Personal content server apparatus and methods

• US 8,938,763 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US13/471,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20120291104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 725/58, 725 86- 87, 725114-117, 726/4, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 725/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 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 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• 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 21/4788 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 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Personal content server apparatus and associated methods that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to access content, such as a video program, from a location outside the subscriber'"'"'s network. In one embodiment, a personal content server streams the content to the subscriber over a network connection from the local e.g., (subscription) network to a remote network upon authorization by a content manager process. Various access, business or operational rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or archived content from the subscriber'"'"'s digital video recorder (DVR) or networked PVR. In another variant, reservation information (for example program or asset ID information) is cached at a headend or hub server, thereby obviating the subscriber (or the network) having to access the subscriber'"'"'s premises device. In yet another variant, a “virtual” CPE experience is provided for the remote user.

Claims

1. A personal content distribution system, said system comprising:

a first network configured to distribute a plurality of content to a first device at a first location;

a personal content server in operative communication with said first network; and

a second network in data communication with said personal content server and configured to receive and service requests to access particular ones of said plurality of content from a second device at a second location remote from said first location;

wherein said personal content server is further configured to receive reservation data from at least said first device, said reservation data comprising information related to one or more particular ones of said plurality of content and a future time at which said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content are designated to be viewed, and utilize said reservation data to cause delivery of said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content to at least said second device at said future time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device and said second device are both associated with a common user or account, said association being determined at least in part from information received from said second device, said information comprising authentication information related to said common user or account.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first network comprises a cable or satellite network having a plurality of subscribers, and said common user or account comprises one of said plurality of subscribers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first device and said second device have at least one relationship, said at least one relationship comprising said first device having said particular content disposed thereon in either substantially permanent or ephemeral storage.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first network comprises a cable or satellite network, said second network comprises a mobile wireless network configured to distribute content to a plurality of mobile users, and said second device comprises a mobile device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said mobile wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi (IEEE-Std. 802.11) compliant network, and said mobile device comprises a handheld computer.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said mobile wireless network comprises a cellular network, and said mobile device comprises a smartphone.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said first device and said second device are associated with a common user or account that is subscribed to receive first service over said cable or satellite network, and second service over said wireless network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said personal content server is operative to dynamically select at least one of the following for delivery of said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content to said second device:

(i) encoding/decoding format;

(ii) conditional access format; and

/or (iii) a network interface over which said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content is delivered to said second device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first network or said second network comprises at least one apparatus configured to mitigate spoofing of said personal content server by an unauthorized device or user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said second device is configured to move to a plurality of different locations within said second network, and said personal content server is configured to authenticate said second device at each of said plurality of different locations.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third network in communication with said first network, said second device configured to move between said second and third networks, and said personal content server configured to authenticate said second device at each of said second and third networks.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said personal content server comprises a first portion of a distributed software application, and said second device comprises a second portion of said distributed software application, said first and second portions of said distributed software application configured to communicate with one another over at least said second network in order to provide said delivery of said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said reservation data comprises identification information related to a program or service.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said reservation data is user-specific.

16. A method for managing a personal content distribution network, said method comprising:

receiving reservation data from a first device, said reservation data comprising information related to one or more particular ones of a plurality of content and a future time at which said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content are designated to be delivered;

distributing first ones of said plurality of content to said first device at a first location over a first network portion based at least in part on said reservation data;

receiving a request to access second content, said request originating from a second device at a second location remote from said first location; and

when it is determined that said second content was among first ones of said plurality of content distributed to said first device and said request to access said second content is received subsequent to said future time enabling distribution of said second content to said second device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said determination comprises:

querying a listing of prior activity of said first device for said second content.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein further comprising determining whether said content has been purchased using a subscription account associated with a user of said first device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said first network comprises an Internet, and said second network comprises a managed content distribution network, and said method further comprises allowing reservation data to be sent over said Internet to a storage location associated with a content server disposed at a node of said managed content distribution network.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said first device comprises a content recording device, and said determination further comprises determining whether said content has been recorded via said recording device.

21. A personal content distribution apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

a processor;

at least one network interface; and

a storage device in data communication with said processor, said storage device comprising at least one computer program, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor, cause said personal content apparatus to;

receive reservation data from a first client device, said reservation data comprising information related to one or more particular ones of a plurality of content and a future time at which said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content are designated to be delivered;

cause said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content to be recorded at said storage device;

receive a second request to access second content, said second request originating from a second client device at a second location remote from said first client device at a first location; and

when it is determined that said requested second content was among said plurality of content recorded and said request to access is received subsequent to said future time, distribute said second content to said second client device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said determination of whether said second device is authorized to receive said second content comprises said plurality of instructions being further configured to cause said personal content distribution apparatus to query said stored device to determine whether said second content is among said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content recorded.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to cause said personal content distribution apparatus to in response to said delivery of said second content to said second client device, disable delivery of said second content to said first client device during a time period corresponding to a play-back time of said second content at said second client device.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first client device and said second client device are both associated with a common user or account, said association being determined at least in part from information received from said second client device, said information comprising authentication information related to said common user or account.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to dynamically select at least one of the following for delivery of said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content to said first client device:

(i) encode/decode format;

(ii) conditional access format; and

/or (iii) said at least one network interface over which said one or more particular ones of said plurality of content is delivered to said first client device.