Programming distribution system

• US 7,240,359 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Sie, John J., Basawapatna, Ganesh, Sabraw, Martin F., Deprez, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/687,149
• Time in Patent Office: 2,455 Days
• Field of Search: 725/102, 725 88- 89, 725/87
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• 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 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method is provided for distributing programming. A first set of programs is transmitted in real time according to a schedule of programming. A second set of programs is stored on a server, with at least one of the first set of programs having a counterpart in the second set of programs. A request from a user for program control over one of the programs in the first set of programs is detected. A determination whether the requested program has a counterpart program stored on the server is made. If so, the counterpart program form the server is played under the control of the user.

Claims

1. A method for distributing programming, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a content provider, a first set of programs in real time according to a schedule of programming;

storing a second set of programs on a server located on a set-top box local to a user, at least one of the first set of programs having a counterpart in the second set of programs, wherein the counterpart in the second set of programs is substantially identical to the at least one of the first set of programs and is stored on the server at a substantially different time than the at least one of the first set of programs is transmitted;

identifying when the user has tuned to a particular broadcast program having the counterpart in the second set of programs;

transmitting a signal causing a notification symbol to be superimposed on the particular broadcast program to distinguish the particular broadcast program from other broadcast programs not on the server; and

playing the identified counterpart from the server from its beginning and under the control of the user.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein playing at least one of the second set of programs from the server under the control of the user comprises switching from transmission of a particular program according to the schedule of programming to transmission of a counterpart to the particular program from the server.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein switching from transmission of the particular program according to the schedule of programming to transmission of the counterpart to the particular program from the server comprises processing a program-control signal from a user.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein switching from transmission of the particular program according to the schedule of programming to transmission of the counterpart to the particular program from the server further comprises playing the counterpart program from the server from the beginning of the counterpart program.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein switching from transmission of the particular program according to the schedule of programming to transmission of the counterpart to the particular program from the server further comprises:

ascertaining a temporal position for the transmission of the particular program according to the schedule of programming; and

playing the counterpart to the particular program from the server from substantially the same temporal position;

whereby the user perceives transmission of the particular program to be substantially uninterrupted.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein processing the program-control signal from a user comprises:

receiving a wireless program-control instruction from a remote control; and

determining a desired program-control manipulation in accordance with the received program-control signal.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising executing the desired program-control manipulation on the counterpart to the particular program from the server.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting a menu of programs from which the user can select the at least one of the second set of programs from the server to be played under the control of the user.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising verifying the user'"'"'s authorization to access programs from the server.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein verifying the user'"'"'s authorization to access programs from the server is performed after transmitting the menu of programs and wherein the menu of programs identifies only programs stored on the server.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting a display of the schedule of programming from which the user can select the at least one of the second set of programs from the server to be played under the control of the user.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising verifying the user'"'"'s authorization to access programs from the server.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein the at least one of the second set of programs is a counterpart to a particular program of the first set of programs and wherein playing the at least one of the second set of programs from the server under the control of the user comprises playing the counterpart from its beginning.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the at least one of the second set of programs is a counterpart to a particular program of the first set of programs and wherein playing the at least one of the second set of programs from the server under the control of the user comprises playing the counterpart at a position defined for the particular program by the schedule of programming.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the user is authorized to access programs from the server; and

transmitting promotional material describing access to programs from the server if it is determined that the user is not authorized to access programs from the server.

16. A method for distributing programming, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a content provider, a first set of programs in real time according to a programming schedule;

storing a second set of programs on a server located on a set-top box local to a user, at least one of the first set of programs having a counterpart in the second set of programs, wherein the counterpart in the second set of programs is substantially identical to the at least one of the first set of programs and is stored on the server at a substantially different time than the at least one of the first set of programs is transmitted;

identifying the counterpart when the user has tuned to a particular broadcast program having the counterpart in the second set of programs;

transmitting a signal causing a notification symbol to be superimposed on the particular broadcast program to distinguish the particular broadcast program from other broadcast programs not on the server;

detecting a request from the user for program control over the particular broadcast program, the request made at a first temporal position in the particular program; and

playing the counterpart program from the server under the control of the user from a second temporal position in the particular program earlier than the first temporal position.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein detecting a request from a user for program control over one of the programs in the first set of programs comprises:

receiving a wireless request from a remote control; and

processing the wireless request to determine a desired program.

18. The method according to claim 16 further comprising verifying the user'"'"'s authorization to access programs from the server.

19. A method for distributing programming, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a content provider, a first set of programs in real time according to a schedule of programming;

storing a second set of programs on a server located on a set-top box local to a user, at least one of the first set of programs having a counterpart in the second set of programs, wherein the counterpart in the second set of programs is substantially identical to the at least one of the first set of programs and is stored on the server at a substantially different time than the at least one of the first set of programs is transmitted;

identifying when the user has tuned to a particular broadcast program having the counterpart in the second set of programs;

transmitting a signal causing a notification symbol to be superimposed on the particular broadcast program to distinguish the particular broadcast program from other broadcast programs not on the server;

receiving a program-control signal from the user;

ascertaining a temporal position for the transmission of the particular broadcast program when the program-control signal is received; and

switching from transmission of the particular broadcast program to transmission of the counterpart program from the server, the transmission of the counterpart comprising rewinding the counterpart at the server from substantially the ascertained temporal position to an earlier temporal position.

20. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:

determining a desired program-control manipulation in accordance with the received program-control signal; and

executing the desired program-control manipulation on the program from the server.

21. A method for distributing programming, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a content provider, a first set of programs in real time according to a schedule of programming;

storing-a second set of programs on a server located on a set-top box local to a user, at least one of the first set of programs having a counterpart in the second set of programs, wherein the counterpart in the second set of programs is substantially identical to the at least one of the first set of programs and is stored on the server at a substantially different time than the at least one of the first set of programs is transmitted;

identifying when the user has tuned to a particular broadcast program having the counterpart in the second set of programs;

transmitting a signal causing a notification symbol to be superimposed on the particular broadcast program to distinguish the particular broadcast program from other broadcast programs not on the server;

receiving a program-control signal from the user;

ascertaining a temporal position for the transmission of the particular broadcast program when the program-control signal is received; and

switching directly from transmission of the particular program according to the schedule of programming to transmission of the counterpart program from the server, the transmission of the counterpart comprising fast forwarding from substantially the ascertained temporal position to a later temporal position.