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US 8,429,701 B2Granted
System and method to deliver video content
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsArmstrong Soo, Bernard Ku, Zhi Li
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of delivering video content includes identifying a television program scheduled to be broadcast at a time during a peak viewing period, and identifying a recipient multimedia storage device that is to receive video content associated with the television program. The method also includes sending the video content associated with the television program to the recipient multimedia storage device during a non-peak viewing period that precedes the peak viewing period. The video content includes data to prevent viewing of the video content prior to the time when the television program is scheduled to be broadcast.
Claims20
A multimedia storage device comprising:
- a memory storing computer instructions;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
- receiving a command from a requesting device to record video content related to a television program;
- determining at the multimedia storage device that the video content related to the television program is scheduled to be broadcast to the multimedia storage device during a peak viewing period;
- sending an indication signal to a pre-load server responsive to determining that the broadcast is scheduled during the peak viewing period;
- receiving and storing at the multimedia storage device the video content related to the television program at a time prior to the peak viewing period;
- receiving from the requesting device, a request to send the video content related to the television program from the multimedia storage device to a second device at a request time;
- sending a denial of access indicator to a second device, responsive to the request time preceding a scheduled broadcast time of the video content related to the television program;
- and
- causing the received video content to be sent to the second device on or after the scheduled broadcast time, responsive to the request time not preceding the scheduled broadcast time.
8 more elements
A set-top box device, comprising:
- a memory storing computer instructions;
- and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
- receiving from a requesting device a request to view or download a television program;
- determining at the set-top box that the television program is scheduled to be broadcast during a peak viewing period;
- in response to determining that the television program is scheduled to be broadcast during the peak viewing period, automatically requesting video content related to the television program from an associated multimedia storage device before requesting the video content from a video service provider via an access network;
- determining if the associated multimedia storage device does not have a copy of the video content;
- commanding the associated multimedia storage device to record the video content responsive to determining the associated multimedia storage device does not have the copy of the video content;
- sending an indication signal to the video service provider responsive to commanding the associated multimedia storage device to record the video content;
- receiving the video content from the video service provider responsive to sending the indication signal;
- receiving from a requesting device, a request to send the video content related to the television program to a second device at a display time;
- and
- sending a denial of access indicator to the second device, responsive to the display time preceding a scheduled broadcast time of the video content related to the television program.
10 more elements
A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising processor-readable instructions, which responsive to being executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving from a requesting device, a command to record video content related to a television program;
- determining that the video content related to the television program is scheduled for broadcast at a scheduled broadcast time occurring during a peak viewing period;
- sending an indication signal to a pre-load server responsive to determining that the scheduled broadcast time falls within the peak viewing period;
- receiving and storing at a recipient multimedia storage device the video content related to the television program at a time prior to the peak viewing period;
- receiving from the requesting device a request to send the video content related to the television program to a second device at a requested viewing time;
- sending a denial of access indicator to the second device, responsible to the requested viewing time preceding the scheduled broadcast time;
- and
- causing the video content associated with the television program to be sent to the second device, responsive to the requested viewing time not preceding the scheduled broadcast time.
5 more elements
A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising processor-readable instructions, which responsive to being executed by at least on processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a request to view or download a television program;
- determining that the television program is scheduled to be broadcast during a peak viewing period;
- in response to determining that the television program is scheduled to be broadcast during the peak viewing period, determining whether video content related to the television program is stored at a local multimedia storage device before requesting the video content from a video service provider via an access network;
- responsive to determining the video content is not stored in the local multimedia storage device, commanding the local multimedia storage device to record the video content;
- sending an indication signal to the video service provider responsive to commanding the multimedia storage device to record the video content;
- receiving the video content from the video service provider responsive to sending the indication signal;
- receiving from a requesting device, a request to send the video content to a second device at a display time;
- sending a denial of access indication to the second device responsive to the display time preceding a scheduled broadcast time of the television program;
- and
- when the request is received during a non-peak viewing period, requesting the video content from the video service provider via the access network.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.