Apparatus and methods for recording, accessing, and delivering packetized content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10148992-B2
Application number	US-201715483948-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	May 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Apparatus and methods to manage recording of streaming packetized content (such as for example live IP packetized content) for access, retrieval and delivering thereof to one or more users. In one embodiment, the foregoing is accomplished via communication between a recording manager and a receiver/decoder device. The recording manager manages and schedules recording of content on behalf of the receiver/decoder device (and/or mobile devices) disposed at a user's premises. The recording manager runs one or more computer programs designed to receive requests to record packetized content from one or more consumer devices, and use metadata contained within the requests to cause a cloud storage entity or premises storage device to record the content at its scheduled date/time (either via the receiver/decoder device itself, or another network entity). In this manner, the recording manager provides digital video recording (DVR) functionality to devices that would be otherwise incapable of scheduling a recording and/or recording such content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computerized method of providing digitally rendered content to a computerized client device of a managed network, the computerized method comprising:
receiving data relating to a request to record a streamable digital content element, the request originating from a computerized client device associated with a user identifier;
processing a plurality of user data, the plurality of user data comprising at least the user identifier;
based at least in part on the processing of the plurality of user data, forming a virtual control boundary corresponding to the user identifier, the virtual control boundary extending one or more of possession or control from the computerized client device to at least a digital storage location within a multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage apparatus of the managed network;
based at least in part on the request and the virtual control boundary, causing storage of the streamable digital content element at the digital data storage location within the multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage apparatus via a recording apparatus of the managed network; and
subsequent to the storage of the streamable digital content element, enabling availability of the stored digital content element for streaming delivery from the digital storage location within the multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage apparatus over the managed network;

wherein the data relating to the request at least in part comprises metadata; and wherein the computerized method further comprises:
utilizing at least the metadata to determine that the computerized client device is a legacy, non-IP enabled device; and
based on determining that the computerized client device is a legacy, non-IP enabled device, delivering via a streaming delivery session the stored digital content element to a non-legacy, IP enabled computerized client device associated with the user identification.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising:
utilizing the metadata to validate whether the user identifier is associated with a registered subscriber of the managed network; and
based at least in part on a determination that the user identifier is validated as associated with the registered subscriber of the managed network, establishing a data communications session between the computerized client device and a computerized process of the managed network;
wherein the metadata further comprises data identifying one or more of the user or the computerized client device.

3. The computerized method of claim 2 , wherein the user identifier comprises a globally unique identifier (GUID) and/or log-in information.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the metadata to determine whether the computerized client device is within or associated to a premises serviced by the managed network, the determination comprising associating the computerized client device with an authorized network access point.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the metadata to authorize access to the streamable digital content element based on a subscription level associated with the user identifier.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the database comprises information linking metadata regarding at least one of (i) the user identifier, and (ii) the computerized client device to the streamable digital content element and to the digital data storage location, the digital data storage location within the multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage accessible to a plurality of computerized client devices associated with the user identifier.

7. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of user data further comprises data relating to one or more common characteristics associated with the user identifier and one or more other user identifiers, the one or more other user identifiers each associated with one or more other computerized client devices; and
the forming the virtual control boundary comprises forming a group virtual control boundary corresponding to (i) the user identifier and (ii) the one or more other user identifiers.

8. The computerized method of claim 7 , wherein the forming the group virtual control boundary comprises forming the group virtual control boundary using at least a plurality of individual virtual control boundaries.

9. The computerized method of claim 7 , wherein the enabling availability of the stored digital content element for streaming delivery over the managed network from the location within the multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage comprises enabling availability of the stored digital content element for streaming delivery from the location within the multi-user partitioned cloud-based storage over the managed network to only the non-legacy, IP enabled computerized client device and the one or more other computerized client devices respectively associated with the one or more other in the group virtual control boundary.

10. Computerized network apparatus having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising at least one computer program, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by a processing apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:
receive, from a first computerized client device, data indicative of a request for recording a live digital content element, the data indicative of the request at least in part comprising metadata;
cause transmission of data relating to at least one message to a computerized network entity in data communication with a managed network, the computerized network entity configured to cause recording of the live digital content element at a predetermined time, the at least one message comprising at least information identifying at least the live digital content element;
receive data indicative of at least a digital data storage location where the recorded live digital content element is located, the digital data storage location associated with at least the first computerized client device;
identify, based at least in part on the metadata, that the first computerized client device is a non-IP enabled client device;
form a trusted domain between at least the first computerized client device and one or more IP enabled computerized client devices, the trusted domain configured to enable content access and based at least in part on common user identifier shared by the first computerized client device and the one or more IP enabled computerized client devices; and
based at least in part on the formed trusted domain and the identifying, provide the digital data storage location of the recorded live digital content element to at least a first one of the one or more IP enabled computerized client devices so as to enable streaming of the recorded live digital content element to the at least first one of the one or more IP enabled computerized client devices via the managed network.

11. The computerized network apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the digital data storage location comprises a cloud storage apparatus disposed an edge node of the managed network, the disposition of the cloud storage apparatus at the edge node configured to distribute at least a portion of a load associated with delivery of the recorded live digital content element away from a core portion of the managed network.

12. The computerized network apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the processing apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to generate data indicative of a prediction of a popularity of the live dig

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Sarosi George
• Miles Wilfred Jaime
• Cholas Chris

Classifications

• H04N21/45

  Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts · CPC title

• H04N21/436

  Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB {or one or more peripheral devices} inside the home · CPC title

• H04N21/4334

  Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27) · CPC title

• H04N21/433

  Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations · CPC title

• H04N21/2747 Primary

  Remote storage of video programmes received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server · CPC title