METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING CONTENT IN A CONTENT PROCESSING SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORKS

• US 20090031376A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Riley, Xavier D., Sue, Ranny Q.
• Application Number:
  US11/782,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031376A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/12 Arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/24 Arrangements for distribution of identical information via broadcast system and non-broadcast system
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• 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 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 21/6106 specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• 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 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 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A communication system 100 includes a first content delivery network 280, a second content delivery network 280 and a communication network 132. A content management system 221 generates a content delivery network identification and associates the content delivery network identification with content. A content distribution system 260 selects the first content delivery network or the second content delivery network in response to the content delivery network identification to form a selected content delivery network. The content distribution system 260 communicates the content to the selected content delivery network 280 in response to the content delivery network identification. The selected content delivery network 280 communicates the content to a user device 110, 112 through the selected content delivery network 280 and the communication network 132.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a content delivery network identification;

associating the content delivery network identification with content;

selecting a first content delivery network or a second content delivery network in response to the content delivery network identification to form a selected content delivery network;

communicating the content to the selected content delivery network in response to the content delivery network identification; and

communicating the content to a user device through the selected content delivery network and a communication network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising associating a publication start time and a purge time with the content;

publishing the content according to a publication start time; and

purging the content from the content delivery network at the purge time.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 further comprising communicating metadata to the content delivery network.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the metadata comprises the publication start time, the purge time and the content delivery network identification.

5. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the metadata comprises the publication start time, the purge time and the publication end time.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein purging comprises purging the file after the publication end time.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing the content in the user device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the user device is a satellite television set top box having a digital video recorder therein.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein storing the content comprises storing the content in the digital video recorder.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication network is a broadband connection.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the communication network comprises a wireless connection.

12. A method comprising:

communicating the content to a first content delivery network and a second content delivery network; and

communicating the content to a user device through the first content delivery network or the second content delivery network through a communication network.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising associating a first lifecycle with the content at the first content delivery network and a second lifecycle different than the first lifecycle at the content delivery network.

14. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating the content is performed to balance distribution load between the first content delivery network or the second content delivery network.

15. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising determining a failure of a first content delivery network and communicating the content from the second content delivery network.

16. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising selecting the first content delivery network or the second content delivery network at the user device to form a selected content delivery network and requesting the content from the selected content delivery network.

17. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein selecting is performed through a program guide.

18. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein communicating the content to a user device through the first content delivery network or the second content delivery network through a communication network comprises communicating the content to the user device through the first content delivery network and the second content delivery network through a communication network.

19. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the communication network is a broadband connection.

20. A method as recited in claim 12 wherein the communication network comprises a wireless connection.

21. A communication system comprising:

a first content delivery network;

a second content delivery network;

a communication network;

a content management system generating a content delivery network identification and associating the content delivery network identification with content;

a content distribution system selecting the first content delivery network or the second content delivery network in response to the content delivery network identification to form a selected content delivery network, the content distribution system communicating the content to the selected content delivery network in response to the content delivery network identification; and

the selected content delivery network communicating the content to a user device through the selected content delivery network and the communication network.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein said content distribution system communicates metadata to the content delivery network.

23. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the metadata comprises the content delivery network identification.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the metadata comprises the publication start time and the purge time.

25. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the metadata comprises the publication start time, the purge time and the publication end time.

26. A system as recited in claim 22 wherein the metadata comprises the content delivery network identification and a content lifecycle.

27. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the user device stores the content therein.

28. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the user device comprises a satellite television set top box having a digital video recorder therein.

29. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the user device stores the content in the digital video recorder.

30. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the communication network comprises a broadband connection.

31. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the communication network comprises a wireless connection.