SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS FOR ACCESSING RECORDINGS OF CONTENT ITEMS ON MULTIPLE CUSTOMER DEVICES

• US 20140282750A1
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Civiletto, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,948,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23116 involving data replication, e.g. over plural servers synchronization of replicated data G06F11/1658; error detection or correction by means of data replication G06F11/2053; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/10; replication in distributed file systems G06F16/27; replication or mirroring of data in data networks H04L67/1095
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may include systems, methods and apparatuses for recording and viewing content items on multiple devices. According to an example embodiment, a method is provided for displaying recorded content to a user. The method includes receiving, from a playback device and by a service provider system comprising at least one processor, a request to retrieve a recorded content item, wherein the recorded content item is recorded on a recording device. The method further includes identifying, by the service provider system, based at least in part upon the received request, at least a portion of the recorded content item as a unique recording specific to the recording device. The method also includes facilitating, by the service provider system, access of the unique recording to the playback device.

Claims

1. A method of displaying recorded content to a user, comprising:

receiving, from a playback device and by a service provider system comprising at least one processor, a request to retrieve a recorded content item, wherein the recorded content item is recorded on a recording device;

identifying, by the service provider system, based at least in part upon the received request, at least a portion of the recorded content item as a unique recording specific to the recording device; and

facilitating, by the service provider system, access of the unique recording to the playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating access of the unique recording to the playback device further comprises identifying one or more cache servers storing portions of the recorded content item.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying one or more cache servers further comprises identifying at least one cache server having at least a portion of the content item based at least in part on a priority associated with the at least one cache server.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein facilitating access to the playback device of the unique recording further comprises:

reconstructing the unique recording specific to the recording device based at least in part on stored portions of the recorded content item on the identified one or more cache servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating access of the unique recording to the playback device further comprises retrieving at least a portion of the unique recording of the recorded content item from the recording device;

and transmitting the retrieved portion of the recorded content item to the playback device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating access of the unique recording to the playback device further comprises transmitting a copy of the recorded content item to the playback device, wherein the transmitted copy has an access restriction based at least in part on the unique recording on the recording device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating access of the unique recording further to the playback device comprises:

retrieving one or more identifiers from the recording device, wherein the one or more identifiers are indicative of the unique recording;

reconstructing the unique recording based at least in part on a plurality of stored portions associated with the one or more identifiers; and

transmitting the unique recording to the playback device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein reconstructing the unique recording further comprises:

merging the plurality of stored portions of the recorded content item retrieved from one or more cache servers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a plurality of portions of a recorded content item by one or more storages associated with the service provider system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback device comprises a cable set-top box.

11. A service provider system, comprising:

at least one communications interface configured to receive, from a playback device, a request to retrieve a recorded content item on a recording device; and

at least one processor configured to;

(i) receive an identifier based at least in part on a unique portion of the recorded content item on the recording device; and

(ii) direct a transmission of the unique portion of the recorded content item to the playback device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure access rights to the recorded content item on the playback device based at least in part on the unique portion stored on the recording device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to format the unique portion based at least in part on the playback device.

14. The system of claim 11, directing a transmission of the unique portion of the recorded content item to the playback device further comprises retrieving a plurality of stored portions of the recorded content item from one or more cache servers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of stored portions of the recorded content item are stored on the one or more cache servers based at least in part on a predetermined priority.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the playback device comprises one of:

(i) a cable set-top box, (ii) a tablet computer, (iii) a smartphone, (iv) a gaming console, (v) a laptop computer, or (vi) a desktop computer.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a service provider system having at least one processor, one or more identifiers associated with a recorded content item specific to a recording device associated with a user account, wherein the one or more identifiers indicate at least an initial time and a final time associated with the recorded content item; and

facilitating access of the recorded content item to a playback device associated with the user account, wherein the access is defined at least in part by the one or more identifiers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein facilitating access of the recorded content item to the playback device further comprises identifying a cache location associated with the recorded content item based at least in part on a location of the playback device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein facilitating access of the recorded content item to the playback device further comprises assembling a plurality of portions of the recorded content item based at least in part on the initial time and the final time.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein facilitating access of the recorded content item to the playback device associated with the user account, wherein the access is defined at least in part by the one or more identifiers, further comprises:

encrypting, by the service provider system, the portion of the recorded content item in a manner specific to the playback device associated with the user account; and

transmitting, by the service provider system, the encrypted portion of the recorded content item to the playback device.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the service provider system, a request for the recorded content item;

reconstructing the recorded content item, by the service provider system, wherein the reconstructed recorded content item comprises a unique portion of a related content item and a stored remainder of the recorded content item based at least in part on the one or more identifiers; and

communicating, by the service provider system, the reconstructed recorded content item to the playback device.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

storing a unique portion of the recorded content item for a predetermined period of time based at least in part on the one or more identifiers.