PERSONAL CONTENT SERVER APPARATUS AND METHODS
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
229 Citations
73 Claims
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1-53. -53. (canceled)
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54. A method of delivering content over a network, said method comprising:
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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 to 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. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. 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 to a second client device associated to said first client device and disposed remote from said first client device, said method comprising:
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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 act of determining. - View Dependent Claims (63, 64, 65)
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66. An apparatus configured to deliver content over a network, said apparatus comprising:
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a processor; a storage device in data communication with said processor; and a computer readable medium configured to store a computer application thereon, said computer application comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed cause said apparatus to; receive a request to reserve at least one of a plurality of content for a future delivery, said request received via a first network from a first client device; establish whether said at least one of said plurality of content has previously been or is contemporaneously being delivered via a second network to a second client device; and permit said at least one of said plurality of content to be reserved for said first client device when it is established that said at least one of said plurality of content has been or is being delivered over said second network. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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Specification