Systems and methods for accessing media content

• US 8,418,217 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Stallings, Heath, Roberts, Brian, Relyea, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIG, SAHAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/516,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20080060038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,407 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/81, 725/114, 725/115, 725/119, 725/144, 725/145
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/4788 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a media content provider and a media content processing subsystem communicatively coupled to the media content provider by a network. The media content processing subsystem is configured to receive a first media content instance from the media content provider, and receive a second media content instance from at least one other media content processing subsystem connected to the network. At least a portion of the second media content instance is received concurrently with the receipt of the first media content instance. In certain embodiments, the media content processing subsystem is configured to receive the second media content instance without using a tuner.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media content provider, separate from and operating independently of a plurality of media content processing subsystems connected to said media content provider over a network, said media content provider configured to broadcast, over the network, a plurality of encoded signals carrying media content instances, the signals configured to be decoded by tuners included in said plurality of media content processing subsystems to receive the media content instances; and

a media content processing subsystem of said plurality of media content processing subsystems communicatively coupled to said media content provider by the network, said media content processing subsystem including at least one tuner and configured to

receive a first media content instance from said media content provider to be decoded by one of said at least one tuner,

determine whether each of said at least one tuner is busy receiving media content instances, and if so send a request for a second media content instance to said media content provider, said request configured to cause said media content provider to

identify at least one other media content processing subsystem communicatively coupled to said media content provider and said media content processing subsystem by said network and able to provide said second media content instance, and

instruct said at least one other media content processing subsystem to transmit said second media content instance decoded by a tuner included in said at least one other media content processing subsystem to said media content processing subsystem, and

receive said decoded second media content instance from said at least one other media content processing subsystem connected to the network, at least a portion of said decoded second media content instance being received concurrently with said receipt of said first media content instance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said media content processing subsystem is configured to use a tuner to receive said first media content from said media content provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one other media content processing subsystem connected to the network includes a plurality of said other media content processing subsystems, each of said other media content processing subsystems transmitting a different portion of said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said media content provider is part of the network, said second media content instance being transmitted over the network from said at least one other media content processing subsystem to said media content processing subsystem.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said media content provider is configured to manage transmission of data representative of said second media content instance from said at least one other media content processing subsystem to said media content processing subsystem.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one other media content processing subsystem is configured to transmit said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem in accordance with said instruction from said media content provider.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said at least one other media content processing subsystem is configured to provide transmission status information to said media content provider, said transmission status information being descriptive of said transmission of said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said media content provider is configured to use said transmission status information to verify that said second media content instance is transmitted in accordance with said instruction.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said media content provider is configured to forward at least a subset of said transmission status information to said media content processing subsystem, said media content processing subsystem configured to use said at least a subset of said transmission status information for at least one of verifying correct receipt of said second media content instance and assembling said second media content instance from data received by said media content processing subsystem.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one other media content processing subsystem has received or is receiving said second media content instance from said media content provider.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein to identify said at least one other media content processing subsystem as able to provide said second media content instance includes to identify said at least one media content processing subsystem as having an available tuner.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface configured to

receive a first media content instance from a media content provider communicatively coupled to said apparatus by a network, said media content provider separate from and operating independently of a plurality of apparatus communicatively coupled to said media content provider over the network, said media content provider configured to broadcast, over the network, a plurality of encoded signals carrying media content instances, the signals configured to be decoded by tuners included in said plurality of apparatus to receive the media content instances;

determine whether each tuner included in said apparatus is busy receiving media content instances, and if so send a request for a second media content instance to said media content provider, said request configured to cause said media content provider to identify at least one other apparatus communicatively coupled to said media content provider and said apparatus by said network and able to provide said second media content instance, and instruct said at least one other apparatus to transmit said second media content instance decoded by a tuner included in said at least one other apparatus to said apparatus, and

concurrently receive said decoded second media content instance from said at least one other apparatus connected to the network, at least a portion of said decoded second media content instance being received concurrently with said receipt of said first media content instance; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to said communication interface and configured to process said first media content instance and said second media content instance.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, said second media content instance being received over the network from said at least one other apparatus.

13. A method comprising:

a media content processing subsystem including at least one tuner and receiving a first media content instance from a media content provider over a network, said media content provider separate from and operating independently of a plurality of media content processing subsystems connected to said media content provider over a network, said media content provider configured to broadcast, over the network, a plurality of encoded signals carrying media content instances, the signals configured to be decoded by tuners included in said plurality of media content processing subsystems to receive the media content instances;

said media content processing subsystem determining whether each of said at least one tuner is busy receiving media content instances, and if so, sending a request for a second media content instance to said media content provider, said request configured to cause said media content provider to identify at least one other media content processing subsystem communicatively coupled to said media content provider and said media content processing subsystem by said network and able to provide said second media content instance, and instruct said at least one other media content processing subsystem to transmit said second media content instance decoded by a tuner included in said at least one other media content processing subsystem to said media content processing subsystem; and

said media content processing subsystem receiving said decoded second media content instance from said at least one other media content processing subsystem connected to the network, at least a portion of said decoded second media content instance being received concurrently with said receiving of said first media content instance.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving said second media content instance from said at least one other media content processing subsystem over the network.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising said at least one other media content processing subsystem transmitting said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one other media content processing subsystem connected to the network includes a plurality of other media content processing subsystems, and further comprising each of said other media content processing subsystems transmitting a different portion of said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising said media content provider managing said transmitting of said second media content instance.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising said at least one other media content processing subsystem providing transmission status information to said media content provider, said transmission status information being descriptive of said transmitting of said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising said media content provider using said transmission status information to verify that said second media content instance is transmitted in accordance with said instruction.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

said media content provider forwarding at least a subset of said transmission status information to said media content processing subsystem, said step of said media content processing subsystem receiving said second media content instance including using said at least a subset of said transmission status information for at least one of verifying correct receipt of said second media content instance and assembling said second media content instance from data received by said media content processing subsystem.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising charging a fee for said receiving of said second media content instance.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

said at least one other media content processing subsystem transmitting said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem; and

issuing at least one payment credit for said transmitting of said second media content instance to said media content processing subsystem.