DIGITAL HOME MOVIE LIBRARY

• US 20070186266A1
• Filed: 10/06/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bruce Frazer, Scott Watson
• Original Assignee: Bruce Frazer, Scott Watson
• Inventors: Watson, Scott, Frazer, Bruce
• Application Number:
  US11/539,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20070186266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

The system and method of the present invention provides viewers access to a library of movies, or any other audio/video content available for viewing at anytime. Specifically, the method involves transmitting movies wirelessly to a set-top box in one'"'"'s home and allowing movies to accumulate. A hard disk drive in the set-top box is used to store movies. In an exemplary embodiment, movies are wirelessly transmitted to the set-top box using a datacasting technology which allows data to be encoded onto standard television signals and transmitted using existing television transmitters and broadcast towers. Movies are transferred to the set-top box using a broadcast file transfer protocol and stored on the hard drive. Movies are “packetized” and these packets are continuously transmitted to the set-top box where they are incrementally reassembled. The user is not aware of what data is being sent to their set-top box. The movies are pushed down by the provider to reside passively in the box for a finite time period. Transmission of the data is controlled by the content or service provider. To ensure that movies are received in their entirety, the same movie may be broadcast to the set-top box several times. Any packets of data that were not received in the first attempt of transmission will be received with subsequent broadcasts. The set-top box is also connected to a phone line for billing purposes.

Claims

1-63. -63. (canceled)

64. A method of broadcasting designated audio content to a hardware device, the method comprising:

a content provider broadcasting via wireless telecommunication over a designated frequency spectrum at least one audio to a hardware device, the designated audio content being selected by the content provider and not by the user; and

permitting storage of the designated audio content broadcast from the content provider in the hardware device without interaction by the user.

67. A method of broadcasting a designated audio content to a set-top box, the method comprising:

a content provider broadcasting designated audio content data to a hardware device, the content of the designated audio content data being selected by the content provider;

permitting automatic storage of the designated audio content data broadcast from the content provider onto the hardware device;

permitting assembling the designated audio content data in the hardware device to form at least one full designated audio content and associated metadata;

permitting analysis of the metadata to determine when to make the designated audio content available; and

permitting access to the designated audio content in response to a user'"'"'s selection of the designated audio content.

69-82. -82. (canceled)