System and method for storing broadcast content in a cloud-based computing environment

• US 8,307,089 B1
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rothschild Broadcast Distribution Systems, LLC (Leigh M. Rothschild)
• Original Assignee: Ariel Inventions, LLC
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fan, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/300,798
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

A system for media content storage and delivery. The system includes a server that has a receiver and a processor. The receiver receives media data that indicates media content to be stored. The processor is in communication with the receiver. The processor determines media content characteristics that correspond to the media content to be stored. The processor determines a length of time to store the media content based on the media data and determines a cost amount based at least in part on the determined media content characteristics and length of time to store the media content.

Claims

1. A system for media content storage and delivery using a data communication network, the system comprising:

a first server connectable to the data communication network, the first server including;

a first receiver receiving via the data communication network a request from an end user media consumer to store media content, the request including media data indicating the media content to be stored and a length of time to store the media content; and

a first processor, in communication with the first receiver, the first processor;

determining media content characteristics corresponding to the media content to be stored; and

determining a financial cost to store the media content for the length of time based at least in part on the determined media content characteristics and the length of time to store the media content; and

a first transmitter in communication with the first processor and first receiver, the first transmitter, in response to the determining steps performed by the first processor, transmitting in real-time a confirmation message including the financial cost to the end user via the data communication network, the confirmation message further indicating the media content is stored at the server based at least in part on the request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first server further includes a media database, the media database storing the media content for the length of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the media content characteristics include at least one of a runtime of the media content and data size of the media content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first receiver receives a media content request message indicating media content to be delivered to a consumer device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first processor verifies that the media content is available based at least in part on the determined media content characteristics.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second server, the second server including:

a memory storing the media content;

a second receiver receiving a delivery message indicating media content to be delivered to the first server; and

a transmitter transmitting the indicated media content to the first server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the memory includes media content availability data that indicates whether the media content is available for delivery;

and

the second server further includes a second processor, the second processor determining whether the media content is available for delivery based at least in part on media content availability.

8. A consumer device connectable to a data communication network, the consumer device comprising:

a transmitter transmitting a storage request message made by an end user media consumer via the data communication network, the storage request message requesting a server to store media content, the storage request message indicating the media content to be stored and a length of time the media content is to be stored; and

a receiver receiving in real-time from the server via the data communication network a confirmation message including a financial cost to store the media content for the length of time, the financial cost being calculated by the server in response to the storage request to indicate a cost to store the media content for the length of time based at least in part on media content characteristics corresponding to the media content to be stored and the length of time the media content is to be stored, the confirmation message indicating the media content is stored at the server based at least in part on the storage request message; and

providing the received confirmation message to the end user media consumer.

9. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the receiver receives the confirmation message including the financial cost of storing the media content at the server after the media content has been stored at the server.

10. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the transmitter transmits a content request message requesting that the media content be downloaded to the consumer device.

11. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the content request message includes one of a media content title and media content identification number.

12. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein the receiver receives media content corresponding to the content request message.

13. The consumer device of claim 8, wherein the consumer device is one of a mobile device, digital video recorder and television.

14. A method for storing media content and delivering media content to a consumer device, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server, via a data communication network from an end user media consumer, a request to store media content, the request including media data indicating the media content to be stored and a length of time to store the media content;

determining, by the server, media content characteristics corresponding to the media content;

determining, by the server, a financial cost to store the media content for the length of time based at least in part on the determined media content characteristics and the length of time to

store the media content; and

in response to the determining steps, transmitting in real-time by the server, a confirmation message including the financial cost to the end user media consumer via the data communication network, the confirmation message further indicating the media content is stored at the server based at least in part on the request.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the media content based at least in part on the amount of time to store the media content.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising verifying that the media content to be stored is available for storage.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the media content characteristics include at least one of a runtime of the media content and size of the media content.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined financial cost is unaffected by the number of times the media content is delivered.

19. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising:

receiving a delivery message indicating media content to be delivered; and

transmitting the media content in response to the delivery message, the media content corresponding to the media data.

20. The method of claim 19, the method further comprising:

receiving the media content transmitted in response to the delivery message; and

storing the received media content.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising transmitting the stored media content to the consumer device upon request by the consumer device.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the stored media content to a plurality of consumer devices concurrently.