Systems and methods for providing a shared folder via television

• US 9,462,353 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Angiolillo, Joel S., Zhang, Xi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/244,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20140215509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

An enhanced television service provides a shared folder over a television network, such as a fiber optic network. Users, the service provider, or trusted sources, share use of a program folder via television. A user recommends content, such as a program listing, to other geographically dispersed subscribers, by sending the content to the subscribers'"'"' shared folder. Users may create a personal content guide for use instead of a standard program guide that contains identical listings for all subscribers. The shared folder may consist of programs from a variety of channels as well as other content and may be populated by trusted sources in remote locations. Users may search for content that matches search criteria and may delete or edit listings from the shared folder. The contents of the folder may not only include program listings, but also other content such as movies, television shows, web sites, photos, home videos, etc.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a service provider device via a network, a request from a user, to add content information to a first shared folder associated with a first subscriber and to a second shared folder associated with a second subscriber;

determining, at the service provider device, that the first shared folder is stored at customer premises equipment associated with the first subscriber;

requesting, by the service provider device, first shared folder information from the customer premises equipment via the network, wherein the first shared folder information includes first access control information and first content restrictions associated with the first shared folder;

determining, at the service provider device, that the second shared folder is stored at the service provider device;

retrieving, by the service provider device, second shared folder information from the second shared folder, wherein the second shared folder information includes second access control information and second content restrictions associated with the second shared folder;

determining, at the service provider device, whether to add the content information to the first shared folder based on the first shared folder information obtained in response to the requesting; and

determining, at the service provider device, whether to add the content information to the second shared folder based on the retrieved second shared folder information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to add the content information to the first shared folder comprises:

determining, based on a user identifier included in the request, whether the user has requisite access permissions identified in the first access control information, and

determining whether the content information complies with the first content restrictions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, in response to determining that the user has the requisite access permissions and the content information complying with the first content restrictions, the method further comprising:

notifying the first subscriber of the request; and

sending, via the network, the content information to the customer premises equipment, for adding to the first shared folder, upon receiving a response from the customer premises equipment in response to the notifying.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein notifying the first subscriber comprises:

transmitting, to the customer premises equipment via the network, a message identifying the user and the content information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to add the content information to the second shared folder comprises:

determining, based on a user identifier included in the request, whether the user has requisite access permissions identified in the second access control information,

determining whether the content information complies with the second content restrictions; and

wherein the method further comprises;

adding the content information to the second shared folder in response to determining that the user has the requisite access permissions and the content information complies with the second content restrictions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request to add content information comprises:

receiving a recommendation identifying recommended content and a source for accessing the recommended content, or

receiving recorded content to be added to the first shared folder and the second shared folder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first access control information differs from the second access control information, and the first content restrictions correspond to the second content restrictions.

8. A network device comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory to store instructions; and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

receive, via a network and via the communication interface, a request from a user, to add content information to a first shared folder associated with a first subscriber and to a second shared folder associated with a second subscriber,

determine that the first shared folder is stored at customer premises equipment associated with the first subscriber,

request, via the communication interface, first shared folder information from the customer premises equipment via the network, wherein the first shared folder information includes first access control information and first content restrictions associated with the first shared folder,

determine that the second shared folder is stored in the memory,

retrieve, from the memory, second shared folder information from the second shared folder, wherein the second shared folder information includes second access control information and second content restrictions associated with the second shared folder,

determine whether to add the content information to the first shared folder based on the first shared folder information obtained in response to the requesting, and

determine whether to add the content information to the second shared folder based on the retrieved second shared folder information.

9. The network device of claim 8, wherein, to determine whether to add the content information to the first shared folder, the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

determine, based on a user identifier included in the request, whether the user has requisite access permissions identified in the first access control information, and

determine whether the content information complies with the first content restrictions.

10. The network device of claim 9, wherein, in response to determining that the user has the requisite access permissions and the content information complies with the first content restrictions, the one or more processors further execute the instructions to:

notify the first subscriber of the request; and

send, via the network, the content information to the customer premises equipment, for adding to the first shared folder, upon receiving a response from the customer premises equipment in response to the first subscriber being notified of the request.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein, to notify the first subscriber, the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

transmit, to the customer premises equipment via the network, a message identifying the user and the content information.

12. The network device of claim 8, wherein, to determine whether to add the content information to the second shared folder, the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

determine, based on a user identifier included in the request, whether the user has requisite access permissions identified in the second access control information,

determine whether the content information complies with the second content restrictions; and

wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to;

add the content information to the second shared folder in response to determining that the user has the requisite access permissions and the content information complies with the second content restrictions.

13. The network device of claim 8, wherein, to receive a request to add content information, the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

receive a recommendation identifying recommended content and a source for accessing the recommended content, or

receive recorded content to be added to the first shared folder and the second shared folder.

14. The network device of claim 8, wherein the first access control information differs from the second access control information, and the first content restrictions correspond to the second content restrictions.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive, via a network, a request from a user, to add content information to a first shared folder associated with a first subscriber and to a second shared folder associated with a second subscriber,

determine that the first shared folder is stored at customer premises equipment associated with the first subscriber,

request first shared folder information from the customer premises equipment via the network, wherein the first shared folder information includes first access control information and first content restrictions associated with the first shared folder,

determine that the second shared folder is stored in a memory at a service provider,

retrieve, from the memory, second shared folder information from the second shared folder, wherein the second shared folder information includes second access control information and second content restrictions associated with the second shared folder,

determine whether to add the content information to the first shared folder based on the first shared folder information obtained in response to the requesting, and

determine whether to add the content information to the second shared folder based on the retrieved second shared folder information.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein, to determine whether to add the content information to the first shared folder, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

determine, based on a user identifier included in the request, whether the user has requisite access permissions identified in the first access control information, and

determine whether the content information complies with the first content restrictions.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein, based on the user having the requisite access permissions and the content information complying with the first content restrictions, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

notify the first subscriber of the request, and

send, via the network, the content information to the customer premises equipment, for adding to the first shared folder, upon receiving a response from the customer premises equipment in response to the first subscriber being notified of the request.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein, to notify the first subscriber, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

transmit, to the customer premises equipment via the network, a message identifying the user and the content information.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein, to determine whether to add the content information to the second shared folder, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

determine, based on a user identifier included in the request, whether the user has requisite access permissions identified in the second access control information,

determine whether the content information complies with the second content restrictions; and

wherein the one or more processors further execute the instructions to;

add the content information to the second shared folder based on the user having the requisite access permissions and the content information complying with the second content restrictions.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein, to receive a request to add content information, the instructions cause the at least one processor to:

receive a recommendation identifying recommended content and a source for accessing the recommended content, or

receive recorded content to be added to the first shared folder and the second shared folder.