Method and system for transferring content to a networked unit
First Claim
1. A method of downloading video content representing a subscriber program to a subscriber terminal over an asymmetric digital subscriber line, comprising:
- Decomposing, at a server, using a pyramid compression technique, a video content into a plurality of video quality portions during compression of the video content, wherein the compression of the video content uses one of a sub-band technique and a vector quantization technique, wherein the decomposing produces a low-quality video portion and a plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions of the video content, such that each combination of said low-quality video portion and a combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions provides a different bit rate of the video content corresponding to a different video quality level of the video content having a higher video quality than said low-quality video portion, wherein said low-quality video portion comprises a complete copy of the video content;
Downloading from the server, prior to receiving a request for the video content from the subscriber terminal, said low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy of the video content, to the subscriber terminal via the asymmetrical digital subscriber line during off-peak hours for storage locally at the subscriber terminal;
receiving from a user at the subscriber terminal, a selection request for the video content made subsequent to downloading and storing of said low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy at the subscriber terminal;
determining, by the server, in response to receiving the selection request for the video content from the subscriber terminal, a bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line assigned to the subscriber terminal;
determining, by the server, an optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions for the determined bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line to the subscriber terminal;
retrieving, by the server, said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions;
downloading from the server, said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions retrieved by the server, to the subscriber terminal via the asymmetrical digital subscriber line in real time; and
recombining at the subscriber terminal, said locally stored low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy of the video content with said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions downloading from the server in real time, for presentation of the video content, wherein the recombining step provides a higher video quality of the video content at a bit rate exceeding the assigned bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line to the subscriber terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for transporting content to subscriber premises includes a centralized content repository, a subscriber unit, and a network connecting the subscriber unit and repository. The content can be video, image, or other files and the network can include a digital subscriber line (DSL) link. The repository stores higher quality parts of decomposed content files. The subscriber unit locally stores lower quality parts of the content files corresponding to the higher quality parts in the repository. The lower quality parts can be downloaded to the subscriber unit during off-peak hours. During operation, a subscriber selects a locally stored file. In response to the selection, the repository downloads at least one of the higher quality parts corresponding to the selected file to be combined with one of the lower quality parts stored by the subscriber unit for real-time presentation of the content.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of downloading video content representing a subscriber program to a subscriber terminal over an asymmetric digital subscriber line, comprising:
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Decomposing, at a server, using a pyramid compression technique, a video content into a plurality of video quality portions during compression of the video content, wherein the compression of the video content uses one of a sub-band technique and a vector quantization technique, wherein the decomposing produces a low-quality video portion and a plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions of the video content, such that each combination of said low-quality video portion and a combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions provides a different bit rate of the video content corresponding to a different video quality level of the video content having a higher video quality than said low-quality video portion, wherein said low-quality video portion comprises a complete copy of the video content; Downloading from the server, prior to receiving a request for the video content from the subscriber terminal, said low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy of the video content, to the subscriber terminal via the asymmetrical digital subscriber line during off-peak hours for storage locally at the subscriber terminal; receiving from a user at the subscriber terminal, a selection request for the video content made subsequent to downloading and storing of said low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy at the subscriber terminal; determining, by the server, in response to receiving the selection request for the video content from the subscriber terminal, a bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line assigned to the subscriber terminal; determining, by the server, an optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions for the determined bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line to the subscriber terminal; retrieving, by the server, said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions; downloading from the server, said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions retrieved by the server, to the subscriber terminal via the asymmetrical digital subscriber line in real time; and recombining at the subscriber terminal, said locally stored low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy of the video content with said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions downloading from the server in real time, for presentation of the video content, wherein the recombining step provides a higher video quality of the video content at a bit rate exceeding the assigned bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line to the subscriber terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for providing video content representing a program over an asymmetric digital subscriber line, comprising:
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a networked subscriber device; a server processor in data communication with a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium containing computer program instructions that when executed by a computer provide video content to the networked subscriber device, the computer program instructions comprising; instructions to decompose a video content into a plurality of video quality portions during compression of the video content using a pyramid compression technique, wherein the compression of the video content uses one of a sub-band technique and a vector quantization technique, wherein the decomposing produces a low-quality video portion and a plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions of the video content, such that each combination of said low-quality video portion and a combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions provides a different bit rate of the video content corresponding to a different video quality level of the video content having a higher video quality than said low-quality video portion, wherein said low-quality video portion comprises a complete copy of the video content; instructions to download, prior to receiving a request for the video content from the networked subscriber device, said low-quality video portion, comprising said complete copy of the video content, to the networked subscriber device via asymmetrical digital subscriber line during off-peak hours for storage locally at the networked subscriber device; instructions to receive from the networked subscriber device, a selection request for the video content made by a user subsequent to download and storage of said low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy at the networked subscriber device; instructions to determine a bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line assigned to the networked subscriber device, in response to receiving the selection request for the video content from the networked subscriber device; instructions to determine an optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions for the determined bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line to the networked subscriber device; instructions to retrieve said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions; instructions to download, said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions that is retrieved, to the networked subscriber device via the asymmetrical digital subscriber line in real time; and at the networked subscriber device, recombining said locally stored low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy of the video content with said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions downloading in real time, for presentation of the video content, wherein the recombining provides a higher video quality of the video content at a bit rate exceeding the bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line assigned to the networked subscriber device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions that when executed by a computer provide video content representing a program to a subscriber terminal over an asymmetrical digital subscriber line, the set of instructions comprising:
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instructions to decompose a video content into a plurality of video quality portions during compression of the video content using a pyramid compression technique, wherein the compression of the video content uses one of a sub-band technique and a vector quantization technique, wherein the decomposing produces a low-quality video portion and a plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions of the video content, such that each combination of said low-quality video portion and a combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions provides a different bit rate of the video content corresponding to a different video quality level of the video content having a higher video quality than said low-quality video portion, wherein said low-quality video portion comprises a complete copy of the video content; instructions to download, prior to receiving a request for the video content from the subscriber terminal, said low-quality video portion, comprising said complete copy of the video content, to the subscriber terminal via asymmetrical digital subscriber line during off-peak hours for storage locally at the subscriber terminal; instructions to receive from the subscriber terminal, a selection request for the video content made by a user subsequent to downloading and storing said low-quality portion comprising said complete copy at the subscriber terminal; instructions to determine a bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line assigned to the subscriber terminal, in response to receiving the selection request for the video content from the subscriber terminal; instructions to determine an optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions for the determined bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line to the subscriber terminal; instructions to retrieve said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions for download to the subscriber terminal in real time; instructions to download, said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher quality video portions that is retrieved, to the subscriber terminal via the asymmetrical digital subscriber line in real time, allowing the subscriber terminal to recombine said low-quality video portion comprising said complete copy of the video content, locally stored therein, with said optimized combination of one or more of said plurality of incrementally higher video quality portions downloading in real time, wherein the recombining at the subscriber terminal provides a higher video quality of the video content at a bit rate exceeding the bandwidth of the asymmetrical digital subscriber line assigned to the subscriber terminal.
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Specification