Methods, systems and storage medium for managing digital rights of segmented content

• US 20050138655A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimler, Randy, Whited, William
• Application Number:
  US10/745,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138655A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

A method of managing rights associated with content. The method includes receiving a request from a consumer for segmented content. Segments of the segmented content are classified as primary content and secondary content. A segment of primary content is delivered to a consumer along with at least one segment of secondary content. The segment of primary content is divided into portions and portions of the primary content is stored in distributed locations on a storage device. A content map is generated indicating locations of said portions of the primary content.

Claims

1. A method of managing rights associated with content, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a consumer for segmented content;

classifying segments of said segmented content as primary content and secondary content;

delivering to said consumer a segment of primary content along with at least one segment of secondary content;

dividing said segment of primary content into portions;

storing said portions of said primary content in distributed locations on a storage device;

generating a content map indicating locations of said portions of said primary content.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying said content by accessing said content map and retrieving portions of said content in response to said content map.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said content is a movie, said segments corresponding to chapters of said movie, said portions corresponding to cells of said chapters.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

encrypting said content map.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said distributed locations are randomly distributed on said storage device.

6. A system for managing rights associated with content, the system comprising:

a storage device;

a controller generating a request for segmented content, said controller classifying segments of said segmented content as primary content and secondary content;

a content distribution network including at least one network element, said network element delivering to said controller a segment of primary content along with at least one segment of secondary content at a second bandwidth;

said controller dividing said segment of primary content into portions;

said controller storing said portions of said primary content in distributed locations on said storage device;

said controller generating a content map indicating locations of said portions of said primary content.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein:

said controller displays said content by accessing said content map and retrieving portions of said content in response to said content map.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein:

said content is a movie, said segments corresponding to chapters of said movie, said portions corresponding to cells of said chapters.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein:

said controller encrypts said content map.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein:

said distributed locations are randomly distributed on said storage device.

11. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for managing rights associated with content, the storage medium including instructions for causing a controller to implement a method comprising:

generating a request for segmented content,

classifying segments of said segmented content as primary content and secondary content;

receiving a segment of primary content along with at least one segment of secondary content;

dividing said segment of primary content into portions;

storing said portions of said primary content in distributed locations on a storage device;

generating a content map indicating locations of said portions of said primary content.