System and method for recording and time-shifting programming in a television distribution system with limited content retention

• US 20070143809A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Chen, Zesen, Chou, Peter, Gonsalves, Brian, Chen, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• 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 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to record broadcast programming for at least one television channel for a period of time, wherein the recording is performed upstream from subscribers in a television distribution system, and further including after the period of time, keeping recorded programming by request from at least one subscriber. And further wherein the request is for at least one television program contained in the recorded programming or for a time window for a particular channel. According to another embodiment a subscriber requests that broadcast programming be saved for the subscriber upstream from the subscriber in a television distribution system, and wherein the subscriber may request the programming be saved for later viewing by the subscriber between the time the programming was broadcast and a later point in time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording broadcast programming for at least one television channel for a period of time, wherein the recording is performed upstream from subscribers in a television distribution system;

after the period of time, keeping recorded programming by request from at least one subscriber; and

wherein the request is for at least one television program contained in the recorded programming or for a time window for a particular channel.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein a request must occur prior to the regularly scheduled broadcast of the programming.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein a request must occur prior to a point in time that occurs after the regularly scheduled broadcast of the programming.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the point in time is predetermined at the time of the regularly schedule broadcast.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the point in time is determined according to an algorithm.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the point in time may change based on the requests made by subscribers after the regularly scheduled broadcast of the programming.

7. A method according to claim 1 further including for each channel/time-span permutation requested, recording the identities and number of subscribers requesting the recording.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein as each subscriber views the requested content, the outstanding subscriber requests are decremented, and based at least in part on when there are no longer any outstanding requests, the requested content may be deleted.

9. A method according to claim 1 further including deleting recorded content after a period of time even if the content has not yet been viewed by all subscribers that requested it.

10. A method according to claim 9 further wherein if more than N subscribers have requested the same content of the broadcast, the content may be deleted after a delay period T, wherein T=C * log (N), and further wherein C is a constant that may be changed to adjust the operation of the system.

11. A method according to claim 1 further wherein the broadcast is saved on one or more mass storage devices.

12. A method according to claim 1 further including displaying to a subscriber a list of content that may be saved upon request.

13. A method according to claim 12 further including a subscriber requesting saved content be delivered to a premise for display on a television viewing device.

14. A method comprising:

a subscriber requesting that broadcast programming be saved for the subscriber upstream from the subscriber in a television distribution system; and

wherein the subscriber may request the programming be saved for later viewing by the subscriber between the time the programming was broadcast and a later point in time.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the later point in time is fixed and does not vary once established.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the later point in time is determined according to an algorithm.

17. A method according to claim 14 wherein the later point in time may change based on the requests made by subscribers after the regularly scheduled broadcast of the programming.

18. A system comprising:

a recording device located upstream of subscribers in a television distribution system, wherein the recording device stores a recording of broadcast programming for at least one television channel for a period of time; and

at least one computing device adapted to determine a time later than when the programming was stored and keep recorded programming after that time if there is at least one request from at least one of the subscribers

19. A system further wherein the advance request is for particular content in the programming or for a time window for a particular channel.

20. A system comprising:

a device located in a subscriber premise including at least one computer program to cause the device to permit the subscriber to request that broadcast programming be saved for the subscriber upstream from the subscriber in a television distribution system; and

wherein the device is further caused to enable a subscriber to request the programming be saved for later viewing by the subscriber, wherein the request is made between the time the programming was broadcast and a later point in time, and further wherein the device is further caused to allow the subscriber to select saved programming for delivery to the subscriber for viewing.

21. A system according to claim 20 wherein the later point in time is fixed and does not vary once established.

22. A system according to claim 20 wherein the later point in time is determined according to an algorithm.

23. A system according to claim 20 wherein the later point in time may change based on the requests made by subscribers after the regularly scheduled broadcast of the programming.