Method and apparatus for content delivery

• US 8,719,879 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Over The Top Networks International, Inc. (UUX Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Kuautli Media Investments ZRT
• Inventors: Youssefmir, Michael, Burmeister, James Vincent, Wiser, Philip R., Leavell, Blair, Brown, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US13/117,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 725 86- 89, 725/91, 725/93, 725/94, 725/100, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 725/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method for recording linear content and delivering it for time-shifted viewing is described. The linear content may be recorded live by the content delivery system in response to user requests. The content delivery system divides the recording into at least two portions, the first portion of sufficient duration to permit real time continuous playback of the recorded content on the customer premises equipment (CPE) if the first portion has previously been transmitted to the CPE and the second has not been transmitted. The content delivery system transmits the first portion to the CPE prior to playback, and the second portion is streamed to the CPE after playback has begun. The playback is under control of the CPE from local storage.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of recording linear content and delivering same using a content delivery system, comprising:

recording a linear content at the content delivery system as a recorded content, the recording initiated in response to a request from a customer premises equipment (CPE) and the recording occurring during the time of transmission of the linear content;

dividing the recorded content at the content delivery system into at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of sufficient duration to permit real time continuous playback of the recorded content on the CPE if the first portion has previously been transmitted to the CPE and the second portion has not previously been transmitted;

transmitting the first portion from the content delivery system to the CPE; and

subsequent to the transmitting, streaming and storing the second portion to the CPE from the content delivery system after playback of the recorded content has begun, wherein the playback is under control of the CPE from local storage.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the first portion occurs via a first network and the streaming of the second portion occurs via a second network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the second network comprises the internet.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first network comprises a broadcast network implemented over broadcast transmission spectrum.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

preparing an index file for the content at the content delivery system, the index file for supporting trick play of the content; and

transmitting the index file from the content delivery system to the CPE prior to a request for playback of the content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

during playback of the recorded content, using the index file to display static images during a fast forward operation to portions of the recorded content that are unavailable in local storage.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a second request is sent from the CPE to the content delivery system after the first portion has been transmitted;

wherein the second request corresponds to a request for playback of the recorded content.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dividing is based on a network performance measure, the network performance measure corresponding to information about characteristics of a streaming means used for streaming the second portion from the content delivery system to the CPE.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are transmitted over the same network.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second portion is streamed over the internet.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is transmitted from the content delivery system to the CPE using a broadcast network implemented over broadcast transmission spectrum.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the first portion at the CPE, and

beginning playback of the locally stored first portion of the content at the CPE while the second portion of the content is streamed from the content delivery system to the CPE.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

preparing an index file for the content at the content delivery system, the index file for supporting trick play of the content; and

transmitting the index file to the CPE prior to playback of the content.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request includes an indication of a recording conflict at the CPE, the recording conflict corresponding to an indication that the CPE has a conflict between multiple recording requests during the time the content to record is aired.

15. A system for recording linear content and delivering same for time-shifted viewing, comprising:

a storage, the storage having a recorded content, the recorded content corresponding to a recording of a linear content, and a first portion and a second portion of the recorded content;

a network interface; and

a computer system, the computer system coupled in communication with the network interface and the storage, the computer system including a controller to record the linear content in response to a request from a customer premises equipment (CPE) received over the network interface, the recording occurring during time of transmission of the linear content;

determine the first portion and the second portion, the first portion being of sufficient duration to permit real time continuous playback of the recorded content on the CPE if the first portion has previously been transmitted to the CPE and the second portion has not previously been transmitted;

cause the first portion to be transmitted to the CPE over the network interface; and

subsequently, responsive to receipt of a playback request from the CPE over the network interface, stream at least a portion of the second portion to the CPE over the network interface after playback of the recorded content has begun on the CPE.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the network interface further comprises a first network interface and a second network interface, and wherein the transmitting of the first portion occurs via the first network interface and the streaming of at least a portion of the second portion occurs via the second network interface.

17. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the second network interface comprises the internet.

18. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, wherein the first network interface comprises a broadcast network implemented over broadcast transmission spectrum.

19. The computer-implemented system of claim 15, further comprising the controller to:

prepare an index file for the content at the content delivery system, the index file for supporting trick play of the content; and

transmit the index file from the content delivery system to the CPE prior to the request for playback of the content.

20. A computer-implemented method of recording linear content and delivering same using a content delivery system and a customer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

requesting recording of a linear content at the content delivery system from the CPE as a recorded content, the recording occurring during the time of transmission of the linear content;

dividing the recorded content at the CPE into at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of sufficient duration to permit real time continuous playback of the recorded content on the CPE if the first portion has previously been transmitted to the CPE and the second portion has not previously been transmitted;

requesting transmission of the first portion from the content delivery system to the CPE; and

subsequent to receipt of the first portion, streaming and storing the second portion to the CPE from the content delivery system after playback of the recorded content has begun, wherein the playback is under control of the CPE from local storage.

21. A computer-implemented method of recording linear content and delivering same using a content delivery system, comprising:

recording a linear content at the content delivery system as a recorded content, the recording initiated in response to a request from a customer premises equipment (CPE) and the recording occurring during the time of transmission of the linear content;

dividing the recorded content at the content delivery system into at least a first portion and a second portion, the first portion of sufficient duration to permit real time continuous playback of the recorded content on the CPE if the first portion has previously been transmitted to the CPE and the second portion has not previously been transmitted;

transmitting the first portion from the content delivery system to the CPE; and

subsequent to the transmitting, streaming the second portion to the CPE from the content delivery system after playback of the recorded content has begun, wherein the playback is under control of the CPE.