U.S. patent number RE47,877 [Application Number 15/356,081] was granted by the patent office on 2020-02-25 for managing content storage, selection, and transfer for user access.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Chanyu Holdings, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Chanyu Holdings, LLC. Invention is credited to Douglas A. Bulleit, Barbara J. Roden.
United States Patent |
RE47,877 |
Roden , et al. |
February 25, 2020 |
Managing content storage, selection, and transfer for user
access
Abstract
Exemplary embodiments relate to methods, systems, and storage
mediums for managing content storage and selection activities. The
method includes aggregating content from content providers and
presenting the content to a content device. The method also
includes monitoring consumption of storage space with respect to
storage capacity in the content device, relocating content
contained in the storage space of the content device when a
predetermined condition is met, and providing access to relocated
content. The relocation is operable for freeing up the storage
space of the content device.
Inventors: |
Roden; Barbara J. (Atlanta,
GA), Bulleit; Douglas A. (Atlanta, GA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Chanyu Holdings, LLC |
Wilmington |
DE |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Chanyu Holdings, LLC
(Wilmington, DE)
|
Family
ID: |
36317881 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/356,081 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
10984445 |
Jul 1, 2008 |
7395395 |
|
|
Reissue of: |
12166056 |
Jul 1, 2008 |
8892839 |
Nov 18, 2014 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N
21/2543 (20130101); H04N 21/2747 (20130101); H04N
21/2743 (20130101); H04N 21/4335 (20130101); H04N
5/765 (20130101); H04N 21/2543 (20130101); H04N
21/2743 (20130101); H04N 21/2747 (20130101); H04N
21/4334 (20130101); H04N 21/4334 (20130101); H04N
5/765 (20130101); H04N 21/4335 (20130101); Y10S
707/9994 (20130101); Y10S 707/9994 (20130101); Y10S
707/99953 (20130101); Y10S 707/99953 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G06F
12/00 (20060101); G06F 7/00 (20060101); H04N
7/173 (20110101); H04K 1/00 (20060101); G06F
13/00 (20060101); G06F 13/28 (20060101); G06Q
10/00 (20120101); G06F 15/16 (20060101); H04L
9/00 (20060101); H04H 60/32 (20080101); H04N
21/433 (20110101); H04N 21/2747 (20110101); H04N
21/2743 (20110101); H04N 7/16 (20110101); H04N
21/4335 (20110101); H04N 5/765 (20060101); H04N
21/2543 (20110101) |
Field of
Search: |
;711/165 ;705/52
;707/999.01,999.202 ;709/219 ;725/14,142,91,92 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Office Action in U.S. Appl. No. 12/166,056 dated Apr. 1, 2010, 9
pages. cited by applicant .
Office Action in U.S. Appl. No. 12/166,056 dated Sep. 2, 2010, 10
pages. cited by applicant .
Office Action in U.S. Appl. No. 10/984,445 dated Feb. 6, 2007, 10
pages. cited by applicant .
Office Action in U.S. Appl. No. 10/984,445 dated May 18, 2007, 11
pages. cited by applicant .
Office Action in U.S. Appl. No. 10/984,445 dated Nov. 13, 2007, 14
pages. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Peikari; B. James
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kowert, Hood, Munyon, Rankin &
Goetzel, P.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
.[.This application.]. .Iadd.The present application is a reissue
of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/166,056 filed Jul. 1, 2008 (now
U.S. Pat. No. 8,892,839), which .Iaddend.is a continuation of U.S.
.[.patent.]. application Ser. No. 10/984,445.Iadd., .Iaddend.filed
Nov. 9, 2004 .Iadd.(now U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,395).Iaddend., the
.[.contents.]. .Iadd.disclosures .Iaddend.of .[.which.]. .Iadd.each
of the above-referenced applications .Iaddend.are incorporated by
reference herein in their .[.entirety.]. .Iadd.entireties.Iaddend..
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for managing content storage and selection, comprising:
aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host system, from a
plurality of content providers; providing the content to at least
one consumer user content device; monitoring, remotely by the
off-site host system, consumption of a storage space of the at
least one consumer user content device residing locally in a
consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at
least one consumer user content device receiving the content,
wherein the at least one consumer user content device contains a
fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon the type
of the at least one consumer user content device; selecting content
contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content
for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the
content has been stored in the storage device, size of the content,
a content device user's selection, and an inference based upon most
frequently accessed content; relocating, remotely by the off-site
host system, the content contained in the fixed amount of storage
space of the at least one consumer user content device when a
predetermined condition is met, wherein relocating the content
frees up the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one
consumer user content device; and providing a user interface, by
the off-site host system, to the consumer user content device, the
user interface operable for building a content library listing
content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer
user content device and the relocated content, wherein a content
storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a
content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each
user content device that includes the content item in its content
library; wherein the relocating content contained in the storage
space includes: removing the content from the storage space; and
providing a link in the content library to the relocated content
removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the
relocated content.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: associating the
content library with a user account; providing access to the
content library; providing access to the relocated content;
monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device
user via transactions occurring in the content library associated
with the content device user; comparing the plurality of activities
conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other
activities conducted by users of other content devices via
transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the
other content devices; determining relationships between the
plurality of activities conducted by the content device user and
the plurality of other activities conducted by users of other
content devices; generating a listing of recommended content items
based on determined relationships; and presenting the listing to
the content device user, wherein access to the content library
includes providing an owner of the user account and a non-owner of
the user account with access to the content library associated with
the user account.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein access by the non-owner includes
at least one of: viewing listings in the content library, accessing
content identified in the content library, and charging a fee for
accessed content.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one
of: audio; video; images; text; premium channel programming; cable
programming; broadcast network programming; radio programming;
digital music; and pay-per-view programming.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer user content devices
include: a personal computer; a cellular telephone; a personal
digital assistant; and a television.
6. A system for managing content storage and selection activities,
comprising: .[.an off-site database for storing content;.]. an
interface to an at least one consumer user content device
.Iadd.capable of .Iaddend.receiving content from a content provider
over a communications network; and an off-site host system
.[.performing.].: aggregating content from a plurality of content
providers; providing the content to at least one consumer user
content device; remotely monitoring, via a content storage and
selection application, consumption of a storage space of the at
least one consumer user content device residing locally in a
consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at
least one consumer user content device; selecting content contained
in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for
relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the
content has been stored in the storage .Iadd.space of the at least
one consumer user content .Iaddend.device, size of the content, a
.Iadd.selection by a user of the at least one consumer user
.Iaddend.content device .[.user's selection.]., and an inference
based upon most frequently accessed content; relocating.[.,
remotely by the off-site host system,.]. the .Iadd.selected
.Iaddend.content contained in the storage space of the at least one
consumer user content device to .[.the off-site database.]. .Iadd.a
storage device associated with the off-site host system
.Iaddend.via the communications network when a predetermined
condition is met; building a content library listing the content
contained in the storage space and the relocated content.[., via
the interface.]., wherein a content storage and selection
application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database
and replicates the single copy for each user content device that
includes the content item in its content library; wherein .[.the.].
relocating .Iadd.the selected .Iaddend.content .[.contained in the
storage space.]. includes: removing the .Iadd.selected
.Iaddend.content from the storage space; and providing a link in
the content library to the relocated content removed from the
storage space, the link providing access to the relocated
content.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the content storage and selection
application further performs: associating the content library with
a user account; providing access to the content library; providing
access to the relocated content; monitoring a plurality of
activities conducted by a content device user via transactions
occurring in the content library associated with the content device
user; comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the
content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted
by users of other content devices via transactions occurring in
corresponding content libraries of the other content devices;
determining relationships between the plurality of activities
conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other
activities conducted by users of other content devices; generating
a listing of recommended content items based on determined
relationships; and presenting the listing to the content device
user, wherein access to the content library includes providing an
owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with
access to the content library associated with the user account.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein access by the non-owner includes
at least one of: viewing listings in the content library, accessing
content identified in the content library, adding content to
another content library associated with the non-owner, charging a
fee for accessed content, and compensating a content owner for
accessed content.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein the content includes at least one
of: audio; video; images; text; premium channel programming; cable
programming; broadcast network programming; radio programming;
digital music; and pay-per-view programming.
10. The system of claim 6, wherein the consumer user content
devices include: a personal computer; a cellular telephone; a
personal digital assistant; and a television.
11. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code
providing content storage and selection services, the program code
including instructions causing a host system to implement a method,
comprising: aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host
system, from a plurality of content providers; providing the
content to at least one consumer user content device; monitoring,
remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage
space of the at least one consumer user content device residing
locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity
in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the
content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device
contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon
the type of the at least one consumer user content device;
selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation,
wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least
one of how long the content has been stored in the storage device,
size of the content, a content device user's selection, and an
inference based upon most frequently accessed content; relocating,
remotely by the off-site host system, the content contained in the
fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user
content device when a predetermined condition is met, wherein
relocating the content frees up the fixed amount of storage space
of the at least one consumer user content device; and providing a
user interface, by the off-site host system, to the consumer user
content device, the user interface operable for building a content
library listing content contained in the storage space of the at
least one consumer user content device and the relocated content,
wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a
single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the
single copy for each user content device that includes the content
item in its content library; wherein the relocating content
contained in the storage space includes: removing the content from
the storage space; and providing a link in the content library to
the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link
providing access to the relocated content.
12. The storage medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions
for: associating the content library with a user account; providing
access to the content library; providing access to the relocated
content; monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a
content device user via transactions occurring in the content
library associated with the content device user; comparing the
plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a
plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content
devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content
libraries of the other content devices; determining relationships
between the plurality of activities conducted by the content device
user and the plurality of other activities conducted by users of
other content devices; generating a listing of recommended content
items based on determined relationships; and presenting the listing
to the content device user, wherein access to the content library
includes providing an owner of the user account and a non-owner of
the user account with access to the content library associated with
the user account.
13. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein access by the non-owner
includes at least one of: viewing listings in the content library,
accessing content identified in the content library, adding content
to another content library associated with the non-owner, charging
a fee for accessed content, and compensating a content owner for
accessed content.
14. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the content includes at
least one of: audio; video; images; text; premium channel
programming; cable programming; broadcast network programming;
radio programming; digital music; and pay-per-view programming.
15. The storage medium claim 11, wherein the consumer user content
devices include: a personal computer; a cellular telephone; a
personal digital assistant; and a television.
16. The method of claim 2, wherein access by the non-owner includes
adding content to another content library associated with the
non-owner.
17. The method of claim 2, wherein access by the non-owner includes
compensating a content owner for accessed content.
.Iadd.18. A method for managing content storage and selection,
comprising: aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host
system, from a plurality of content providers; providing the
content to at least one consumer user content device; monitoring,
remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage
space of the at least one consumer user content device residing
locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity
in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the
content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device
contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon
the type of the at least one consumer user content device;
selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation,
wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least
one of how long the content has been stored in the storage space of
the at least one consumer user content device, size of the content,
a selection by a user of the at least one consumer user content
device, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed
content; relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the
selected content when a predetermined condition is met; and
providing a user interface, by the off-site host system, to the at
least one consumer user content device, the user interface operable
for displaying content contained in the storage space of the at
least one consumer user content device and the relocated content,
wherein a storage location of the content is transparent to a user
based on the displaying; wherein relocating the selected content
includes: removing the content from the storage space; and
providing a link to the relocated content removed from the storage
space, the link providing access to the relocated
content..Iaddend.
.Iadd.19. A method for managing content storage and selection,
comprising: aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host
system, from a plurality of content providers; providing the
content to at least one consumer user content device; monitoring,
remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage
space of the at least one consumer user content device residing
locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity
in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the
content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device
contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon
the type of the at least one consumer user content device;
selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation,
wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least
one of how long the content has been stored in the storage space of
the at least one consumer user content device, size of the content,
a selection by a user of the at least one consumer user content
device, an inference based upon most frequently accessed content,
and an available remaining storage capacity of the storage space;
relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the selected
content when a predetermined condition is met; and providing a user
interface, by the off-site host system, to the at least one
consumer user content device, the user interface operable for
building a content library listing content contained in the storage
space of the at least one consumer user content device and the
relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection
application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database
and replicates the single copy for each consumer user content
device that includes the content item in its content library;
wherein relocating the selected content includes: removing the
content from the storage space; and providing a link in the content
library to the relocated content removed from the storage space,
the link providing access to the relocated content..Iaddend.
.Iadd.20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one consumer
user content device is associated with an account, the method
further comprising: in response to receiving a request from the at
least one consumer user content device to access a particular
content item, the off-site host system authenticating the request;
and in response to the authentication, the off-site host system
granting access to the particular content item..Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. The method of claim 20, wherein the authenticating the
request includes authenticating a user associated with the request
by validating a user identifier and a user password..Iaddend.
.Iadd.22. The method of claim 20, wherein the authenticating the
request includes authenticating the at least one consumer user
content device by validating an identifier associated with the at
least one consumer user content device received with the
request..Iaddend.
.Iadd.23. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one consumer
user content device is associated with an account owner, the method
further comprising: in response to receiving a request from the at
least one consumer user content device to access a particular
content item of the content, the off-site host system
authenticating the request; and in response to the authentication
indicating the request was not made by the account owner, the
off-site host system determining whether permissions exist to view
the particular content item..Iaddend.
.Iadd.24. The method of claim 23, wherein the determining whether
permissions exist to view the particular content item includes
determining whether viewing the particular content item carries a
subscriber fee..Iaddend.
.Iadd.25. The method of claim 23, further comprising: in response
to determining that permission exists to view the particular
content item, the off-site host system granting access to the
particular content item..Iaddend.
Description
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to managing content,
and more particularly, to methods, systems, and storage mediums for
managing content storage and selection services over a network.
Television programming customers are currently presented with a
fixed interface into their provider's available on-screen
programming listings from which they make choices on programs to
view. Many customers utilize personal recording devices in order to
build libraries of preferred programs for recurrent or subsequent
viewing. These personal recording devices offer fixed amounts of
storage, thereby limiting the amount of programming that may be
stored by the customer. In order to add to the library, one or more
programs need to be removed or deleted from storage, or
alternatively, the storage system needs to be upgraded to
accommodate additional content. If the customer does not wish to
upgrade, he/she may need to regularly monitor the current storage
availability, particularly in light of the storage requirements of
any selected programming content to be stored. This can be time
consuming and burdensome for the customer. Similar disadvantages
exist with other content storage devices such as computers, digital
music devices, digital cameras, and personal video recorders, to
name a few.
What is needed, therefore, is a way for customers to create and
maintain libraries of content that are easy and convenient to
access and manage without requiring upgrades to existing storage
systems or the acquisition of additional storage systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to methods, systems,
and storage mediums for managing content storage and selection
services over a communications network. Methods include aggregating
content from content providers and presenting the content to a
content device. The methods also include monitoring consumption of
storage space with respect to storage capacity in the content
device, relocating content contained in the storage space of the
content device when a predetermined condition is met, and providing
access to relocated content. The relocation is operable for freeing
up the storage space of the content device.
Other systems, methods, and/or computer program products according
to exemplary embodiments will be or become apparent to one with
skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed
description. It is intended that all such additional systems,
methods, and/or computer program products be included within this
description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be
protected by the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings wherein like elements are numbered
alike in the several FIGURES:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system upon which the content
storage and selection system may be implemented in exemplary
embodiments;
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a process for implementing the storage
management features of the content storage and selection system in
exemplary embodiments; and
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a process for implementing content
selection and security features of the content storage and
selection system in exemplary embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to exemplary embodiments, the content storage and
selection system provides content storage system monitoring,
management, and off-site storage services. The content storage and
selection system also facilitates the creation and management of
content libraries, browsing and acquisition of content from a
third-party content library or other content sources, and provides
security features. The storage may apply to any type of content
such as documents, text files, email, images, video, sound, music,
programming, and multimedia.
Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an exemplary system for
implementing the content storage and selection system is generally
shown. The exemplary system of FIG. 1 includes a host system 114 in
communication with content devices 102-112 via a network 120. Host
system 114 refers to the entity implementing the content storage
and selection services described herein. Users of content devices
102-112 may communicate with host system 114 utilizing one or a
combination of communications technologies including, e.g.,
satellite or cellular technology, circuit-switched networking, and
packet-switched networking, among others. The telecommunications
infrastructure utilized for enabling communications for content
devices 102-112 are well known and will be readily understood by
those skilled in the art.
The term "user" as described herein, refers to one or a combination
of: a consumer of content (e.g., an individual purchases a song via
the Internet and downloads the song to a personal computer; an
individual purchases a compact disk (CD) from a `brick and mortar`
establishment; etc.); a subscriber of content (e.g., an individual
receiving cable/satellite television programming, Internet
services, or other content pursuant to a subscription agreement);
or a user may be the owner or originator of the content (e.g.,
pictures taken on a camera or cellular telephone, a composition,
story, personal home video, etc.). The term "subscriber" also
encompasses other users that do not actually subscribe to a content
service but have access to it, such as members in the same
household as the subscriber.
In accordance with exemplary embodiments, devices 102-112 as shown
in FIG. 1 include a computer 102, a digital music device 104, an
Internet-enabled wireless telephone 106, a television 108 in
communication with a recording device 112, and a personal digital
assistant (PDA) 110. Television 108 may also include a set top box
(not shown) that includes, e.g., a wired or wireless remote control
for enabling a customer to access the services provided by the
content storage and selection system in conjunction with television
set 108. Alternatively, the functionality of the set top box
described above may be incorporated into the recording device 112.
Television 108 may present content pursuant to a subscription
agreement with, e.g., a cable television service provider,
satellite television service, or may present content originating
from a broadcast network or content originating from recording
device 112 (e.g., personal home video).
According to exemplary embodiments, recording device 112 refers to
a system that communicates with television 108 and/or the
associated set top box via a wireline or wireless technology, as
well as with external systems such as host system 114 via a service
provider network as shown in the system of FIG. 1. Recording device
112 may receive instructions from a computer user on personal
computer 102, from the set top box and/or television 108, and/or
from host system 114 regarding which programs will be presented on
television 108 or recorded by recorder device 112. Recorder device
112 may comprise memory (e.g., an internal hard drive or DVD drive)
whereby digital programming signals are received over the
communications network 120 and stored in the memory. Recording
device 112 may comprise a commercial product such as TiVo.TM.
produced by TiVo Inc. of Alviso, Calif. In alternate embodiments,
recording device 112 may be incorporated in the set top box of
television 108 as a single unit.
Computer 102 may comprise a desktop, laptop, or other similar
general-purpose computing device known in the art. Computer 102 may
include memory (e.g., floppy disk drive, hard disk drive) for
storing information such as files, documents, images, audio,
applications, and multimedia.
Digital music device 104 may comprise a portable digital recording
and playing device such as an iPod.RTM. player by Apple Computer,
Inc..RTM. of Cupertino, Calif., or an iAUDIO M3.RTM. by Cowon
Systems, Inc. of Seoul, Korea. Digital music device 104 may also
store digital games, pictures, and personal data such as calendars
or organizers, etc. In exemplary embodiments, digital music device
104 plays music in an audio format such as Moving Picture Experts
Group Audio Level 3 (MP3), Advanced Streaming Format (ASF), or WAV.
A user may download music or other content from the Internet via a
computer and store it on the digital music device 104. The
connection between the computer 102 and digital music device 104
may be wireline (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB) or may be
wireless (e.g., Bluetooth.TM.)). Accordingly, digital music device
104, as shown in the system of FIG. 1, is in communication with
computer 102. Alternatively, a user may copy content from, e.g., a
CD, onto computer 102 and, if desired, copy the content from the
computer 102 to the digital music device 104.
Wireless telephone 106 may include memory for storing items such as
voice messages, text messages, pictures, and personal information,
among others. Wireless telephone 106 may communicate via a cell
tower and mobile switching center (not shown), which, in turn, may
communicate with other networks via a central office (not
shown).
In exemplary embodiments, PDA 110 comprises a wireless computing
device with networking capability such as a web browser and an
Internet Service Provider subscription for allowing PDA 110 to
communicate digitally with other devices. PDA 110 may include
memory for storing documents, files, images, applications,
messages, etc.
It will be understood that other types of content devices (e.g.,
digital cameras, personal video recorders, etc.) may also be
serviced by the content storage and selection system in order to
realize the advantages of the invention. Accordingly, the content
devices 102-112 as shown in the system of FIG. 1 are provided for
illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting in
scope.
The content devices 102-112 may include a user interface that
enables a user to build and browse one or more libraries of content
as described further herein. It will be understood that the form of
user interface may vary from one content device to another (e.g.,
voice prompts and selections via key depressions may be used on a
telephone, web page user interface screen for a computer user,
etc.); however, in exemplary embodiments the functionality of the
user interface remains the same across all content devices. The
user interface may present a list of all content in the user's
library on a display screen of the content device. The listing of
content stored locally on the device and the content stored on the
network may be integrated and displayed to the user in such a way
that the actual storage location of the content (e.g., content
device 102-112, storage device 118) is transparent to the user. A
user may also share a `view` of his/her library with others on
another content device via the user interface.
Host system 114 provides content storage and selection system
services to its customer/user base. In exemplary embodiments, host
system 114 includes a server 116 that executes a content storage
and selection application. Server 116 may comprise any suitable
high-speed microprocessor capable of handling the volume of
activities provided by the features and functions of the content
storage and selection application. Server 116 may be accessed over
the communications network 120 and may further include a security
feature or firewall (not shown) in order to protect the integrity
of the data stored within host system 114. Other security features
are described further herein.
The content storage and selection application may include business
rules for monitoring and removing selected content from a content
device, managing the off-site network storage system, establishing
and maintaining user accounts, and implementing security features
as described herein. The content storage and selection application
includes logic that performs functions such as determining what
content will be stored locally on a user's content device and what
content should be stored on the network (i.e., storage device 118).
Various criteria may be utilized by the logic for making these
determinations. For example, individual user preferences may be
considered. Other criteria may include the total storage capacity
of the content device, the available remaining storage in the
content device (e.g., when 80% full, relocate content items to
network storage), the length of time a particular content item has
been stored in the user's library (e.g., content items stored
longer than five days will be relocated to network storage), and
where the content to be added to storage exceeds the available
remaining storage in the content device.
The content storage and selection application may also include
logic for inferentially determining how to manage content storage.
For example, the logic may determine that frequently accessed
content should remain in local storage on the user's content device
in order to allow for quick retrieval. By monitoring users'
activities conducted with respect to the users' content libraries,
the content storage and selection application may identify
relationships and similarities between the various libraries as
well as the activities conducted therein. As a result, users may be
provided with suggested or preferred content (e.g., users who
purchased DVD "A", also purchased DVD "B"). This logic may be
executed at host system 114 or may be shared with content devices
102-112.
In exemplary embodiments, host system 114 includes a storage device
118 that is in communication with the server 116 over a network
such as a local area network, wide area network, virtual private
network, etc. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, storage
device 118 refers to an off-site network storage system that stores
content on behalf of customers. If the host system 114 described in
the system of FIG. 1 is a content provider such as a cable
television enterprise, the programming content stored in storage
device 118 may include, e.g., broadcast programming, cable network
programming, premium channel programming, pay-per-view programming,
on-demand programming, digital music, etc. Alternatively, host
system 114 may also store content received from other sources. As
described above, host system 114 manages the content libraries of
each user. Host system 114 may also manager its own network
storage. For example, host system 114 may maintain a single copy of
certain content items (e.g., top ten new releases of DVDs) despite
the fact that many user libraries may list the content item as
being associated with each of the libraries. By doing so, network
storage space can be maximized.
In exemplary embodiments, storage device 118 also stores user
records. User records may include personal information relating to
the user (e.g., name, address, email, telephone number, etc.),
account information such as billing data, and user content
libraries containing listings of content saved in storage by, or on
behalf of, a user.
Also included in the system of FIG. 1 is a content owner system
122. Content owner system 122 refers to an owner of the property
rights to a content item or one who possesses related property
rights (licensing authority) with respect to the content item.
Content owner 122 may be a business enterprise that provides
content to its customers via, e.g., a service provider such as host
system 114. For example, content owner 122 may provide premium
channel content such as HBO.RTM. programming or Showtime.RTM.
programming under a subscription agreement with its customers.
Alternatively, content owner system 122 may refer to an individual,
rather than an enterprise, who possesses property rights in a
content item (e.g., a copyrighted composition).
A content source 124 is also included in the exemplary system of
FIG. 1. Content source 124 refers to an originating source, or
distribution source, of a content item. For example, content source
124 may be a cable or satellite television service provider, an
Internet service provider, an online merchant, a physical `brick
and mortar` establishment that sells, broadcasts, provides access
to, or distributes content.
As described above, host system 114 provides the content storage
and selection system services to its user/customer base. While host
system 114 is described herein as an independent entity, it will be
understood that the functionality of the content storage and
selection system services may be implemented by, or in conjunction
with, other entities such as content owner 122 or content source
124. Additionally, the host system 114 may also include a server
that aggregates content from other content providers and selects
and stores the content.
An exemplary process for monitoring storage activity and relocating
content for a content device will now be described with respect to
FIG. 2. Host system 114 monitors a customer's content device via a
communications link over network 120 in accordance with the type of
content device used by the customer at step 202. For example,
content devices 108 and 112 may be linked to the host system via a
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). Content device 108 displays
programming selected by a user either directly by channels
transmitting various programming, or by a previously recorded
program saved on recording device 112. These recorded programs may
be listed in a customer library for quick searching and access of
the content. Utilizing the DSL link to the recording device 112,
host system 114 monitors the remaining available storage space in
recording device 112.
As described above, business rules of the content storage and
selection application may dictate when and how the customer's
content in storage will be modified. These business rules may be
applied in, e.g., a processor at the host system 114, at the
content device, or a combination of both. For example, a content
device (e.g., recording device 112) may be purged at the request of
the customer, only when it reaches its full capacity, when it
reaches a pre-determined threshold (e.g., 80%), only when the
content to be added to storage exceeds the available remaining
storage in the content device, etc.
In exemplary embodiments, if the threshold (or other criteria
adopted above) has been met at step 204, the content storage and
selection application removes content from the content device (or a
reference to the content in the library); otherwise, the monitoring
may continue at step 202. Business rules may be adopted for
specifying which content materials will be purged (e.g., the oldest
stored content, the largest content files, customer-selected
content, least-accessed content, etc.). If the content removed does
not already exist in storage device 118 of the host system 114, the
content may be saved to the storage device 118. If the content
removed does exist in storage device 118, then the content storage
and selection application may maintain a single copy of the content
that is replicated for each customer who accesses the content and
who includes the content in their content library. In this manner,
network storage space may be preserved.
According to exemplary embodiments, the content storage and
selection application associates a link to the removed content
within the user library so that the customer may continue to access
the content (e.g., via a download over the network 120) at step
208. The demarcation of storage facility sources for content
associated with a customer library (e.g., on-site content device
storage, off-site network storage) may be imperceptible to the
customer. The process returns to step 202 whereby the content
storage and selection application may continue monitoring the
status of the content device storage.
As indicated above, the content storage and selection system may
also provide security features and enable content sharing among
customers. These features will now be described with respect to
FIG. 3. According to exemplary embodiments, at step 302 a request
to access content stored in storage device 118 is received at the
host system 114. The content storage and selection application
performs authentication and validation relating to the request at
step 304. One or more security features may be utilized by the host
system 114 for authenticating and validating requests for content.
For example, a security feature may be directed to authenticating
the individual who is requesting access to content (e.g., via a
user identification and password). Another security feature may be
directed to validating the user account and content device
utilizing, for example, a security token. Additionally, or
alternatively, a security feature may be directed to authenticating
the content device from which the request was received using, e.g.,
an identifier associated with the content device that is retrieved
over the network. Security may also be implemented by associating a
customer content library with a physical transmission medium (e.g.,
DSL line), which would limit the content access to a fixed physical
location (e.g., customer home).
In exemplary embodiments, if the authentication/validation
performed at step 304 indicates that the request has been initiated
by the account owner, the content storage and selection application
grants access to the content associated with the account owner
(e.g., content library) at step 306. If the
authentication/validation indicates that the request initiated is
not by the owner of the account, the content storage and selection
application may check to determine whether any permissions exist to
view the content at step 308. For example, the host system 114 may
have placed restrictions on the acquisition or sharing of a
particular content item listed in the content library such as in
the case of premium programming that carry additional subscriber
fees. If no restrictions exist at step 308, the content storage and
selection application may grant access to the content at step 310.
This step may include including a listing for the content in the
requester's content library and a link to the storage device 118
for future access to the content.
Alternatively, the content owner 122 may have an agreement with the
host system 114 whereby content may be shared to non-subscribers of
the content owner's services provided that the content owner
receives compensation. At step 312, it is determined whether the
content may be sold to the user. If not, access to the content is
denied at step 314. If there exists an agreement (e.g., implied or
express) between the host system 114 and the content owner 122 to
sell/share the content, the host system 114 grants access to the
content at step 316 for a fee. The agreement may provide the terms
and conditions for activities such as which entity (e.g., host
system 114, content owner 122) handles the billing and accounting
procedures for the transaction. The terms and conditions may also
include digital rights management roles and responsibilities of the
entities 114 and 122. At step 318, the user is billed for the
content. In exemplary embodiments, the content storage and
selection application tracks this activity and bills the requesting
party for the content and content storage and compensates the
content owner 122.
According to exemplary embodiments, the content storage and
selection system provides content storage system monitoring,
management, and off-site storage services. The content storage and
selection system also facilitates the creation and management of
content libraries, browsing and acquisition of content from a
third-party content library, and security features. The storage may
apply to any type of content such as documents, text files, email,
images, video, sound, and multimedia. A customer (e.g., an
individual that subscribes to a content service such as a cable
television service, a satellite television service, an Internet
service, etc.) may receive content from the content provider in
accordance with a service plan (e.g., basic cable service with
limited channels, extended cable with selected premium channels,
Internet service and messaging, etc.).
As described above, embodiments may be in the form of
computer-implemented processes and apparatuses for practicing those
processes. In exemplary embodiments, the invention is embodied in
computer program code executed by one or more network elements.
Embodiments include computer program code containing instructions
embodied in tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard
drives, or any other computer-readable storage medium, wherein,
when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a
computer, the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the
invention. Embodiments include computer program code, for example,
whether stored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by
a computer, or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as
over electrical wiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via
electromagnetic radiation, wherein, when the computer program code
is loaded into and executed by a computer, the computer becomes an
apparatus for practicing the invention. When implemented on a
general-purpose microprocessor, the computer program code segments
configure the microprocessor to create specific logic circuits.
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary
embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for
elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention.
In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular
situation or material to the teachings of the invention without
departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is
intended that the invention not be limited to the particular
embodiments disclosed for carrying out this invention, but that the
invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of
the claims.
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