Network personal digital video recorder system (NPDVR)

• US 20070073840A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: XDrive LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hald, Martin, O'Brien, Brett, Whiteley, Sean, McGregor, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 9,369,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The Shared Internet Storage Resource provides Internet-based file storage, retrieval, access, control, and manipulation for a user. Additionally, an easy-to-use user interface is provided both for a browser or stand-alone application. The entire method provides means by which users can establish, use, and maintain files on the Internet in a manner remote from their local computers yet in a manner that is similar to the file manipulation used on their local computers. A high capacity or other storage system is attached to the Internet via an optional internal network that also serves to generate and direct metadata regarding the stored files. A web server using a CGI, Java®O-based, or other interface transmits and retrieves TCP/IP packets or other Internet information through a load balancer/firewall by using XML to wrap the data packets. File instructions may be transmitted over the Internet to the Shared Resource System. The user'"'"'s account may be password protected so that only the user may access his or her files. On the user'"'"'s side, a stand-alone client application or JavaScript object interpreted through a browser provide two means by which the XML or other markup language data stream may be received and put to use by the user. Internet-to-Internet file transfers may be effected by directly downloading to the user'"'"'s account space.

Claims

1. A media file transfer system, comprising:

an individual media file storage area allocated to a user, said individual media file storage area including an allocated storage area coupled to a network;

a media file transfer system adapted to receive an identifier specifying a location of a media file, said media file transfer system including a server system coupled to the network;

said media file transfer system transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier;

whereby

said user obtains access and control of said media file.

2. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said identifier further comprises:

an address of or a pointer to the location of said media file.

3. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said media file further comprises:

a media file selected from the group consisting of audio files, video files, audiovisual files, data files, computer files, streamable files, playback-controllable files, and combinations thereof.

4. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said network further comprises:

a network selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a public network, a private network, a wired network, a wireless network, a cable network, an Internet Protocol network, a satellite network, a microwave data network, a fiber optical network and combinations thereof.

5. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

said media file transfer system transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area.

6. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said media file transfer system further comprises:

said media file transfer system administrating transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file from a remote file storage location on said network to said individual media file storage area.

7. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

said media file transfer system transferring said media file according to a request from said user.

8. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

said media file transfer system copying said media file to said individual media file storage area.

9. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

said media file transfer system copying said media file from a remote file storage location on said network to said individual media file storage area.

10. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

said individual media file storage area selectably transferring said media file to said user subject to user control of said selectable transfer.

11. A media file transfer system as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

said individual media file storage area controllable by a user whereby said media file may be played, rewound, fast-forwarded, paused, skipped, and/or stopped.

12. A media file transfer system, comprising:

an individual media file storage area allocated to a user, said individual media file storage area including an allocated storage area coupled to a network;

a media file transfer system adapted to receive an identifier specifying a location of a media file, said media file transfer system including a server system coupled to the network, said identifier including an address of or a pointer to the location of said media file;

said media file selected from the group consisting of audio files, video files, audiovisual files, data files, computer files, streamable files, playback-controllable files, and combinations thereof;

said media file transfer system transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier such that said user obtains access and control of said media file;

said media file transfer system transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area, said media file transfer system administrating transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file from a remote file storage location on the network to said individual media file storage area;

said media file transfer system transferring said media file according to a request from said user and copying said media file from said remote file storage location to said individual media file storage area; and

said individual media file storage area selectably transferring said media file to said user subject to user control of said selectable transfer, said individual media file storage area controllable by a user whereby said media file may be played, rewound, fast-forwarded, paused, skipped, and/or stopped;

whereby

said user may obtain access and control of said media file and selectably control transfer of said media file to said user.

13. A method for transferring media files, comprising:

providing an individual media file storage area, said individual media file storage area coupled to a network and allocated to a user;

providing a media file transfer system adapted to receive an identifier specifying a location of a media file, said media file transfer system including a server system coupled to the network;

said media file transfer system receiving said identifier;

transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier, said media file transfer system transferring said media file;

whereby

said user obtains access and control of said media file.

14. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, wherein said identifier further comprises:

an address of or a pointer to the location of said media file.

15. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, wherein said media file further comprises:

a media file selected from the group consisting of audio files, video files, audiovisual files, data files, computer files, streamable files, playback-controllable files, and combinations thereof.

16. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claims 13, wherein said network further comprises:

a network selected from the group consisting of the Internet, a public network, a private network, a wired network, a wireless network, a cable network, an Internet Protocol network, a satellite network, a microwave data network, a fiber optical network and combinations thereof.

17. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

said media file transfer system transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area.

18. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

said media file transfer system administrating transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file from a remote file storage location on the network to said individual media file storage area.

19. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, wherein said step of transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier further comprises:

transferring said media file according to a request from said user.

20. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, wherein said step of transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier further comprises:

copying said media file to said individual media file storage area.

21. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 20, step of transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier further comprises:

copying said media file from a remote file storage location on the network to said individual media file storage area.

22. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

selectably transferring said media file to said user subject to user control of said selectable transfer from said individual media file storage area to said user.

23. A method for transferring media files as set forth in claim 13, wherein said step of selectably transferring said media file to said user further comprises:

selectably transferring said media file to said user from said individual media file storage area to provide a selectable transfer, said selectable transfer controllable by a user whereby said media file may be played, rewound, fast-forwarded, paused, skipped, and/or stopped.

24. A method for transferring media files, comprising:

providing an individual media file storage area, said individual media file storage area coupled to a network and allocated to a user;

providing a media file transfer system adapted to receive an identifier specifying a location of a media file, said media file transfer system including a server system coupled to the network and said identifier including an address of or a pointer to the location of said media file, said media file including a media file selected from the group consisting of audio files, video files, audiovisual files, data files, computer files, streamable files, playback-controllable files, and combinations thereof;

said media file transfer system receiving said identifier;

transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to said identifier,

said media file transfer system transferring said media file to said individual media file storage area according to a request from said user by causing transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area, said media file transfer system administrating transfer of said media file to said individual media file storage area by causing transfer of said media file from a remote file storage location on the network to said individual media file storage area, said transfer of said media file achieved by copying said media file from said remote file storage location to said individual media file storage area; and

selectably transferring said media file to said user subject to user control of said selectable transfer from said individual media file storage area to said user, said selectable transfer controllable by a user whereby said media file may be played, rewound, fast-forwarded, paused, skipped, and/or stopped;

whereby

said user may obtain access and control of said media file and selectably control transfer of said media file to said user.