Cloud-based content collection and distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016371290-A1
Application number	US-201615253873-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2016
Priority date	May 6, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cloud-based media content management system for managing access to media content items is disclosed. Managing access to media content items by a cloud-based media content management system may include, for example, managing uploads of media content items from a population of media devices, reducing duplication of media content data stored in cloud-based storage, and providing user-controlled access to media content items stored in cloud-based storage across any number of user devices. In this context, a cloud-based media content management system and cloud-based storage system generally refer to hosted computing and data storage services that may be accessed by media devices and other devices over a digital network such as the Internet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
receiving, from a media device associated with a user account, a segment identification value identifying a segment of a media content item comprising a plurality of segments; determining, based on the segment identification value, whether a specified number of copies of the same segment of the media content item exist in a cloud storage system; in response to determining that less than the specified number of copies of the same segment of the media content exists in the cloud storage system, sending instructions to the media device to send the segment of the media content item to the cloud storage system; storing metadata associated with the user account, the metadata indicating that the segment sent by the media device is associated with the user account.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from the media device, an identifier of the user account.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of copies of the same segment of the media content item that exist in the cloud storage system includes copies of the same segment currently being uploaded by other media devices to the cloud storage system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified number of copies is greater than one.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the media device associated with the user account, a second segment identification value associated with a second segment of the media content item; determining, based at least on the second segment identification value, to instruct the media device not to upload the second segment to the cloud storage system; in response to determining to instruct the media device not to upload the second segment, sending, to the media device, a command not to upload the second segment.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to instruct the media device to upload the segment to the cloud storage system is based in part on historical segment quality information for the media device.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to instruct the media device to upload the segment to the cloud storage system is based in part on determining whether the media device is designated as a preferred uploader.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from a second media device associated with the user account, a request for the media content item; identifying, based on the media content item and the user account, a series of segments for the media content item; generating, based on the identified series of segments, a data stream to send to the second media device; sending the data stream to the media device.

9 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable medium, storing one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform:
receiving, from a media device associated with a user account, a segment identification value identifying a segment of a media content item comprising a plurality of segments; determining, based on the segment identification value, whether a specified number of copies of the same segment of the media content item exist in a cloud storage system; in response to determining that less than the specified number of copies of the same segment of the media content exists in the cloud storage system, sending instructions to the media device to send the segment of the media content item to the cloud storage system; storing metadata associated with the user account, the metadata indicating that the segment sent by the media device is associated with the user account.

10 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising receiving, from the media device, an identifier of the user account.

11 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the number of copies of the same segment of the media content item that exist in the cloud storage system includes copies of the same segment currently being uploaded by other media devices to the cloud storage system.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the specified number of copies is greater than one.

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to further perform:
receiving, from the media device associated with the user account, a second segment identification value associated with a second segment of the media content item; determining, based at least on the second segment identification value, to instruct the media device not to upload the second segment to the cloud storage system; in response to determining to instruct the media device not to upload the second segment, sending, to the media device, a command not to upload the second segment.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining whether to instruct the media device to upload the segment to the cloud storage system is based in part on historical segment quality information for the media device.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining whether to instruct the media device to upload the segment to the cloud storage system is based in part on determining whether the media device is designated as a preferred uploader.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to further perform:
receiving, from a second media device associated with the user account, a request for the media content item; identifying, based on the media content item and the user account, a series of segments for the media content item; generating, based on the identified series of segments, a data stream to send to the second media device; sending the data stream to the media device.

17 . An apparatus, comprising:
a media device communications receiver that receives, from a media device associated with a user account, a segment identification value identifying a segment of a media content item comprising a plurality of segments; a media content collector that determines, based on the segment identification value, whether a specified number of copies of the same segment of the media content item exist in a cloud storage system; wherein in response to determining that less than the specified number of copies of the same segment of the media content exists in the cloud storage system, the media content collector sends instructions to the media device to send the segment of the media content item to the cloud storage system; a storage device that stores metadata associated with the user account, the metadata indicating that the segment sent by the media device is associated with the user account.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the media device communications receiver receives, from the media device, an identifier of the user account.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the number of copies of the same segment of the media content item that exist in the cloud storage system includes copies of the same segment currently being uploaded by other media devices to the cloud storage system.

20 . The apparatus of

Assignees

• Tivo Inc

Inventors

• Danovitz Joshua
• Kulick Todd
• Stevens Paul
• Sinnott Joe
• Redman Scott
• Besserer Roland

Classifications

• G06F16/483

  using metadata automatically derived from the content · CPC title

• H04L67/561

  Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• H04N21/4788

  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 title

• H04N21/47214

  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