Systems and methods for providing a shared folder via television

• US 20070199025A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Xi, Angiolillo, Joel
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/47
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

An enhanced television service provides a shared folder over a television network, such as a fiber optic network. Users, the service provider, or trusted sources, share use of a program folder via television. A user recommends content, such as a program listing, to other geographically dispersed subscribers, by sending the content to the subscribers'"'"' shared folder. Users may create a personal content guide for use instead of a standard program guide that contains identical listings for all subscribers. The shared folder may consist of programs from a variety of channels as well as other content and may be populated by trusted sources in remote locations. Users may search for content that matches search criteria and may delete or edit listings from the shared folder. The contents of the folder may not only include program listings, but also other content such as movies, television shows, web sites, photos, home videos, etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving content information from a first subscriber over a network, the content information associated with an item of video content, the network comprising a bi-directional video-capable network;

receiving a first subscriber identifier associated with the first subscriber;

determining whether the first subscriber is authorized to store the content information in a shared folder of a second subscriber, including comparing the first subscriber identifier to an access control list associated with the shared folder;

storing the content information in the shared folder of the second subscriber if the first subscriber is authorized.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content information includes at least one of the item of video content, a program guide listing associated with the item of video content, information identifying the item of video content, and information identifying the program guide listing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a fiber optic network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber includes a set-top box and a television.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber identifier is received from one of the first subscriber and a subscriber database.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control list includes indications of whether the first subscriber is authorized to store, view or delete content information in the shared folder.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the shared folder is located at the second subscriber.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to create the shared folder from the second subscriber;

receiving a second subscriber identifier associated with the second subscriber;

determining whether the second subscriber is authorized to create the shared folder based on the second subscriber identifier;

receiving shared folder information associated with the shared folder from the second subscriber if the second subscriber is authorized;

storing the shared folder information if the second subscriber is authorized.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the shared folder information includes at least one of a folder name, the access control list, at least one content restriction and at least one parental control.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the content information includes:

determining whether the content information meets the at least one content restriction;

storing the content information in the shared folder only if the content information meets the at least one content restriction.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a search request from the first subscriber, the search request including content criteria;

determining content matching the content criteria, said content including the item of video content;

providing an identifier of the content to the first subscriber.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the second subscriber to view the item of video content associated with the content information;

providing the item of video content to the second subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein providing the item of video content includes scheduling a recording of the item of video content if the item of video content is a broadcast television program that is to be broadcast in the future.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

limiting access by the second subscriber to the network based on the contents of the shared folder.

7. The method of clam 1, wherein the shared folder is located remote from the second subscriber.

16. A system for providing bi-directional communications and video content to network terminals attached to an access network, the system comprising:

a shared folder store storing a shared folder of a second subscriber, the shared folder including shared folder information, the shared folder information including a shared folder name and an access control list, and

a control system communicatively coupled to the shared folder store and the access network, the control system configured to receive content information from a first subscriber over the access network, the content information associated with an item of video content, receive a first subscriber identifier associated with the first subscriber, determine whether the first subscriber is authorized to store the content information in the shared folder, including comparing the first subscriber identifier to the access control list, and store the content information in the shared folder when the first subscriber is authorized.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content information includes at least one of the item of video content, a program guide listing associated with the item of video content, information identifying the item of video content, and information identifying the program guide listing.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the control system is further configured to receive a request from the second subscriber to view the item of video content associated with the content information and provide the item of video content to the second subscriber.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the control system provides the item of video content by scheduling a recording of the item of video content if the item of video content is a broadcast television program that is to be broadcast in the future.

20. A system, comprising:

an access network, the access network configured to provide bidirectional communications and video content to network terminals attached to the access network;

an enhanced television system in communication with the access network, the enhanced television system including

a shared folder store storing a shared folder of a second subscriber, the shared folder including shared folder information, the shared folder information including a shared folder name, at least one content restriction and an access control list, and

a control system communicatively coupled to the shared folder store and the access network, the control system configured to provide at least some of the shared folder information to a first subscriber over the access network, receive content information from the first subscriber over the access network, the content information associated with an item of video content, receive a first subscriber identifier associated with the first subscriber, determine whether the first subscriber is authorized to store the content information in the shared folder, including comparing the first subscriber identifier to the access control list, determining whether the item of video content meets the at least one content restriction, and storing the content information in the shared folder if the first subscriber is authorized and the item of content meets the at least one content restriction.