System and method for pre-caching a first portion of a video file on a set-top box

• US 8,904,458 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kortum, Philip Ted, Sullivan, Marc Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US10/901,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,778 Days
• Field of Search: 725 74-104
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2401 Monitoring of the client buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of pre-caching video content is provided and includes measuring an available bandwidth of a data connection to a set top box. The available bandwidth measurement can be an average available bandwidth of the data connection to the set top box or a minimum available bandwidth of the data connection to the set top box. Each of a plurality of video files is divided into a first portion and a second portion and the size of each first portion is based on the available bandwidth measurement. The first portion of each of the plurality of video files is downloaded over the data connection and stored in a memory within the set top box. A list is displayed at a display device and includes a list of video titles that correspond to the plurality of video files that have only a first portion downloaded to the memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring an available bandwidth of a data connection to a set top box;

dividing a video file into a first portion and a second portion, wherein a size of the first portion of the video file is selected at least partially based on a pre-cache file size associated with the video file, wherein the pre-cache file size is based on the available bandwidth;

downloading only the first portion of the video file over the data connection to a memory in the set top box;

managing a list of video titles corresponding to video files that have only a first portion downloaded;

wherein a total number of video titles on the list of video titles is determined at least partially based on the available bandwidth;

downloading the second portion of the video file from a common source over the data connection while the first portion is being displayed by the set top box at a display device;

in response to detecting an increase in the available bandwidth, decreasing the pre-cache file size associated with the video file and determining a second available bandwidth of the data connection; and

re-apportioning the total number of video titles on the list of video titles based on the second available bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a first portion of each of a plurality of video files in the memory within the set top box; and

displaying the list of video titles at the display device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a user selection of a particular video title;

accessing the first portion corresponding to the particular video title selected by the user from the memory; and

displaying the first portion at the display device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the second portion of the video file after the first portion has been displayed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the available bandwidth is an average available bandwidth over a period of time of the data connection to the set top box.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the available bandwidth is a minimum available bandwidth of the data connection to the set top box.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delaying playback of a selected video file that has a first portion downloaded to the memory; and

downloading the second portion while playback of the first portion is delayed.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising decreasing the size of the first portion when the available bandwidth increases.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising increasing a number of video files that have a first portion stored in the memory when the size of the first portion has been decreased.

7. A device comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable memory accessible to the processor, the computer-readable memory having instructions to cause the processor to perform operations including;

measuring an available bandwidth of a data connection to the device;

managing a list of video titles, wherein each video title on the list corresponds to a first portion of a respective video file that is available immediately at the device and a second portion of the respective video file that is downloadable from a common source to the device but stored remotely from the device;

wherein a size of the first portion of the respective video file is based on a pre-cache file size associated with the respective video file, wherein the pre-cache file size is based on the available bandwidth, and wherein a total number of video titles on the list of video titles is determined at least partially based on the available bandwidth;

in response to detecting an increase in the available bandwidth, decreasing the pre-cache file size associated with the video file and determining a second available bandwidth of the data connection; and

re-apportioning the total number of video titles on the list of video titles based on the second available bandwidth.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the operations further include storing the total number of video titles on the list based on the available bandwidth.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the operations further include:

detecting a particular video title selected by a user from the list of video titles; and

displaying the first portion of the video file that corresponds to the particular video title selected by the user at a display device coupled to the device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the operations further include downloading the second portion of the respective video file to the computer-readable memory.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the available bandwidth is an average available bandwidth.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the available bandwidth is a minimum available bandwidth over a period of time.

13. A system comprising:

a set top box connectable to a display device, the set top box configured to communicate via a data interface to a remote video content source, the set top box comprising;

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium accessible by the processor, the computer-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor to perform operations including;

measuring an available bandwidth of the data interface;

receiving a first portion of each of a plurality of video files;

storing the first portion of each of the plurality of video files in a memory within the set top box, wherein a size of the memory to store each first portion is determined based on a pre-cache file size associated with at least one of the plurality of video files, wherein the pre-cache file size is based on the available bandwidth;

displaying a list of video titles at the display device, each video title on the list corresponding to a video file having the first portion stored in the memory of the set top box and a second portion that is downloadable from a common source while the first portion is displayed by the set top box at the display device;

in response to detecting an increase in the available bandwidth, decreasing the pre-cache file size associated with the at least one of the plurality of video files and determining a second available bandwidth; and

re-apportioning a total number of video titles on the list of video titles based on the second available bandwidth.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the operations further include determining the total number of video titles in the list, the total number of video titles at least partially determined based on the available bandwidth.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a selected video title via a remote control unit signal; and

displaying a first portion that corresponds to the selected video title.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the available bandwidth is an average available bandwidth of the data interface.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the available bandwidth is a minimum available bandwidth of the data interface over a period of time.

18. A method comprising:

activating a set top box when the set top box is connected to a data interface;

determining an available bandwidth of the data interface;

apportioning a segment of a memory within the set top box, wherein a size of the segment of the memory is based on a pre-cache file size associated with a video file to be downloaded to the memory, wherein the pre-cache file size is based on a first available bandwidth, wherein the segment of the memory is configured to store a first portion of the video file, and wherein a second portion of the video file is downloadable from a common source to the set top box via the data interface while the first portion is being displayed by the set top box at a display device;

in response to detecting a change in the available bandwidth, adjusting the pre-cache file size associated with the video file and determining a second available bandwidth of the data interface;

apportioning a number of video titles on a list of video titles on the set top box based on the second available bandwidth, wherein the number of video titles on the list of video titles is determined at least partially based on the available bandwidth

decreasing the pre-cache file size when the available bandwidth increases; and

increasing a number of video files that have a first portion stored in the segment of the memory after the pre-cache file size has been decreased.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

connecting the set top box to the display device; and

displaying the list of video titles, each of the video titles in the list corresponding to one of a plurality of video files having the first portion stored in the segment of the memory and having the second portion stored remotely from the set top box.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising accessing the first portion of a first video file stored in the segment of the memory in response to a first video title being selected from the list of video titles.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying the first portion of the first video file on the display device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising downloading the second portion of the first video file over the data interface while the first portion is being displayed at the display device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising storing the second portion of the first video file in the memory.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

accessing the second portion of the first video file from the memory; and

displaying the second portion on the display device after displaying the first portion.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising re-apportioning the size of the segment of the memory at least partially based on the second available bandwidth.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the second available bandwidth is an average available bandwidth over a period of time.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the segment of the memory is configured to store a first portion of each of a plurality of video files.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising connecting to a content provider via the data interface.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the available bandwidth is an average available bandwidth of the data interface measured over a period of time.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the available bandwidth is a minimum available bandwidth of the data interface over a period of time.