Method and apparatus for network content download and recording

• US 8,028,322 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Riedl, Steven, Callahan, John, Carlucci, John B., Josephs, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US11/080,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,388 Days
• Field of Search: 725/133, 725/134, 725/142, 725/57, 725/87, 725/91, 725109-110, 725/112, 725/101, 725/89, 725/100, 386/125
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91328 the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing content to users of a network that can be selectively recorded via the user'"'"'s equipment. In an exemplary embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network, and on-demand (OD) sessions are used to provide high-speed download of the requested content to the users. The user'"'"'s equipment (e.g., set-top box) is equipped with a high-density recording device which can both record the content onto a selected medium (e.g., DVD) and optionally provide copyright protection via one or more means such as limiting the number of copies that can be made, and/or digital watermarking. The network operator can also restrict the establishment of the on-demand sessions and/or release of the content to subscribers based on parameters including prior purchase of the content by the user, and the timing of the release of the same content via other distribution channels such as rental and retail.

Claims

1. A method of providing content over a content delivery network, said method comprising:

providing a viewable form of said content over a first distribution channel of said network;

providing a non-viewable form of said content over a second distribution channel of said network, said non-viewable form comprising a disk image for generating a digital video disk (DVD) of said content; and

recording said non-viewable form of said content onto a DVD video disk medium;

wherein said content is made available via said network contemporaneously with the theatrical release of said content, and

wherein said acts of providing said first and second forms of said content are linked via a purchase transaction such that the purchase of said non-viewable form of said content causes both said acts of providing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a cable network, and said first and second channels comprise first and second in-band channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a cable network, and said first and second channels comprise an in-band channel and out-of-band channel, respectively.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of said first content and said second forms of said content comprises content encoded using a high-density codec.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said high-density codec comprises an MPEG-4 or H.264 codec.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein said second form of said content comprises encoding said content using a high-density codec.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing said recording from occurring more than a predetermined number of times.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of recording comprises recording onto a medium that has at least one of (i) a limited number of plays, and (ii) a limited useable lifetime.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said viewable and non-viewable form of said content is copyright protected, said copyright protection comprising preventing said act of recording from occurring more than a predetermined number of times.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said content is received in said viewable format at a first time period, and said content is received in said non-viewable format at a second time period, said second time period occurring after said first time period, and said recording said non-viewable form of said content onto a DVD video disk medium not occurring until said second time period.

11. A consumer premises device in a content delivery network configured to enable a user to record and to view content, said device comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor;

a network interface in data communication with said processor, said network interface being configured to;

receive data indicating availability of content for purchase;

transmit a request to purchase said content; and

in response to said request to purchase, receive said content, said content being received on a first distribution channel as a content stream for display to said user, and on a second distribution channel as a non-viewable disk image; and

a recording device in data communication with at least one of said processor and storage device, said recording device being adapted to record said disk image to a digital video medium.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein data indicating said availability of said content for purchase is received substantially contemporaneously with the theatrical release of said content.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising at least one computer program running on said device configured to establish said session between said device and a network content delivery entity, said session comprising an amount of allocated bandwidth in excess of a baseline video on demand (VOD) program bandwidth by a multiple thereof.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said content is received from said network via said session established between said device and said network content delivery entity.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein said multiple of said baseline VOD program bandwidth comprises an amount that is double or triple that of baseline VOD program bandwidth.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein said content is received in said viewable format in a first time period, and said first content is received in said non-viewable format during a second time period, said second time period occurring prior to said first time period, and said recording of said disk image to said medium not occurring until said second time period.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein said recording device is further adapted for dual-layer recording and a second recording process, said recording device being configured to select between said second process and said dual-layer recording based at least in part on data contained within said content.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein said recording device comprises a device adapted for single-layer optical recording of data encoded according to a high-density coder-decoder (codec).

19. The device of claim 11, further configured to receive a cryptographic key required to effect said recording.

20. A network headend apparatus for delivering content to a plurality of user devices via a content delivery network, said headend entity comprising:

a first interface for receiving content in first and second formats;

a second interface for providing content in said first and second formats to said plurality of user devices on first and second distribution channels respectively, said first format comprising an immediately viewable format, and said second format comprising a non-immediately useable disk image; and

a processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which when executed,

provide, substantially in response to a request to purchase said content from one of a plurality of consumer devices, said content to said one of said plurality of consumer devices in both said first and said second formats;

wherein said one of said plurality of consumer devices is configured to;

cause display of said content in said first format; and

to record said content in said second format to a digital video medium.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said provision of said content in said first format occurs substantially prior to said provision of said content in said second format.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a time period of said provision of said content in said first format corresponds to a theatrical release date of said content.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein a time period of said provision of said content in said second format corresponds to a date on which said content is available for sale on digital video media.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said one of said plurality of consumer devices comprises consumer premises equipment (CPE) adapted for dual-layer optical recording.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of said first and second formats of said content further comprises at least one mechanism for copyright protection.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said at least one mechanism for copyright protection comprises at least one of i) digital watermarking;

and ii) control of the number of copies of said content that can be recorded.

27. A method of providing content over a content delivery network, said method comprising:

providing a viewable form of said content via a first distribution channel;

providing a disk image for generating a digital video disk (DVD) of said content via a second distribution channel; and

wherein said content is provided in said viewable form contemporaneously with the theatrical release of said content, and

wherein said acts of providing said first and second forms of said content are linked via a purchase transaction such that the purchase of said disk image for generating a digital video disk (DVD) of said content causes both said acts of providing.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said network comprises a cable network, and said distribution channel comprises an in-band channel thereof.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one of said viewable and disk image form of said content is copyright protected.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said content is received in said viewable format at a first time period, and said content is received in said disk image format at a second time period, said second time period occurring after said first time period.

31. A method of providing content to a plurality of consumer devices in a content distribution network, comprising:

enabling one or more of said plurality of consumer devices to purchase said content;

providing, in response to said purchase, said content in two formats, a first format comprising a video stream of said content provided directly to said one or more of said plurality of client devices over a first delivery channel, and a second physical medium containing a second format comprising a disk image of said content provided over a second delivery channel; and

wherein said content is provided as said video stream contemporaneously with the theatrical release date of said content;

wherein said content is provided on said physical medium on a date subsequent to said theatrical release date; and

wherein said acts of providing said first and second forms of said content are linked via a purchase transaction such that the purchase of said content in said physical medium form causes said act of providing said content as said video stream.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said physical medium comprises a digital video disk (DVD) and said date on which said content is provided on said DVD is contemporaneous with a first date on which said DVD is available for sale in stores.