Methods, devices, systems, and computer program products for managing and delivering media content

• US 9,432,461 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Branam, Michael G., Pirani, Akbar
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US14/919,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20160044110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0644 Management of space entities, e.g. partitions, extents, pools
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An aspect of managing media content includes a memory device and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device. The processor executes program instructions for causing the processor to perform operations. The operations include providing user-selectable options for managing storage space in the memory device that is allocated for an account. The options include an option for defining a condition for generating an alert when a threshold amount of the storage space is consumed. The operations also include receiving a data stream from a media device assigned to the account, determining an encoding rate corresponding to the data stream, monitoring consumption of the storage space, and upon determining the condition is met, transmitting the alert to the media device. The alert indicates an amount of storage space consumed and an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream before a maximum capacity of the storage space is reached.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory device; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory device, the processor executing program instructions, the program instructions causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

providing, via a user interface, user-selectable options for managing storage space in the memory device that is allocated for a user account, the user-selectable options including an option for defining a condition for generating an alert when a threshold amount of the storage space is consumed;

receiving, over a network, a data stream from a media device assigned to the user account;

determining an encoding rate corresponding to the data stream received by the media device;

storing the data stream in the storage space;

monitoring consumption of the storage space in response to the storing; and

upon determining the condition is met responsive to the monitoring, transmitting the alert to the media device, the alert indicating an amount of storage space consumed and an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream before a maximum capacity of the storage space is reached, the approximated amount of recording time determined as a function of the encoding rate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alert further indicates an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream that corresponds to an alternate encoding rate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable options further include an option to automatically purge media files in the storage space when the threshold amount of the storage space is consumed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable options further include an option to purchase additional storage space for the user account when the threshold amount of the storage space is consumed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

receiving an identity of a target device from the media device;

assigning an access code to the data stream captured by the media device;

transmitting the access code to the target device; and

upon validation of the identity and the access code received from the target device, providing the target device with access to the data stream.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the access code assigned to the data stream is received from the media device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

providing, via the user interface, a listing of media content stored in the storage space for the user account, the listing of media content including the data stream and previously stored media files; and

differentiating, via a visual indicator in the listing, the data stream from the previously stored media files.

8. A method, comprising:

providing, via a processor, a user interface including user-selectable options for managing storage space in a memory device that is allocated for a user account, the user-selectable options including an option for defining a condition for generating an alert when a threshold amount of the storage space is consumed;

receiving, over a network, a data stream from a media device assigned to the user account;

determining an encoding rate corresponding to the data stream received by the media device;

storing the data stream in the storage space;

monitoring consumption of the storage space in response to the storing; and

upon determining the condition is met responsive to the monitoring, transmitting the alert to the media device, the alert indicating an amount of storage space consumed and an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream before a maximum capacity of the storage space is reached, the approximated amount of recording time determined as a function of the encoding rate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the alert further indicates an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream that corresponds to an alternate encoding rate.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-selectable options further include an option to automatically purge media files in the storage space when the threshold amount of the storage space is consumed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the user-selectable options further include an option to purchase additional storage space for the user account when the threshold amount of the storage space is consumed.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving an identity of a target device from the media device;

assigning an access code to the data stream captured by the media device;

transmitting the access code to the target device; and

upon validation of the identity and the access code received from the target device, providing the target device with access to the data stream.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the access code assigned to the data stream is received from the media device.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, via the user interface, a listing of media content stored in the storage space for the user account, the listing of media content including the data stream and previously stored media files; and

differentiating, via a visual indicator in the listing, the data stream from the previously stored media files.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

providing, via a user interface, user-selectable options for managing storage space in a memory device that is allocated for a user account, the user-selectable options including an option for defining a condition for generating an alert when a threshold amount of the storage space is consumed;

receiving, over a network, a data stream from a media device assigned to the user account;

determining an encoding rate corresponding to the data stream received by the media device;

storing the data stream in the storage space;

monitoring consumption of the storage space in response to the storing; and

upon determining the condition is met responsive to the monitoring, transmitting the alert to the media device, the alert indicating an amount of storage space consumed and an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream before a maximum capacity of the storage space is reached, the approximated amount of recording time determined as a function of the encoding rate.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the alert further indicates an approximated amount of recording time remaining for the data stream that corresponds to an alternate encoding rate.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user-selectable options further include an option to automatically purge media files in the storage space when the threshold amount of the storage space is consumed.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user-selectable options further include an option to purchase additional storage space for the user account when the threshold amount of the storage space is consumed.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the operations further include:

receiving an identity of a target device from the media device;

assigning an access code to the data stream captured by the media device;

transmitting the access code to the target device; and

upon validation of the identity and the access code received from the target device, providing the target device with access to the data stream.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the operations further include:

providing, via the user interface, a listing of media content stored in the storage space for the user account, the listing of media content including the data stream and previously stored media files; and

differentiating, via a visual indicator in the listing, the data stream from the previously stored media files.