Method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content

• US 8,713,605 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Solutions Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TiVo Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Hoff, Arthur, Barton, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDERS, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US13/023,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/37, 725/38, 725/62, 725/86
• US Class Current: 725/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/32 on separate auxiliary tracks of the same or an auxiliary record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 : Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 : Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 : by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 : involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 : End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 : Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• 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 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7755 : the recorder being connected to, or coupled with, the antenna of the television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/95 : Time-base error compensation H04N5/932 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/83 : the recorded chrominance signal occupying a frequency band under the frequency band of the recorded brightness signal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for secure transfer and playback of multimedia content enables the secure transfer of multimedia content from a digital video recorder (DVR) to a personal computer (PC) and further to a handheld device. A DVR determines which devices on a Local Area Network (LAN) are authorized to share and/or retrieve content from the DVR. The DVR receives a connection request from a PC on the LAN, authorizes the connection request and establishes a secure connection between the DVR and the PC. Once the secure connection is established, the DVR receives a request for multimedia content from the PC, prepares the multimedia content for transfer and transfers the multimedia content to the PC.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a service provider, a listing of multimedia content accessible at a first device;

providing, by the service provider, to a remote application at a remote device, at least a portion of the listing of the multimedia content;

responsive to providing the portion of the listing of the multimedia content to the remote device, the service provider receiving, from the remote device, a selection of specific multimedia content from the portion of the listing of multimedia content;

responsive to receiving the selection from the remote device, the service provider instructing a second device to send a request to the first device to transfer the selected specific multimedia content to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a video recording device and wherein the second device is a computing device that executes a media application provided by the service provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device and the second device are members of a local area network and wherein the remote device is not a member of the local area network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific multimedia content was recorded by the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific multimedia content was downloaded by the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific multimedia content is not stored at the first device at the time the service provider instructs the second device to request the specific multimedia content, the method further comprising:

monitoring the first device to determine whether the first device has obtained the specific multimedia content by recording or downloading the specific multimedia content;

upon determining that the first device has obtained the specific multimedia content, the second device requesting that the first device transfer the specific multimedia content to the second device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the second device requesting that the first device transfer the specific multimedia content to the second device, the first device transcodes the specific media content into a format suitable for playback at the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of multimedia content is a listing of multimedia content accessible at a plurality of devices, including the first device, the method further comprising:

after receiving the selection, the service provider determining whether the specific multimedia content is available for transfer from any of the plurality of devices to the second device;

wherein the service provider instructs the second device to request that the first device transfer the specific multimedia content in response to the service provider determining that the specific multimedia content is available for transfer from the first device to the second device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the specific multimedia content is not available for transfer from the first device to the second device, instructing the first device to record or download the specific multimedia content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the service provider instructing the second device to, upon receiving the specific multimedia content from the first device, transfer the specific multimedia content to a third device.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a service provider, a listing of multimedia content accessible at a first device;

providing, by the service provider, to a remote application at a remote device, at least a portion of the listing of the multimedia content;

responsive to providing the portion of the listing of the multimedia content to the remote device, the service provider receiving, from the remote device, a selection of specific multimedia content from the portion of the listing of multimedia content;

responsive to receiving the selection from the remote device, the service provider instructing the first device to transfer the selected specific multimedia content to a second device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device is a video recording device and wherein the second device is a computing device that executes a media application provided by the service provider.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device and the second device are members of a local area network and wherein the remote device is not a member of the local area network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the specific multimedia content was recorded by the first device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the specific multimedia content was downloaded by the first device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the specific multimedia content is not stored at the first device at the time the service provider instructs the first device to transfer the specific multimedia content, the method further comprising:

the first device obtaining the specific multimedia content by recording or downloading the specific multimedia content;

upon obtaining the specific multimedia content, the first device transferring the specific multimedia content to the second device.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein in response to the service provider instructing the first device to transfer the specific media content, the first device transcodes the specific media content into a format suitable for playback at the second device.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, causes performance of:

receiving, by a service provider, a listing of multimedia content accessible at a first device;

providing, by the service provider, to a remote application at a remote device, at least a portion of the listing of the multimedia content;

responsive to providing the portion of the listing of the multimedia content to the remote device, the service provider receiving, from the remote device, a selection of specific multimedia content from the portion of the listing of multimedia content;

responsive to receiving the selection from the remote device, the service provider instructing a second device to send a request to the first device to transfer the selected specific multimedia content to the second device.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the first device is a video recording device and wherein the second device is a computing device that executes a media application provided by the service provider.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the first device and the second device are members of a local area network and wherein the remote device is not a member of the local area network.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the specific multimedia content is not stored at the first device at the time the service provider instructs the second device to request the specific multimedia content, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:

monitoring the first device to determine whether the first device has obtained the specific multimedia content by recording or downloading the specific multimedia content;

upon determining that the first device has obtained the specific multimedia content, the second device requesting that the first device transfer the specific multimedia content to the second device.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein in response to the second device requesting that the first device transfer the specific multimedia content to the second device, the first device transcodes the specific media content into a format suitable for playback at the second device.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the listing of multimedia content is a listing of multimedia content accessible at a plurality of devices, including the first device, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:

after receiving the selection, the service provider determining whether the specific multimedia content is available for transfer from any of the plurality of devices to the second device;

wherein the service provider instructs the second device to request that the first device transfer the specific multimedia content in response to the service provider determining that the specific multimedia content is available for transfer from the first device to the second device.

27. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause, in response to determining that the specific multimedia content is not available for transfer from the first device to the second device, instructing the first device to record or download the specific multimedia content.

28. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause the service provider instructing the second device to, upon receiving the specific multimedia content from the first device, transfer the specific multimedia content to a third device.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, causes performance of:

receiving, by a service provider, a listing of multimedia content accessible at a first device;

providing, by the service provider, to a remote application at a remote device, at least a portion of the listing of the multimedia content;

responsive to providing the portion of the listing of the multimedia content to the remote device, the service provider receiving, from the remote device, a selection of specific multimedia content from the portion of the listing of multimedia content;

responsive to receiving the selection from the remote device, the service provider instructing the first device to transfer the selected specific multimedia content to a second device.

29. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the first device is a video recording device and wherein the second device is a computing device that executes a media application provided by the service provider.

30. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the first device and the second device are members of a local area network and wherein the remote device is not a member of the local area network.

31. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein the specific multimedia content is not stored at the first device at the time the service provider instructs the first device to transfer the specific multimedia content, the method further comprising:

the first device obtaining the specific multimedia content by recording or downloading the specific multimedia content;

upon obtaining the specific multimedia content, the first device transferring the specific multimedia content to the second device.

32. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein in response to the service provider instructing the first device to transfer the specific media content, the first device transcodes the specific media content into a format suitable for playback at the second device.

20. A system comprising:

a first device;

a second device;

a service provider;

a remote device; and

a computer network coupled to the service provider, first device, second device, and remote device;

wherein the service provider receives a listing of multimedia content accessible at the first device;

wherein the service provider displays to a remote application operated by a user of the service provider at the remote device, at least a portion of the listing of the multimedia content;

wherein, responsive to providing the portion of the listing of the multimedia content to the remote device, the service provider receives, from the remote device, a user selection of specific multimedia content from the portion of the listing of multimedia content;

wherein, responsive to receiving the selection from the remote device, the service provider instructs the second device to send a request to the first device to transfer the selected specific multimedia content to the second device.

21. A system comprising:

a first device;

a second device;

a service provider;

a remote device; and

a computer network coupled to the service provider, first device, second device, and remote device;

wherein the service provider receives a listing of multimedia content accessible at the first device;

wherein the service provider displays to a remote application operated by a user of the service provider at the remote device, at least a portion of the listing of the multimedia content;

wherein, responsive to providing the portion of the listing of the multimedia content to the remote device, the service provider receives, from the remote device, a user selection of specific multimedia content from the portion of the listing of multimedia content;

wherein, responsive to receiving the selection from the remote device, the service provider instructs the first device to transfer the selected specific multimedia content to the second device.