Methods and systems for content storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12192585-B2
Application number	US-202117141727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

Provided are methods and systems for reducing content storage space and network resources. A device, such as a network storage device, can receive a plurality of requests to record a content item with varying start times and end times. The network device can map the start time and end time of each request to a subscriber, premises, and/or device. The network device can determine the earliest of the start times associated with the content item and the latest of the end times associated with the content item. In an aspect, the network device can make a recording, starting at the earliest start time and ending at the latest end time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a media device, a request to store a content item including primary content and an advertisement, wherein the request comprises an advertisement setting and an offset start time for the content item;
generating, based on the advertisement setting, a stored content item, wherein inclusion of the advertisement with the primary content in the stored content item is based on the advertisement setting; and
causing, based on a request for the content item from the media device, the media device to output the stored content item starting from at the offset start time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content item comprises one or more of: a live broadcast or on-demand content and wherein generating the stored content item comprises recording the live broadcast.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media device comprises one or more of: a set-top-box, a cell phone, a laptop computer, or a streaming media device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the advertisement setting comprises an indication of one or more of: a request for an advertisement, a request for limited advertisements, a request for no advertisements, a requested start time, or a requested end time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored content item comprises closed-caption content.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the media device to output the stored content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a second media device, a second request to store the content item, wherein the request comprises a second request attribute;
generating, based on the second request attribute, a second stored content item wherein the second stored content item complies with the second request attribute; and
sending the second stored content item to the second media device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the offset start time comprises a delayed start time.

9. A method comprising:
receiving, from a media device, a request to store a content item including primary content and an advertisement, wherein the request comprises an advertisement setting and an offset start time for the content item;
generating, based on the request to store the content item and the offset start time, a stored content item;
determining, based on the advertisement setting, an instruction; and
sending, to the media device, the stored content item and the instruction, wherein the instruction is configured to cause the media device to output the advertisement of the stored content item so as to comply with the advertisement setting and to output the primary content of the stored content item so as to comply with the offset start time.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the media device comprises one or more of: a set-top-box, a cell phone, a laptop computer, or a streaming media device.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the content item comprises one or more of: a live broadcast or on-demand content and wherein generating the stored content item comprises recording the live broadcast.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the advertisement setting comprises an indication of one or more of: a request for an advertisement, a request for a limited quantity of advertisements, a request for no advertisements, a requested start time, or a requested end time.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the instruction is configured to cause the media device to one or more of: skip all advertisements during output of the stored content item; skip a quantity of advertisements during output of the stored content item, skip no advertisements during output of the stored content item, crop all advertisements out of the stored content item, crop the quantity of advertisements out of the stored content item, or crop no advertisements out of the stored content item.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising causing, based on the instruction, the media device to output a modified version of the stored content item.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, from the media device, a signal indicating a change in the advertisement setting; and
based on the signal indicating the change in the advertisement setting, sending a second instruction to the media device.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the offset start time comprises a delayed start time.

17. A method comprising:
receiving, from a media device, a request to store a content item including primary content and an advertisement;
generating, based on the request, one or more stored content items, wherein each stored content item of the one or more stored content items complies with an advertisement setting of one or more advertisement settings;
sending, to the media device, the one or more stored content items and one or more selectable options, wherein the one or more selectable options correspond to the one or more advertisement settings;
causing the media device to store the one or more stored content items;
receiving, from the media device, a selection of a selectable option of the one or more selectable options; and
based on the selection of the selectable option, causing the media device to delete a stored content item of the one or more stored content items that does not comply with the selectable option.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the stored content item comprises one or more advertisements.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the media device comprises one or more of: a set-top-box, a cell phone, a laptop computer, or a streaming media device.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein generating the one or more stored content items comprises recording a live broadcast.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more advertisement settings comprises an indication to one or more of: skip all advertisements during output of the stored content item; skip a quantity of advertisements during output of the stored content item, skip no advertisements during output of the stored content item, crop all advertisements out of the stored content item, crop the quantity of advertisements out of the stored content item, or crop no advertisements out of the stored content item.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein causing the media device to store the one or more stored content items comprises causing the media device to store the one or more stored content items in a temporary storage.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Hertzfeld Bruce
• Mckelvey Mark
• Day Thomas

Classifications

• 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

• H04N21/2747

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

• H04N21/47214 Primary

  for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market (stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224) · CPC title