METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILE SHARING OF MISSING CONTENT BETWEEN A GROUP OF USER DEVICES IN A PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK

• US 20080253564A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arsenault, Robert G., Pontual, Romulo, Kahn, Raynold M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• 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 21/4788 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A communication system 100 includes a group of user devices, a first device separate from the group of user devices, a first satellite, a peer-to-peer network 130 in communication with the user devices and the satellite 106 and a content delivery network 120 in communication with the user devices. The content delivery network encrypts the content in response to a first encryption-decryption information and communicates the content to the plurality of user devices through a satellite. At each of the plurality of the group of user devices the content is encrypted in response to a second encryption-decryption information. A first user device communicates a content request to the group of user devices. At least one of the group of user devices communicates the content to the first user device through the peer-to-peer network. The first user device requests the encryption-decryption information from a content delivery network through a terrestrial network. The content delivery network 120 communicates the encryption-decryption information to the first user device through the terrestrial network. The first user device decrypts the content in response to the encryption-decryption information.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content to a plurality of user devices comprising:

communicating the content to a plurality of user devices through a satellite;

communicating a content request from a first user device through a terrestrial network;

communicating the content to the first user device from at least one of the plurality of user devices through a peer-to-peer network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the content is stored on memory at the plurality of user devices for later viewing.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the content communicated to the first user device from at least one of the plurality of user devices comprises a missing portion of content.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the missing portion of content comprises a beginning portion of a program communicated to the plurality of user devices through a satellite.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of user devices comprise a plurality of set top boxes.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of user devices comprises a plurality of satellite set top boxes.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the terrestrial network comprises a broadband network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the peer-to-peer network comprises a broadband network.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

first encrypting the content in response to a first encryption-decryption information prior to communicating the content through the satellite; and

communicating the first encryption-decryption information to the plurality of user devices using the satellite.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising decrypting the received first encrypted content with the first encryption-decryption information prior to communicating the content to the first user device from at least one of the plurality of user devices.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

communicating the received first encrypted content from the at least one of the plurality of user devices to the first user device; and

decrypting the first encrypted content at the first user device with the first encryption-decryption information.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising communicating the first encryption-decryption information from at least one of the plurality of user devices to the first user device through the terrestrial network.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 further comprising communicating the first encryption-decryption information from the content delivery network to the first user device through the terrestrial network.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising encrypting the first encryption-decryption information.

15. A method as recited in claim 14 further comprising decrypting the first encryption-decryption information at a user device.

16. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising encrypting the first encryption-decryption information at a user device.

17. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising encrypting the first encryption-decryption information at a head end.

18. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising encrypting the first encryption-decryption information using a conditional access encryption.

19. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the first encryption-decryption information comprises a broadcast encryption key.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

second encrypting the received content at the plurality of user devices in response to a second encryption-decryption information;

communicating the second encryption-decryption information from the content delivery network to the first user device through the terrestrial network; and

decrypting the second encrypted content at the first user device with the second encryption-decryption information.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising encrypting the second encryption-decryption information.

22. A method as recited in claim 21 further comprising decrypting the second encryption-decryption information at the first user device.

23. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising encrypting the second encryption-decryption information at a user device.

24. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising encrypting the second encryption-decryption information at a head end.

25. A method as recited in claim 20 further comprising encrypting the second encryption-decryption information using a conditional access encryption.

26. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein the second encryption-decryption information comprises a local encryption key at a user device.

27. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of user devices comprising a group of user devices and a first device separate from the group of user devices;

a first satellite;

a peer-to-peer network in communication with the plurality of user devices;

a content delivery network in communication with and communicating content to the plurality of user devices through a satellite;

the first user device communicating a content request to the group of user devices through a terrestrial network; and

at least one of the group of user devices communicating the content to the first user device through the peer-to-peer network.

28. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the content is stored on memory at the plurality of user devices for later viewing.

29. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the content communicated to the first user device from at least one of the group of user devices comprises a missing portion of content.

30. A system as recited in claim 29 wherein the missing portion of content comprises a beginning portion of a program communicated to the plurality of user devices through a satellite.

31. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the plurality of user devices comprise a plurality of set top boxes.

32. A method as recited in claim 27 wherein the plurality of user devices comprise a plurality of satellite set top boxes.

33. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the terrestrial network comprises a broadband network.

34. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the peer-to-peer network comprises a broadband network.

35. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising:

the content delivery network first encrypting the content in response to a first encryption-decryption information prior to communicating the content through the satellite; and

the content delivery network further communicating the first encryption-decryption information to the plurality of user devices through the satellite.

36. A system as recited in claim 35 further comprising the at least one of the group of user devices decrypting the received first encrypted content with the first encryption-decryption information prior to communicating the content to the first user device.

37. A system as recited in claim 35 further comprising:

the at least one of the group of user devices communicating the received first encrypted content to the first user device; and

the first user device decrypting the received first encrypted content with the received first encryption-decryption information.

38. A system as recited in claim 37 further comprising at least one of a group of user devices communicating the first encryption-decryption information to the first user device through the terrestrial network.

39. A system as recited in claim 37 further comprising the content delivery network communicating the first encryption-decryption information to the first user device.

40. A system as recited in claim 35 further comprising a head end encrypting the first encryption-decryption information.

41. A system as recited in claim 35 further comprising at least one of the plurality of user devices decrypting the first encryption-decryption information.

42. A system as recited in claim 35 further comprising the head end encrypting the first encryption-decryption information using a conditional access encryption.

43. A system as recited in claim 35 wherein the first encryption-decryption information comprises a broadcast encryption key.

44. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising:

the at least one of the group of user devices second encrypting the received content in response to a second encryption-decryption information;

the content delivery network communicating the second encryption-decryption information to the first user device through a terrestrial network; and

the first user device decrypting the second encrypted content with the received second encryption-decryption information.

45. A system as recited in claim 44 further comprising a head end encrypting the second encryption-decryption information.

46. A system as recited in claim 45 wherein the first user device decrypts the second encryption-decryption information.