Methods, apparatus and user interface for providing content on demand
First Claim
1. A method of providing on demand access to content stored in a network, the method comprising:
- operating a regional web server to communicate a content selection page to a web browser application corresponding to a user and being executed on a first customer premise device located at a first customer premise;
updating a customer play list displayed by said web browser application corresponding to the user to add to the customer play list a title of content selected by the user via the web browser application;
receiving at said regional web server an order for content from the first customer premise device in response to user selection of an option displayed with said updated customer play list; and
in response to said received order for content, making said content available for download, making said content available for download including;
communicating information included in said received order for content to a controller that has access to information indicating content that is available from a national content store and regional content stores when it is determined that said content is not available from a regional content store which is accessible to a regional content server corresponding to a region to which said regional web server corresponds; and
operating said controller to;
(i) select a content source to provide content requested in said received order, said selecting the content source being based on the cost of delivering content from the selected content source to said content server used to stream content to the customer premise equipment of the customer, and (ii) implement a preference for lower cost links which can be used to deliver content to said content server used to stream content to the customer premise equipment of the customer even when it results in a longer delivery delay than if the content source corresponding to more costly links was selected; and
wherein said controller selects the content source associated with the lowest delivery cost from the plurality of content sources.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for supporting content delivery service are described. In accordance with the invention content can be supplied to temporary storage of a regional or local server used to supply the content to a customer'"'"'s premises when the requested content is not already available in the regional or local server. A content server hierarchy may be implemented with servers higher up in the hierarchy including more content, e.g., titles, than the number of titles stored in the lower level servers. By storing less frequently accessed content in servers higher in the hierarchy and frequently requested titles lower in the hierarchy, a vast number of titles can be supported without overburdening the storage available at local and regional servers. In addition, a national or other server high in the hierarchy can be used to store, move, and distribute local or other content as part of an on demand service.
31 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of providing on demand access to content stored in a network, the method comprising:
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operating a regional web server to communicate a content selection page to a web browser application corresponding to a user and being executed on a first customer premise device located at a first customer premise; updating a customer play list displayed by said web browser application corresponding to the user to add to the customer play list a title of content selected by the user via the web browser application; receiving at said regional web server an order for content from the first customer premise device in response to user selection of an option displayed with said updated customer play list; and in response to said received order for content, making said content available for download, making said content available for download including; communicating information included in said received order for content to a controller that has access to information indicating content that is available from a national content store and regional content stores when it is determined that said content is not available from a regional content store which is accessible to a regional content server corresponding to a region to which said regional web server corresponds; and operating said controller to;
(i) select a content source to provide content requested in said received order, said selecting the content source being based on the cost of delivering content from the selected content source to said content server used to stream content to the customer premise equipment of the customer, and (ii) implement a preference for lower cost links which can be used to deliver content to said content server used to stream content to the customer premise equipment of the customer even when it results in a longer delivery delay than if the content source corresponding to more costly links was selected; andwherein said controller selects the content source associated with the lowest delivery cost from the plurality of content sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
receiving, at an application server used to handle purchase orders, a signal from the second customer premise device indicating a purchase of the selected content added to the play list, said application server being different from said regional web server and said controller.
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14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
prior to transmitting ordered content determining if the user selected an option to be notified when an ordered title becomes available for delivery.
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15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
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detecting selection of a non-English title by said user; storing information indicating the non-English language of the selected title; and supplying at least some non-English language advertisements to the user.
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16. The method of claim 15, wherein said at least some non-English language advertisements are in the non-English language of the selected title.
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17. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
operating the controller to send a signal to update customer information on the regional web server when a transfer of said content from the national content store to a regional content store associated with said regional content server has been completed.
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18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
operating the controller to send a signal to an application server to notify the application server to update a rental list corresponding to a first customer corresponding to said first and second customer premise devices to include said content.
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19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
operating said application server to communicate the updated rental list to said second customer premise device.
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20. The method of claim 19, further comprising
receiving, at said application server, an order confirmation from said second customer premise device indicating a purchase of said content; - and
in response to said order confirmation, operating said application server to signal a video server to begin streaming said content from said regional content store to the second customer premise device.
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21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:
operating the application server, following receipt of said order confirmation, to send content purchase information to a business management server used to bill said first customer for said content.
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22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
operating said controller to start a cache timer, following completion of delivery of said content to said regional content store, said cache timer being used to control how long said content will be stored in said regional content store without a customer purchase or additional customer order.
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23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:
operating said controller to send a signal to said application server to remove said content from the rental list corresponding to the first customer in response to the cache timer expiring without a purchase of the content by said customer.
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24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:
operating said controller to send a delete signal to said regional content store in response to the cache timer expiring without a purchase of the content by said customer or an additional customer order to trigger deletion of said content from said regional content store.
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25. The method of claim 24, wherein said controller is a controller responsible for controlling storage of content included in said national content store.
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26. The method of claim 25, wherein said first customer premise device is a personal computer;
- and wherein said second customer premise device is a set top box.
Specification