Personal content server apparatus and methods

• US 8,181,206 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US11/712,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725114-117
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

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. In another variant, reservation information (for example program or asset ID information) is cached at a headend or hub server, thereby obviating the subscriber (or the network) having to access the subscriber'"'"'s premises device. In yet another variant, a “virtual” CPE experience is provided for the remote user.

Claims

1. A network architecture adapted for delivery of content over a network, comprising:

a server disposed substantially within a cable television network and adapted to serve a content request from a first client device in communication with said cable television network;

a content source in data communication with said server for providing content thereto; and

a management process in operative communication with said server, said management process being adapted to service content delivery requests from a second device logically associated with but disposed remotely from said first client device;

wherein said management process is further adapted to;

receive content reservation data from said first client device, said content reservation data comprising at least data used to cause tuning to a specified program channel;

store said reservation data at a location accessible to said server; and

deliver content associated with said specified program channel to said second device directly from said content source based at least in part on said reservation data received from said first client device.

2. The architecture of claim 1, wherein said delivery of said content based at least in part on said reservation data comprises delivering content specified by said reservation data to said second device at a first time also specified by said data.

3. The architecture of claim 2, wherein said delivering content specified by said reservation data to said second device at a first time also specified by said data comprises delivering said specified content over an internet using a codec-over-IP format.

4. The architecture of claim 2, wherein said delivering content specified by said reservation data to said second device at a first time also specified by said data precludes delivery of said content to said first client device at a second time that is the same or similar to said first time.

5. The architecture of claim 1, wherein said logical association comprises association of both said first client device and second device to a common cable network subscriber account.

6. The architecture of claim 1, wherein said receipt of content reservation data comprises receipt of data that is anonymously associated with said first client device.

7. The architecture of claim 6, wherein said received data that is anonymously associated with said first client device comprises a cryptographic hash of data particular to said first client device.

8. The architecture of claim 7, wherein said logical association comprises association of both said first client device and second device using at least said cryptographic hash.

9. A client device architecture adapted for delivery of content over a network, comprising:

a server disposed substantially within a cable television network and adapted to serve a content request from a first client device in communication with said cable television network; and

a management process in operative communication with said server, said management process being adapted to service content delivery requests from a second device disposed remotely from said first client device;

wherein said management process is further adapted to;

receive content reservation data from said first client device, said content reservation data comprising information identifying one or more programs to reserve for delivery at a future time;

store said reservation data at a location accessible to said server, said storage comprising a unique association of said content reservation data to a subscriber associated to said first client device;

authenticate said second device as also being associated to said subscriber; and

at said future time permit said content reserved by said reservation data to be delivered to any of said first client device and said second device requesting access thereto.

10. A server adapted for delivery of content over a network, comprising:

a computerized device disposed substantially within a cable television network and adapted to serve a content request from a first client device in communication with said cable television network; and

a computer program operative to run on said computerized device, said program adapted to service content delivery requests from a second device logically associated with but disposed remotely from said first client device;

wherein said computer program is further adapted to;

receive a selection from said first client device via an electronic program guide of one or more programs;

store said selected one or more programs at said first client device;

receive a request from said second device for access to said content; and

deliver said one or more programs to said second device from said cable television network only if said selection and said storage occurred at said first client device.

11. A computerized device disposed substantially within a cable television network and adapted for delivery of content over a network, comprising:

a first interface adapted to serve a content request from a first device in communication with said cable television network;

a second interface adapted to serve a content request from a second device logically associated with but disposed remotely from said first device;

a computer program operative to run on said computerized device, said program adapted to;

receive a selection from said first device of content from an electronic program guide for delivery according to a broadcast schedule;

store said selection;

receive a request for access to said selection from said second device;

authenticate said request; and

enable delivery of said content to said first device and said second device according to said broadcast schedule based at least in part on said selection at said first device;

wherein said delivery of said content to said second device comprises delivery only in instances where said content is concurrently delivered to said first device.

12. The computerized device of claim 11, wherein said second device comprises a mobile device and said delivery of content thereto being provided via a cellular network adapted to distribute content to a plurality of mobile users.

13. The computerized device of claim 12, wherein said first device and said second device are associated with a common user that is subscribed to receive a first service over said cable television network, and a second service over said cellular network.

14. The computerized device of claim 12, wherein said cellular network comprises a 3GPP compliant network and said mobile device comprises a 3G smartphone, and said content is delivered to said mobile device at least in part using an IP multimedia system (IMS) of said 3GPP compliant network.

15. The computerized device of claim 11, wherein said delivery of content to said second device comprises delivery via the Internet, said second device being capable of accessing the Internet.

16. The computerized device of claim 11, wherein said delivery of said content to said second device comprises delivery according to at least one control command received from an emulated user interface running on said second device.

17. A method for delivery of content over a network, comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more programs for delivery to a first device, said first device being located within a first network and said selection comprising information used to cause switching of said first device to a given program channel at a predetermined future time;

caching said information at a server remote to said first network and accessible to a second device, said second device being located within a second network remote to said first network, said second device being logically associated to said first device;

receiving a request for access to said cached information from said second device at said server;

authenticating said second device; and

enabling said authenticated second device to access said cached information, said access to said cached information comprising enabling delivery of said one or more programs to said second device at said predetermined future time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said logical association of said first device and said second device comprises said devices being associated with a common user, yet disposed at substantially remote locations.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said first network comprises a cable or satellite distribution network, and said second network comprises the Internet.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said delivery of said one or more programs to said second device comprises delivery over said second network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said selection at said first device further indicates that said one or more programs be delivered to said second device.