Token Locking to Schedule Content Consumption

• US 20070204313A1
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wagner, Mark, Taylor, Thomas, Potrebic, Peter, McEnroe, Elizabeth
• Application Number:
  US11/276,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204313A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Embodiments of token locking to schedule content consumption are described herein. Tokens are designated to portion bandwidth allocated to a group of client devices by a content provider to stream content. One of the tokens is locked to respective client device when the client device accesses a service to schedule consumption of content over a network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

designating tokens to portion bandwidth allocated to a group of client devices by a content provider to stream content; and

locking a respective said token to at least one said client device when the at least one said client device accesses a service to schedule consumption of content streamed over a network.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the locking, when performed, prevents another said client device from using the respective said token to consume content.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein each said token corresponds to a particular stream of content from the content provider.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the service is accessible via the content provider; and

the scheduled content consumption involves purchase of the content by the at least one said client device from the content provider.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the service provides an electronic program guide (EPG); and

the scheduled content consumption involves scheduling of the content by the at least one said client device using the EPG.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the locking includes:

determining a period of time, during which, consumption of the content is to be scheduled; and

locking the respective said token for that period of time.

7. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising unlocking the respective said token when the at least one said client device exits the service and does not schedule content consumption.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising consuming the content scheduled by the at least one said client device using the respective said token.

9. A method as described in claim 8, wherein the consuming includes rendering the content or storing the content in a computer-readable medium.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the designating includes designating different types of tokens to different respective amount of bandwidth; and

the locking includes locking the type of token that corresponds to an amount of bandwidth used by the content, with which, the at least one said client is interacting to schedule for consumption.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein:

at least one said type permits consumption of high-definition (HD) content; and

another said type permits consumption of standard-definition (SD) content.

20. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the unlocking is performed such that another said client device is permitted to used the token to consume content.

12. A method comprising:

accessing a content provider via a network by a client device to purchase content for consumption, wherein;

the client device is one of a group of client devices that together have an amount of bandwidth allocated by the content provider; and

consumption of the content by the group is managed through use of tokens that are designated to portion the allocated amount of bandwidth; and

while the client device accesses the service, locking a respective said token to the client device such that other client devices are not assigned the respective said token.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein each said token corresponds to a particular stream of content from the content provider.

14. A method as described in claim 12, wherein the locking includes:

determining a period of time, during which, consumption of the purchased content is to be scheduled; and

locking the respective said token for that period of time.

15. A method comprising:

locking a token to a particular one of a plurality of client devices while the particular said client device accesses a service to schedule content consumption, wherein consumption of content by the plurality of client devices is managed through use of tokens that are designated to portion an allocated amount of bandwidth; and

unlocking the token when the particular said client device exits the service and does not schedule content consumption.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the locking, when performed, prevents another said client device from using the respective said token to consume content.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein:

the service is accessible via the content provider; and

the scheduled content consumption involves purchase of the content by the particular said client device from the content provider.

18. A method as described in claim 15, wherein:

the service is configured to provide an electronic program guide (EPG); and

the scheduled content consumption involves scheduling consumption of the content by the particular said client device using the EPG.

19. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the locking includes:

determining a period of time, during which, consumption of the content is to be scheduled; and

locking the token for that period of time.