Apparatus and method for delivering video content to subscribers

• US 20050144302A1
• Filed: 08/12/2002
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: British Sky Broadcasting Limited (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: British Sky Broadcasting Limited (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Kirkpatrick, Alfie, Wilson, Charles Dav, Sheikh, Reehan Ellahi
• Application Number:
  US10/486,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144302A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• 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 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for delivering video content to subscribers comprises capturing a video record comprising video content, analysis the captured video record to produce markers identifying events in the content thereof, editing the captured video record to produce a series of video clips each pertaining to one or more events identified by the markers, and converting the video clips into data in a format suitable for transmission over a network. The thus produced data representing the converted video clips and data representing the markers is stored on a server, as is a record of subscriptions by subscribers. At a user interface a subscriber can select video content from the video record by identifying events therein. When a selection is made the selected video data is read from the server with reference to the marker data, is encrypted and is sent over a network to the user interface. The subscriber'"'"'s record of subscription is checked and, depending on the subscription, decryption data is sent to the user interface to enable the transmitted encrypted video data to be decrypted for display of the selected video content at the user interface.

Claims

1. A video distribution apparatus, the apparatus comprising

a plurality of video capture units for capturing video records;

an event coding unit for analysing the captured video records to produce markers identifying events in the video records;

an encoding unit for converting the captured video records into video clips each relating to one or more events identified by the markers and generating labels identifying the video clips;

a store for storing the video clips; and

a server for storing a database of the labels such that they can be browsed by a user and for transmitting stored video clip(s) to the user over a network in response to the user selecting the label(s) identifying the stored video clip(s) from the database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user management unit for restricting the video clips that can be transmitted to a particular user according to the type of licence held by the particular user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an encryption unit for encrypting video clips for transmission to the user over the network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a licensing unit for providing a decryption key to the user to decrypt the selected and transmitted video clip(s).

17. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an encryption unit for encrypting video clips for transmission to the user over the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a licensing unit for providing a decryption key to the user to decrypt the selected and transmitted video clip(s).

5. A method of video distribution, the method comprising:

capturing video records;

analysing the captured video records to produce markers identifying events in the video records;

converting the captured video records into video clips each relating to one or more events identified by the markers;

generating labels identifying the video clips;

storing the video clips;

storing a database of the labels such that they can be browsed by a user; and

transmitting one or more stored video clip(s) to the user over a network in response to the user selecting the label(s) identifying the stored video clip(s) from the database.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising restricting the video clips that can be transmitted to a particular user according to the type of licence held by the particular user.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising encrypting video clips for transmission to the user over the network.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising providing a decryption key to the user to decrypt the selected and transmitted video clip(s).

19. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising encrypting video clips for transmission to the user over the network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising providing a decryption key to the user to decrypt the selected and transmitted video clip(s).

9. An apparatus for delivering video content to subscribers, the apparatus comprising:

means for capturing a video record comprising video content;

means for analysing the captured video record to produce markers identifying events in the content thereof;

means for editing the captured video record to produce a series of video clips each pertaining to one or more events identified by the markers;

means for converting the video clips into data in a format suitable for transmission over a network;

means for storing the data representing the converted video clips and data representing the markers; and

means for reading the stored video data with reference to the marker data and for transmitting the same over a network.

10. A method of delivering video content to subscribers, the method comprising:

capturing a video record comprising video content;

analysing the captured video record to produce markers identifying events in the content thereof;

editing the captured video record to produce a series of video clips each pertaining to one or more events identified by the markers;

converting the video clips into data in a format suitable for transmission over a network;

storing the data representing the converted video clips and data representing the markers; and

reading the stored video data with reference to the marker data and transmitting the same over a network.

11. An apparatus for supplying video content to a receiver for viewing thereat, the apparatus comprising:

means for maintaining a record of a subscription by a subscriber at the receiver;

means for storing data representing a plurality of video clips containing video content, and data representing markers pertaining to respective events in the video content of the video clips;

means for encrypting video data representing selected clips for transmission over a network to the receiver; and

means for sending to the receiver over the network decryption data for decrypting the encrypted video data, which decryption data is sent depending events selected by the subscriber and on the subscriber'"'"'s record of subscription.

12. A method of supplying video content to a receiver for viewing thereat, the method comprising:

maintaining a record of a subscription by a subscriber at the receiver;

storing data representing a plurality of video clips containing video content, and data representing markers pertaining to respective events in the video content of the video clips;

encrypting video data representing selected clips for transmission over a network to the receiver; and

sending to the receiver over the network decryption data for decrypting the encrypted video data, which decryption data is sent depending events selected by the subscriber and on the subscriber'"'"'s record of subscription.

13. An apparatus for providing video content from a video record to a subscriber via a network, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing data representing a plurality of video clips containing video content, and data representing markers pertaining to respective events in the video content of the video clips;

a user interface for enabling a user to select video content from the video record by identifying events therein;

means for encrypting video data representing selected clips for transmission over a network to the user interface; and

means for decrypting the transmitted encrypted video data for display of the selected video content at the user interface.

14. A method of providing video content from a video record to a subscriber via a network, the method comprising:

storing data representing a plurality of video clips containing video content, and data representing markers pertaining to respective events in the video content of the video clips;

selecting video content from the video record by identifying events therein;

encrypting video data representing selected clips for transmission over a network to the user interface; and

decrypting the transmitted encrypted video data for display of the selected video content.

15. An apparatus comprising

means for capturing a video record comprising video content;

means for analysing the captured video record to produce markers identifying events in the content thereof;

means for editing the captured video record to produce a series of video clips each pertaining to one or more events identified by the markers;

means for converting the video clips into data in a format suitable for transmission over a network;

means for storing the data representing the converted video clips and data representing the markers;

a user interface for enabling a user to select video content from the video record by identifying events therein;

means for reading the selected video data with reference to the marker data;

means for maintaining a record of a subscription by a subscriber at the receiver;

means for encrypting the read video data representing selected clips for transmission over a network to the user interface;

means for sending to the receiver over the network decryption data for decrypting the encrypted video data, which decryption data is sent depending events selected by the subscriber and on the subscriber'"'"'s record of subscription; and

means for decrypting the transmitted encrypted video data for display of the selected video content at the user interface.

16. A method comprising:

capturing a video record comprising video content;

analysing the captured video record to produce markers identifying events in the content thereof;

editing the captured video record to produce a series of video clips each pertaining to one or more events identified by the markers;

converting the video clips into data in a format suitable for transmission over a network;

storing the data representing the converted video clips and data representing the markers;

selecting video content from the video record by identifying events therein;

reading the selected video data with reference to the marker data;

maintaining a record of a subscription by a subscriber at the receiver;

encrypting the read video data representing selected clips for transmission over a network;

sending to the receiver over the network decryption data for decrypting the encrypted video data, which decryption data is sent depending events selected by the subscriber and on the subscriber'"'"'s record of subscription; and

decrypting the transmitted encrypted video data for display of the selected video content.