The storage device stores at least a portion of the hidden video stream in a non-volatile manner. The video rendering circuit is coupled to the storage device. The video rendering circuit produces a video signal representative of the portion.

Claims

1. A video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to a user location, the video delivery system comprising:

a plurality of channels that are normally viewable within the user location, wherein a hidden channel of the plurality of channels transports a hidden video stream that cannot be viewed as streamed to the user location; and

a content receiver coupled to the plurality of channels, the content receiver comprising;

a storage device coupled to the hidden channel and proximate to the user location, wherein the storage device stores at least a portion of the hidden video stream in a non-volatile manner, and

a video rendering circuit coupled to the storage device, wherein the video rendering circuit produces a video signal representative of the portion.

2. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the portion is part of a subscription video service where available videos in the subscription video service are chosen at a point away from the user location.

3. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein a user can filter the available videos to selectively couple the available videos to the storage device.

4. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the content receiver determines if the content receiver is authorized to record the portion.

5. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the portion is recorded with the storage device before a request for the portion from the user location.

6. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels are multicasted to a plurality of content receivers, whereby any of the plurality of content receivers can record the portion.

7. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels uses transport over at least one of:

a coaxial television cable, a satellite television link, an optical fiber television cable, a wireless television link, and terrestrial television broadcast link.

8. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein tuning information is communicated to the content receiver to identify the hidden channel.

9. The video delivery system for on-demand videos at least partially stored proximate to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels are transported using at least one of:

terrestrial broadcast, cable television and satellite television topologies.

10. A video delivery method for a video broadcast system, the video delivery method comprising steps of:

determining a subset of a plurality of content receivers, wherein the plurality of content receivers are multicast a plurality of video streams that each have an associated channel;

commanding the subset of the plurality of content receivers to tune a hidden channel;

sending a hidden video stream on the hidden channel, whereby the plurality of content receivers not part of the subset cannot tune to the hidden video stream when operating normally; and

commanding the subset to store at least a portion of the hidden video stream in a non-volatile manner.

11. The video delivery method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 10, wherein the commanding steps are performed with a single command for each of the plurality of content receivers.

12. The video delivery method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of commanding the subset to delete the portion of the hidden video stream.

13. The video delivery method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 10, further comprising a step of commanding the subset to delete the portion of the hidden video stream unless a user has manually overridden deletion of the portion.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable video delivery method for the video broadcast system of claim 10.

15. A video reception method for a video broadcast system, the video reception method comprising steps of:

determining when a hidden video stream will be multicast;

determining a hidden channel for the hidden video stream;

tuning to the hidden channel;

storing at least a portion of the hidden video stream, wherein;

the four preceding steps are performed without interaction with the user, and

the storing step is in a non-volatile manner;

retrieving the portion as requested by the user; and

producing a video signal representative of the portion, whereby the user can view a video picture produced with the video signal.

16. The video reception method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 15, wherein the first-listed four steps are only performed by authorized content receivers.

17. The video reception method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a step of receiving an authorization message allowing storage of the portion.

18. The video reception method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a step of receiving tuning information allowing identification of the hidden channel and the hidden video stream.

19. The video reception method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 15, wherein the hidden video stream is not normally viewable in properly functioning content receivers.

20. The video reception method for the video broadcast system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a step of authorizing the tuning step before allowing performance of the tuning step.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable video reception method for the video broadcast system of claim 15.