Personal content server apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A non-transitory computer readable apparatus configured for use on or with one or more web servers, the computer readable apparatus having at least one application program stored thereon, the application program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus:
- receive, from a first device within a first network, a request for recording selected programming content;
determine whether the first device is authorized to receive the selected programming content;
in response to a determination that the first device is authorized to receive the selected programming content, record the selected programming content during broadcast of the selected programming content through the first network and store a recorded copy of the selected programming content at the one or more web servers;
receive a request for accessing the stored copy of the selected programming content from a second device within a second network;
evaluate the request for accessing the stored copy to identify an existence of a relationship between the first device and the second device; and
in response to an identification of the existence of the relationship, provide, to the second device, access to the stored copy via the second network.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Personal content server apparatus and associated methods that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to access content, such as a video program, from a location outside the subscriber'"'"'s network. In one embodiment, a personal content server streams the content to the subscriber over a network connection from the local e.g., (subscription) network to a remote network upon authorization by a content manager process. Various access, business or operational rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or archived content from the subscriber'"'"'s digital video recorder (DVR) or networked PVR. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively replaced if desired in order to make the remotely delivered content more appropriate to the remote user'"'"'s context.
882 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A non-transitory computer readable apparatus configured for use on or with one or more web servers, the computer readable apparatus having at least one application program stored thereon, the application program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus:
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receive, from a first device within a first network, a request for recording selected programming content; determine whether the first device is authorized to receive the selected programming content; in response to a determination that the first device is authorized to receive the selected programming content, record the selected programming content during broadcast of the selected programming content through the first network and store a recorded copy of the selected programming content at the one or more web servers; receive a request for accessing the stored copy of the selected programming content from a second device within a second network; evaluate the request for accessing the stored copy to identify an existence of a relationship between the first device and the second device; and in response to an identification of the existence of the relationship, provide, to the second device, access to the stored copy via the second network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A web-based server apparatus for delivery of content to a plurality of devices in a content distribution network, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one first interface configured for communication with the plurality of devices within the content distribution network; a second interface configured for communication with a remote device within a remote network; and processor apparatus in data communication with the at least one first interface and the second interface, the processor apparatus configured to execute at least one computer program thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which, when executed, causes the processor apparatus to; receive, via the at least one first interface, a request for recording programming content from one of the plurality of devices within the content distribution network; receive, via the at least one first interface, data pertaining to a channel to which the one of the plurality of devices is tuned; in response to the request for recording programming content, record programming content being broadcast on the channel to which the one of the plurality of devices is tuned; store a recorded copy of the programming content at an Internet-based server; receive, via the second interface, a request for accessing the stored copy of the selected programming content from the remote device within the remote network; in response to the request for accessing the stored copy, identify an existence of a relationship between the one of the plurality of devices and the remote device; and in response to the identification of the existence of the relationship, provide, to the remote device, access to the stored copy via the remote network. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of providing content to a user device, said method comprising:
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in response to a request from a first device within a content delivery network, causing a storage entity in communication with one or more web-based servers to record content provided thereto by a content source; in response to a request from a remote device within a remote network, determining whether the remote device is authorized to access the recorded content; and in response to a determination that the remote device is authorized to access the recorded content, delivering the recorded content from the storage entity to the remote device over the remote network. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification