Methods, systems, and storage mediums for monitoring consumption of storage space and relocating content contained in the storage when a predetermined condition is met

• US 7,395,395 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chanyu Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roden, Barbara J., Bulleit, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Sanjiv
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ayash; Marwan
• Application Number:
  US10/984,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 711/165, 725/42
• US Class Current: 711/165
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/4334 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 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/9994 Distributed or remote access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to methods, systems, and storage mediums for managing content storage and selection activities. The method includes monitoring consumption of storage space with respect to storage capacity in at least one content device receiving content from a content provider, relocating content contained in the storage space of the content device when a predetermined condition is met, and providing access to relocated content. The relocation is operable for freeing up the storage space of the content device.

Claims

1. A method for managing content storage and selection, comprising:

monitoring, remotely by an off-site host system, consumption of a storage space, of an at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device receiving content from a content provider, where the at least one consumer user content device contains a fixed amount of storage space;

selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage device, size of the content, a content device user'"'"'s selection, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content;

relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the content contained in the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device when a predetermined condition is met, where relocating the content frees up the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device;

building a content library listing content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device and the relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each user content device that includes the content item in its content library;

associating the content library with a user account;

providing access to the content library;

providing access to the relocated content;

monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device user via transactions occurring in the content library associated with the content device user;

comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the other content devices;

determining relationships between the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices;

generating a listing of recommended content items based on determined relationships; and

presenting the listing, to the content device user, wherein access to the content library includes providing an owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with access to the content library associated with the user account, wherein access by the non-owner includes at least one of;

viewing listings in the content library,

accessing content identified in the content library,

adding content to an other content library associated with the non-owner,

charging a fee for accessed content, and

compensating a content owner for accessed content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relocating content contained in the storage space includes:

removing the content from the storage space; and

providing a link in the content library to the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the relocated content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of:

audio;

video;

images;

text;

premium channel programming;

cable programming;

broadcast network programming;

radio programming;

digital music; and

pay-per-view programming.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing access to the relocated content is restricted based upon at least one of:

validation of a user identification and password;

validation of a security token, the security token operable for authenticating a content viewer and a recording device;

a recording device identifier linked to a user account; and

a transmission medium linked to a content library.

5. A system for managing content storage and selection activities, comprising:

an off-site database for storing content;

an interface to an at least one consumer user content device receiving content from a content provider over a communications network; and

an off-site host system, remotely monitoring, via a content storage and selection application, consumption of a storage space, of the at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device;

selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage device, size of the content, a content device user'"'"'s selection, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content;

relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device to the off-site database via the communications network when a predetermined condition is met;

building a content library listing the content contained in the storage space and the relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each user content device that includes the content item in its content library;

associating the content library with a user account;

providing the content device with access to the relocated content, wherein providing the content device with access to the relocated content provides an owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with access to the content library associated with the user account;

monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device user via transactions occurring in the content library associated with the content device user;

comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the other content devices;

determining relationships between the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other activities conducted by the other content device users;

generating a listing of recommended content items based on determined relationships; and

presenting the listing to the content device user, wherein access by the non-owner includes at least one of;

viewing listings in the content library,

accessing content identified in the content library,

adding content to an other content library associated with the non-owner,

charging a fee for accessed content, and

compensating a content owner for accessed content.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the relocating content contained in the storage space includes:

removing the content from the storage space; and

providing a link in the content library to the content relocated from the storage space;

the link providing, access to the relocated content.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the content includes at least one of:

audio;

video;

images;

text;

premium channel programming;

cable programming;

broadcast network programming;

radio programming;

digital music; and

pay-per-view programming.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the providing access to the relocated content is restricted based upon at least one of:

validation of a user identification and password;

validation of a security token, the security token operable for authenticating a content viewer and a recording device;

a recording device identifier linked to a user account; and

a transmission medium linked to a content library.

9. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code providing content storage and selection services, the program code including instructions causing a host system to implement a method, comprising:

monitoring, remotely by an off-site system, consumption of a storage space, of an at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device receiving content from a content provider, where the at least one consumer user content device contains a fixed amount of storage space;

selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage device, size of the content, a content device user'"'"'s selection, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content;

relocating, remotely by the off site host system, the content contained in the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device to a remote storage device via a communications network when a predetermined condition is met, where relocating the content frees up the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device;

building a content library listing content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device and the relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each user content device that includes the content item in its content library;

associating the content library with a user account;

providing access to the content library;

providing access to the relocated content;

monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device user via transactions occurring in the content library associated with the content device user;

comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted by users of a plurality of other content devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the plurality of other content devices;

determining relationships between the activities conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other activities conducted by the other content device users;

generating a listing of recommended content items based on determined relationships; and

presenting the listing to the content device user, wherein providing access to the relocated content provides an owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with access to the content library associated with the user account, and wherein access by the non-owner includes at least one of;

viewing listings in the content library,

accessing content identified in the content library,

adding content to an other content library associated with the non-owner,

charging a fee for accessed content, and

compensating a content owner for accessed content.