Cloud Based Location Shifting Service

• US 20120266201A1
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aereo Incorporated
• Inventors: Kanojia, Chaitanya, Lipowski, Joseph Thaddeus
• Granted Patent: US 9,258,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• 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 21/47202 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

Abstract

A method and system for enabling users to access video capture services from a home market while temporarily located in outside of it, i.e., roaming. The user temporarily located outside of their home market uses a regional system as a proxy in a home market in which the user is able to receive regional content. The regional system then transfers the regional content to the roaming user.

Claims

1. A method for streaming content originating from home markets to users temporarily located outside the home markets, the method comprising:

transferring users to regional capture and distribution systems located within the respective home markets of the users;

the regional capture and distribution systems capturing content transmissions from broadcasting entities located within the home markets of the users as requested by the users; and

the regional capture and distribution systems transferring the requested content transmissions to the users.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the regional capture and distribution systems transfer the requested content transmissions to the users via Internet streaming.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the home markets of the users based on account information associated with each user.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the home markets of the users based on user selections.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining geographical locations of the users to determine if the users are located outside of their respective home markets.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein determining geographical locations of the users comprises accessing a global positioning system, accessing cellular phone systems, or looking up Internet protocol addresses assigned to the users in an address geographical location directory.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the regional capture and distribution systems capturing and encoding over the air broadcasts transmitted from the broadcasting entities.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the broadcasting entities are television networks transmitting over the air broadcasts.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the regional capture and distribution systems operate as geographical proxies in the respective home markets of the users.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising restricting access of the users only to the regional capture and distribution systems located within the home markets of the users.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the regional capture and distribution systems are nodes of a content delivery network.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising connecting the regional capture and distribution systems via dedicated links that transfer data between the regional capture and distribution systems.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the dedicated links transfer the user requested content transmissions to local regional capture and distribution systems and the local regional capture and distribution systems then stream the user requested content transmission to the users.

14. A national system for streaming content to users, the national system comprising:

regional systems for capturing and distributing requested content transmissions to users from the home markets associated with each of the regional systems; and

a qualifying system that determines home markets from each of the users, the qualifying system then passes the users to the regional systems covering the corresponding home markets of the users.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the regional systems transfer the requested content transmissions to the users via Internet streaming.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the qualifying system determines the home markets of the users based on account information associated with each user.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the qualifying system determines the home markets of the users based user selections.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the qualifying system determines the locations of the users to determine if the users are located outside of their respective home markets.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the qualifying system determines geographical locations of the users by accessing a global position system, accessing cellular phone systems, or looking up Internet protocol addresses assigned to the users in an address geographical location directory.

20. The system according to claim 14, further comprising broadcasting entities that broadcast over the air broadcasts that are captured and encoded by the regional systems.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the broadcasting entities are television networks transmitting over the air broadcasts.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the regional systems are geographical proxies in the respective home markets of the users.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the qualifying system restricts access of the users only to the regional systems located within the home markets of the users.

24. The system according to claim 14, wherein the regional systems are nodes of a content delivery network.

25. The system according to claim 24, further comprising dedicated links that connect the regional systems and transfer data between the regional systems.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the dedicated links transfer the user requested content transmissions to local regional systems and the local regional systems then stream the user requested content transmission to the users via the Internet streaming.

27. A method for managing capture and distribution of content transmissions originating from home markets, the method comprising:

determining whether the users are physically located within their respective home markets; and

for the users located outside their respective home markets, disabling an ability of the users to access live streaming content transmissions.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising for the users located outside their respective home markets, further disabling an ability of the users to access previously-recorded content transmissions.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the home markets of the users are determined by residential addresses of the users.

30. A system for managing the capture and distribution of content transmissions, the system comprising:

a system that determines whether the users are physically located within their respective home markets; and

regional systems that disable an ability of the users to access live streaming content transmissions for users located outside their respective home markets.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein the regional systems further disable an ability of the users to access previously-recorded content transmissions for the users located outside their respective home markets.

32. The system according to claim 30, wherein the home markets of the users are determined by residential addresses of the users.