System and method for multimedia on demand services

• US 7,698,723 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zimler, Randy Scott, Hicks, John Alson III
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARRY, CHRISTOPHER L
• Application Number:
  US09/749,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20040261112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,393 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1- 2, 725/5, 725/55, 725/59, 725/78, 725 80- 82, 725 86- 87, 725/89, 725/100, 725 91- 92, 725/103, 725/139, 725/141, 725/153, 725/151, 725/79
• US Class Current: 725/82
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• 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 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments describe systems and methods for multimedia-on-demand services. A multimedia-on-demand system includes a mass storage device that receives and stores multimedia content items. Memory couples to the mass storage device and stores a multimedia-on-demand data table and multimedia-on-demand instructions. The multimedia-on-demand data table includes a multimedia content identifier field corresponding to a multimedia content item stored on the mass storage device. The multimedia-on-demand data table may also include a multimedia content usage indicator field associated with the multimedia content item. The multimedia-on-demand instructions are executed by a processor and include instructions to automatically receive the multimedia content items. The multimedia-on-demand instructions also send a multimedia-on-demand usage message based at least in part on the multimedia content usage indicator.

Claims

1. A system for multimedia on demand, the system comprising:

a plurality of buses comprising a media bus, a network bus, and a system data bus;

a plurality of tuners and demodulators with each tuner and demodulator having an output connected to the system data bus and connected to an analog-to-digital converter, the plurality of tuners and demodulators sending an analog information signal to the analog-to-digital converter, and the analog-to-digital converter outputting digital information signal based at least in part on the analog information signal;

the plurality of tuners and demodulators also connected to a decryption circuit that decrypts an encrypted information signal received from the plurality of tuners and demodulators and produces a decrypted information signal;

a decoder circuit connected to the decryption circuit that converts the decrypted information signal from one format to a second format;

a cipher/decipher circuit connected to the decoder circuit and connected to the analog-to-digital converter that deciphers the digital information from the analog-to-digital converter and deciphers the converted decrypted information signal from the decoder circuit;

the cipher/decipher circuit connected to the media bus and sending deciphered information signals to the media bus;

the system data bus connected to the media bus and configured to only receive the deciphered information signals from the media bus, the system data bus unable to send information to the media bus;

a video overlay processor connected between the system data bus and the media bus, the video overlay processor superimposing a first audio-video signal over a second audio-video signal to produce a superimposed signal and sending the superimposed signal to the system data bus;

the network bus connected to the system data bus and receiving system data bus information and the superimposed signal communicated along the system data bus;

a mass storage device connected to the system data bus and storing the system data bus information;

circuitry managing the tuners and demodulators to allow recording of content to the mass storage device while processing other content for output to provide a rewind function for the content;

a data switch connected to the network bus, the data switch receiving the system data bus information and the superimposed signal and sending the system data bus information and the superimposed signal to one or more switch ports;

a processor connected to the system data bus; and

memory coupled to the system data bus,

wherein a browser-based graphical user interface is stored in the memory, the processor automatically downloads and stores content items to the memory, the processor receives an instruction to retrieve the graphical user interface from the memory, and the processor sends the graphical user interface to a client device with the graphical user interface describing the content items stored in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor receives a command from the client device that was transmitted from a remote control.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor retrieves another instruction from the memory that is associated with the command from the remote control.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor includes instructions in the graphical user interface that control the system from the client device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data table stored in the memory that associates a content identifier to a usage indicator for each content item, the content identifier identifying each content item automatically downloaded to the memory, and the usage indicator indicating that a content item has been played.

6. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method of providing multimedia on demand, the method comprising:

connecting a plurality of tuners and demodulators to a system data bus and to an analog-to-digital converter, the plurality of tuners and demodulators sending an analog information signal to the analog-to-digital converter, and the analog-to-digital converter outputting digital information signal based at least in part on the analog information signal;

connecting the plurality of tuners and demodulators to a decryption circuit that decrypts an encrypted information signal received from the plurality of tuners and demodulators and produces a decrypted information signal;

connecting a decoder circuit to the decryption circuit that converts the decrypted information signal from one format to a second format;

connecting a cipher/decipher circuit to the decoder circuit and to the analog-to-digital converter that deciphers the digital information from the analog-to-digital converter and deciphers the converted decrypted information signal from the decoder circuit;

connecting the cipher/decipher circuit to a media bus and sending deciphered information signals to the media bus;

connecting the system data bus to the media bus and configuring the system data bus to only receive the deciphered information signals from the media bus, the system data bus unable to send information to the media bus;

connecting a video overlay processor between the system data bus and the media bus;

receiving the deciphered information signals from the media bus at the video overlay processor;

superimposing a first audio-video signal over a second audio-video signal by the video overlay processor to produce a superimposed signal;

sending the superimposed signal to the system data bus;

connecting a network bus to the system data bus and receiving system data bus information and the superimposed signal communicated along the system data bus;

connecting a mass storage device to the system data bus and storing the system data bus information and the superimposed signal;

connecting a data switch to the network bus, the data switch receiving the system data bus information and the superimposed signal and sending the system data bus information and the superimposed signal to one or more switch ports;

connecting a processor to the system data bus; and

connecting memory to the system data bus, processing an instruction to automatically receive a first multimedia content item at a transmission rate that is less than a real time transmission rate in bytes per second;

storing the first multimedia content item;

modifying a data table to include a first multimedia content item identifier, the first multimedia content item identifier corresponding to the first multimedia content item;

managing the tuners and demodulators to allow recording of content to the mass storage device while processing other content for output to provide a rewind function for the content;

sending a multimedia usage report, the multimedia usage report based at least in part on the data table;

storing a browser-based graphical user interface in the memory;

automatically downloading and storing content items to the memory;

receiving an instruction to retrieve the graphical user interface from the memory; and

sending the graphical user interface to a client device with the graphical user interface describing the content items stored in the memory,

wherein the deciphered information signals communicate from the media bus, to the system data bus, and to the network bus for routing by the data switch,

wherein video overlay signals communicate from the video overlay processor, to the system data bus, and to the network bus for routing by the data switch, and

wherein data switch information from the data switch communicates from the network bus to the system data bus, but the data switch information is prevented from communicating to the media bus.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for receiving a command from the client device that was transmitted from a remote control.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 further comprising instructions for retrieving another instruction from the memory that is associated with the command from the remote control.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions in the graphical user interface that control a residential gateway from the client device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for storing a data table stored in the memory that associates a content identifier to a usage indicator for each content item, the content identifier identifying each content item automatically downloaded to the memory, and the usage indicator indicating that a content item has been played.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions for storing a usage indicator for each content item that indicates when a content item has been played.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions for accessing a profile to determine the content items stored in the memory.

13. A method for providing multimedia-on-demand, the method comprising:

connecting a plurality of tuners and demodulators to a system data bus and to an analog-to-digital converter, the plurality of tuners and demodulators sending an analog information signal to the analog-to-digital converter, and the analog-to-digital converter outputting digital information signal based at least in part on the analog information signal;

connecting the plurality of tuners and demodulators to a decryption circuit that decrypts an encrypted information signal received from the plurality of tuners and demodulators and produces a decrypted information signal;

connecting a decoder circuit to the decryption circuit that converts the decrypted information signal from one format to a second format;

connecting a cipher/decipher circuit to the decoder circuit and to the analog-to-digital converter that deciphers the digital information from the analog-to-digital converter and deciphers the converted decrypted information signal from the decoder circuit;

connecting the cipher/decipher circuit to a media bus and sending deciphered information signals to the media bus;

connecting the system data bus to the media bus and configuring the system data bus to only receive the deciphered information signals from the media bus, the system data bus unable to send information to the media bus;

connecting a video overlay processor between the system data bus and the media bus;

receiving the deciphered information signals from the media bus at the video overlay processor;

superimposing a first audio-video signal over a second audio-video signal by the video overlay processor to produce a superimposed signal;

sending the superimposed signal to the system data bus;

connecting a mass storage device to the system data bus and storing the system data bus information;

connecting a network bus to the system data bus and receiving system data bus information and the superimposed signal communicated along the system data bus;

connecting a data switch to the network bus, the data switch receiving the system data bus information and the superimposed signal and sending the system data bus information and the superimposed signal to one or more switch ports;

connecting a processor to the system data bus; and

connecting memory to the system data bus,

processing an instruction to automatically receive a first multimedia content item at a transmission rate that is less than a real time transmission rate in bytes per second;

storing the first multimedia content item;

modifying a data table to include a first multimedia content item identifier, the first multimedia content item identifier corresponding to the first multimedia content item;

managing the tuners and demodulators to allow recording of content to the mass storage device while processing other content for output to provide a rewind function for the content;

sending a multimedia usage report, the multimedia usage report based at least in part on the data table;

storing a browser-based graphical user interface in the memory;

automatically downloading and storing content items to the memory;

receiving an instruction to retrieve the graphical user interface from the memory; and

sending the graphical user interface to a client device with the graphical user interface describing the content items stored in the memory,

wherein the deciphered information signals communicate from the media bus, to the system data bus, and to the network bus for routing by the data switch,

wherein the superimposed signal communicates from the video overlay processor, to the system data bus, and to the network bus for routing by the data switch, and

wherein data switch information from the data switch communicates from the network bus to the system data bus, but the data switch information is prevented from communicating to the media bus.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a command from the client device that was transmitted from a remote control;

retrieving another instruction from the memory that is associated with the command from the remote control.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising including instructions in the graphical user interface that control a residential gateway from the client device.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising a data table stored in the memory that associates a content identifier to a usage indicator for each content item, the content identifier identifying each content item automatically downloaded to the memory, and the usage indicator indicating that a content item has been played.

17. The method of claim 13, farther comprising storing a usage indicator for each content item that indicates when a content item has been played.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising including the usage indicator in the graphical user interface for each content item stored in the memory.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising accessing a profile to determine the content items stored in the memory.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising authenticating access to the content items using a smart card reader.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein sending the graphical user interface to the client device comprises sending the graphical user interface to a set top box.