Method and System for Retrieving a Media File

• US 20090070835A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bontempi, Ray
• Application Number:
  US11/959,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070835A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2401 Monitoring of the client buffer
• 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for retrieving media files from a customer premise device are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a subscriber to access a media file, and verifies the media file is stored on a customer premise device. The method provides the media file via a communication network to the subscriber if the media file is verified as being stored in the customer premise device.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving a media file, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to access a media file;

verifying said media file is stored on a customer premise device; and

providing said media file via a service provider communication network to said subscriber if said media file is verified as being stored in said customer premise device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said subscriber request is generated from a media device located remotely from said customer premise device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said verifying step comprises:

obtaining a stored media file list from said customer premise device; and

determining if said requested media file is in said stored media file list.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing step comprises:

streaming said media file to a media device of said subscriber from a streaming server located at a cable headend.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said media file is not permanently stored in said media device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a command to said customer premise device to prevent said requested media file from being accessed via said customer premise device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said customer premise device comprises a digital video recorder.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said media file is provided over a wired connection or a wireless connection over said service provider communication network.

9. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform said steps of a method for retrieving a media file, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to access a media file;

verifying said media file is stored on a customer premise device; and

providing said media file via a service provider communication network to said subscriber if said media file is verified as being stored in said customer premise device.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said subscriber request is generated from a media device located remotely from said customer premise device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said verifying step comprises:

obtaining a stored media file list from said customer premise device; and

determining if said requested media file is in said stored media file list.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said providing step comprises:

streaming said media file to a media device of said subscriber from a streaming server located at a cable headend.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said media file is not permanently stored in said media device.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

sending a command to said customer premise device to prevent said requested media file from being accessed via said customer premise device.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said customer premise device comprises a digital video recorder.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein said media file is provided over a wired connection or a wireless connection over said service provider communication network.

17. An apparatus for retrieving a media file, comprising:

a media file database; and

a streaming server for receiving a request from a subscriber to access a media file, for verifying said media file is stored on a customer premise device, and for providing said media file retrieved from said media file database to said subscriber via a service provider communication network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said subscriber request is generated from a media device located remotely from said customer premise device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said verifying comprises:

obtaining a stored media file list from said customer premise device; and

determining if said requested media file is in said stored media file list.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said providing comprises:

streaming said media file to a media device of said subscriber from said streaming server located at a cable headend.

21. A method for requesting a media file, comprising:

connecting to a cable head end via a service provider access network;

requesting a media file;

receiving a verification that said requested media file is stored on a customer premise device; and

receiving said requested media file via said service provider access network.