Method and system for distributing restricted media to consumers

• US 8,364,792 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vudu Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Kindle, Brian, Flamino, Gilbert, Ganesan, Prasanna
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): AILES, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US11/558,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,272 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 725/98, 725/100, 725/151
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques for distributing restricted media to consumers are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, personalized settings (e.g., parameters or table) are managed in a primary client device associated with a user. A copy of the personalized settings is maintained in a server. When the primary box is replaced, a copy of the personalized settings is uploaded to a different client device that is configured to respond to the personalized settings. Data pertaining to titles in a personal vault is preloaded. When there is an order for a release that is restricted for distribution over an open network, data pertaining to such a release is also loaded. As a result, the subscriber sees the familiar settings on the different client device and would not miss any release while the primary box is being replaced or repaired.

Claims

1. A system for distributing restricted media to consumers, the system comprising:

a primary device configured to manage personal settings for an account associated with a user, wherein the personalized settings dictate a graphic user interface from which the user accesses various media services; and

a service server controlled by a service provider providing media services, wherein the media services, upon notification that the primary device is no longer working and needs to be replaced, include performing operations of;

looking up an account associated with the user;

configuring a new device in accordance with personalized settings retained in the account, wherein the personalized settings include at least definitions of a look and feel of the graphic user interface, a list of viewed titles by the user, and the user'"'"'s personalized library;

loading titles in the personalized library into the new device;

making a determination (i) that the user has ordered a restricted media title that is available for distribution on the open network only during a restricted period of time, and (ii) that the new device would not be received by the user until after the restricted period of time has ended; and

upon determining that the user has ordered the restricted media title that is available for distribution on the open network only during a restricted period of time and that the new device would not be received by the user until after the restricted period of time has ended, loading the restricted media title into the new device without using an open network.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the personalized settings includes parameters controlling what types of the media services are or are not accessible.

3. The system as recited in claim 2, wherein the personalized settings further pertain to a personalized library that includes titles purchased or rented by the user.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the titles comprises a plurality of data segments, each of the data segments being formed by decimating data blocks so that data blocks in each of the segments are not sequential, and wherein for the each of the titles to be played back, the data blocks in each of the segments are multiplexed to recover an original data stream for a playback of the each of the titles.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of devices, respectively coupled to a network, each device being associated with a user and providing a library of titles, and each device including a storage medium for storing a plurality of header segments, each device being configured to request a particular media title; and

a server coupled to the network and configured to provide a response to a request from a first device of the plurality of devices, the response including source information identifying a set of the devices from the plurality of devices to provide respective distributed segments pertaining to the requested media title to the first device;

wherein the first device initiates playback of one of the header segments pertaining to the requested media title while downloading one or more distributed segments from the set of the devices.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the new device is to supply one or more of the distributed segments, when designated, to one of the plurality of devices that requests a particular title.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein loading titles in the personalized library comprises:

obtaining data for each of the titles in the personalized library; and

loading the data to a storage space of the new device so that any of the titles can be played back without having the new device connected to a network.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the restricted media title into the new device without using an open network comprises:

obtaining data for the restricted media title;

loading the data to the storage space of the new device; and

setting the new device to indicate that an order for the restricted media title is fulfilled so that the restricted media title can be played back without having the new device connected to a network.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the personalized settings also include information regarding one or more of a list of movies the user desires to watch or order, a list of recommended movies, and personal or audience ratings of the movies watched.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the new device is either a replacement of the primary device or the primary device that has been repaired.