Method and system for distributing restricted media to consumers

• US 9,674,190 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vudu Incorporated (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Kindle, Brian, Flamino, Gilbert, Ganesan, Prasana
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US13/722,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130283389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,629 Days
• Field of Search: 709231, 725 98, 725100, 725151, 725132, 725140, 725152, 717168, 717174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques for distributing restricted media to consumers are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, personalized settings (e.g., parameters or table) are managed in a primary client device associated with a user. A copy of the personalized settings is maintained in a server. When the primary box is replaced, a copy of the personalized settings is uploaded to a different client device that is configured to respond to the personalized settings. Data pertaining to titles in a personal vault is preloaded. When there is an order for a release that is restricted for distribution over an open network, data pertaining to such a release is also loaded. As a result, the subscriber sees the familiar settings on the different client device and would not miss any release while the primary box is being replaced or repaired.

Claims

1. A method for media distribution, the method comprising:

distributing, by a server, over an open network, a release title to a plurality of first devices upon occurrence of a release window associated with the release title;

determining, by a service provider, that a second device is expected to be received by a user after the release window; and

in response to determining that the second device is expected to be received by the user after the release window, and prior to shipping the second device to the user, loading, by the service provider, the release title to the second device without the open network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein unavailability of the second device is due to the second device being a replacement for a defective device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising loading, by the service provider, preferences associated with the defective device onto the second device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein loading, by the service provider, the preferences associated with the defective device onto the second device comprises:

detecting login of the first device to the server system using an identifier associated with the second device; and

in response to detecting login of the first device using the identifier associated with the second device, downloading the preferences onto the second device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising loading, by the service provider, archived titles from the defective device onto the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising refraining from distributing over the open network the release title outside of the release window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first devices and the second device are each coupled to separate display screens.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the release title is a movie title.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing, by the service provider, decimated segments of cached titles to the plurality of first devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising instructing, by the service provider, a portion of the plurality of first devices to stream the decimated segments to a requesting device.

11. A system for media distribution, the system comprising:

a plurality of first devices having local storage and being operable to display content on a display screen;

a second device having local storage and being operable to display content on a display screen; and

a service provider programmed to;

distribute over an open network, a release title to the plurality of first devices upon occurrence of a release window associated with the release title;

determine that a second device is expected to be received by a user after the release window and that the user has ordered the release title; and

in response to detecting that the second device is expected to be received by the user after the release window, that the user has ordered the release title, and that the second device has not yet been shipped to the user, loading the release title to the second device by the service provider without the open network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein unavailability of the second device is due to the second device being a replacement for a defective device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the server operated by the service provider is further programmed to load preferences associated with the defective device onto the second device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein loading the preferences associated with the defective device onto the second device comprises:

detecting login of the first device to the server using an identifier associated with the second device;

in response to detecting login of the first device using the identifier associated with the second device, downloading the preferences onto the second device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the server operated by the service provider is further programmed to load archived titles from the defective device onto the second device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the server operated by the service provider is further programmed to refrain from distributing over the open network the release title outside of the release window.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of first devices and the second device are each coupled to separate display screens.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the release title is a movie.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the server operated by the service provider is further programmed to distribute decimated segments of cached titles to the plurality of first devices.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the server operated by the service provider is further programmed to instruct a portion of the plurality of first devices to stream the decimated segments to a requesting device.