System and method of delivering personal video content

• US 8,528,028 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2007
• 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: Sheth, Niral, Khan, Arshad, Ku, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US11/924,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20090113472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34, 725/48, 725109-110, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 725/91
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method of delivering personal video content via a video head-end office is provided that includes receiving a personal video content upload request at a notification server from a first set-top box device. The personal video content upload request relates to personal video content to be uploaded from the first set-top box device. The method also includes receiving a personal video content sharing request at the notification server from the first set-top box device. The personal video content sharing request identifies a second set-top box device designated to receive the uploaded personal video content. In addition, the method includes sending notification information from the notification server to the second set-top box device. The notification information indicates a first option to store the uploaded personal video content at a data storage device and a second option to stream the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device upon selection of the second option.

Claims

1. A method of delivering personal video content via a video head-end office, the method comprising:

receiving a personal video content upload request at a notification server from a first set-top box device, the personal video content upload request related to personal video content to be uploaded from the first set-top box device;

receiving a personal video content sharing request at the notification server from the first set-top box device, the personal video content sharing request identifying a subscriber associated with a second set-top box device designated to receive the uploaded personal video content;

making a determination, at the notification server, whether the subscriber is logged in via the second set-top box device to determine whether to send notification information to the second set-top box device or to send the notification information to an electronic mail address associated with the subscriber, wherein the notification information provides a first option to store the uploaded personal video content at a data storage device and a second option to stream the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device upon selection of the second option;

sending the notification information from the notification server to the second set-top box device when the subscriber is logged in via the second set-top box device;

sending the notification information from the notification server to the electronic mail address associated with the subscriber when the subscriber is not logged in via the second set-top box device;

in response to selection of the first option, receiving delivery preference data at the notification server from the second set-top box device, wherein the delivery preference data includes a delivery time specified by the second set-top box device; and

in response to selection of the second option, streaming the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device, wherein streaming the uploaded personal video content includes displaying a message related to the uploaded personal video content from a sender of the personal video content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending personal video content upload instructions from the notification server to the first set-top box device, the personal video content upload instructions directing the first set-top box device to send the uploaded personal video content to a personal media library system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending personal video content download data from the notification server to a digital video recorder scheduling server or to the personal media library system based on the delivery preference data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the notification server sends second personal video content download data to the personal media library system, the second personal video content download data including instructions to stream the uploaded personal video content to the second set-top box device in response to receiving the second personal video content download data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information at the notification server from a billing server, wherein the information indicates that the first set-top box device is associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service, that the second set-top box device is associated with a valid subscription to the personal media content sharing service, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage device is a digital video recorder integrated within the second set-top box device.

7. A method of delivering personal video content via a set-top box device, the method comprising:

retrieving personal video content at the set-top box device from an electronics device that is external to the set-top box device via a wireless connection;

sending a personal video content upload request from the set-top box device to a notification server of an Internet Protocol Television network, the personal video content upload request related to storing the personal video content at a data storage device of a personal media library system of the Internet Protocol Television network;

receiving rejection information from the notification server when a data size of the personal video content exceeds a threshold;

sending a graphical user interface to enable completion of the personal video content upload request in response to the rejection information;

receiving confirmation information at the set-top box device from the notification server after the completion of the personal video content upload request, the confirmation information indicating that the personal video content is approved to be stored at the data storage device of the personal media library system; and

sending the personal video content from the set-top box device to the data storage device of the personal media library system based on the confirmation information.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising designating a recipient of the personal video content via a list of subscribers associated with the Internet Protocol Television network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending a message to the recipient when the recipient agrees to receive the personal video content via a response to notification information.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein an account associated with the set-top box device is charged a fee based on an amount of data associated with the personal video content.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving second rejection information at the set-top box device from the notification server when an account associated with the set-top box device is not associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service, the second rejection information indicating that the personal video content is not approved to be stored at the data storage device of the personal media library system.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a personal video content sharing graphical user interface to a display device associated with the set-top box device, the personal video content sharing graphical user interface including a first selectable icon related to inviting one or more subscribers associated with the Internet Protocol Television network to view personal video content, a second selectable icon related to uploading a personal video content file, or any combination thereof.

13. A system to deliver personal video content, the system comprising:

a notification server including processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, the memory including instructions executable by the processing logic to perform operations including;

determining whether at least one subscriber associated with a first set-top box device is logged in to a network via the first set-top box device to determine whether to send notification information to the first set-top box device or to send the notification information to an electronic mail address associated with the at least one subscriber, wherein the at least one subscriber is to receive notification information about availability of personal video content located in a portion of a network storage device allocated to a second set-top box device, and wherein the notification information indicates a plurality of delivery options related to the personal video content;

sending the notification information to the first set-top box device when the at least one subscriber is logged in via the first set-top box device to the network;

sending the notification information to the electronic mail address associated with the at least one subscriber when the at least one subscriber is not logged in via the first set-top box device to the network; and

receiving delivery preference data in response to the notification information, the delivery preference data indicating a selection of a delivery option, wherein the delivery option is one of an option to download the personal video content to a digital video recorder associated with the first set-top box device at a time specified by the first set-top box device, and an option to store the personal video content at a portion of the network storage device allocated to the first set-top box device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first set-top box device is associated with a first personal media content sharing service subscription that reserves a first amount of memory at the network storage device and the second set-top box device is associated with a second personal media content sharing service subscription that reserves a second amount of memory at the network storage device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further include:

determining whether a subscriber logged in via the first set-top box device is authorized to view the personal video content based on a parental control rating assigned to the personal video content by a subscriber associated with the second set-top box device; and

sending instructions to a personal media library system to send the personal video content to the first set-top box device when the subscriber logged in via the first set-top box device is authorized to view the personal video content and to send a message from the subscriber associated with the second box to a recipient of the personal video content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further include sending an error message to the first set-top box device when the subscriber logged in via the first set-top box device is not authorized to view the personal video content.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving information at the notification server from a billing server, wherein the information indicates that the first set-top box device is associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving information at the notification server from a billing server, wherein the information indicates that the second set-top box device is associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service.

19. A set-top box device, comprising:

processing logic and memory accessible to the processing logic, the memory including instructions executable by the processing logic to perform operations including;

retrieving personal video content from an electronics device that is external to the set-top box device;

sending a personal video content upload request to a notification server, the personal video content upload request related to storing the personal video content at a network storage device;

receiving rejection information from the notification server when a memory allocation for storage of data by the set-top box device is full;

sending a graphical user interface to enable completion of the personal video content upload request in response to the rejection information;

receiving confirmation information from the notification server that indicates that the personal video content is approved to be stored at the network storage device after completion of the personal video content upload request; and

sending the personal video content to the network storage device based on the confirmation information, wherein the network storage device is configured to deliver the personal video content to a second set-top box device at a time specified by the second set-top box device.

20. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise designating a recipient of the personal video content.

21. The set-top box device of claim 20, wherein the operations further include sending a message to the recipient when the recipient agrees to receive the personal video content via a response to notification information.

22. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein an account associated with the set-top box device is charged a fee based on an amount of data associated with the personal video content.

23. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the operations further include receiving second rejection information from the notification server when an account associated with the set-top box is not associated with a valid subscription to a personal media content sharing service.

24. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the operations further include providing a personal video content sharing graphical user interface to a display device associated with the set-top box device, wherein the personal video content sharing graphical user interface includes a first selectable icon related to inviting a subscriber to view personal video content, a second selectable icon to upload a personal video content file, or any combination thereof.