Method and system for distributing restricted media to consumers

• US 20090006583A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vvond, LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Ganesan, Prasanna, Kindle, Brian, Flamino, Gilbert
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques for distributing restricted media to consumers are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, personalized settings (e.g., parameters or table) are managed in a primary client device associated with a user. A copy of the personalized settings is maintained in a server. When the primary box is replaced, a copy of the personalized settings is uploaded to a different client device that is configured to respond to the personalized settings. Data pertaining to titles in a personal vault is preloaded. When there is an order for a release that is restricted for distribution over an open network, data pertaining to such a release is also loaded. As a result, the subscriber sees the familiar settings on the different client device and would not miss any release while the primary box is being replaced or repaired.

Claims

1. A method for distributing restricted media to consumers, the method comprising:

looking up an account associated with a user after it is confirmed that a primary box with the user needs to be replaced or repaired;

configuring a new box in accordance with personalized settings retained in the account, the personalized settings including at least definitions of look and feel of a graphic user interface, a list of viewed titles and a personal vault; and

loading data pertaining to titles in the personal vault into the new box; and

loading data pertaining to a release into the new box without using an open network, if the user has ordered the release that is going to be restricted for distributing online when the new box is received by the user.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the personalized settings includes parameters controlling what the media services are or are not accessible.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the vault includes titles purchased or rented by the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data pertaining to each of the titles is represented by a plurality of segments, each of the segments formed by decimating data blocks in the data so that data blocks in each of the segments are not sequential, for the each of the titles to be played back, the data blocks in each of the segments shall start to be available for being multiplexed to recover an original data stream for a playback of the each of the titles.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said loading data pertaining to titles in the personal vault comprises:

obtaining data for each of the titles in the personal vault; and

loading the data to a storage space of the new box so that any of the titles can be played back without having the new box connected to a network.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said loading data pertaining to a release into the new box without using an open network comprises:

obtaining data for the release;

loading the data to the storage space of the new box; and

setting the new box to indicate that an order for the release is fulfilled so that the release can be played back without having the new box connected to a network.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the personalized settings also include information regarding one or more of a list of movies the user desires to watch or order, a list of recommended movies, personal or audience ratings of the movies watched.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new box is either a replacement of the primary box or the primary box that has been repaired.

9. A method for distributing restricted media to consumers, the method comprising:

looking up an account associated with a user after it is confirmed that a primary box with the user needs to be replaced or repaired;

determining whether a new box is placed online;

uploading a copy of personalized settings retained in the account to the new box after it is determined that the new box is placed online, the personalized settings including at least definitions of look and feel of a graphic user interface, a list of viewed titles and a personal vault; and

uploading data pertaining to titles in the personal vault into the new box over a network;

determining whether the user has ordered a release and when the release is going to be restricted for distributing online;

uploading data pertaining to the release into the new box over the network when the release is still available for distribution over the network; and

uploading data pertaining to the release into the new box before the new box is released to the user after it is determined that the release is likely to be restricted for distribution over the network when the new box is received by the user.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the new box becomes one of designated boxes to supply some of the data to other boxes that are placed orders for one or more of the titles.

11. A system for distributing restricted media to consumers, the system comprising:

a primary box configured to manage personal settings for an account associated with a user, wherein the personalized settings dictate a graphic user interface from which the user accesses various media services; and

a service place controlled by a service provider providing media services, after notified that the primary box is no longer working and needs to be replaced, performing operations of;

looking up an account associated with the user;

configuring a new box in accordance with personalized settings retained in the account, the personalized settings including at least definitions of look and feel of a graphic user interface, a list of viewed titles and a personal vault; and

loading data pertaining to titles in the personal vault into the new box; and

loading data pertaining to a release into the new box without using an open network, if the user has ordered the release that is going to be restricted for distributing online when the new box is received by the user.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the personalized settings includes parameters controlling what types of the media services are or are not accessible.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the personalized settings further pertain to a vault that includes titles purchased or rented by the user.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the data pertaining to each of the titles is represented by a plurality of segments, each of the segments formed by decimating data blocks in the data so that data blocks in each of the segments are not sequential, for the each of the titles to be played back, the data blocks in each of the segments shall start to be available for being multiplexed to recover an original data stream for a playback of the each of the titles.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

a plurality of boxes, respectively coupled to a network, each box associated with a user and providing a library of titles, each box including a storage space allowing a plurality of headers and a plurality of segments to reside therein, each box configured to provide a request including title selection information; and

a server coupled to the network and configured to provide a response to a request from one of the boxes (“

an ordering box”

hereafter), the response including source information identifying a set of the boxes designed to provide respective distributed segments pertaining to the title to the ordering box,

wherein, in responding to the response, the ordering box initiates playback of one of the headers pertaining to the selected title while downloading one or more distributed segments from the set of the boxes.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the new box is to supply some of the data, when designated, to one of the boxes that is placed an order of a title.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said loading data pertaining to titles in the personal vault comprises:

obtaining data for each of the titles in the personal vault; and

loading the data to a storage space of the new box so that any of the titles can be played back without having the new box connected to a network.

18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said loading data pertaining to a release into the new box without using an open network comprises:

obtaining data for the release;

loading the data to the storage space of the new box; and

setting the new box to indicate that an order for the release is fulfilled so that the release can be played back without having the new box connected to a network.

19. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the personalized settings also include information regarding one or more of a list of movies the user desires to watch or order, a list of recommended movies, personal or audience ratings of the movies watched.

20. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the new box is either a replacement of the primary box or the primary box that has been repaired.