Methods for enabling near video-on-demand and video-on-request services using digital video recorders

• US 20050060756A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1993
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Daniels, John J.
• Application Number:
  US10/970,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060756A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/91 Helical scan format, wherein tracks are slightly tilted with respect to tape direction, e.g. VHS, DAT, DVC, AIT or exabyte
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/026 on discs G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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 21/4325 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 : for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A near video-on-demand (VOD) service enabled using a digital video recorder (DVR) for the simultaneous storage and playback of multimedia data. A DVR is connected over a network to a multimedia network source. A VOD selection is requested by the DVR from the network source. A multimedia data signal is received by the DVR from the network source. The data signal contains the requested VOD selection. A first received portion of the received data signal is stored on the DVR. The first received segment is played by the DVR for display on a display device. Simultaneously during the playing of the first received segment, a second received segment of the received data signal is received from the network source and stored on the DVR while the first received segment is played the display device. Thus, the requested VOD selection begins playing on the display device prior to the reception of the entire compressed multimedia data signal so that a requested VOD selection can begin being displayed nearly instantaneously after the request for it is made. A video-on-request (VOR) service is also enabled using a DVR. VOR selection data is received by a centralized database device, such as a network server, from a plurality of users. Each VOR selection data includes at least one requested video selection and video recorder identifying information for identifying each particular video recorder. A transmission priority of requested video selections is determined dependent on the frequency of requests received from the plurality of users. A transmission channel and time is determined based on the transmission priority. DVR control signals are transmitted to automatically tune in the determined transmission channel at the determined transmission time and record the particular video selection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting a DVR to a multimedia network source;

requesting a VOD selection by the DVR from the multimedia network source;

receiving a multimedia data signal by the DVR from the multimedia network source, the multimedia data signal containing the requested VOD selection;

storing a first received portion of the received multimedia data signal on the DVR;

playing the first received segment by the DVR for display on a display device; and

simultaneously during the playing of the first received segment receiving and storing a second received segment of the received multimedia data signal on the DVR while playing the first received segment for display on the display device, whereby the requested VOD selection begins playing on the display device prior to the reception of the entire compressed multimedia data signal.

2. A method for as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data signal is transmitted as a compressed multimedia data signal having a compression value that enables reception of the VOD selection faster than the real-time playback of the VOD selection on the display device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a prestored portion of the requested VOD selection is prestored on the DVR or a local storage device associated with the DVR, and the prestored portion is played at an appropriate chronological time during the playing of the VOD selection, and another portion of the requested video signal is received from the multimedia network source, whereby the prestored portion of the requested video signal is prestored on a local storage device, and the other portion of the requested video signal is transmitted upon request made to the multimedia network source.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the prestored portion of the requested VOD selection comprises a trailer associated with the VOD selection.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the multimedia data signal includes identifying information pertaining to at least one of the requested VOD selection, the DVR, information regarding a user of the DVR, or information regarding an account associated with the user of the DVR; and

the DVR is effective for automatically transmitting at least a portion of the identifying information.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the multimedia data signal includes identifying information pertaining to at least one of the requested VOD selection, the DVR, information regarding a user of the DVR, an available recording space associated with the DVR, or information regarding an account associated with the user of the DVR; and

the DVR is effective for automatically transmitting at least a portion of the identifying information.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data signal has a transfer rate over the data network that does not enable the real time playback of the VOD selection on the display device, and a start of play and a playing time length of the first received portion is automatically controlled depending on the transfer rate so as to enable a delay in the start of playing of the VOD selection effective to compensate for the transfer rate so that substantially the entire VOD selection is displayable on the display device in a continuous manner.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data signal has a transfer rate over the data network that does not enable the real time playback of the VOD selection on the display device, the method further comprising:

prestoring time-filling information on the DVR; and

automatically retrieving and displaying on the display device the prestored time-filling information at a time when the VOD selection is not displayed.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the automatically retrieving and displaying comprises:

automatically detecting a scene transition in the VOD selection that is playing; and

automatically retrieving and inserting the prestored time-filling information such that the prestored time-filling information is displayed between two scenes of the VOD selection.

10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the time-filling information comprises at least one of a video commercial, a web page, or a video newscast.

11. A method comprising:

requesting a VOD selection from a network source;

receiving a first portion of the VOD selection;

storing the first portion of the VOD selection;

receiving a viewer-submitted request to view the VOD selection;

playing the first portion of the VOD selection that is stored while simultaneously;

requesting a second portion of the VOD selection from the network source;

receiving the second portion of the VOD selection; and

storing the second portion of the VOD selection; and

upon playing an end of the first portion of the VOD selection, playing the second portion of the VOD selection that is stored.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the first portion of the VOD selection comprises a trailer associated with the VOD selection.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein the first portion of the requesting the VOD selection comprises:

determining a VOD selection, based on at least one of a user selection, a prior VOD selection, user demographics, or a promotional offering; and

requesting the VOD selection that is determined from the network source.

14. A system comprising:

means for requesting a VOD selection;

means for receiving a portions of the VOD selection;

means for storing a first portion of the VOD selection;

means for playing the first portion of the VOD selection that is stored;

means for storing a second portion of the VOD selection, the second portion being received while the first portion is playing; and

means for playing the second portion of the VOD selection that is stored after playing an end of the first portion of the VOD selection that is stored.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 comprising a digital video recorder.

16. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to:

request a VOD selection;

receive a first portion of the VOD selection, wherein the first portion of the VOD selection is less that the VOD selection in entirety; and

store the first portion of the VOD selection.

17. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to:

receive a user request to view the VOD selection;

begin playing the first portion of the VOD selection;

request a second portion of the VOD selection;

receive the second portion of the VOD selection;

store the second portion of the VOD selection; and

upon conclusion of playing the first portion of the VOD selection, begin playing the second portion of the VOD selection that is stored.