Personal content server apparatus and methods

• US 8,078,696 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: LaJoie, Michael L., Hayashi, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean Gilles, Jude
• Application Number:
  US12/710,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• 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 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

Personal content server apparatus and associated methods that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to access content, such as a video program, from a location outside the subscriber'"'"'s network. In one embodiment, a personal content server streams the content to the subscriber over a network connection from the local e.g., (subscription) network to a remote network upon authorization by a content manager process. Various access, business or operational rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or archived content from the subscriber'"'"'s digital video recorder (DVR) or networked PVR. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively replaced if desired in order to make the remotely delivered content more appropriate to the remote user'"'"'s context.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content over a network, comprising:

enabling a user to register with a content source, said user registration occurring substantially at a server entity of said network, and said user registration comprising said server entity storing user identification information;

receiving a request from said user for access to content, said request comprising at least said user identification information;

identifying one or more services that said user is entitled to receive from said network based at least in part on identifying a subscription level of said user within said network via said user identification information;

determining whether said one or more services said user is entitled to receive include access to said requested content; and

when it is determined that said user is entitled to access said content, providing access to said content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said server entity comprises an Internet-based content server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said server entity comprises a content server of a hybrid fiber delivery network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of providing access to said content comprises delivering said content to said user via the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said request from said user is received from a first user device, and said request further comprises device identification information;

and

wherein said act of determining whether said user is entitled to access said content comprises utilizing a database to determine whether said first user device is among a set of devices correlated to a subscriber account associated with said user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said server entity comprises an Internet-based content server, and said database is maintained by a headend entity of a hybrid fiber distribution network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said content comprises content purchased via said server entity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said request is received from a first user device in communication with said network, and said act of providing access to said content comprises providing access to a second user device located in a network which is remote from yet in communication with said network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said first user device and said second user device are associated with a same user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said request is received from a first user device in communication with said network, and said content comprises content which has previously been downloaded to a second user device via a second network, said second network in communication with said network, and said first and second devices both being associated to said user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said request is received from a first user device in communication with said network and said act of determining whether said user is entitled to access said content is performed at an entity of a second network, said second network being remote from yet in communication with said network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said network comprises an IP packet-switched network, and said second network comprises an IP-over-MPEG network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said network comprises an IP packet-switched network, and said second network comprises a hybrid optical fiber/non-fiber delivery network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said server entity comprises a billing system entity, and said act of providing access comprises transmitting said content from a web server associated with said first network to a user device listed in said billing system.

15. An apparatus for providing content to at least one client device via at least first content delivery network, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive;

an input from a user of said at least one client device, said input comprising user identification information; and

a request from said user, said request comprising information identifying said at least one client device and information identifying requested content;

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

determine whether said at least one client device is entitled to access said requested content in a second content delivery network;

associate said information identifying said at least one client device with a user account in a database; and

when it is determined that said at least one client device is entitled to access said requested content in said second content delivery network, cause access to be provided to said requested content to said at least one client device via at least said first content delivery network; and

an entity adapted to provide access to said requested content to said at least one client device over at least said first content delivery network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said first content delivery network comprises the Internet, and said second content delivery network comprises an hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said HFC network is in communication with the Internet via at least one gateway device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said computer program is further configured to:

enable said user to purchase said requested content; and

associate a purchase of said requested content with said user account in said database.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said computer program is further configured to provide access to said database to an entity of said second content delivery network; and

said entity of said second content delivery network is configured to utilize said information to provide said requested content to a second client device in communication with said second network and determined to be associated with said user account.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said determination of whether said client device is entitled to access said requested content comprises communication with an entity of said second content delivery network.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said information identifying said requesting client device is generated using a cryptographic hash function.

22. A computer readable apparatus having at least one computer program thereon, said computer program configured to:

receive user registration information from a user;

receive from said user a request for content, said request identifying said content and a client device from which said request is received;

transmit at least a portion of said user registration information and said information identifying said content to a remote entity;

receive from said remote entity a determination of whether said client device is among a plurality of client devices associated with said user and thus said user is entitled to access said content in an operator managed content delivery network via said client device; and

when it is determined that said user is entitled to access said requested content in said operator managed content delivery network, provide access to said requested content to said user.

23. The apparatus of claim 22,

wherein said computer program is further configured to associate at least one of said user registration information or said information identifying said client device with a user account in a database.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said association of said request to said user account comprises utilizing a database which correlates one or more user devices to an individual user account.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said operator managed content delivery network comprises a hybridized fiber/non-fiber network, and said client device comprises a personal mobile device able to access the Internet.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said remote entity comprises an entity of said operator managed content delivery network.

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said user registration information comprises a username and password combination.

28. A method of delivering content over a network, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to purchase content, said request comprising information at least identifying said subscriber;

enabling said subscriber to purchase said content;

creating a record of said purchase, said record comprising said content and an encrypted version of said information, said record being stored in a first database;

communicating between said first database and a second database, said second database comprising a plurality of encrypted records correlating one or more devices to one or more subscriber accounts, said first and second databases further being in communication with a third database correlating said information to at least one of said subscriber accounts;

receiving a request to access said content said request to access comprising information identifying at least one of;

(i) a requesting device, (ii) said subscriber, and/or (iii) said subscriber account;

determining, based at least in part on said communicating, whether said subscriber associated with said purchase record of said content is correlated to said request to access; and

when it is determined that said subscriber associated with said purchase record is associated with said request to access, sending said content thereto.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein at least said second and said third database comprise information held at a single storage entity.

30. An apparatus for providing access to content to at least one client device, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a user request for purchase of content, said request comprising user identification information, said user identification information being associated with a plurality of client devices; and

receive a request for access to said purchased content from a first client device; and

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

determine whether said first client device is among said plurality of client devices associated with said user which purchased the content and thus is entitled to access said purchased content in a content delivery network; and

if it is determined that said first client device is entitled to access said purchased content in said content delivery network, cause access to be provided to said purchased content to said first client device.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said computer program is further configured to:

associate said purchase of said content with a user account in said database, said user account identifying said user and said plurality of client devices.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said access provided to said first client device comprises delivery of said purchased content thereto via a packet-switched IP-based network.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said content delivery network is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a satellite network; and

(ii) a hybrid optical fiber network.