Methods for enabling near video-on-demand and video-on-request services using digital video recorders

• US 20050060755A1
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1993
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Daniels, John J.
• Application Number:
  US10/970,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/134
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/455 said record carriers being in one device and being used as primary and secondary/backup media, e.g. HDD-DVD combo device, or as source and target media, e.g. PC and portable player
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/91 Helical scan format, wherein tracks are slightly tilted with respect to tape direction, e.g. VHS, DAT, DVC, AIT or exabyte
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/024 on tapes G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/026 on discs G11B27/028, G11B27/029 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 : for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 : for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 : Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 : by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 : by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 : the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 : Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A near video-on-demand (VOD) service enabled using a digital video recorder (DVR) for the simultaneous storage and playback of multimedia data. A DVR is connected over a network to a multimedia network source. A VOD selection is requested by the DVR from the network source. A multimedia data signal is received by the DVR from the network source. The data signal contains the requested VOD selection. A first received portion of the received data signal is stored on the DVR. The first received segment is played by the DVR for display on a display device. Simultaneously during the playing of the first received segment, a second received segment of the received data signal is received from the network source and stored on the DVR while the first received segment is played the display device. Thus, the requested VOD selection begins playing on the display device prior to the reception of the entire compressed multimedia data signal so that a requested VOD selection can begin being displayed nearly instantaneously after the request for it is made. A video-on-request (VOR) service is also enabled using a DVR. VOR selection data is received by a centralized database device, such as a network server, from a plurality of users. Each VOR selection data includes at least one requested video selection and video recorder identifying information for identifying each particular video recorder. A transmission priority of requested video selections is determined dependent on the frequency of requests ¹received from the plurality of users. A transmission channel and time is determined based on the transmission priority. DVR control signals are transmitted to automatically tune in the determined transmission channel at the determined transmission time and record the particular video selection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a DVR for a VOD selection by a network server connected to the DVR over a data network;

retrieving the requested VOD selection from a storage device associated with the network server; and

transmitting first and second segments of the requested VOD selection in the form of a compressed multimedia data signal over the data network, whereby a receiving DVR is effective for receiving the compressed multimedia data signal containing the transmitted VOD selection, storing the received multimedia data signal on a local storage device, decompressing a first received segment of the received multimedia data signal, playing the first received segment for display on a display device, and simultaneously during the playing of the first received segment receiving and storing a second received segment of the received multimedia data signal while playing the first received segment.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data network comprises at least one of the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a satellite network, a cable television network, a broadcast television network, a powerline network, a phoneline network, or a wireless network.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the entire VOD selection is transmitted as packetized computer network data from the network server to the DVR.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first portion of the VOD selection is transmitted as packetized network computer data transmitted over a client-server type computer network and a second portion of the VOD selection is transmitted as video data carried over a broadcast network.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the client-server type computer network comprises the Internet.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the broadcast network comprises at least one of a National Television Standards Committee (NTSC) broadcast network, a PAL broadcast network, satellite transmission network, a DSS network, a DBS network, or an ATSC network.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the second portion received over a broadcast network is received before the reception of the first portion received over a client-server type computer network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the compressed multimedia data signal has a compression value that enables reception of the VOD selection faster than the real-time playback of the VOD selection on the display device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein a prestored portion of the requested VOD selection is prestored on the DVR or a local storage device associated with the DVR, and the prestored portion is played at an appropriate chronological time during the playing of the VOD selection, and another portion of the requested video signal is received over a client-server type computer network, whereby a portion of the requested VOD selection may be prestored on a local storage device, and another portion of the requested VOD selection is transmitted upon request made to the network server.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the prestored portion of the requested VOD selection comprises a trailer associated with the requested VOD selection.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the compressed multimedia data signal has a transfer rate over the data network that does not enable the real time playback of the VOD selection on the display device, and a start of play and a playing time length of the first received portion is automatically controlled so as to enable a delay in the start of playing of the VOD selection effective to compensate for the transfer rate so that substantially the entire VOD selection is displayable on the display device in a continuous manner.

12. A method for as recited in claim 1, wherein the compressed multimedia data signal has a transfer rate over the data network that does not enable the real time playback of the VOD selection on the display device, the method further comprising:

prestoring time-filling information on the DVR; and

automatically retrieving and displaying on the display device the prestored time-filling information at a time when the VOD selection is not displayed.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the automatically retrieving and displaying comprises:

automatically detecting a scene transition in the VOD selection that is playing; and

automatically retrieving and inserting the prestored time-filling information such that the prestored time-filling information is displayed between two scenes of the VOD selection.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the time-filling information comprises at least one of a video commercial, a web page, or a video newscast.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for the VOD selection can be made from a network device having a network connection other than the network connection connecting the DVR with the network server, and the DVR is controlled to record the VOD selection via control data transmitted over the network from the network server, in response to the request from the network device.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the network device comprises a personal computer.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the DVR is addressable by a remote network device for receiving the control data.

18. A method for as recited in claim 17, wherein the remote network device comprises the network server.

19. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the DVR is addressable by the network server so that a network connection between the network server and the DVR enables the DVR to receive the control data.

20. A method for as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data signal comprises at least one of audio, video, or webpage data.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data signal comprises identifying information pertaining to at least one of the requested VOD selection, the DVR, information regarding a user of the DVR, or information regarding an account associated with the user of the DVR;

and wherein the DVR is effective for automatically transmitting at least a portion of the identifying information.

22. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia data signal comprises identifying information pertaining to the DVR, the identifying information comprising an available recording space.