System and Method for Optimizing Storage and Transcoding Costs in Network DVR

• US 20140282761A1
• Filed: 04/05/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bjordammen, David M., Du Breuil, Thomas L
• Granted Patent: US 9,124,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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

Abstract

A method includes: storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device; receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content; receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, via a network storage device, information related to the playback history of a content playing device;

receiving, via a network digital video recorder scheduler, a request to record requested content;

receiving, via a network digital video recorder, the requested content in a first format and the requested content in a second format; and

storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback history includes information related to the content playing device capabilities, previous content requested, and time and date of session start, trick play usage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first format is the highest quality format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format based on the information related to the playback history comprises storing the requested content in the first format, storing the requested content in the second format, and subsequently deleting the content in one of the first format or the second format after a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, via the network storage device, information related to the playback history of a second content playing device,

wherein said storing, via the network digital video recorder, only one of the requested content in the first format or the requested content in a second format is based additionally on the information related to the playback history of the second content playing device.