Method and system of allocating data for subsequent retrieval

• US 20070050590A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Reed, David, Shaw, Terry, Syed, Yasser
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A method and system of allocating data for subsequent retrieval. The method and system optionally including allocating data to a plurality of devices for storage, associating the data with the device providing the storage thereof, and providing retrieval information to facilitate retrieval of the data as function of the devices associated with the storage thereof. The method and system may further include features for controlling information associated with the allocated and/or features for associated one or more pieces of metadata to control access to allocated data once retrieved.

Claims

1. A method of allocating data storage in a cable system having a plurality devices distributed over a common network, the devices being associated with services provided by a cable operator of the cable system, the method comprising:

allocating data to a plurality of devices for storage;

associating the data with the device providing the storage thereof; and

providing retrieval information to facilitate retrieval of the data as function of the devices associated with the storage thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising segmenting a content group for storage as data on the devices and providing retrieval information to facilitate retrieval of the content group from the stored data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising associating the content group with a media file having media suitable for playback such that the media file is segmented into data which may be retrieved to support the playback thereof.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing assembly information to facilitate assembling the content group from the retrieved data.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising associating the content group with a device configuration file, the device configuration file associated with configuring operation of one or more of the devices, whereby the devices retrieve data associated with the device configuration file to configure at least a portion of the operation thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising associating the device configuration information with a code update or patch.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing usage limitations for limiting usage of the retrieved data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the usage limitation is accomplished by withholding selective information.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing conditional access information for unlocking the retrieved data for usage.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating advertisements with the retrieved data.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising associating the advertisements with the retrieved data such that usage of the retrieved data includes usage of the advertisements.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing a user interface for use in selecting one or more advertisements for association with the data.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising charging a customer for use of the data as a function of a number of advertisements selected for association with the data.

14. The method of claim 1 further providing addressing information to facilitate retrieval of the data.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing selective information that is required for use of the retrieved data.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the selective information includes metadata.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising including information within the metadata for associating the retrieved data with at least one of a list of chapters, a list of insertion points, a playlist, a link to games, a promotional offer, a link to a chatroom, and/or a time-sensitive offer.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising including information within the metadata for directing retrieval of the data as a function of a playback sequence associated with the media.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the selective information includes security information.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a user interface to facilitate selection of content associated with the data and providing the retrieval information as a function of the selected content.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising providing the user interface through a media on demand (MOD) infrastructure.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the data on a plurality of devices located at one or more customer premises.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the retrieval information to one or more customer devices, the customer devices associated with one or more customer locations and configured to support the services provided by the cable operator, the customer devices being configured to retrieve the data from the devices according to the provided retrieval information.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieval instructions include instructions for swarming the data from the storage devices.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising issuing commands from a controller to coordinate swarming of the data from the storage devices.

26. A method of distributing multimedia in a cable system, the method comprising:

segmenting the multimedia into a number of data elements for storage on a number of cable devices used in providing cable services to customers, the segmented data elements being incomplete portions of the multimedia such that the data elements must be assembled to support playback of the multimedia; and

configuring a controller to facilitate swarming of the data elements from the cable devices to a requesting device.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising configuring the controller to allocate the data elements to the cable devices as function of available storage capacity of the cable devices.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising configuring the cable devices to output signals to the controller for indicating available storage capacity.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising configuring the cable devices to prevent customer usage of a portion of the available storage capacity.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising preventing usage of the available storage capacity as function of contractual commits subscribed to by a customer associated therewith.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising associating the segmented multimedia with an indexing file, the indexing filed being required to coordinate delivery of the segmented data elements.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising securing access to the indexing file by storing the indexing file on the controller and not on the cable devices.

33. The method of claim 26 further comprising associating the segmented multimedia with a metadata file, the metadata filed being required to assemble the segmented data elements.

34. The method of claim 26 further comprising configuring the controller to operate through a media on demand (MOD) platform.

35. The method of claim 26 further comprising configuring the controller to instruct the cable devices to transport the data to the requesting device.

36. The method of claim 26 further comprising instructing the requesting device to request transport of the data from the cable devices.

37. A controller for use in a cable system to coordinate storage of content on a number of cable devices used to the support cable services, the controller comprising:

instructions for segmenting the content into a number of individual pieces of data;

instructions for distributing the individual pieces of data to the cable devices;

instructions for associating the distributed pieces of data with the cable devices providing the storage; and

instructions for facilitating retrieval of the content from the distributed pieces of data.

38. The controller of claim 37 further comprising instructions for associating selective information with the distributed pieces of data, the selective information being required for use of the retrieved pieces of data.

39. The controller of claim 38 wherein the selective information includes metadata.

40. The controller of claim 39 wherein the metadata associates the retrieved data with at least one of a list of chapters, a list of insertion points, a playlist, a link to games, a promotional offer, a link to a chatroom, and/or a time-sensitive offer.

41. The controller of claim 39 wherein the metadata includes information for directing retrieval of the data as a function of a playback sequence associated with the media.

42. The controller of claim 38 the selective information includes security information.

43. The controller of claim 37 further comprising instructions for distributing the pieces of data to the cable devices as function of available storage capacity on the cable devices.

44. The controller of claim 43 further comprising instructions for receiving signals from the cable devices regarding available storage capacity and for distributing the pieces of data as a function thereof.