SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING USER CONTENT THROUGH A SET-TOP BOX

• US 20100306815A1
• Filed: 05/29/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lafreniere, Gary W., Emerson, David E., Goergen, Michael S., Rooks, Kelsyn D.S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,467,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• 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 21/4627 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 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• 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 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording

Abstract

A system and method for managing video content through a set-top box. User input is received to record the video content to a set-top box. Digital rights management parameters associated with the set-top box are determined. The video content is recorded directly to the set-top box in response to the DRM parameters. The video content is edited based on selections by a user in response to receiving a selection to edit the video content. Preferences for distributing the video content are determined. The video content is distributed from the set-top box to a number of addresses in response to the preferences.

Claims

1. A method for managing video content through a set-top box, the method comprising:

receiving user input to record the video content to a set-top box;

determining digital rights management (DRM) parameters associated with the set-top box;

recording the video content directly to the set-top box in response to the DRM parameters;

editing the video content based on selections by a user in response to receiving a selection to edit the video content;

determining preferences for distributing the video content; and

distributing the video content from the set-top box to a plurality of addresses in response to the preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, the recording is performed by a camera integrated with the set-top box.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is a response to an invitation for a video response communicated to the set-top box.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the editing comprises:

displaying an interface for editing the video content in response to the selections.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the addresses include one or more email addresses, websites, and media servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferences are established prior to the recording and include a list of contacts of the user available through one or more social networking sites.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein distributing further comprises:

distributing a link for a secondary user to access the video content stored in the set-top box.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the editing and distributing are performed based on the DRM parameters.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

utilizing the DRM parameters to ensure that the video content is not further distributed by a secondary user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the preferences are received as part of the user input, and wherein the preferences include permissions for the secondary user to temporarily access the video content.

11. A set-top box for managing video content comprising:

an interface operable to receive user input, the user input including one or more of a selection to record video content, instructions for editing the video content, and preferences for distributing the video content;

a memory in communication with the interface, the memory being operable to store the preferences and the video content; and

logic in communication with the interface, the logic being operable to determine DRM parameters associated with the video content, the logic being further operable to distribute the video content through a network connection in response to the preferences and the DRM parameters.

12. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the set-top box communicates with a plurality of addresses through the network connection for distributing the video content.

13. The set-top box of claim 12, wherein the set-top box distributes the video content by sending a link for a secondary user to access the video content store on the memory of the set-top box, and wherein the video content is streamed to the secondary user in response to a selection of the link.

14. The set-top box of claim 11, further comprising:

a camera in communication with the interface, the interface being operable to record user content and integrate the user content and the video content as the video content.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the DRM parameters are set by a owner of the video content and control recording, editing an distribution of the video content from the set-top box.

16. A set-top box comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions;

a memory in communication with the processor, the processor operable to execute the set of instructions to;

receive user input to record the video content to a set-top box;

determine DRM parameters associated with the video content;

record the video content directly to the set-top box in response to the DRM parameters;

edit the video content based on selections by a user in response to receiving a selection to edit the video content and the DRM parameters;

determine preferences for distributing the video content; and

distribute the video content from the set-top box to a plurality of addresses in response to the preferences and the DRM parameters.

17. The set-top box of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are further operable to record user content to be integrated with the video content.

18. The set-top box of claim 17, wherein the video content is distributed by sending a link to the secondary user authorizing the secondary user to access the set-top box to stream the video content from the set-top box.

19. The voicemail server of claim 16, wherein the set of instructions are an application specific integrated circuit that are activated by the processor, and wherein the addresses are one or more social networking sites.

20. The set-top box of claim 16, wherein the DRM parameters are established by one or more owners of the video content, wherein the DRM parameters establish a number of samples that may be retrieved from media content, the length of the samples, and parameters for editing an distributing the samples.