CONTENT STORAGE AND DELIVERY SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD AND DEVICE

• US 20080141328A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Services Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Services Organization Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Elby, Stuart D., WEINTRAUB, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,316,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• 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 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system is provided for the storage of content on a network and the delivery of content to subscriber locations. The system includes routers and subscriber set-top boxes in communication with each other and a main content source. Content is delivered over a packet-switching network according to a peer to peer file distribution protocol and is stored in a storage area of the subscriber set-top box, such that each subscriber set-top box is configured to transmit and receive content to and from the main content source and other set-top boxes connected to the network. The set-top boxes may identify a preferred source of content based on various factors, such as geographic distance, Internet Protocol (IP) distance, available bandwidth, integrity of the content, etc. An associated method for accessing content and a set-top box for facilitating the storage and delivery of content are also provided.

Claims

1. A content storage and delivery system comprising:

a plurality of set-top boxes configured to receive and store content and to interface with a communications network configured to operate according to a peer to peer file distribution protocol;

a first router in communication with a content source; and

at least one second router in communication with the first router and with at least one of the set-top boxes,

wherein each set-top box includes a partitioned storage area with at least one partition accessible by a content provider, and wherein the routers communicate in accordance with the peer to peer file distribution protocol to provide content to the set-top boxes via the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the set-top boxes is configured to query the content source and other set-top boxes for possible sources of predetermined content.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the querying set-top box is configured to determine a preferred source of content from a plurality of possible sources, the preferred source having a geographic distance or an Internet Protocol network distance that is closer to the querying set-top box as compared to other possible sources.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the querying set-top box is configured to determine a preferred source of content from a plurality of possible sources, the preferred source being accessible by the querying set-top box through a connection that is faster as compared to connections from the querying set-top box to other possible sources.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the content provider accesses the at least one partition of the partitioned storage area of each set-top box independent of subscribers of the set-top boxes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one partition of the partitioned storage area is configured to store content received by the set-top boxes.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the at least one partition of the partitioned storage area is configured to delete the stored content after a predetermined period of time has lapsed.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the content is fragmented, and wherein the at least one partition of the partitioned storage area is configured to store each fragment and to permit access to each fragment independent of other fragments.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one intermediate router in communication with the first router and the at least one second router, each intermediate router configured such that at least one set-top box is configured to access other set-top boxes in communication with the same intermediate router independent of communication with the first router.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of content sources, each content source in communication with the other content sources through a plurality of associated first routers.

11. A method of accessing content comprising:

querying a plurality of content sources connected to a communications network for predetermined content;

determining a preferred source of the predetermined content at a subscriber location from among the content sources;

obtaining a copy of the predetermined content at the subscriber location from the preferred source;

storing the predetermined content in a storage area at the subscriber location; and

allowing a plurality of remote subscribers to access content stored in the storage area at the subscriber location.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein querying a plurality of content sources comprises querying a first subset of content sources for predetermined content and querying a larger subset of content sources for the predetermined content if the predetermined content is not available from the first subset.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein obtaining a copy of the predetermined content comprises requesting the predetermined content from the preferred source and storing the predetermined content on one of a video serving domain disk or a virtual disk.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising requesting fragments of the predetermined content from different content sources independent of a source of other fragments and assembling the fragments into a complete content file.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising evaluating the predetermined content against a predefined standard, aborting content not meeting the predefined standard, and determining an alternate preferred source for the predetermined content.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising evaluating the predetermined content against a predefined standard and re-obtaining the content from the preferred source.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein determining a preferred source of the predetermined content comprises determining a geographic distance or an Internet Protocol network distance between each source and the subscriber location and choosing the source associated with the shortest distance.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein determining a preferred source of the predetermined content comprises determining an available bandwidth associated with each source and choosing the source associated with the largest bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising deleting the predetermined content from the subscriber location after a predetermined length of time.

20. A set-top box comprising:

an interface configured to communicate with a network;

a storage area partitioned into at least two partitions with at least one partition accessible by a content provider; and

a receiver and decoder configured to receive digital content through the interface, store the digital content in the at least one partition of the storage area accessible by the content provider, and convert the digital content for display on the subscriber television,

wherein the storage area is configured to allow at least one remote set-top box to access the at least one partition of the storage area and to copy digital content to the at least one remote set-top box.

21. The set-top box of claim 20 wherein the interface is configured to communicate in accordance with a peer to peer file distribution protocol.

22. The set-top box of claim 20 further comprising a processor for determining a preferred source of the digital content based on at least one of a bandwidth of a source of the digital content or a distance between the source and the set-top box.