Distributing and storing content to a user's location

• US 7,747,982 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phillip H
• Application Number:
  US09/687,157
• Time in Patent Office: 3,547 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-178, 717/118, 725/86, 725/89, 725 87- 88, 713 1- 2, 345/721, 715716-717
• US Class Current: 717/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

The invention relates to delivering a program to an individual business or residence. In one embodiment, a process for distributing a program sent by a content distributor to a user location is described. A command from the content distributor is received and processed that requests storage of the program at the user location. The user location receives the program and stores the program. The storing is performed in response to at least the processing of the command. A user action related to the program is detected after storage of the program.

Claims

1. A method for distributing content sent by a content distributor to a user location, the method comprising:

receiving a command from the content distributor to store the content at the user location before a user specifically requests the content, wherein the user location comprises a set top box, wherein the content comprises a subset of a plurality of linearly scheduled programs, each of the plurality of linearly scheduled programs available from the content distributor on a plurality of different distribution channels with staggered start times, wherein the subset is associated with a premium subscription service, and wherein the content comprises at least one of a video program or an audio program, and wherein the content further comprises at least one of a commercial, an infomercial, a show, or a movie;

processing the command sent from a remote location with respect to the user location;

receiving the content at the user location on at least one of the plurality of distribution channels;

storing a segment of the content at the user location in response to at least the processing the command, wherein a length of the segment is based on a time between a start time of the content on a first distribution channel and a start time of the content on a second distribution channel; and

detecting a user action related to the content after storage of the content.

2. The method for distributing the content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the storing the content comprises storing the content on a mass storage device associated with a set top box that is associated with the user location.

3. The method for distributing the content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the processing the command comprises determining usage rules related to the content.

12. The method for distributing the content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein the content distributor sends the content from a remote point with respect to the user location.

13. The method for distributing the content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the content is broadcast to a plurality of user locations,

the broadcast is coextensive-in-time for the plurality of user locations, and

the user location is part of the plurality of user locations.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user location comprises a residence of the user.

4. A method for distributing content sent by a content distributor to a user location, the method comprising:

determining a subset of content from a plurality of linearly available programs, each of the plurality of linearly available programs available from the content distributor on a plurality of different distribution channels with staggered start times, wherein the subset of content is associated with a premium subscription service and comprises at least one of a video program and an audio program, wherein the content further comprises at least one of a commercial, an infomercial, a show, or a movie, and wherein the user location comprises a set top box;

commanding the user location to store a segment of the subset of content from the content distributor without a user associated with the user location specifically requesting the subset of content, wherein;

a length of the segment of the subset of the content is based on a time between a start time of the subset of the content on a first distribution channel and a start time of the subset of the content on a second distribution channel;

the subset of content is stored proximate to the user location, and

the content distributor is remotely-located from the user location; and

sending the subset of content to the user location for storage before a user specifically requests the subset of content.

5. The method for distributing content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 4, further comprising determining usage rules for the subset of content.

6. The method for distributing content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 4, further comprising sending usage rules for the subset of content to the user location.

7. The method for distributing content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 4, wherein the subset of content is unmentioned in a linear schedule.

8. The method for distributing content sent by the content distributor to the user location as recited in claim 4, further comprising broadcasting the subset of content to a plurality of user locations.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the user location comprises a residence of the user.

9. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to distribute content sent by a content distributor to a user location by:

receiving a command from the content distributor to store the content at the user location before a user specifically requests the content, wherein the user location comprises a set top box, wherein the content comprises a subset of a plurality of linearly scheduled programs, each of the plurality of linearly scheduled programs available from the content distributor on a plurality of different distribution channels with staggered start times, wherein the subset is associated with a premium subscription service, and wherein the content comprises at least one of a video program or an audio program, and wherein the content further comprises at least one of a commercial, an infomercial, a show, or a movie;

processing the command sent from a remote location with respect to the user location;

receiving the content at the user location on at least one of the plurality of distribution channels;

storing a segment of the content at the user location in response to at least the processing the command, wherein a length of the segment is based on a time between a start time of the content on a first distribution channel and a start time of the content on a second distribution channel; and

detecting a user request for the content after storage of the content.

10. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein storing the content comprises code for storing the content on a mass storage device associated with a set top box that is associated with the user location.

11. The machine-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein processing the command comprises determining usage rules related to the content.