# US 11,444,995 B2 · Delivering content in multiple formats > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,444,995 B2 - Document ID: US11444995B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/136,491 - Filed: 2020-12-29 - Published: 2021-04-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-30 - Assignees: TiVo Inc. - Applicants: Tivo Corporation - Inventors: Danial E. Holden; Austin J. Vrbas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444995B2 ## CPC - H04L 65/764: {at the destination (reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355)} - H04N 21/23439: {for generating different versions} - H04N 21/2402: {Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876)} - H04N 21/25825: {involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone (optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06)} - H04N 21/6118: {involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem} - H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Content may be received at an edge location in one format, but delivered to a terminal on an access network in another format. The received content may be transcoded at the edge location. The transcoded content may be stored, or immediately delivered. The transcoded content may be fragmented prior to storage. Multiple copies of the transcoded content may be maintained in multiple formats. These formats may be aligned with one another such that delivery of the content can include delivering portions of the content in one format and other portions of the content in another format. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for transcoding a content item received in a first encoding format of a plurality of encoding formats in which content can be encoded, comprising: determining that a second encoding format of the plurality of encoding formats constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, and that a third encoding format of the plurality of encoding formats constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content; receiving the content item from a content source, wherein the received content item is encoded in the first encoding format; in response to receiving the content item from the content source, and prior to receiving a request for the content item and based on the determination that the second encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, transcoding the content item into the second encoding format and storing the content item transcoded into the second encoding format; receiving, from a terminal, a request for the content item in the third encoding format; and in response to receiving the request for the content item in the third encoding format, transcoding the content item into the third encoding format and transmitting the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the transcoding of the content item into the third encoding format is not performed until the request for the content item in the third encoding format is received from the terminal, based on the determination that the third encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to receiving the request for the content item in the third encoding format and transcoding the content item into the third encoding format, storing the content item transcoded into the third encoding format. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the content item is transcoded into the third encoding format from the second encoding format. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to transmitting the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal, verifying that the content item transcoded into the third encoding format meets one or more quality requirements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the first encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content; and in response to determining the first encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, storing the content item received from the content source in the first encoding format. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the first encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content; and in response to determining the first encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content, declining to store the content item received from the content source in the first encoding format. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an edge server is configured to receive the content item from the content source and transmit the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining capabilities of the terminal; and determining that the request for the content item constitutes a request for the content item in the third encoding format based on a determination that the third encoding format is appropriate for the terminal given the capabilities of the terminal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that the request for the content item constitutes a request for the content item in the third encoding format based on a determination that the request specifies that the content item be delivered in the third encoding format. ### Claim 11 A system for transcoding a content item received in a first encoding format of a plurality of encoding formats in which content can be encoded, comprising: control circuitry configured to: determine that a second encoding format of the plurality of encoding formats constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, and that a third encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content; input/output (I/O) circuitry configured to: receive the content item from a content source, wherein the received content is encoded in the first encoding format, and store the received content item encoded in the first encoding format; wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: in response to receiving the content item from the content source, and prior to receiving a request for the content item and based on the determination that the second encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, transcode the content item into the second encoding format and storing the content item transcoded into the second encoding format; receive, from a terminal, a request for the content item in the third encoding format; and in response to receiving the request for the content item in the third encoding format, transcode the content item into the third encoding format and transmit the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein: the transcoding of the content item into the third encoding format is not performed until the request for the content item in the third encoding format is received from the terminal, based on the determination that the third encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: in response to receiving the request for the content item in the third encoding format and transcoding the content item into the third encoding format, store the content item transcoded into the third encoding format. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the content item is transcoded into the third encoding format from the second encoding format. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: prior to transmitting the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal, verify that the content item transcoded into the third encoding format meets one or more quality requirements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: determine the first encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content; and in response to determining the first encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, store the content item received from the content source in the first encoding format. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: determine the first encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content; and in response to determining the first encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content, decline to store the content item received from the content source in the first encoding format. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein an edge server comprises the control circuitry that is configured to receive the content item from the content source and transmit the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: determine capabilities of the terminal; and determine that the request for the content item constitutes a request for the content item in the third encoding format based on a determination that the third encoding format is appropriate for the terminal given the capabilities of the terminal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to: determine that the request for the content item constitutes a request for the content item in the third encoding format based on a determination that the request specifies that the content item be delivered in the third encoding format.