System and method for recording and time-shifting programming in a television distribution system with limited content retention

• US 8,474,003 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Zesen, Chou, Peter, Chen, Sean, Gonsalves, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDOZA, JUNIOR O
• Application Number:
  US13/305,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4728 for selecting a Region Of Interest [ROI], e.g. for requesting a higher resolution version of a selected region
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to record broadcast programming for at least one television channel for a period of time, wherein the recording is performed upstream from subscribers in a television distribution system, and further including after the period of time, keeping recorded programming by request from at least one subscriber. And further wherein the request is for at least one television program contained in the recorded programming or for a time window for a particular channel. According to another embodiment a subscriber requests that broadcast programming be saved for the subscriber upstream from the subscriber in a television distribution system, and wherein the subscriber may request the programming be saved for later viewing by the subscriber between the time the programming was broadcast and a later point in time.

Claims

1. A set-top box device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving at a user input of the set-top box a request to save a media program prior to a scheduled broadcast time;

responsive to receiving the request to save the media program, transmitting to a network media server a request to record the media program;

receiving at the user input of the set-top box a request to view a recorded version of the media program after the scheduled broadcast time;

responsive to receiving the request to view the recorded version of the media program after the scheduled broadcast time, transmitting to the network media server a request to rebroadcast the recorded version of the media program; and

receiving at the set-top box the recorded version of the media program rebroadcast from the network media server, wherein the recorded version of the media program is received according to an archival policy at the network media server and wherein the archival policy comprises;

storing the recorded version of the media program for a first period of time, wherein the first period of time is based at least in part on a plurality of requests from a plurality of set-top boxes to save the media program; and

deleting the recorded version of the media program after a second period of time, wherein the second period of time is adjustable by a delay period (T) based on a total number (N) of the plurality of requests from the plurality of set-top boxes, wherein T=C*log (N), wherein C is a constant that is determined based on feedback of subscribers to the network media server and based on an amount of storage available to the network media server, and wherein N is greater than zero.

2. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions cause the processor to store at a digital video recorder at the set-top box the recorded version of the media program.

3. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the request to view the recorded version of the media program is for a television program.

4. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the request is for a time window for a particular channel associated with the scheduled broadcast time of the media program.

5. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions cause the processor to receive at the user input of the set-top box a request to save the media program after the scheduled broadcast time.

6. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the recorded version of the media program is stored on a mass storage device.

7. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions cause the processor to display a list of content that may be accessed from the network media server.

8. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions cause the processor to receive a request from a subscriber for the recorded version of the media program to be delivered for display on a television viewing device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving at a user input of a set-top box a request to view a recorded version of a media program after a scheduled broadcast time for the media program;

responsive to receiving the request to view the recorded version of the media program after the scheduled broadcast time, transmitting to a network media server a request to rebroadcast the recorded version of the media program; and

receiving at the set-top box the recorded version of the media program rebroadcast from the network media server, wherein the recorded version of the media program is received according to an archival policy at the network media server and wherein the archival policy comprises;

storing the recorded version of the media program for a first period of time, wherein the first period of time is based at least in part on a plurality of requests from a plurality of set-top boxes to save the media program; and

deleting the recorded version of the media program after a second period of time, wherein the second period of time is adjustable by a delay period (T) based on a total number (N) of the plurality of requests from the plurality of set-top boxes, wherein T=C *log (N), wherein C is a constant that is determined based on feedback of subscribers to the network media server and based on an amount of storage available to the network media server, and wherein N is greater than zero.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the recorded version of the media program corresponds to one television channel recorded for the first period of time, wherein the recording is performed remotely from set-top box in a television distribution system, and wherein the request to rebroadcast is transmitted prior to the second period of time based in part on requests made by other set-top boxes.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the recorded version of the media program that is requested comprises a television program contained in the recorded version of the media program.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the request to view the recorded version of the media program indicates a time window for a particular channel associated with the recorded version of the media program.

13. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a set-top box, to a network media server a request to rebroadcast a recorded version of a media program after a scheduled broadcast time for the media program; and

receiving, by the set-top box, the recorded version of the media program rebroadcast from the network media server, wherein the recorded version of the media program is received according to an archival policy at the network media server and wherein the archival policy comprises;

storing the recorded version of the media program for a first period of time, wherein the first period of time is based at least in part on a plurality of requests from a plurality of set-top boxes to save the media program; and

deleting the recorded version of the media program after a second period of time, wherein the second period of time is adjustable by a delay period (T) based on a total number (N) of the plurality of requests from the plurality of set-top boxes; and

presenting the recorded version of the media program at a display communicatively coupled to the set-top box, wherein T=C*log (N), wherein C is a constant that is determined based on feedback of subscribers to the network media server and based on an amount of storage available to the network media server, and wherein N is greater than zero.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising presenting, by the set top box, at the display a list of content that may be accessed from the network media server.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to rebroadcast the recorded version of the media program identifies ae television program contained in the recorded version of the media program.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to rebroadcast the recorded version of the media program indicates a time window for a particular channel associated with the media program.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to rebroadcast the recorded version of the media program is transmitted prior to the scheduled broadcast time of the media program.