Sharing of Subscriber-Recorded Digital Video Recorder Content

• US 20120284765A1
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Killick, Raynald, Guillaume, Nadine, Srivastav, Vivek
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/111
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Digital data associated with recorded programs are uploaded to a Head End facility from user devices (e.g., set-top boxes) in a media distribution network. The Head End facility stores a library of the Digital Video Recording (DVR) assets for programs and makes them available, by streaming, to user devices, including user devices that do not have DVR capability. Techniques are also provided to efficiently upload a DVR asset simultaneously in segments or chunks from multiple user devices.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a head end facility in a media distribution network, receiving a notification from a first user device in a media distribution network, the notification including information indicating recording of a broadcast program at the first user device;

determining whether digital data for the recorded program has already been uploaded to the head end facility;

sending a notification to the first user device to schedule a time for uploading the digital data for the recorded program to the head end facility from the first user device when it is determined that the recorded has not already been uploaded to the head end facility;

receiving the digital data for the recorded program from the first user device at the scheduled time; and

storing the digital data for the recorded program.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising receiving a request for the recorded program from a user device in the media distribution network, and streaming the digital data for the recorded program to the user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from a second user device that associated with a first subscriber as is the first user device, and wherein streaming comprises streaming the digital data to the second user device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from a second user device associated with a second subscriber that is different from a first subscriber associated with the first user device, and streaming comprises streaming the digital data to the second user device.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising comparing the start and stop times of the recorded program to information contained in a program guide, determining whether the start and stop times of the recorded program match information for a program in the program guide, and when it is determined that the start and stop times of the recorded program do not match information for a program in the program guide, storing an indication with the digital data for the recorded program to indicate that the digital data is a partial recording of a program so that it may be subsequently replaced by digital data for a complete recording of a program.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising sending to user devices for all subscribers in the media distribution network information indicating that digital data for the recorded program is available.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising decrypting, transcoding and re-encrypting the digital data received from the first user device for use by different types of user devices supported by the media distribution network.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising sending a notification to user devices for all subscribers in the media distribution network to advise them that the digital data for the recorded program is available for streaming.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving and storing are performed for each of a plurality of programs across a plurality of user devices for a plurality of subscribers in the media distribution network, and further comprising generating a catalog listing recorded programs that have been uploaded to the head end facility and which are available to subscribers in the media distribution network.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising including in a program guide an indication that a recording for a particular program has already been uploaded to the head end facility.

11. The method of claim 1, and further comprising generating a control to display a visual indication during a broadcast program that signifies that the program has already been uploaded to the head end facility.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprises receiving at a head end facility the digital data from the first user device on a reverse channel of the media distribution network.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising receiving from a plurality of user devices notifications indicating that digital data for the same recorded program is available for upload from each of the plurality of user devices;

dividing the recorded program into plurality of segments;

assigning a segment to be uploaded from a corresponding one of the plurality of user devices; and

sending a notification to each of the plurality of user devices, the notification indicating parameters describing the segment to be uploaded by that user device; and

wherein receiving comprises concurrently receiving digital data for the respective segments from corresponding user devices.

14. The method of claim 13, and further comprising assembling the digital data for the plurality of segments received from the plurality of user devices to reconstruct the recorded program for storage.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving information indicating start and stop times of a broadcast program recorded at the first user device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the notification comprises receiving information indicating that a broadcast program has been scheduled for recording at the first user device.

17. A method comprising:

at a user device operable to receive broadcast programs in a media distribution network, sending from the user device a notification to a head end facility associated with the media distribution network, the notification including information identifying a broadcast program that is to be or has been recorded at the user device;

receiving from the head end facility a notification indicating whether digital data for the recorded program has already been uploaded; and

storing an identifier for the program in a list for a user at the user device for subsequent use in requesting streaming of the digital data for the recorded program from the head end facility when the notification received from the head end facility indicates that the digital data for the recorded program has already been uploaded.

18. The method of claim 17, and further comprising recording the broadcast program at the user device, and deleting the digital data for the recorded program from storage at the user device in response to receiving a notification from the head end facility indicating that the broadcast program has already been uploaded to the head end facility.

19. The method of claim 17, and further comprising receiving a notification from the head end facility to schedule a time for uploading the digital data for the recorded program from the user device to the head end facility when digital data for the recorded program has not already been uploaded to the head end facility, and uploading the digital data for the recorded program to the head end facility at the scheduled time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein uploading comprises wirelessly transmitting the digital data over a wireless wide area network.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein uploading comprises transmitting the digital data over an upstream channel in the media distribution network.

22. The method of claim 19, and further comprising receiving a notification from the head end facility indicating that the user device is to upload a particular segment of the recorded program, and wherein uploading comprises uploading digital data for the particular segment of the recorded program.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store digital data; and

a controller unit configured to communicate with a plurality of user devices in a media distribution network, the controller unit configured to;

receive a notification from a first user device in a media distribution network, the notification including information indicating recording of a broadcast program at the first user device;

determine whether digital data for the recorded program has already been uploaded to the head end facility;

send a notification to the first user device to schedule a time for uploading the digital data for the recorded program to the head end facility from the first user device when it is determined that the recorded has not already been uploaded to the head end facility;

receive the digital data for the recorded program from the first user device at the scheduled time; and

store the digital data for the recorded program in the storage unit.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the controller unit is further configured to receive a request for the recorded program from a user device in the media distribution network, and generate a command to cause a streaming server to stream the digital data for the recorded program to the user device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the controller unit is configured to perform the receive and schedule operations for a plurality of programs uploaded from a plurality of user devices in the media distribution network, and to generate a catalog listing recorded programs that have been uploaded and which are available to subscribers in the media distribution network.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller unit is configured to include in a program guide an indication that a recording for a particular program has already been uploaded.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller unit is configured to receive from a plurality of user devices notifications indicating that digital data for the same recorded program is available for upload from each of the plurality of user devices;

divide the recorded program into plurality of segments;

assign a segment to be uploaded from a corresponding one of the plurality of user devices; and

send a notification to each of the plurality of user devices, the notification indicating parameters describing the segment to be uploaded by that user device;

concurrently receive digital data for the respective segments from corresponding user devices; and

assemble the digital data for the plurality of segments received from the plurality of user devices to reconstruct the recorded program for storage.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a modem configured to receive signals including broadcast programs sent over a media distribution network;

a data storage unit configured to store digital data; and

a processor configured to;

generate a notification to send to a head end facility associated with the media distribution network, the notification including information identifying a broadcast program that is to be or has been recorded;

receive from the head end facility a notification indicating whether digital data for the recorded program has already been uploaded; and

store an identifier for the program in a list for a user at the user device for subsequent use in requesting streaming of the digital data for the recorded program from the head end facility when the notification received from the head end facility indicates that the digital data for the recorded program has already been uploaded.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a notification from the head end facility to schedule a time for uploading the digital data for the recorded program from the user device to the head end facility, upload the digital data for the recorded program to the head end facility at the scheduled time, and upon receiving a notification that the digital data was successfully uploaded, delete the digital data for the recorded program from the data storage unit.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a notification from the head end facility indicating that the user device is to upload a particular segment of the recorded program, and upload digital data for the particular segment of the recorded program.

31. A method comprising:

at a head end facility in a media distribution network, receiving from a plurality of user devices notifications indicating that digital data for the same recorded program is or will be available for upload from each of the plurality of user devices;

generating information to divide the recorded program into plurality of segments;

assigning a segment to be uploaded from a corresponding one of the plurality of user devices;

sending a notification to each of the plurality of user devices, the notification indicating parameters describing the segment to be uploaded by that user device; and

concurrently receiving digital data for the respective segments from corresponding ones of the plurality of user devices.

32. The method of claim 31, and further comprising assembling the digital data for the plurality of segments received from the plurality of user devices to reconstruct the recorded program for storage.

33. The method of claim 31, and further comprising determining when the number of notifications received from the plurality of user devices exceeds a threshold before performing generating and assigning.

34. An apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store digital data; and

a controller unit configured to communicate with a plurality of user devices in a media distribution network, the controller unit configured to;

receive from the plurality of user devices notifications indicating that digital data for the same recorded program is or will be available for upload from each of the plurality of user devices;

generate information to divide the recorded program into plurality of segments;

assign a segment to be uploaded from a corresponding one of the plurality of user devices;

send a notification to each of the plurality of user devices, the notification indicating parameters describing the segment to be uploaded by that user device; and

concurrently receive digital data for the respective segments from corresponding ones of the plurality of user devices.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the controller unit is further configured to assemble the digital data for the plurality of segments received from the plurality of user devices to reconstruct the recorded program for storage.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the controller unit is further configured to determine when the number of notifications received from the plurality of user devices exceeds a threshold before generating the information to divide the recorded program.