System and Method of Delivering Personal Video Content

• US 20090113472A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ku, Bernard, Khan, Arshad, Sheth, Niral
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method of delivering personal video content via a video head-end office is provided that includes receiving a personal video content upload request at a notification server from a first set-top box device. The personal video content upload request relates to personal video content to be uploaded from the first set-top box device. The method also includes receiving a personal video content sharing request at the notification server from the first set-top box device. The personal video content sharing request identifies a second set-top box device designated to receive the uploaded personal video content. In addition, the method includes sending notification information from the notification server to the second set-top box device. The notification information indicates a first option to store the uploaded personal video content at a data storage device and a second option to stream the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device upon selection of the second option.

Claims

1. A method of delivering personal video content via a video head-end office, the method comprising:

receiving a personal video content upload request at a notification server from a first set-top box device, the personal video content upload request related to personal video content to be uploaded from the first set-top box device;

receiving a personal video content sharing request at the notification server from the first set-top box device, the personal video content sharing request identifying a subscriber associated with a second set-top box device designated to receive the uploaded personal video content; and

sending notification information from the notification server to the second set-top box device, the notification information indicating a first option to store the uploaded personal video content at a data storage device and a second option to stream the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device upon selection of the second option.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending personal video content upload instructions from the notification server to the first set-top box device, the personal video content upload instructions directing the first set-top box device to send the uploaded personal video content to a data storage device of a personal media library system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving delivery preference data at the notification server from the second set-top box device, the delivery preference data indicating the first option or the second option.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sending personal video content download data from the notification server to a digital video recorder (DVR) scheduling server or to the personal media library system based on the delivery preference data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the notification server sends first personal video content download data to the DVR scheduling server, the first personal video content download data including instructions to send the uploaded personal video content to the data storage device at a specified time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the notification server sends second personal video content download data to the personal media library system, the second personal video content download data including instructions to stream the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device in response to receiving the second video content download data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information at the notification server from a billing server indicating that the first set-top box device is associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service, indicating that the second set-top box device is associated with a valid subscription to the personal media content sharing service, or any combination thereof.

8. A method of delivering personal video content via a set-top box device, the method comprising:

retrieving personal video content at the set-top box device from an electronics device that is external to the set-top box device;

sending a personal video content upload request from the set-top box device to a notification server of an Internet Protocol Television ITV) network, the personal video content upload request related to storing the retrieved personal video content at a data storage device of a personal media library system of the IPTV network;

receiving confirmation information at the set-top box device from the notification server when an account associated with the set-top box device includes a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service, the confirmation information indicating that the retrieved personal video content is approved to be stored at the data storage device of the personal media library system; and

sending the retrieved personal video content from the set-top box device to the data storage device of the personal media library system after receiving the confirmation information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising designating a recipient of the personal video content from a list of subscribers associated with the IPTV network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising attaching a message to the personal video content, wherein the message is directed to the recipient of the personal video content.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the account associated with the set-top box device is charged based on an amount of data associated with the retrieved personal video content.

12. The method of claim 8, her comprising receiving rejection information at the set-top box device from the notification server when the account associated with the set-top box device is not associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service, the rejection information indicating that the retrieved personal video content is not approved to be stored at the data storage device of the personal media library system.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a personal video content sharing graphical user interface to a display device associated with the set-top box device, the personal video content sharing graphical user interface including a first selectable icon related to inviting one or more subscribers associated with the IPTV network to view personal video content, a second selectable icon related to uploading a personal video content file, or any combination thereof.

14. A system to deliver personal video content, the system comprising:

a notification server including processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, the memory including;

instructions executable by the processing logic to send notification information to a first set-top box device, the notification information related to a graphical user interface indicating that a subscriber associated with a second set-top box device has made personal video content stored at a network storage device available to at least one subscriber associated with the first set-top box device and indicating a plurality of delivery options related to the personal video content, wherein the personal video content is stored at a portion of the network storage device allocated to the second set-top box device; and

instructions executable by the processing logic to receive delivery preference data from the first set-top box device, the delivery preference data indicating a selection of a delivery option related to downloading the personal video content to a digital video recorder (DVR) associated with the first set-top box device at a specified time or indicating a selection of a delivery option related to storing the personal video content at a portion of the network storage device allocated to the first set-top box device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first set-top box device is associated with a first personal media content sharing service subscription that reserves a first amount of memory at the network storage device and the second set-top box device is associated with a second personal media content sharing service subscription that reserves a second amount of memory at the network storage device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory includes:

instructions executable by the processing logic to determine if a subscriber logged in via the first set-top box device is authorized to view the personal video content based on a parental control rating assigned to the personal video content by a subscriber associated with the second set-top box device; and

instructions executable by the processing logic to send instructions to a personal media library system to send the personal video content to the first set-top box device when the subscriber logged in via the first set-top box device is authorized to view the personal video content.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to send an error message to the first set-top box device when the subscriber logged in via the first set-top box device is not authorized to view the personal video content.

18. A set-top box device, comprising:

processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, the memory including;

instructions executable by the processing logic to retrieve personal video content from an electronics device that is external to the set-top box device;

instructions executable by the processing logic to send a personal video content upload request to a notification server, the personal video content upload request related to storing the retrieved personal video content at a network storage device;

instructions executable by the processing logic to receive confirmation information from the notification server, the confirmation information indicating that the retrieved personal video content is approved to be stored at the network storage device; and

instructions executable by the processing logic to send the retrieved personal video content to the network storage device after receiving the confirmation information.

19. A set-top box device, comprising:

processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, the memory including;

instructions executable by the processing logic to receive notification information from a notification server of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) network, the notification information indicating that a first subscriber associated with the set-top box device has been invited to view personal video content of a subscriber associated with an additional set-top box device, at least one first option to store the personal video content at a data storage device associated with the set-top box device, and at least one second option to stream the personal video content to the set-top box device in response to a selection of the at least one second option;

instructions executable by the processing logic to send delivery preference data to the notification server related to a selection of the at least one first option or a selection of the at least one second option; and

instructions executable by the processing logic to receive the personal video content according to the selection of the at least one first option or according to the selection of the at least one second option.

20. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the notification information is related to an email message, an icon, a pop-up window, an audio message, a graphical user interface, or any combination thereof.

21. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to deliver the notification information based on a status of the set-top box device.

22. The set-top box device of claim 21, wherein the status of the set-top box device relates to the set-top box device receiving the notification information during a subscriber login session, while other video content is being provided to a display device associated with the set-top box device, while a graphical user interface is being provided to the display device, or when the set-top box device is inactive.

23. The set-top box device of claim 22, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to provide the notification information to the display device as an overlay while the other video content is being provided to the display device.

24. The set-top box device of claim 23, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processing logic to store the other video content at the data storage device associated with the set-top box device in response to the selection of the at least one second option.

25. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the notification information indicates at least one third option to decline the invitation to view the personal video content.