Apparatus and methods for network video recording

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9277266-B2
Application number	US-40688109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2009
Priority date	Mar 18, 2009
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for the capture and delivery of content over a network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network, and the apparatus comprises a local server which stores, processes and assembles content prior to its delivery to a VOD server, thus obviating the need for superfluous VOD storage. This approach also facilitates various pre-streaming processing in a video recording (e.g., nPVR) system, and gives a network operator dynamic control over local playlists. In another embodiment, the local server of the improved system obviates the need for a VOD server in the nPVR system. One or more content libraries adapted to facilitate nPVR content access across one or more regions of a broadcast network are also disclosed. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively inserted into nPVR content. Various access, business or operational rules and methods implementing the foregoing are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for delivery of content via a network personal video recorder in a content delivery network, said method comprising:
ingesting said content via a network-initiated determination, in real-time;
processing said content, said processing comprising:
segmenting said content into a plurality of elements, each of said segmented plurality of elements comprising at least one splice point;
creating a virtual file comprising a plurality of pointers, each associated to a physical location of a storage block for storing respective ones of said plurality of elements of said content, said virtual file stored with said content; and
removing one or more discontinuity artifacts between one or more of said segmented plurality of elements in real-time by transcoding only data near said at least one splice point in said segmented plurality of elements;
storing said segmented content elements;
receiving a request for at least a portion of said content;
generating a content stream using at least a portion of said content elements;
sending said content stream to one or more users;
during said act of sending said content stream to said one or more users, monitoring a transmission rate of said act of sending and a number of retransmission requests by said one or more users;
determining a transmission efficiency based, at least in part, on said transmission rate and said number of retransmission requests by said one or more users; and
adjusting said transmission rate when said determined transmission efficiency is less than a threshold level.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of segmenting comprises cutting said content stream at one or more I-frame boundaries.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of generating said content stream comprises at least assembling said segmented content elements with one or more advertisement segments.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said act of generating said content stream further comprises transcoding said assembled content elements and said one or more advertisement segments.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising generating metadata regarding said stored content elements.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said one or more advertisement segments are selected based at least in part on a comparison of metadata associated with said advertisement segments and said metadata regarding said stored content elements.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of sending said content stream to said one or more users comprises sending said content stream to an on-demand server.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of sending said content stream to said one or more users comprises sending said content stream to a content library.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of ingesting said content is performed at least in part in response to receipt of at least one user request.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of ingesting said content is performed based at least in part on receipt of at least a cable network provider request.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said act of storing comprises storing said segmented content elements on a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) storage device.

12. A system for acquisition and distribution of content in a content delivery network, said system comprising:
at least one staging processor adapted to:
acquire first content;
identify a plurality of I-frames within said acquired first content;
generate a plurality of segments of said acquired first content by a division of said acquired first content at one or more of said plurality of identified I-frames; and
insert additional content between individual ones of said plurality of segments to generate second content;

at least one storage entity, said storage entity adapted to store said second content;
at least one local video on demand (VOD) server entity, said VOD server entity adapted to:
upon request for said first content from a requesting device, request and receive said second content from said storage entity;
generate a content stream via at least portions of said second content;
distribute said content stream via said network to said requesting device
monitor a transmission rate of said distribution of said content stream;
evaluate a number of retransmission requests by said requesting device;
determine a transmission efficiency based, at least in part, on said transmission rate and said number of retransmission requests; and
adjust said transmission rate based on said determined transmission efficiency.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein said system further comprises one or more on-demand servers, said on-demand servers adapted to receive and transmit said content stream to at least one CPE associated with said network.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein said system further comprises at least one content library, said content library adapted to:
receive a request for content from at least one CPE associated with said network; and
establish a mechanism for delivery of said requested content to said at least one CPE.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein said mechanism for said delivery of said requested content comprises a request from said content library for said requested content from said at least one local server entity, and deliver of said requested content to said at least one CPE.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein said mechanism for said delivery of said requested content comprises receipt at least one local server entity of said request forwarded from said content library, and said at least one local server entity enabled to communicate with said at least one CPE via said forwarded request.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein said generation of said content stream comprises at least assembly of said segmented content with onr or more advertisement segments.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein said generation of said content stream further comprises generation of a transcoded version of said assembled content and advertisement segments.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein said at least one local server entity is further adapted to generate metadata regarding said stored content.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein said one or more advertisement segments are selected based at least in part on a comparison of metadata associated with said advertisement segments and said metadata regarding said stored content.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein distribution of said content stream comprises delivery of said content stream to an on-demand server.

22. The system of claim 12 ; Wherein said distribution of said content stream comprises delivery of said content stream directly to at least one CPE associated with said network.

23. A method for delivery of content via a network personal video recorder in a content distribution network, said method comprising:
receiving a request for content specific to a geographic region to which a first apparatus is associated from a centralized content library on behalf of a second apparatus not associated with said specific geographic region;
ingesting said content based on said request;
processing said content, said processing comprising segmenting said content into a plurality of elements, and creating a virtual file comprising at least one pointer associated with a physical location of a chapter storage block of said content;
storing said segmented content elements and said virtual file;
generatin

Assignees

• Riedl Steven
• Santangelo Bryan
• Hasek Charles
• Mahonchak Craig
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Riedl Steven
• Santangelo Bryan
• Hasek Charles
• Mahonchak Craig

Classifications

• H04N21/47202 Primary

  for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand · CPC title

• H04N21/4147

  PVR [Personal Video Recorder] (H04N5/76 takes precedence {; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40}) · CPC title

• H04N21/274 Primary

  Storing end-user {multimedia} data in response to end-user request {, e.g. network recorder} · CPC title

• H04N21/47217

  for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks (specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312) · CPC title

• H04N21/2225

  Local VOD servers · CPC title