PERSONAL CONTENT SERVER APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20120291104A1
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Personal content server apparatus and associated methods that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to access content, such as a video program, from a location outside the subscriber'"'"'s network. In one embodiment, a personal content server streams the content to the subscriber over a network connection from the local e.g., (subscription) network to a remote network upon authorization by a content manager process. Various access, business or operational rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or archived content from the subscriber'"'"'s digital video recorder (DVR) or networked PVR. In another variant, reservation information (for example program or asset ID information) is cached at a headend or hub server, thereby obviating the subscriber (or the network) having to access the subscriber'"'"'s premises device. In yet another variant, a “virtual” CPE experience is provided for the remote user.

Claims

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A personal content distribution system, comprising:

a first network configured to distribute content to a first device at a first location;

a personal content server operatively communicating with said first network; and

a second network in data communication with said personal content server and configured to receive a request to access particular content, the request originated from a second device at a second location remote from said first location;

wherein said personal content server is further configured to receive reservation data from at least said first device, and utilize said reservation data in delivery of reserved content to at least said second device.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein said first device and second device have at least one relationship, said at least one relationship comprising said first device and said second device being associated with a common user or account, said association being determined at least in part by said common user or account providing authentication information via said second device.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein said first network comprises a cable or satellite network having a plurality of subscribers, said common user or owner comprising one of said plurality of subscribers.

57. The system of claim 54, wherein said first device and second device have at least one relationship, said at least one relationship comprising said first device having said particular content disposed thereon in either substantially permanent or ephemeral storage.

58. The system of claim 54, wherein said first network comprises a cable or satellite network, and said second network comprises a mobile wireless network configured to distribute content to a plurality of mobile users, said second device comprising a mobile device.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein said mobile wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi (IEEE-Std. 802.11) compliant network, and the mobile device comprises a handheld computer.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein said mobile wireless network comprises a cellular network, and the mobile device comprises a smartphone.

61. The system of claim 58, wherein said first device and said second device are associated with a common user or account that is subscribed to receive first service over said cable or satellite network, and second service over said wireless network.

62. The system of claim 54, wherein said access comprises delivery of said particular content to said second device, and said personal content server is operative to dynamically select at least one of the following for delivery of said content to said second device:

(i) encoding/decoding format;

(ii) conditional access format; and

/or (iii) the network interface over which said content is delivered to said second device.

63. The system of claim 54, wherein at least one of said first network or second network comprises apparatus configured to mitigate spoofing of said personal content server by an unauthorized device or user.

64. The system of claim 54, wherein said second device is capable of moving to a plurality of different locations within said second network, and said personal content server is configured to authenticate said second device at each of said different locations.

65. The system of claim 54, further comprising a third network in communication with said first network, said second device moving between said second and third networks, and said personal content server configured to authenticate said second device at each of said second and third networks.

66. The system of claim 54, wherein said personal content server comprises a first portion of a distributed software application, and said second device comprises a second portion of said distributed software application, said first and second portions of said application being in communication with one another over at least said second network in order to provide said delivery to said content.

67. The system of claim 54, wherein said reservation data comprises identification information relating to a program or service.

68. The system of claim 54, wherein said reservation data comprises data indicating a particular date and time for viewing a program or using a service.

69. The system of claim 54, wherein said reservation data is user-specific.

70. A method of delivering content over a network, comprising:

receiving a reservation request, said reservation request comprising a request to reserve content for future delivery, said reservation request received via a first network from a first device;

determining whether said content has previously been or is contemporaneously being delivered via a second network and a second device; and

enabling said content to be reserved for said first device when it is determined that said content has been or is being delivered over said second network.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein said first device and said second device are associated with a common user, yet disposed at locations substantially remote from one another.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein said content is reserved by said first device via a third network that is substantially independent of said first network.

73. The method of claim 70, wherein said second device comprises a content recording device, and said act of determining comprises determining if said content has been recorded via said recording device.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein first device and said recording device are associated with a common user or account, yet disposed at locations substantially remote from one another.

75. The method of claim 70, wherein said act of determining comprises determining if said content has been purchased using a subscription account associated with a user of said first device.

76. The method of claim 70, wherein said first network comprises the Internet, and said second network comprises a managed content distribution network, and said act of allowing comprises allowing reservation data to be sent over the Internet to a storage location associated with a content server disposed at a node of said managed content distribution network.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein said reservation comprises a reservation for future delivery of said content over said managed distribution network using a video-on-demand (VOD) session.

78. A method optimizing bandwidth usage within a managed content distribution network capable of delivery of content to a first client device disposed within said network and a second, associated client device disposed remote from said first client device, said method comprising:

receiving content reservation data at a node of said network from said first client device, said data indicating content that is desired to be delivered at a given time to said first device;

subsequently determining a condition when delivery of said reserved content is to be made to said second device in place of said first device; and

allocating bandwidth within said cable network from at least one portion of said network based at least in part on said determining.

79. A personal content server apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

at least one network interface;

a storage device in data communication with the processor, the storage device comprising at least one computer program configured to, when executed on said processor, cooperate with the at least one network interface to;

distribute content to a first device at a first location over a first network portion;

receive a request to access particular content via a second network portion, the request originated from a second device disposed at a second location remote from said first location;

wherein said personal content server apparatus is further configured to receive reservation data from at least said first device, and utilize said reservation data in delivery of reserved content to at least said second device.