Multi-Tier Recorder to Enable Seek-Back Unique Copy Recording

• US 20140219638A1
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Viveganandhan, Mahesh, Kansal, Vivek, Springer, Gary M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/298
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Multi-tier recording to enable, for example, seek-back unique copy recording may be provided. First, content may be recorded to a time-shift buffer. Recording instructions may be received and a virtual recorder corresponding to a user may be instantiated. Next, content from the time-shift buffer may be obtained according to the received recording instructions. Then the obtained content may be saved to the instantiated virtual recorder.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording content to a time-shift buffer;

receiving recording instructions;

instantiating a virtual recorder corresponding to a user;

obtaining content from the time-shift buffer according to the received recording instructions; and

saving the obtained content to the instantiated virtual recorder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the content to the time-shift buffer comprises maintaining the content in the time-shift buffer within a finite sliding time-window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the content to the time-shift buffer comprises maintaining the content in the time-shift buffer within a finite sliding time-window comprising at least 24 hours.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the content to the time-shift buffer comprises:

obtaining the content from one of a plurality of linear feeds by a linear acquisition node; and

saving, by the linear acquisition node, the content to the time-shift buffer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the content to the time-shift buffer comprises obtaining the content from one of a plurality of linear feeds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving recording instructions comprises receiving recording instructions from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving recording instructions comprises receiving recording instructions from the user through an end-client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein instantiating the virtual recorder corresponding to the user comprises instantiating the virtual recorder in response to receiving the recording instructions.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein instantiating the virtual recorder corresponding to the user comprises instantiating the virtual recorder in a data-center on demand.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the content from the time-shift buffer according to the received recording instructions comprises querying a manifest file for information regarding segments within the time-shift buffer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the content from the time-shift buffer according to the received recording instructions comprises obtaining content previous to a time at which the recording instructions were received.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein saving the obtained content to the instantiated virtual recorder comprises saving the obtained content by the instantiated virtual recorder to per-user storage unique to the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein saving the obtained content to the instantiated virtual recorder comprises saving the obtained content wherein the per-user storage and the time-shift buffer are within the same data plane of a multi-tier recorder.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the content from the instantiated virtual recorder.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the content from the instantiated virtual recorder to an end-use client from which the user transmitted the recording instructions.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a data plane configured to;

receive content from at least one linear feed, and

store the received content in a time-shift buffer; and

a control plane configured to;

receive recording instructions,

cause the data plane to instantiate a virtual recorder corresponding to a user,

cause the data plane to obtain content from the time-shift buffer according to the received recording instructions, and

cause the data plane to save the obtained content to the instantiated virtual recorder.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control plane is further configured to cause the data plane to provide the content from the instantiated virtual recorder to an end-use client.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control plane is further configured to cause the data plane to provide the content from the instantiated virtual recorder to an end-use client through a delivery server.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the content in the time-shift buffer is maintained within a finite sliding time-window.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control plane being configured to receive recording instructions comprises the control plane being configured to receive recording instructions from the user.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control plane being configured to receive recording instructions comprises the control plane being configured to receive recording instructions from the user through an end-client.

22. A method comprising:

instantiating a virtual recorder corresponding to a user in response to receiving recording instructions;

obtaining content from a time-shift buffer according to and in response to the received recording instructions;

saving the obtained content to the instantiated virtual recorder;

providing the obtained content from the instantiated virtual recorder to an end-use client; and

un-instantiating the virtual recorder in response to providing the obtained content.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein providing the obtained content to the end-use client comprises providing the obtained content to the end-use client through a delivery server.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising recording the content to the time-shift buffer.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein recording the content to the time-shift buffer comprises obtaining the content from one of a plurality of linear feeds.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein recording the content to the time-shift buffer comprises maintaining the content in the time-shift buffer within a finite sliding time-window.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein obtaining the content from the time-shift buffer according to the received recording instructions comprises obtaining content previous to a time at which the recording instructions were received.