System and method of delivering media content

• US 20080295131A1
• Filed: 05/23/2007
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbon, David Crawford, Shahraray, Behzad, Amoroso, Edward, Grover, Nancy, O'Hern, William A., Cama, Cynthia, Laing, Barbara, Brown, John J. III, Joseph, Carey J., Ivanov, Aleksey
• Application Number:
  US11/805,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20080295131A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/39
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a method of delivering media content in some embodiments includes providing multimedia content from a multimedia delivery service to a customer premises equipment (CPE) device via an access network, wherein the multimedia content includes audio content and video content., the method further includes receiving a request at the multimedia delivery service to provide the multimedia content to a device via a public network and providing the multimedia content to the device via the public network.

Claims

1. A method of delivering media content, the method comprising:

providing data representing a plurality of selectable channels related to a subscription service, the subscription service accessible at a customer premises equipment (CPE) device via an access network, each of the plurality of selectable channels including multimedia content from the subscription service, wherein the multimedia content comprises audio content and video content;

receiving a request to provide the multimedia content from a selected channel of the plurality of selectable channels to a device via a public network; and

providing the multimedia content to the device via the public network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an electronic program guide to the device;

receiving data related to a selection from the electronic program guide from the device; and

sending the multimedia content to the device based on the selection via the public network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises:

a computer having a processor coupled to a drive unit

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network and the public network are distinct networks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) private access network.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data is provided by a multimedia delivery service.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia delivery service comprises a multiple channel television content delivery service.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia delivery service comprises a first server configured to transmit video data to multiple CPE devices.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a second request at the multimedia delivery service from a second device associated with a second user, the second request to provide second multimedia content to the second device via the public network; and

providing the second multimedia content to the second device via the public network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying a user that is associated with the device has subscribed to the multimedia delivery service; and

sending the multimedia content to the device in response to verifying the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a computer having a viewer application configured to receive the multimedia content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a video on demand service, wherein at least one video is selectable via the viewer application.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving data indicating a selection of at least one video from the video on demand service; and

providing the at least one video to the device via the public network.

14. A system comprising:

a first interface to a public network;

a second interface to a private access network;

a subscriber system adapted to manage subscriber accounts, the subscriber system to authenticate a user to access a media content, wherein the media content comprises audio content and video content;

a media content delivery system responsive to the subscriber system, the media content delivery system to broadcast selected media content to customer premises equipment (CPE) devices of one or more subscribers via the second interface, the media content delivery system to provide the selected media content to a user device via the first interface.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the media content delivery system is adapted to interact with the user device via a browser application and wherein the media content delivery system is adapted to receive data indicating a user selection of the media content via the browser.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the CPE device comprises a set-top box device adapted to communicate video and audio to a display device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the private access network comprises an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) access network.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising a targeted advertising system coupled to the media content delivery system, the targeted advertising system to identify targeted advertising content related to an interest of a user associated with the user device, the targeted advertising system to insert the identified targeted advertising content into the media content.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the identified targeted advertising content includes selectable indicators accessible via an input of the user device.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a media server to receive uploaded content from at least one user, the media server accessible by the media content delivery system to distribute the uploaded content to one or more other users via the first interface or the second interface.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a staging server to receive the uploaded content and store the uploaded content until approved for distribution.

22. The system of claim 14, further comprising a digital video recorder system to receive a request to record selected media content and to schedule recording of the selected media content.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the subscriber system is adapted to allow a subscriber to access the media content via the public network and wherein the subscriber does not have access to the media content via the private access network.

24. A server system comprising:

processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, the memory comprising instructions executable by the processing logic to perform a method comprising;

providing multimedia content from a multimedia delivery service to a customer premises equipment (CPE) device via an access network, wherein the multimedia content comprises audio content and video content;

receiving a request at the multimedia delivery service to provide the multimedia content to a device via a public network; and

providing the multimedia content to the device via the public network.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing logic is distributed between one or more server devices.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

billing a subscriber account based on access to the multimedia content; and

paying a content source for the access to the multimedia content.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

charging a first amount to an account associated with the subscriber for access to the media content via the CPE device; and

charging the account an additional amount for access to the media content via the user device.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the memory further comprises a data storage area accessible by users to store content, the data storage area including a storage area associated with at least one user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving content from at least one user; and

storing the content in the storage area.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises determining a level of access to the content in the storage area based on a subscription of a user.

31. The system of claim 24, further comprising storing a list of related users associated with an account.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises generating a thumbnail image associated with multimedia content.

33. A processor-readable medium having instructions executable by a processor to execute a method comprising:

providing multimedia content from a multimedia delivery service to a customer premises equipment (CPE) device via an access network, wherein the multimedia content comprises audio content and video content;

receiving a request at the multimedia delivery service to provide the multimedia content to a device via a public network; and

providing the multimedia content to the device via the public network.

34. The processor-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising:

storing data related to providing the multimedia content; and

generating an output including statistics based on the data.

35. The processor-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising:

determining advertising content based on the data; and

providing the identified advertising content to the user device.

36. The processor-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the advertising content is provided for display in a browser application.

37. The processor-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the advertising content is provided for display with the multimedia content.