Methods and apparatus for providing virtual content over a network

• US 8,122,479 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2010
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Britt, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US12/764,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20100269146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 725/34, 725/35, 725/61, 725/86, 725/87, 725 93- 95
• US Class Current: 725/93
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• 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
• 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

Methods and apparatus for selecting, purchasing and delivering content to users of a network so that the user has “virtual” ownership of and access to the content, thereby obviating the need for physical media (e.g., DVDs or CDs). In an exemplary embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network, and on-demand (OD) sessions or broadcast modes are used to deliver the virtual content stored at the head-end (or hub site) to the requesting owner. The purchased content is associated with one or more users when stored, thereby providing the owner(s) unlimited access thereto, without the costs and effort associated with renting/purchasing and maintaining DVDs. The content may also comprise new release content, which would otherwise not be available over the network at that time but for the purchase and delivery mechanisms of the invention. Various other complementary features for enhancing the user'"'"'s virtual ownership experience are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing a virtual possessory interest in content and delivery of said content over a network, comprising:

receiving a request for said virtual possessory interest from a user, said request comprising at least first information identifying requested content and second information uniquely identifying said user;

validating said second information;

generating a database record associating said requested content with said user;

storing a first copy of said requested content at a first identified portion of a network storage entity, said first identified portion specifically associated with said user;

upon said user request, authorizing delivery of said requested content to said user;

causing said requested content to be delivered from said network storage location only to said user via said network;

receiving a request for virtual possessory interest for said requested content from a second user; and

storing a second copy of said requested content at a second identified portion of said network storage entity, said second identified portion specifically associated with said second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual possessory interest comprises a virtual or remote ownership interest.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual possessory interest comprises a lease or rental interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of authorizing delivery comprises verifying said requested content is available for release based at least in part on a predetermined release date.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said request for said virtual possessory interest is received from a user device; and

said act of authorizing delivery comprises authentication of said user device as being associated with a subscriber account of said user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said authentication of said user device comprises:

(i) querying a data structure containing a plurality of records correlating said user to a plurality of user devices, and (ii) determining whether said user device is among said plurality of user devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises the Internet, and said act of causing said requested content to be delivered occurs via an Internet-based content server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a hybrid network having optical fiber and non-fiber portions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting secondary content into said requested content, said secondary content being logically proximate to at least one aspect of said requested content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising inserting digital rights management (DRM) data into said requested content.

11. A method of providing virtual ownership of content over a network, comprising:

receiving a message from a subscriber, said message comprising;

information identifying said subscriber;

information identifying at least one content element; and

subscription or payment information;

generating a copy of said identified at least one content element for said subscriber;

storing said copy at one or more storage locations; and

defining a virtual control boundary for said subscriber within said one or more storage locations, said virtual control boundary enabling said subscriber to access and control their copy of said at least one content element only and preventing access to said copy of said content element stored at said one or more storage locations by other subscribers.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request for delivery of said at least one content element from a client device of said subscriber;

querying a data structure containing a plurality of records correlating a plurality of subscribers to one or more respective client devices; and

based on said virtual control boundary, determining one or more rights of said client device to access and control said copy of said at least one content element.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said access and control of said copy includes said client device causing said copy to be transmitted from a server entity of said network to said client device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said transmission of said copy comprises streaming of said copy as IP-encapsulated content to said client device over a high speed data connection with quality-of-service (QoS) requirements enforced.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said transmission of said copy to said client device comprises a unicast delivery thereto.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said network comprises a hybrid optical fiber/non-fiber delivery network.

17. A method of providing virtual possession of content to a plurality of users over a network, comprising:

receiving a message from each of said plurality of users, said messages each comprising;

information identifying at least one of (i) a respective one of said plurality of users, or (ii) a device associated with a respective one of said plurality of users; and

information identifying at least one content element being requested by said respective one of said plurality of users;

generating respective copies of said identified at least one content elements for said respective ones of said plurality of users;

storing said copies on one or more network storage locations; and

providing respective virtual control boundaries for said copies, said virtual control boundaries enabling said respective ones of said plurality of users to access and control their copy of their identified at least one content element, said control being independent of copy control by other ones of said plurality of users and limited to their copy only.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein and said messages comprise on-demand content selection messages, and said method further comprises creation of respective sessions between one or more network entities and respective ones of user devices associated with said respective ones of said plurality of users, said sessions being used to transmit respective ones of said identified at least one content element.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein and said messages are received at different times, and are for different content elements.

20. A method of providing copyright-protected virtual content storage and delivery, comprising:

receiving a request to store content for a user of a network;

in response to said request, storing a copy of said requested content in a network storage location, said copy being accessible only to said requesting user; and

subsequent to said storing, causing delivery of said stored copy to only said requesting user, said causing delivery being in response to a delivery request issued by said user.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said act of storing a copy comprises storing said copy on a storage device that is also used for storing content associated with other users, said content associated with other users also being accessible only to respective ones of those other users.

22. Content storage and distribution apparatus for use in a content delivery network, comprising:

a storage device for storing a plurality of video content; and

distribution apparatus in data communication with said storage device;

wherein said distribution apparatus is configured to;

encapsulate said video content using an internetworking protocol that is agnostic to an underlying bearer medium; and

deliver said encapsulated video content to one or more user devices in communication with said content delivery network, said delivery comprising delivery over one or more channels; and

wherein said content storage and distribution apparatus are disposed at a premises of the operator of said network, yet storage and delivery of the stored content is controlled by a customer of said network.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said internetworking protocol comprises the Internet Protocol (IP), and said delivery over one or more channels comprises delivery over one or more radio frequency channels via a multiplexed transport stream.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said one or more user devices comprise at least one of a personal computer (PC), and an IP-capable set top box (IP-STB).

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said delivery over said one or more channels comprises delivery of at least one of MPEG or H.264 encoded content element encapsulated using IP and delivered over an MPEG transport stream.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said storage device is further configured to store a plurality of records, said records correlating individual ones of a plurality of content to one or more users.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising at least one computer program configured to:

receive a request for an individual one of said plurality of video content from a first one of said one or more user devices, said first one of said one or more user devices associated with a first user;

determine based at least in part on said plurality of records whether said first user is among said one or more users correlated to said individual one of said plurality of video content; and

if said first user is determined to be among said one or more users correlated to said individual one of said plurality of video content, use said distribution apparatus to deliver said individual one of said plurality of video content to said first one of said one or more user devices.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising an Internet-based content server configured to store and deliver said plurality of video content.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a content server of a hybrid fiber delivery network configured to store and deliver said plurality of video content.

30. Network server apparatus for use in a content delivery network, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device for storing content, said storage device in data communication with said processor;

a network interface in data communication with said processor, said network interface being adapted to at least transmit said content via said network; and

at least one computer program operative to run on said apparatus, said at least one computer program being adapted to;

receive at least one selection indicating a purchase of said content from one or more subscribers of said network;

define respective sections of a storage location accessible by said apparatus for the storage of respective versions of said selected content associated with individual ones of said one or more subscribers;

receive a request for said selected content from a user device;

affirm said user device as being associated with one of said individual ones of said one or more subscribers; and

selectively deliver a respective version of said selected content associated with said one of said individual ones of said one or more subscribers to said user device over said network from said respective section of said storage location.

31. The server apparatus of claim 30, wherein said apparatus is disposed at a headend of said network, yet said delivery is controlled only by said individual ones of said one or more subscribers of said network.

32. The server apparatus of claim 30, wherein said affirmation comprises receiving a response to a query of data records, said data records associating one or more user devices to said individual ones of said one or more subscribers.

33. The server apparatus of claim 30, wherein said content delivery network comprises a hybrid optical fiber/non-fiber delivery network providing unicast delivery of said content.