APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR RECORDING A MEDIA STREAM

• US 20150271541A1
• Filed: 03/19/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gonder, Tom, Chen, John, Patel, Vipul
• Application Number:
  US14/220,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271541A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/278 Content descriptor database or directory service for end-user access details of content or meta data based information retrieval of video data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/4334 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for recording a media stream for use by a rendering device. In one embodiment, a client device records live, unbound streaming media content from a Content Delivery Network (CDN) in “chunks” according to a data structure such as a manifest file. The live media content stream chunks are compressed and stored for later playback. The client device uses information regarding the chunks to generate a local manifest file, which it then uses to reconstruct the media stream. A video client may also dynamically insert and account for updated secondary content (such as advertisements) during each playback instance, thus enabling the service provider to realize commercial opportunities which were previously not possible. Various operational/business rules are also disclosed for e.g., enabling and disabling functions with respect to playback of the content.

Claims

1. A method for recording a live media stream, comprising:

receiving a network data structure associated with the live media stream, the live media stream generated at a first time within substantial proximity to a second time of reception;

downloading one or more content portions from a service provider based at least in part on the data structure;

generating a local data structure;

storing each of the one or more content portions in a corresponding location in a local memory; and

updating the local data structure with the corresponding location of each of the one or more content chunks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network data structure comprises a stream manifest that includes one or more metadata elements and a listing of locations where the one or more content portions can be downloaded.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more content portions are downloaded from a subset of the listing of locations determined based at least in part on the one or more metadata elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first portion of the one or more content portions comprises video content and at least a second portion of the one or more content portions comprises secondary content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first portion of the one or more content portions comprises video content according to a first resolution and at least a second portion of the one or more content portion comprises video content according to a second resolution.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a first portion of the one or more content portions comprises content that has a first access control restriction and at least a second portion of the one or more content portions comprises content that has a second access control restriction.

7. A method for playing a media stream from a local stream manifest, comprising:

retrieving a local stream manifest associated with the media stream;

retrieving one or more content chunks from a local memory based at least in part on the local stream manifest; and

reconstructing the media stream from the retrieved one or more content chunks based on the local stream manifest.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the local stream manifest comprises one or more metadata elements, and a listing of locations where the one or more content chunks are stored in the local memory.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more content chunks are retrieved from a subset of the listing of locations based at least in part on the one or more metadata elements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more metadata elements comprises at least one of resolution and codec type.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the local stream manifest comprises at least one indication of an advertisement insertion time stamp.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more advertisement chunks are dynamically replaced at the advertisement insertion time stamp.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more advertisement chunks are selected according to one or more user preferences.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising reporting to the service provider when one or more advertisement chunks has been played.

15. A consumer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

a network interface, configured to communicate with a service provider network;

a user interface;

a processor in data communication with the network interface and user interface; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more instructions, which when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the CPE to;

download one or more content chunks from the service provider network in accordance with a network stream manifest, the network stream manifest comprising a dynamically changing manifest configured to deliver live media content comprising the one or more content chunks;

generate a local stream manifest based at least in part on the network stream manifest; and

store each of the one or more content chunks in a local storage device.

16. The CPE of claim 15, further comprising one or more instructions, which when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the CPE to verify that a subscriber associated to the CPE is entitled to download the one or more content chunks.

17. The CPE of claim 16, wherein at least a first portion of the one or more content chunks comprises video content and at least a second portion of the one or more content chunks comprises advertisement content.

18. A consumer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising one or more instructions, which when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the CPE to;

retrieve a local stream manifest;

retrieve one or more content chunks from a local memory in accordance with the local stream manifest;

reconstruct a media content stream based at least in part on the retrieved one or more content chunks; and

display the media content stream.

19. The CPE of claim 18, further comprising one or more instructions, which when executed by the processor, are configured to cause the CPE to verify that the subscriber is entitled to display the media content stream.

20. The CPE of claim 18, wherein the one or more content chunks are selected from a subset of content chunks associated with the media content stream, based at least in part on metadata configured to identify at least one resolution and codec type.