PROVIDING REMOTE ACCESS TO SEGMENTS OF A TRANSMITTED PROGRAM

• US 20120144437A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Beals, William Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method for providing remote access to segments of a transmitted program is presented. The program is recorded, and then stored at a communication server. Information specifying a segment of the stored program is transferred from a communication device to the communication server. Also, a request for access to the specified segment of the stored program is transferred from another communication device to the communication server. In response to the request, the specified segment of the program is transferred from the communication server to the requesting communication device.

Claims

1. A method executable by a communications server to provide remote access to segments of a television program, the method comprising:

receiving and storing the transmitted program at the communication server;

transferring first information specifying a first segment of the stored program from a first communication device to the communication server;

transferring a first request for access to the first segment from a second communication device to the communication server; and

in response to the first request, transferring the first segment from the communication server to the second communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring second information specifying a second segment of the stored program from a third communication device to the communication server;

transferring a second request for access to the second segment from a fourth communication device to the communication server; and

in response to the second request, transferring the second segment from the communication server to the fourth communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the program occurs at the communication server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request comprises an identification of the first segment, and an identification of the second communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring a first segment of a second program from the first communication device to the communication server;

storing the first segment of the second program at the communication server;

transferring a second request for access to the first segment of the second program from the second communication device to the communication server; and

in response to the second request, transferring the first segment of the second program from the communication server to the second communication device.

6. A communication server, comprising:

a memory configured to store a program;

a communication interface configured to receive first information identifying a first segment of the stored program, and to receive a first request for access to the first segment of the stored program; and

a processor configured to process the first request and, in response, transfer the first segment of the stored program from the memory over the communication interface.

7. The communication server of claim 6, wherein:

the communication interface is configured to receive second information identifying a second segment of the stored program, and to receive a second request for access to the second segment of the stored program; and

the processor is configured to process the second request and, in response, transfer the second segment of the stored program from the memory over the communication interface.

8. The communication server of claim 6, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the program and transfer the program to the memory.

9. The communication server of claim 6, further comprising a recording unit configured to record the program from a content provider and transfer the program to the memory.

10. The communication server of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to store the program in the memory based on at least one of an expected number of requests for segments of the program, an expected number of segments identified in the program, and an expected length of the segments identified in the program.

11. The communication server of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to delete portions of the stored program from the memory after an amount of time has elapsed, wherein the deleted portions of the stored program are not included in any segment identified in the stored program.

12. The communication server of claim 6, wherein the first information comprises an identification of the stored program, a starting point of the first segment, and an ending point of the first segment.

13. The communication server of claim 6, wherein:

the first request comprises an identification of the first segment, and an identification of a communication device; and

the processor is configured to transfer the first segment of the stored program from the memory over the communication interface to the communication device.

14. The communication server of claim 6, wherein:

the communication interface is configured receive a first segment of a second program, to transfer the first segment of the second program to the memory, and to receive a second request for access to the first segment of the second program; and

the processor is configured to process the second request and, in response, transfer the first segment of the second program from the memory over the communication interface.

15. The communication server of claim 6, wherein the communication interface comprises an Internet Protocol interface.

16. A communication device, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a program;

a user interface configured to receive a first indication of a starting point of a first segment of the program, and a second indication of an ending point of the first segment of the program;

a communication interface; and

a processor configured to process the first indication and the second indication to generate first information specifying the first segment of the program, and to transfer the first information over the communication interface.

17. The communication device of claim 16, further comprising:

a tuner for selecting a programming signal from a plurality of programming signals transmitted from a content provider, wherein the selected programming signal comprises the program.

18. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the program and transfer the program to the receiving unit.

19. The communication device of claim 16, wherein:

the user interface is configured to receive a third indication of a starting point of a second segment of the program, and a fourth indication of an ending point of the second segment of the program; and

the processor is configured to process the third indication and the fourth indication to generate second information specifying the second segment of the program, and to transfer the second information over the communication interface.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the second segment overlaps the first segment.