Patent Application
20060218620
None
The present invention relates generally to the field of digital video recorders and more particularly to a network digital video recorder and method.
Present digital video recorders (DVR) are used by their owners to record television programs that they will not be able to view at their normal time. In addition, people use their digital video recorders to record a program that conflicts with another program that they want to watch. However it a person forgets to setup their digital video recorder to record a program, there is no way for the person to view this past program.
In addition a user may record an event, such as a local kids' baseball game, and want to share this with his neighbors. Presently, the user must make copies of the video tape or DVD or risk losing the original.
Thus there exists a need for a system that allows a person to view past programs they forgot to record and to share copies of personal videos.
A network digital video recorder that overcomes these and other problems has a number of set top boxes each having an individual digital video recorder. A peer-to-peer network connects the set top boxes. A digital rights management client operates on the set top boxes. An electronic rights server is coupled to the peer-to-peer network. A switched network is coupled to the electronic rights server and to the peer-to-peer network. A content index server is coupled to the peer-to-peer network. The set top boxes are coupled to a digital subscriber line access multiplexer. The set top boxes may be coupled to a cable television network. The set top box may nave an input for receiving and storing a personal video.
In one embodiment, a method of operating a network digital video recorder includes the steps of selecting a past program by a user at a first node. Next it is determined if the user is entitled to view the past program. When the user is entitled to view the past program, it is determined if a node of a peer-to-peer network contains the past program. When the node of the peer-to-peer network contains the past program, a copy of the past program is downloaded to the first node. The past program on a set top box coupled to a cable television network is selected. A client program to is activated to determine if the user is entitled to view the past program. A query may be transmitted over the peer-to-peer network for the past program. A query may be transmitted to an index server. A first node may be coupled through a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to the peer-to-peer network.
In one embodiment, a network digital video recorder has a number of set top boxes. Each of the set top boxes has an individual digital video recorder. A peer-to-peer network connects the set top boxes. An index server is coupled to the peer-to-peer network. The index server tracks the location of selections. A digital rights manager may be coupled to the peer-to-peer network. The digital rights manager may include a client on each of the set top boxes. The digital rights manager may include an electronic program guide index server. The set top boxes may each have an uplink port. The set top boxes may be coupled through a digital subscriber line access multiplexer to the peer-to-peer network.
A network digital video recorder as described herein allows a user to view past programs that they forgot to record or to share home videos without having to make a copy or risk losing the original.
The DSLAMs 46, 52, 58 serve to aggregate traffic in and out of the nodes (STB) 42, 44, 48, 50, 54, 56 in a specific proximity to a DSLAM. Since, DSLAMs are commonly deployed on a neighborhood basis they identify natural communities. The peer-to-peer content hosted on the nodes (STB) within a DSLAM area is generally of interest to other users on the same DSLAM. This makes it particularly advantageous for local or community content such as personal recordings of little league games, community video newsletters etc. Content downloaded from one node (STB) to another node (STB) on the same DSLAM does not have to traverse the network provider's backbone. The set top boxes are IP (Internet Protocol) based devices. Each set top boxes has a peer-to-peer software client. When a user's STB is provisioned for video service from a service provider (e.g., cable television) a service profile is downloaded onto the STB. The service profile is an XML description of the user's rights or entitlements in one embodiment. The service profile may also contain buddy lists, preference etc that the user has configured though a web interface. In one embodiment, the service entitlements group may have a service-ID (identification) to simplify subsequent searches. When a user wants to search for content, he uses the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) to pick a program to view (hear). If the program is a past program the peer-to-peer client is invoked to search the nodes on the peer-to-peer network. The query is limited by the entitlements, which may defined by the service ID, of the user requesting the past program. In one embodiment, this means that the user will not see any results for a program that they are not entitled to view. In another embodiment, the user will see the past program, but it will be shaded (or otherwise marked) so that the user knows they are not allowed access to the past program.
The query may be sent to a central index such as the registry 64. This requires that when a user records or stores a program on their STB a message is set to the registry 64 by the peer-to-peer client that the program is stored on a certain node. In another embodiment, the registry 64 may poll the STB 42, 44, 48, 50, 54, 56 for this information. In another embodiment, the query may be broadcast out over the peer-to-peer network. Note that local or privately made content can be uploaded to a STB.
In one embodiment, a user who hits record for a program that is already broadcasting will record locally the program from that point forward. The peer-to-peer client on their STB then transmits a query for the program to determine if the program was recorded from the beginning by another node. If the program was recorded by another node, the first part of the program is downloaded to the users' STB and merged with the locally recorded portion of the program.
The DSLAM 74 is coupled by a switch network 88 to an EPG and rights server 90. The EPG 90 may contain a listing of the rights each STB 72 has to various programs. The switched network (packet switched or circuit switched???) 88 may also be coupled to a peer-to-peer index 92. The peer-to-peer index 92 stores an index of the programs that are stored on the DVR 84 of each node. A number of different methods may be used to update this index.
The methods described herein can be implemented as computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium that when executed by a computer will perform the methods described herein.
While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alterations, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications, and variations in the appended claims.
