Technique for providing a virtual digital video recorder service through a communications network

• US 20050022242A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Michael T., LaJoie, Michael L., Rosetti, Carl U.J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• 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 21/47217 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 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

In response to a request initiated by a user at a user terminal, selected entertainment programming content, when broadcast, is recorded at a location remote from the user terminal. The request is communicated through a communications network, e.g., cable TV network, which is also used for transmission of entertainment programming content to user terminals. The recorded programming content is stored in a storage space at the remote location, which is allocated to the user terminal. In response to a review request from the user terminal, the recorded programming content is retrieved from the storage space allocated thereto, and transmitted to the user terminal through the communications network. The presentation of the recorded programming content may be manipulated by the user to perform rewinding, pausing and fast-forwarding thereon.

Claims

1. A communications system for providing programming content through a communications network, the system comprising:

an interface for receiving, from a terminal, a request for recording selected programming content, the request being received through the communications network; and

a server responsive to the request for copying the selected programming content during broadcast of the selected programming content through the communications network, a copy of the selected programming content being stored for providing the selected programming content through the communications network after broadcast thereof.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communications network includes a two-way multichannel delivery network.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the delivery network includes a cable TV network.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the cable TV network includes a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable network.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the copy of the selected programming content is stored in a storage space associated with the terminal.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selected programming content is selected using a program guide.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selected programming content is selected by the system.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the selected programming content is selected based on preferences of a user at the terminal.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein data identifying the selected programming content which has been copied is provided to the terminal to facilitate access to the copy of the selected programming content.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selected programming content is provided after broadcast thereof in a presentation manipulatable to perform at least one of rewinding, pausing and fast-forwarding on the presentation.

11. A communications system for providing programming content through a communications network to a plurality of terminals, the system comprising:

storage remote from the plurality of terminals, the storage having a plurality of storage spaces, which are associated with the plurality of terminals, respectively;

an interface for receiving, from a certain one of the plurality of terminals, a request for recording selected programming content, the request being received before the selected programming content is broadcast through the communications network; and

a server responsive to the request for storing a copy of the selected programming content in the storage space associated with the certain terminal.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the copy of the selected programming content is made when the selected programming content is broadcast.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the time at which the selected programming content is broadcast is determined according to a broadcast schedule.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the storage space associated with the certain terminal is identifiable within the storage based on an identifier of the certain terminal.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the selected programming content is selected using a program guide.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the selected programming content is selected by the system.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the selected programming content is selected based on preferences of a user at the certain terminal.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the selected programming content is provided based on the copy thereof in a presentation manipulatable to perform at least one of rewinding, pausing and fast-forwarding on the presentation.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the communications network includes a two-way multichannel delivery network.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the delivery network includes a cable TV network.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the cable TV network includes an HFC cable network.

22. A system for communicating with a plurality of terminals through a communications network, the system comprising:

storage remote from the plurality of terminals, the storage having a plurality of storage spaces, which are associated with the plurality of terminals, respectively;

an interface for receiving, through the communications network, data concerning a channel to which a certain one of the plurality of terminals is tuned; and

a server for copying programming content during broadcast thereof on the channel to which the certain terminal is tuned, a copy of the programming content being stored in the storage space associated with the certain terminal.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein a length of the copy of the programming content is predetermined.

24. The system according to claim 22, wherein the storage space associated with the certain terminal is identifiable within the storage based on an identifier of the certain terminal.

25. The system according to claim 22, wherein the communications network includes a two-way multichannel delivery network.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the delivery network includes a cable TV network.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the cable TV network includes an HFC cable network.

28. A method for use in a communications system for providing programming content through a communications network, the method comprising:

receiving, from a terminal, a request for recording selected programming content, the request being received through the communications network;

in response to the request, copying the selected programming content during broadcast of the selected programming content through the communications network; and

storing a copy of the selected programming content for providing the selected programming content through the communications network after broadcast thereof.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the communications network includes a two-way multichannel delivery network.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the delivery network includes a cable TV network.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the cable TV network includes an HFC cable network.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein the copy of the selected programming content is stored in a storage space associated with the terminal.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein the selected programming content is selected using a program guide.

34. The method according to claim 28, wherein the selected programming content is selected by the system.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the selected programming content is selected based on preferences of a user at the terminal.

36. The method according to claim 28, wherein data identifying the selected programming content which has been copied is provided to the terminal to facilitate access to the copy of the selected programming content.

37. The method according to claim 28, wherein the selected programming content is provided after broadcast thereof in a presentation manipulatable to perform at least one of rewinding, pausing and fast-forwarding on the presentation.

38. A method for use in a communications system for providing programming content through a communications network to a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

providing storage remote from the plurality of terminals, the storage having a plurality of storage spaces, which are associated with the plurality of terminals, respectively;

receiving, from a certain one of the plurality of terminals, a request for recording selected programming content, the request being received before the selected programming content is broadcast through the communications network; and

in response to the request, storing a copy of the selected programming content in the storage space associated with the certain terminal.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the copy of the selected programming content is made when the selected programming content is broadcast.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the time at which the selected programming content is broadcast is determined according to a broadcast schedule.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the storage space associated with the certain terminal is identifiable within the storage based on an identifier of the certain terminal.

42. The method according to claim 38, wherein the selected programming content is selected using a program guide.

43. The method according to claim 38, wherein the selected programming content is selected by the system.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the selected programming content is selected based on preferences of a user at the certain terminal.

45. The method according to claim 38, wherein the selected programming content is provided based on the copy thereof in a presentation manipulatable to perform at least one of rewinding, pausing and fast-forwarding on the presentation.

46. The method according to claim 38, wherein the communications network includes a two-way multichannel delivery network.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein the delivery network includes a cable TV network.

48. The method according to claim 47, wherein the cable TV network includes an HFC cable network.

49. A method for communicating with a plurality of terminals through a communications network, the method comprising:

providing storage remote from the plurality of terminals, the storage having a plurality of storage spaces, which are associated with the plurality of terminals, respectively;

receiving, through the communications network, data concerning a channel to which a certain one of the plurality of terminals is tuned;

copying programming content during broadcast thereof on the channel to which the certain terminal is tuned; and

storing a copy of the programming content in the storage space associated with the certain terminal.

50. The method according to claim 49, wherein a length of the copy of the programming content is predetermined.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein the storage space associated with the certain terminal is identifiable within the storage based on an identifier of the certain terminal.

52. The method according to claim 49, wherein the communications network includes a two-way multichannel delivery network.

53. The method according to claim 52, wherein the delivery network includes a cable TV network.

54. The method according to claim 53, wherein the cable TV network includes an HFC cable network.