Personal content server apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A method of providing content from a first content delivery network to at least one user device, said at least one user device being in wireless communication with the Internet, said first content delivery network comprising at least one gateway device for communication to said at least one user device via the Internet, said method comprising:
- storing at least multiple versions of available content at an Internet-based server;
receiving a request for said content from said at least one user device;
determining whether said at least one user device is authorized to receive said content; and
when it is determined that said at least one user device is authorized to receive said content,transmitting said content via the Internet to said at least one user device;
wherein said act of transmitting comprises selecting from among said multiple versions of said available content an appropriate version for said requesting at least one user device.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of providing content from a first content delivery network to at least one user device, said at least one user device being in wireless communication with the Internet, said first content delivery network comprising at least one gateway device for communication to said at least one user device via the Internet, said method comprising:
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storing at least multiple versions of available content at an Internet-based server; receiving a request for said content from said at least one user device; determining whether said at least one user device is authorized to receive said content; and when it is determined that said at least one user device is authorized to receive said content, transmitting said content via the Internet to said at least one user device; wherein said act of transmitting comprises selecting from among said multiple versions of said available content an appropriate version for said requesting at least one user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An Internet-based server apparatus for the delivery of content to a plurality of client devices in communication therewith, said apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of interfaces, including at least one interface for communication with said plurality of client devices, and at least one interface for communication with a content source; and a storage entity configured to store at least one computer application thereon, said computer application comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed, are configured to; receive a request for content from a first one of said plurality of client devices; determine whether said first client device is authorized to receive said content; request said content from a content source; receive multiple versions of said content; store said multiple versions of said content; select an appropriate one of said multiple versions of said content for delivery to said first client device; and deliver said content as packetized content to said first client device over a high speed data connection. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for providing content from a first network to at least one client device located in a second network, said second network enabling said at least one user device to connect to the Internet, said method comprising:
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receiving a request for content from said at least one client device, said request comprising information identifying said content and credentials associated with said at least one client device, said credentials indicating that said client device is associated with a subscriber of said first network; accessing said content from a content source; processing said content; and transmitting said content from said first network to said at least one client device in said second network via the Internet. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for the delivery of content to a plurality of client devices, said system comprising:
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a content source; a content server configured to; receive a request for content from at least one of said plurality of client devices; determine an authorization of said client device to receive said content; request said content from said content source; store said content; and deliver said content as packetized content to said client device over a high speed data connection; a local network comprising a first set of said plurality client devices, said first set comprising local client devices in communication with said content server via said local network in order to access content from said content source; and a remote network comprising a second set of said plurality of client devices, said second set comprising remote client devices in communication with said content server via said remote network in order to access content from said content source. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured for use on a web server, said medium having at least one application stored thereon, said application comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed, are configured to:
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receive a request for content from at least one subscriber; determine whether said at least one subscriber is authorized to receive said content; make a previously recorded version of said content accessible to only said requesting subscriber, said previously recorded version being stored in association with only said subscriber; and deliver said recorded content to said requesting subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of providing content from a first content delivery network to a plurality of user devices, at least one of said user devices being in wireless communication with the Internet, said first content delivery network comprising at least one gateway device for communication to said at least one user device via the Internet, said method comprising:
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making a previously recorded version of content accessible only to a subscriber, said subscriber associated to one or more of said plurality of user devices; receiving a request for content from said at least one user device; determining whether said at least one user device is among said one or more user devices associated with said subscriber; and when it is determined that said at least one user device is among said one or more user devices, transmitting said content via the Internet to said at least one user device. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification