Multicasting multimedia content distribution system

• US 20050216942A1
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Barton, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/97
• 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 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system. A content server creates a schedule of transmission times for data streams and assigns the streams to multicast groups. DVRs receive the schedule from content server that contains content descriptions for each data stream along with the transmission times of each particular content description. The content server transmits the content across the Internet according to the published schedule via a multicast transmission designated for a particular multicast group. Each DVR determines the content for which it has an interest, finds the scheduled time for transmission for the content, schedules a recording time in its recording schedule, and joins the associated multicast group at the scheduled time. The DVR receives the multicast stream for the group and stores the stream on its local storage device for use by the DVR or for viewing by a user.

Claims

1. A method for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving a multicast transmission schedule from a content server at a digital video recorder (DVR);

wherein the multicast transmission schedule indicates transmission times for data streams;

wherein the DVR schedules a recording time for a specific data stream in the multicast transmission;

joining a multicast group at the scheduled recording time; and

receiving the specific data stream at the DVR from a multicast transmission associated with the multicast group.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

storing the received specific data stream on a storage device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

unsubscribing from the multicast group after the specific data stream has been received.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multicast transmission schedule includes a multicast group associated with a data stream.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content server is a multicastor for a group or set of groups.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving step subscribes to an always-present multicast group on which the content server posts information about multicast transmissions as they are scheduled.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multicast transmission schedule receiving step requests the multicast transmission schedule from the content server.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multicast transmission schedule receiving step receives the multicast transmission schedule pushed from the content server.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

charging a content owner a fee based on transmission rates of content in data streams and/or content viewing occurrences.

10. A method for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving a transmission schedule from a content server at a digital video recorder (DVR);

wherein the transmission schedule indicates transmission times for data streams;

creating a virtual multicast link between the content server and the DVR wherein the DVR registers with the content server for a specific data stream; and

receiving the specific data stream at the DVR from the content server at a scheduled time.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the DVR is elected as a multicast tunnel DVR by other DVRs connected to a common local network.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the multicast tunnel DVR rebroadcasts the received specific data stream to other DVRs connected to the common local network.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein DVRs connected to the common local network register with the multicast tunnel DVR to specify which data streams that the DVR wants to receive from the multicast tunnel DVR.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the multicast tunnel DVR transmits the received specific data stream to DVRs registered to receive the specific data stream.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the transmission schedule receiving step requests the multicast transmission schedule from the content server.

16. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the transmission schedule receiving step receives the multicast transmission schedule pushed from the content server.

17. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

charging a content owner a fee based on transmission rates of content in data streams and/or content viewing occurrences.

18. An apparatus for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system, comprising:

a module for receiving a multicast transmission schedule from a content server at a digital video recorder (DVR);

wherein the multicast transmission schedule indicates transmission times for data streams;

wherein the DVR schedules a recording time for a specific data stream in the multicast transmission;

a module for joining a multicast group at the scheduled recording time; and

a module for receiving the specific data stream at the DVR from a multicast transmission associated with the multicast group.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a module for storing the received specific data stream on a storage device.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a module for unsubscribing from the multicast group after the specific data stream has been received.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the multicast transmission schedule includes a multicast group associated with a data stream.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the content server is a multicastor for a group or set of groups.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the receiving step subscribes to an always-present multicast group on which the content server posts information about multicast transmissions as they are scheduled.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the multicast transmission schedule receiving module requests the multicast transmission schedule from the content server.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the multicast transmission schedule receiving module receives the multicast transmission schedule pushed from the content server.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

a module for charging a content owner a fee based on transmission rates of content in data streams and/or content viewing occurrences.

27. An apparatus for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system, comprising:

a module for receiving a transmission schedule from a content server at a digital video recorder (DVR);

wherein the transmission schedule indicates transmission times for data streams;

a module for creating a virtual multicast link between the content server and the DVR wherein the DVR registers with the content server for a specific data stream; and

a module for receiving the specific data stream at the DVR from the content server at a scheduled time.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein the DVR is elected as a multicast tunnel DVR by other DVRs connected to a common local network.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, wherein the multicast tunnel DVR rebroadcasts the received specific data stream to other DVRs connected to the common local network.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, wherein DVRs connected to the common local network register with the multicast tunnel DVR to specify which data streams that the DVR wants to receive from the multicast tunnel DVR.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 30, wherein the multicast tunnel DVR transmits the received specific data stream to DVRs registered to receive the specific data stream.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein the transmission schedule receiving step requests the multicast transmission schedule from the content server.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein the transmission schedule receiving step receives the multicast transmission schedule pushed from the content server.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 27, further comprising:

a module for charging a content owner a fee based on transmission rates of content in data streams and/or content viewing occurrences.

35. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a multicast transmission schedule from a content server at a digital video recorder (DVR);

wherein the multicast transmission schedule indicates transmission times for data streams;

wherein the DVR schedules a recording time for a specific data stream in the multicast transmission;

joining a multicast group at the scheduled recording time; and

receiving the specific data stream at the DVR from a multicast transmission associated with the multicast group.

36. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

storing the received specific data stream on a storage device.

37. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

unsubscribing from the multicast group after the specific data stream has been received.

38. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the multicast transmission schedule includes a multicast group associated with a data stream.

39. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35 wherein the content server is a multicastor for a group or set of groups.

40. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the receiving step subscribes to an always-present multicast group on which the content server posts information about multicast transmissions as they are scheduled.

41. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the multicast transmission schedule receiving step requests the multicast transmission schedule from the content server.

42. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the multicast transmission schedule receiving step receives the multicast transmission schedule pushed from the content server.

43. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, further comprising:

charging a content owner a fee based on transmission rates of content in data streams and/or content viewing occurrences.

44. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for a multicasting multimedia content distribution system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving a transmission schedule from a content server at a digital video recorder (DVR);

wherein the transmission schedule indicates transmission times for data streams;

creating a virtual multicast link between the content server and the DVR wherein the DVR registers with the content server for a specific data stream; and

receiving the specific data stream at the DVR from the content server at a scheduled time.

45. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 44, wherein the DVR is elected as a multicast tunnel DVR by other DVRs connected to a common local network.

46. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein the multicast tunnel DVR rebroadcasts the received specific data stream to other DVRs connected to the common local network.

47. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 45, wherein DVRs connected to the common local network register with the multicast tunnel DVR to specify which data streams that the DVR wants to receive from the multicast tunnel DVR.

48. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 47, wherein the multicast tunnel DVR transmits the received specific data stream to DVRs registered to receive the specific data stream.

49. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 44, wherein the transmission schedule receiving step requests the multicast transmission schedule from the content server.

50. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 44, wherein the transmission schedule receiving step receives the multicast transmission schedule pushed from the content server.

51. A computer-readable medium as recited in claim 44, further comprising:

charging a content owner a fee based on transmission rates of content in data streams and/or content viewing occurrences.