Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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USE OF WEB PAGES TO REMOTELY PROGRAM A BROADCAST CONTENT RECORDING SYSTEM
Back4round of the Invention
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the recording of broadcast content, such
as television content, and, more
particularly, the invention relates to a system that supports the remote
programming of a content recording device through web
pages.
Description of the Related Art
Video recording devices are widely used to record and replay broadcast video
content (e.g., transmitted open-air,
cable, and satellite television). Video recording devices include
videocassette recorders (VCR) and digital video recorders,
otherwise known as personal video recorders, which are typically programmable
to automatically record specified channels at
specified times. These recording devices are typically programmed using a hand-
held remote control and through on-screen
menus output to a television set. The menus typically allow a user to select a
channel and a time period during which the
recording device will automatically record a program.
Some video recording devices are enabled with VCR-Plus technology (known as
Video Plus in Europe). VCR-Plus
codes are created by an algorithm that transforms a channel and time period
into a numeric code. A user can read a VCR-Plus
code from a published program grid and supply the code to the video recording
device, preferably through a hand-held remote
control. Based upon the VCR-Plus code, the device determines the appropriate
time and channel to record and records the
program (also referred to herein as "content unit") identified by the code.
VCR-Plus technology is available from Gemstar
International Group Limited.
Some video recording devices are configured to download broadcast program
schedules each night via a phone
connection. The video recording device uses the downloaded-schedules to
display pragram guides or grids, generally through
on-screen menus. A user selects programs to be recorded from the guide or
grid, preferably using a remote control. TiVo Inc.
of Sunnyvale, CA and RepIayTV, Inc. of Mountain View, CA, as well as EchoStar
Communications of Littleton, CO in
conjunction with WebTV of Mountain View, CA provide digital video recording
devices with these features.
Available broadcast content recording systems generally require a user to
program a recording device using a remote
control through on-screen menus. The remote control and on-screen menu system
has several deficiencies. A remote control
typically has a limited number of input keys and therefore, entry of words is
difficult (e.g., to search for a particular title in a
program grid). Oftentimes, the on-screen menus are difficult to understand and
difficult to navigate. In the case that program
guides or grids are displayed, the television screen upon which the menus are
displayed oftentimes does not have the
resolution to display a substantial amount of the guide. Accordingly, the user
is required to flip from screen to screen to find
programs of interest. Furthermore, the user needs to be in the presence of the
recording device in order to use the
combination of remote control and on-screen menus. Accordingly, it is not
possible to program these types of content
recording systems from remote locations, such as from work or while traveling.
U.S. Patent 5,016,273 to Hoff discloses a system that enables a user to
remotely program a VCR by placing a
telephone call to an interactive voice response system and entering a channel,
a time period, and an identifier that identifies a
recording device. The system then sends a signal to the identified recording
device causing the device to record the selected
channel and time period.
International Application WO 96/13932 to Ng discloses another system in which
a user places a call to a
representative and supplies a recorder identifier and an identification of a
program to be recorded. The representative encodes
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the identification in channel, date, time, and length (CDTL) format in
conjunction with the recorder identifier and transmits the
CDTL data and identifier in a vertical blanking interval of a broadcast
signal. The user's recorder receives the CDTL data and
identifier through the broadcast signal, and upon recognizing a matching
identifier, stores the CDTL data to enable subsequent
automatic recording of the identified program.
Although Hoff and Ng do disclose systems that enable the remote programming of
a VCR, they do not present the
user a selection of available broadcast from which to choose. Furthermore,
these systems require a telephone call to be
placed, which is a very inconvenient manner in which to program a VCR.
The present invention seeks to address the aforementioned deficiencies in the
prior technology in addition to
providing previously unavailable advantages and conveniences.
Summary of the Invention
A remotely programmable broadcast content recording system is programmed
through a web page to record
broadcast content such as television programs. Accordingly, a user can select
content of interest and program the system from
almost any location using a web browser. A host system hosts a web site
through which the user can browse program listings
and select content of interest. In response to the selection of a program by
the user, the host system creates programming
data and transmits the programming data to the user's recording system. The
recording system can be configured to receive
transmissions from the host system. A client programming module configured to
receive the transmissions can be used to
program a conventional recording device. The recording system can be
supplemented with a web server and an Internet
connection to provide a point of presence on the World Wide Web through which
the system can be directly programmed.
One embodiment of the invention is a method of programming a remotely
programmable content recording system to
record broadcast content. The method includes (a) receiving a programming
instruction transmitted over a computer network
by a user computer in response to a user's input to the user computer. The
programming instruction identifies broadcast
content that has been selected by the user to be recorded by the remotely
programmable content recording system. The
method also includes (b) using the received programming instruction to program
the remotely programmable content recording
system to record the identified content.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The user's input can be
received through a web browser executing on the user computer. The user's
input to the user computer can include a selection
of a user-selectable display element. The method can also include transmitting
a web page to the user computer, wherein the
web page is configured to cause the web browser to display the user-selectable
display element. The method can also include
transmitting a programming web page to the user computer in response to a
request transmitted by the user computer, wherein
the programming web page includes code configured to cause the web browser to
display to the user an identification of the
broadcast content. The programming web page can also include code that
configures the web browser to receive the input
from the user. The method can also include serving a state web page in
response to a request transmitted by the user
computer, wherein the state web page includes code configured to cause the web
browser to display state information
descriptive of a state of the remotely programmable content recording system.
The state information can include an amount of
storage capacity available on the recording system for recording new content.
In the method, (b) can be performed by the
remotely programmable content recording system. The computer network can be
the Internet. The programming instruction
can identify a broadcast television program. The programming instruction can
identify a time period and a broadcast channel.
The programming instruction can include a VIDEO PLUS code. The broadcast
content can be broadcast television content.
The broadcast content can be audio content. The broadcast content can be
digital video content. The broadcast content can
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be computer software. The remotely programmable content recording system can
include a programmable content recording
device and a separate programming device configured to receive programming
data, wherein the programming device is
connected in at least one-way communication with the programmable content
recording device. In the method, (b) can include,
in response to receiving the programming instruction, transmitting programming
data to the remotely programmable content
recording system, wherein the programming data are configured to cause the
remotely programmable content recording
system to record the selected content. The programming data can identify the
broadcast content. The programming data can
include the programming instruction. The broadcast content can be broadcast in
encrypted form. The method can also
include, in response to receiving the programming instruction, transmitting a
content decryption key to the remotely
programmable content recording system, wherein the content decryption key can
be used to decrypt the broadcast content.
The content decryption key can be encrypted in such a manner that the content
decryption key can be decrypted by the
remotely programmable content recording system. The content decryption key can
be encrypted in such a manner that the
content decryption key cannot be decrypted by other remotely programmable
content recording systems.
One embodiment of the invention is a method of programming a remotely
programmable content recording system to
record broadcast content. The method is preferably performed by a user
computer. The method includes (a) receiving input
from a user, wherein the input includes an identification of a content unit.
The method also includes (b) in response to (a),
transmitting over a computer network to a server, a programming instruction
configured to cause the remotely programmable
content recording system to be programmed to record the identified content
unit.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The method can also
include transmitting to the server an identifier that is used to uniquely
identify the remotely programmable content recording
system. The user input can be received through a web browser executing on the
user computer. The user's input to the user
computer can include a selection of a user-selectable display element. The
method can also include receiving a web page,
wherein the web page is configured to cause the web browser to display the
user-selectable display element. The method can
also include receiving a programming web page in response to a request,
wherein the programming web page includes code
configured to cause the web browser to display to the user an identification
of the content unit. The programming web page
can also include code that configures the web browser to receive the input
from the user. The remotely programmable content
recording system can include the server. The programming instruction can
include a request that the content unit be
broadcast, wherein the content unit is broadcast based at least in part upon
the transmission of the programming instruction.
The computer network is the Internet.
One embodiment of the invention is a host system for remotely programming a
remotely programmable content
recording system. The host system includes a server configured to receive a
programming instruction transmitted over a
computer network by a user computer, wherein the programming instruction is
transmitted in response to a user's input to the
user computer, and wherein the programming instruction identifies broadcast
content that has been selected by the user to be
recorded by the remotely programmable content recording system. The host
system also includes a control module configured
to create programming data based at least upon the programming instruction,
wherein the programming data are configured to
cause the remotely programmable content recording system to record the
identified broadcast content. The host system also
includes a communication module configured to transmit the programming data to
the remotely programmable content
recording system.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The server can be a web
server and the user's input can be received through a web browser executing on
the user computer. The web server can be
configured to serve a programming web page to the web browser in response to a
request transmitted by the web browser,
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wherein the programming web page includes code configured to cause the web
browser to display to the user an identification
of the broadcast content. The programming web page can also include code that
configures the web browser to receive the
input from the user. The host system can also include a computer system
comprising a processor and an operating system,
wherein the server, the control module, and the communication module are
configured to operate under the control of the
computer system. The computer network can be the Internet. The broadcast
content can be broadcast in encrypted form. The
control module can be further configured to transmit a content decryption key
to the remotely programmable content recording
system, wherein the content decryption key can be used to decrypt the
broadcast content. The control module can also be
configured to encrypt the content decryption key to enable secure
communication of the key to the remotely programmable
content recording system. The server and the control module can be integrated.
One embodiment of the invention is a remotely programmable broadcast content
recording system. The system
includes a programmable broadcast content recording module. The system also
includes a server configured to receive a
programming instruction transmitted over a computer network by a user
computer, wherein the programming instruction is
transmitted in response to a user's input to the user computer, and wherein
the programming instruction identifies broadcast
content that has been selected by the user to be recorded by the programmable
content recording module. The system also
includes a communication module configured to enable access to the server to
be initiated from a computer network.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The server can be a web
server and the user's input can be received through a web browser executing on
the user computer. The web server can be
configured to serve a programming web page to the web browser in response to a
request transmitted by the web browser,
wherein the programming web page includes code configured to cause the web
browser to display to the user an identification
of the broadcast content. The programming web page can also include code that
configures the web browser to receive the
input from the user. The server can also be configured to provide programming
data to the recording module, wherein
programming data are based at least upon the programming instruction, and
wherein the programming data identify the
broadcast content. The recording system can also include a tuner configured to
receive and decode a broadcast signal. The
recording system can also include a computer system including a processor and
an operating system, wherein the
programmable broadcast content recording module, the server, and the
communication module are configured to operate
under the control of the computer system. The computer network can be the
Internet. The programmable broadcast content
recording module can include a digital video codec and a hard disk drive. The
recording system can also include a digital
broadcast signal receiver.
One embodiment of the invention is a hypertext link configured such that a
traversal of the link causes a programming
instruction to be transmitted over a computer network, wherein the programming
instruction identifies a broadcast content unit,
and wherein the programming instruction is configured to cause the identified
broadcast content unit to be recorded by a
remotely programmable broadcast content recording system.
One embodiment of the invention is a web page. The web page includes an
identification of a content unit scheduled
to be broadcast. The web page also includes code that configures a web browser
to transmit a programming instruction in
response to input from a user, wherein the programming instruction is
configured to cause a remotely programmable content
recording system to record a broadcast of the content unit.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The content unit can be
identified in a clickable broadcast program grid. The clickable broadcast
program grid can depict broadcast programs based
upon at least broadcast time and broadcast channel.
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One embodiment of the invention is a method of providing broadcast content.
The method includes (a) receiving
from a user an identification of a content unit. The method also includes (b)
causing the content unit to be broadcast based at
least in part upon the receipt of the identification. The method also includes
(c) transmitting programming data to a remotely
programmable content recording system associated with the user, wherein the
programming data are configured to cause the
remotely programmable content recording system to be programmed to record the
broadcast content unit.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. In the method, (a) can
include receiving a request transmitted over a computer network by a user
computer in response to user input to the user
computer, wherein the request identifies the content unit. The content unit
can be broadcast in encrypted form. The method
can also include transmitting a content decryption key to the remotely
programmable content recording system, wherein
content decryption key can be used to decrypt the broadcast content unit. The
content decryption key can be encrypted in
such a manner that the content decryption key can be decrypted by the remotely
programmable content recording system.
One embodiment of the invention is a method of programming a remotely
programmable content recording system to
record broadcast content. The method includes (a) associating a user with the
remotely programmable content recording
system. The method also includes (b) authenticating the user through a web
browser executing on a user computer. The
method also includes (c) in response to at least (b), placing a web browser
cookie on the user computer. The method also
includes (d) receiving the cookie in conjunction with a programming
instruction, wherein the programming instruction identifies
broadcast content that has been selected by the user to be recorded by the
remotely programmable content recording system.
The method also includes (e) in response to at least (d), causing the remotely
programmable content recording system to
record the identified content.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The cookie and the
programming instruction can be transmitted by the user computer in response to
a selection by the user of a hypertext link
displayed on a web page. The hypertext link can be associated with a banner
advertisement.
One embodiment of the invention is a method of programming a remotely
programmable content recording system to
record broadcast content. The method includes (a) associating a user with the
remotely programmable content recording
system. The method also includes (b) authenticating the user through a web
browser executing on a user computer. The
method also includes (c) in response to at least (b), placing a web browser
cookie on the user computer. The method also
includes (d) receiving the cookie in conjunction with a request from the web
browser. The method also includes (e) in response
to at least (d), identifying a content unit that is scheduled to be broadcast
and receivable by the remotely programmable content
recording system and transmitting data to the web browser to thereby cause the
web browser to provide an identification of the
content to the user. The method also includes (f) receiving a programming
instruction transmitted by the web browser in
response to an action by the user. The method also includes (g) in response to
at least (f), causing the remotely programmable
content recording system to record the broadcast of the identified content
unit.
The following aspects can, but need not be included in the aforementioned
embodiment. The request can be a
request for an image file, wherein the data include the image file. The
request can be a request for a web page, wherein the
data include the web page. The programming instruction can identify the
content unit.
These and other embodiments of the invention are described in additional
detail below in the Detailed Description of
the Embodiments, which contains the following Sections:
Overview and System Components
II. Host System
III. Remotely Programmable Video Recording System
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IV. Communication Link
V. Distribution of Proprietary Content
VI. Program-Identifying Links and Banner Advertisements
VII. Program Request Integration
VIII. Broadcast Scheduling
IX. Recording Other Types of Content
X. Web Server Enabled Video Recording System
XI. Alternative and Additional Embodiments
XII. Conclusion
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention including a
remotely programmable video recording
system that is remotely programmed by a user through a host system.
Figures 2A-C illustrate three example web pages from one embodiment of a web
site through which the recording
system can be programmed.
Figure 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of one embodiment of the host
system including a control module, a
host communication module, and a web server.
Figure 4A illustrates a process that is preferably performed by the host
system to remotely program a video recording
system.
Figure 4B illustrates a preferred process performed by the user and the web
browser to remotely program the video
recording system.
Figure 5 illustrates one embodiment of the remotely programmable video
recording system in the form of a remotely
programmable video recording device.
Figure 6 illustrates a process that is preferably performed by the remotely
programmable video recording device of
Figure 5.
Figure 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the remotely programmable
video recording system in the form of a
client programming device that programs a conventional video recording and
replay device.
Figure 8 illustrates a process that is preferably performed by the client
programming device of Figure 7.
Figures 9A-E illustrate five embodiments of a communication link through which
the host communication module and
the client communication module communicate.
Figure 10 illustrates one embodiment of a system for distributing proprietary
or paid content.
Figure 11 illustrates a method for distributing proprietary content.
Figure 12 illustrates a system in accordance with which a program-identifying
hypertext link can be located anywhere
on the World Wide Web.
Figure 13 illustrates a system in accordance with which users can request that
certain content be broadcast through a
scheduling system.
Figure 14 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which a content
recording device is supplemented with a web
server to provide a point of presence on the World Wide Web.
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Detailed Description of the Embodiments
In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,
which form a part hereof, and which
show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments or processes in which the
invention may be practiced. Where possible, the
same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same
or like components. In some instances,
numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding of the present invention. The present
invention, however, may be practiced without the specific details or with
certain alternative equivalent devices, components,
and methods to those described herein. In other instances, well-known devices,
components, and methods have not been
described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present
invention.
Although a number of embodiments of the invention are described below with
particular reference to video content, it
will be understood by one skilled in the art that the invention can be applied
to any type of broadcast content such as, for
example, video (with or without audio), audio, data, or software, including
digital or analog forms thereof.
As used herein, a content unit can be any item of broadcast content or portion
thereof. A content unit can include
one or more segments or portions of broadcast content. A content unit may
include any duration of broadcast content
regardless of the relatedness of the content broadcast during the duration.
For example, a content unit can be a half hour
program to be broadcast this evening on television channel 4 wherein any
commercial breaks can, but need not be included in
the content unit.
Overview and System Components
Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment 100 of the present invention. A host
system 102 hosts a web site 104 through
which a user 110 programs a remotely programmable video recording system 120
to record broadcast video content. The host
system 102 is preferably operated by an organization (not illustrated) that
provides a recording system programming service.
The host system 102 can alternatively be set up or owned by the user 110 and
can be located in the user's home in conjunction
with a remotely programmable video recording system 120.
The user 110 accesses the web site 104 through a web browser 112 running on a
user computer 114 capable of
accessing and displaying web pages. The user computer 114 may be, for example,
a personal computer, a palmtop device
configured with a web browser, a wireless device that may access web pages
using wireless applications protocol (WAP), or a
web-browser enabled set-top box. In one embodiment, the user computer 114 is
also the remotely programmable video
recording system 120. The user computer 114 is preferably connected to the
host system 102 through a computer network
116, such as the Internet. The computer network 116 can include a combination
of networks, such as a wireless network
combined with the Internet. The computer network 116 preferably supports
TCP/IP.
The host system 102 provides (serves) web pages 106 of the web site 104 to the
user 110 through the computer
network 116, the user computer 114, and the web browser 112. The user 110
provides programming instructions 118 to the
host system 102 through the web browser 112, the user computer 114, and the
computer network 116. The programming
instructions 118 preferably identify one or more programs or content units
that the user 110 has chosen to record. A program
or content unit can be identified in any number of ways, such as, for example,
by a name, by an identifier (e.g, Video Plus code
or other identifier associated with a particular content unit), or by a
broadcast channel, date, time, and length (CDTL). CDTL
data can be obtained from widely available electronic programming guides
(EPG). The content unit can be identified
generically, such as to identify a repeating program by the same title, or the
content unit can be identified specifically, such as
to identify a particular episode of a repeating program.
The host system 102 creates programming data 108 based upon the programming
instructions 118 supplied by the
user 110. The programming data 108 includes information sufficient to program
the video recording system 120 to record
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broadcast content in accordance with the programming instructions 118 supplied
by the user 110. The host system 102
transmits the programming data 108 to the video recording system 120 over a
communication link 130. Any communication
link 130 capable of supporting communication from the host system 102 to the
video recording system 120 can be used. The
communication link 130 can be, for example, a telephone system, a computer
network, an open-air broadcast television
system, a cable television system, a satellite television system, a pager
system, or any combination thereof. Various
embodiments of the communication link 130 are described in Section IV below.
The communication link 130 preferably also supports transmission of data from
the video recording system 120 back
to the host system 102. In this configuration, the video recording system 120
can send state information 122 back to the host
system 120 for presentation to the user 110 through the web site 104. The
state information 122 can include, for example, the
used and available recording capacity of the video recording system 120.
The video recording system 120 preferably includes a digital video recording
device or an analog video recording
device, in addition to a communication module. The video recording system 120
is described in further detail in Section III
below. The video recording system 120 receives a broadcast signal 124,
preferably through a television antenna, cable
television, or satellite television. The video recording system 120 records
video content from the broadcast signal 124 in
accordance with the programming data 108 received from the host system 102.
The video recording system 120 preferably
also has playback capability that allows recorded content to be presented on a
television or other display device.
Figures 2A-C illustrate three example web pages from a one embodiment of the
web site 104. Figure 2A illustrates a
Login Page 200, which prompts a user for identification information 202, such
as a user ID, and authentication information 204,
such as a password. In an alternative embodiment, the function of the Login
Page 200 can be achieved by depositing an
identifying web browser cookie on the user's web browser 112 and later
receiving the identifying cookie.
Upon entering the identification information 202 and authentication
information 204, the user clicks on a Login button
206, which, upon a successful login, preferably brings the web browser 112 to
a Clickable Programming Page 210, as
illustrated in Figure 2B. The Programming Page 210 preferably displays a
program grid 212. The program grid 212 preferably
lists broadcast programs that are receivable by the user's video recording
system 120. Channels are preferably listed along a
left column, times are preferably listed along a top row, and program blocks
are preferably listed across rows in the body of the
grid 212. The time periods displayed by the grid 212 are preferably changed by
clicking on arrows in the upper left and upper
right hand corners of the grid 212. The date of the grid 212 is preferably
changed through pull-down menus 214 displayed
above the grid 212. Grids displaying such information are provided by TV Guide
Online on its web site. In addition to
displaying program information, the program grid 212 is preferably clickable
such that a user can select a program to be
recorded by clicking upon the depicted program. An Update Page button 216
preferably allows the user's selections)
(programming instructions 118) on the Clickable Programming Page 210 to be
updated on the host system 102. A Transmit
button 218, performs the same function as the Update Page button 216 and, in
addition, causes the host system 102 to
transmit programming data 108 to the video recording system 120.
On a setup page (not illustrated) of the web site 104 the user 110 can
preferably set preferences such as:
1. the user's locality and the type of broadcast video signals the user
receives on his video recording system (e.g., user
lives in city X and receives broadcast signals through cable company Y);
2. an identification number or code for the user's video recording system 120
that allows the host system 102 to identify
and transmit programming data 108 to the video recording system 120; and
3. the brand, model, and/or configuration of the user's video recording system
120.
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Alternatively, these preferences can be set when the user's account with the
host system 102 is activated. The account may be
activated either online, or possibly over the phone by a customer service
representative.
Figure 2C illustrates a Program Schedule Page 220 that preferably includes a
Manually Add Programs section 222, a
Recording Schedule section 224, a Recorded Programs section 226, and a Digital
Recording Capacity section 228. The
Manually Add Programs section 222 of the Page 220 preferably allows the user
to add programs by date, time, channel, and
perhaps title. The Recording Schedule section 224 preferably displays current
programming instructions 118 that have been
received by the host system 102. The Recording Schedule section 224 preferably
has a column that may be checked to cancel
outstanding programming instructions. The Recorded Programs section 226
preferably shows programs that have already
been recorded by the video recording system 120. The Recorded Programs section
226 preferably has a column that may be
checked to allow recorded programs to be deleted from the storage medium of
the video recording system 120. The Digital
Recording Capacity section 228 preferably displays the used, reserved,
available, and total space on the video recording
device's storage medium. The reserved space preferably corresponds to the
space required by the programs displayed in the
Recording Schedule section 224. In addition, the Program Schedule Page 220
preferably includes an Update Page button 230
that allows the user's entries in the various sections of the Program Schedule
Page 220 as displayed by the web browser 112
to be updated on the host system 102. The Program Schedule Page 220 preferably
also includes a Transmit button 232, which
has a function similar to the Transmit button 218 on the Programming Page 212.
In one embodiment, the communication link 130 supports transmission of data
from the video recording system 120
to the host system 102. In this case, the video recording system 120 can
transmit state information 122 to the host system for
display on the web site 104. The transmitted state information 122 may include
recorded, scheduled, and deleted programs as
well as recording capacities. Accordingly, the user 110 can record and delete
recorded content directly through the video
recording system 120, and have the state information 122 reflected on the web
site 104.
In an alternative embodiment, the communication link 130 need not support
trahsmission of data from the video
recording system 120 to the host system 102. In this case, the host system 102
can generate the data in the Recorded
Programs section 226 and the Digital Recording Capacity section 228 using
predictive or simulation techniques, which will be
apparent to one skilled in the art. The user 110 can supply to the host system
102 information regarding the total capacity of
his video recording system 120. The host system 102 preferably maintains a
history of recorded, scheduled, and deleted
programs. Based upon the history, the host system 102 can calculate used,
reserved, and available capacity. In another
embodiment, the state information 122 is not displayed on the web site 104.
II. Host System
Figure 3 illustrates a functional block diagram of one embodiment of the host
system 102. The host system 102
preferably includes a control module 310, a server 302, and a host
communication module 312. The host system 102 may be
implemented as a single computer or several computers connected through a
network.
The server 302 is preferably a web server that hosts the web site 104. The web
site 104 preferably includes a
number of web pages 304 (e.g., Figures 2A-C) as well as a number of common
gateway interface (CGI) programs 306. The
CGI programs 306 are configured to handle information submitted by the user
110 through the web browser 112 in response to
the web pages 304. The CGI programs 306 preferably include a first program
configured to receive information submitted
through the Login Page 200 and to respond with the Clickable Programming Page
210. A second program is preferably
configured to receive programming instructions 118 submitted by the user 110
in response to the Clickable Programming Page
210. A third program may service the Program Schedule Page 220. The CGI
programs 306 preferably communicate the
programming instructions 118 to the control module 310.
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The control module 310 preferably controls the web server 302 as well as the
host communication module 312. The
control module 310 preferably creates programming data 108 based upon the
programming instructions 118. The
programming data 108 may also be based upon the brand, model, andlor
configuration of the user's video recording system
120. The programming data 108 are configured to represent the programming
instructions 118 and any other data necessary
for programming the video recording system 120 in a format suitable for
transmission over the particular communication link
130 being used.
The control module 310 preferably communicates the programming data 108 to the
host communication module 312
for transmission to the video recording system 120. In one embodiment, the
communication link 130 is implemented as a
broadcast system in which all of the video recording systems receive all of
the programming data 108 for all of the video
recording systems. In this case, the host communication module 312 preferably
prefixes the programming data 108 for each
video recording system 120 with an identifier for that particular system. Each
video recording system identifies programming
data 108 intended for it by examining the prefixed identifier. The programming
data 108 can be also encrypted to ensure
privacy during transmission. In another embodiment, a computer network is used
as the communication link 130. In this case,
the control module 310 may also provide addressing data that may be required
to direct the programming data 108 to the
user's specific video recording system 120.
In one embodiment, VCR-Plus or similar technology is integrated into the video
recording system 120. In this case,
the programming data 108 are preferably VCR-Plus codes. When a video recording
system 120 receives programming data
108 including a VCR-Plus code, the system 120 records the program identified
by the code.
Figure 4A illustrates a process 400 that is preferably performed by the host
system to remotely program a video
recording system 120. At a step 402, a user is associated with a particular
remotely programmable video recording system
120. Step 402 may be performed by an account representative, such as when the
user 110 sets up an account with a
programming service. Alternatively, the step 402 may be performed during an on-
line registration process through the web site
104. The user preferably supplies video recording system identification
information that allows the host system 102 to transmit
programming data 108 to the user's video recording system 120. Depending upon
the technology used to implement the
communication link 130, the identification information can be: a telephone
number, in the case a telephone system is used; a
media access control (MAC) address or an Internet Protocol (1P) address, in
the case a computer network is used; an
identifying prefix, in the case an open-air, cable, or satellite television
signal is used; or a pager phone number, in the case a
pager infrastructure is used. Various embodiments of the communication link
130 will be discussed in greater detail in Section
IV below. Once the user 110 has signed up for the service and provided the
required information at the step 402, the user 110
can program his remotely programmable video recording system 120.
At a step 404, the host system 102 identifies and preferably authenticates the
user 110 in order to associate the user
110 with an account and a particular video recording system 120. In the
embodiment illustrated in Figure 2A, the identification
of the user 110 is preferably performed through the Login Page 200. At the
Login Page 200, the user supplies a User ID 202
and a password 204 for authentication.
The step 404 can alternatively be accomplished through the use of web browser
cookies. In this configuration, the
host system 102 deposits an identifying cookie on the user's web browser 112
preferably during the on-line registration
process. The identifying cookie allows subsequent identification of the user
110. When the user requests a web page from the
web server 302, the user's web browser 112 submits the cookie to the web
server 302 allowing the web server 302 to identify
the user 110 in accordance with step 404.
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At a step 406, the web server 302 preferably receives programming instructions
118 from the user 110. In the
embodiment illustrated in Figure 2B, the user 110 submits the programming
instructions 118 by choosing one or more
programs to record through the Clickable Programming Page 210 or the Program
Schedule Page 220. In one embodiment, the
user 110 is first authenticated at the step 404 before programming
instructions are received at the step 406. In alternative
embodiments, the order of the steps 404 and 406 can be reversed, or the steps
404 and 406 can be performed simultaneously
such as in conjunction with the use of identifying web browser cookies.
At a step 408, the control module 310 preferably creates programming data 108,
based at least upon the
programming instructions 118. In one embodiment, the control module encodes
the programming instructions 118 for
transmission over the communication link 130. In the case that a broadcast
medium (e.g., broadcast television infrastructure) is
used as the communication link 130, the programming instructions are
preferably prefixed by a video recording system ID code.
Alternatively, if a computer network is used as the communication link 130,
the programming data 108 may be placed into
addressed packets for transmission. The programming data 108 are also
preferably encoded for the user's particular video
recording system 120, possibly based upon brand, model, andlor configuration.
In one embodiment, all remotely
programmable video recording systems 120 can be configured to receive
programming data in a common format. The
programming data 108 may also be encrypted to ensure privacy.
At a step 410, the host communication module 312 preferably transmits the
programming data 108 from a remote
location to the video recording system 120 over the communication link 130. In
one embodiment, one host system 102 is
configured to service a large population, such as the continental United
States or even the complete globe. The host system
102 is preferably operated from within one or more commercial buildings in the
same general location. The majority or all of the
video recording systems 120 are preferably located in users' homes. Therefore,
the host system 102 will be remotely located
with respect to most if not all video recording systems 120.
Figure 4B illustrates a preferred process 420 performed by the user 110 and
the web browser to remotely program
the video recording system 120. At a step 422 the user 110 registers the
remotely programmable video recording system 120
with the host system 102. The step 422 is preferably performed during a
registration or account setup procedure in conjunction
with the step 402 (Figure 4A). At a step 424, the web browser 112 presents to
the user 110 an opportunity to submit
programming instructions 118 for programming the video recording system 120,
preferably by displaying, for example, a
programming web page, a link, a banner ad, or a clickable icon. At a step 426,
the user receives the option presented in the
step 424, and at a step 428, the user submits programming instructions 118,
preferably by clicking on a depicted option. At a
step 430, the web browser 112 receives the programming instructions 118,
preferably by detecting the user's selection of a
depicted option. At a step 432, the web browser transmits the programming
instructions 118 to the host system 102, preferably
by transmitting an http request encoded with the programming instructions 118.
III. Remotely Programmable Video Recording System
Figure 5 illustrates one embodiment of the remotely programmable video
recording system 120 that is a remotely
programmable video recording device 500. The device 500 preferably includes a
video recording and replay module 502, and
a client control module 520.
The recording and replay module 502 preferably includes a storage device for
storing recorded content. The storage
device can be, for example, a hard disk drive or a videocassette tape
mechanism. In one embodiment, the recording and
replay module 502 is a digital video recorder. The digital video recorder
preferably uses a disk drive as a storage medium.
Applicable technology is provided by TiVo Inc. ~of Sunnyvale, CA and RepIayTV,
Inc. of Mountain View, CA. The recording and
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replay module 502 may also be implemented as an analog video recorder using
technology similar to that used in present
VCRs.
The recording and replay module 502 preferably includes a tuner 504 capable of
receiving and decoding a broadcast
signal. The tuner enables the module 502 to receive and record an input
broadcast signal 506, such as, for example, a signal
broadcast over open-air television (e.g., from a transmission tower), cable
television, or satellite television. The tuner is
preferably capable of receiving and decoding a broadcast signal. The recording
and replay module 502 preferably also
includes a decryption module 508 that can be used to decrypt encrypted
broadcast content. The recording and replay module
502 produces an output signal 510 upon playback or replay of recorded video
content.
The client control module 520 preferably controls the video recording and
replay module 502 through a processor
522, which may be a microprocessor or microcontroller. The client control
module 520 preferably also serves as an interface to
allow direct manual use of the video recording and replay module 502 possibly
through a hand held remote control and possibly
on-screen menus. The client control module 520 preferably includes a client
communication module 524, which receives
transmissions from the host system 102. The processor 522 preferably processes
received programming data 108 and
controls the recording and replay module 502 in accordance with the received
data 108. In the case that the programming data
108 is transmitted over the same broadcast medium as the content to be
recorded, the client communication module 524 is
preferably also connected to receive the input broadcast signal 506. In one
embodiment, the client control module 520 is
enabled with VCR-Plus technology. The programming data 108 in this case can
simply be formatted as VCR-Plus codes.
In the case that the communication link 130 supports transmission of data from
the video recording device 500 to the
host system 102, the processor 522 can be configured to transmit state
information 122 to the host system 102 through the
client communication module 524. In the case that the communication link 130
does not permit transmission of data to the host
system 102, the recording capacity of the device 500 may eventually be used
up. Once the device reaches capacity, the
processor 522 can be configured to automatically delete content using any
number.of schemes, such as least recently viewed
or recorded.
The client control module 520 is preferably also configured to receive secure
communications from the host system
102. The processor 522 is preferably configured to execute decryption code
that allows encrypted communications from the
host system 102 to be decrypted using a decryption key or code. A
corresponding encryption key or code can be supplied to
the host system 102 by either the user 110 or the manufacturer of the video
recording device 500. Accordingly, programming
data 108 can be transmitted in a secure, encrypted form.
A secure communication channel also allows the host system 102 to transmit
decryption keys for encrypted video
content to the video recording device 500. As will be described in Section V
below, the broadcast of encrypted content in
conjunction with the supply of decryption keys to video recording devices 500
through the communication link 130 enables a
pay per view type system with video on demand like capabilities. In
conjunction with the pay per view configuration of the
present invention, the video recording and replay module preferably also
includes a data counter 507, which counts the amount
of data from a proprietary program that has been replayed or presented. The
data counter 507 is used to measure usage of
proprietary content for billing purposes as will be discussed in Section V
below.
Figure 6 illustrates a process 600 that is preferably performed by the
remotely programmable video recording device
500. At a step 602; the video recording device 500 receives, programming data
108 from the remotely located host system 102
over a communication link 130. The receipt in the step 602 by the video
recording device 500 corresponds to the transmission
in the step 410 (Figure 4) by the host system 102. At a step 604, the video
recording device 500 records broadcast content in
accordance with the programming data 108, which may be one or more VCR-Plus
codes. At a step 606, the video recording
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device 500 replays the recorded content, preferably as a result of direct user
commands. The direct user commands are
preferably received from a hand held remote control operated by the user 110
in the presence of the video recording device
500.
Figure 7 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the remotely programmable
video recording system 120. The
alternative embodiment includes a client programming device 702 and a
programmable video recording and replay device 750:
The recording and replay device 750 may be a conventional VCR or a digital
video recorder (personal video recorder) such as
a TiVo or a RepIayTV device. The client programming device 702 is preferably a
small, inexpensive device that can placed
adjacent to the recording and replay device 750 to adapt the present invention
to conventional VCRs and personal video
recorders.
The client programming device 702 preferably communicates with the recording
and replay device 750 through a
data port 708. The data port 708 is preferably a module that supports bi-
directional communication with the recording and
replay device 750 through a bus or cable 712, for example. The bus or cable
712 connects the data port 708 of the client
programming device 702 to a corresponding data port 752 of the recording and
replay device 750. Through this bi-directional
connection, the client programming device 702 can transmit programming
commands to and receive status data from the
recording and replay device 750.
The recording and replay device 750 may also include a data counter 507 and a
decryption module 508, similar to the
recording and replay module 502 (Figure 5). In accordance with the pay per
view type system described in Section V below,
the client programming device 702 preferably communicates with the data
counter 507 and decryption module 508 through the
bi-directional connection.
As in many existing recording and replay devices 750, such as VCRs and digital
video recorders, the data port 752
can be an infrared (1R) receiver. In this case, the data port 708 of the
client programming device 702 can be an IR transmitter
or can be connected to an IR transmitter that transmits commands in the form
of IR pulses to the recording and replay device
750. Existing recording and replay devices 750 may not have a data counter 507
or a decryption module 508 and therefore a
bi-directional connection need not be used. Alternatively, the data ports 708
and 752 may include both IR transmitters and
receivers to supportbi-directional communication if necessary.
The client programming device 702 includes a client communication module 704
and a processor 706 in addition to
the data port 708. The client communication module 704 may be similar or
identical to the client communication module 524 of
the embodiment 500 illustrated in Figure 5. The processor 706, which may be a
microprocessor or microcontroller, preferably
processes received programming data 108 to produce appropriate programming
commands 710 that will be interpreted by the
video recording and replay device 750 in accordance with the user's
programming instructions 118.
The client programming device 702 can be configured, either directly by the
user 110 or through the host system 102,
with brand and model code information for the recording and replay device 750
similar to available "universal" remote controls.
In this manner, the programming device 702 is configured to transmit the
appropriate commands to the recording and replay
device 750. Alternatively, the host system 102 can be configured to adapt the
programming data 108 to take into account the
brand and model of the recording and replay device 750. In this configuration,
the client programming module 702 transmits
data to the recording and replay device 750 based only upon the received
programming data 108 and need not be configured
for a particular model of recording and replay device 750.
Figure 8 illustrates a process 800 that is preferably performed by the client
programming device 702. At a step 802,
the client programming device 702 receives programming data 108 from the
remotely located host system 102 over a
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communication link 130. The receipt in the step 802 by the client programming
device 702 corresponds to the transmission in
the step 410 (Figure 4) by the host system 102.
At a step 804, the processor 706 preferably creates programming commands 710
based at least upon the received
programming data 108 and preferably based upon the brand and model of the
recording and replay device 750. In the case
the recording and replay device 750 is capable of processing VCR-Plus codes,
the processor 706 can simply format the VCR
Plus code for the particular model of recording and replay device 750.
Alternatively, the host system 102 may be configured to
create the programming data 108 based upon the brand and model of the video
recording device 750. In this case the
processor 706 may not have to create the programming commands but instead only
relay the programming commands 710 to
the data port 708 for transmission to the recording device 750. At a step 806,
the client programming device 702 programs the
video recording device 750 to record broadcast content by transmitting the
programming commands 710 to the video recording
device 750, preferably through the data port 708.
IV. Communication Link
Figures 9A-E illustrate five embodiments of the host communication module 312,
the client communication module
524 or 704, and the communication link 130. Figures 9A-B illustrate point to
point connections that allow bi-directional
communication between the host system 102 and the video recording system 120.
Figures 9C-E illustrate broadcast
transmission configurations in which information is transmitted only from the
host system 102 to the video recording system
120. As will be understood by one skilled in the art, various features of the
described embodiments may be combined to
incorporate their respective advantages into a single embodiment.
Figure 9A illustrates a basic embodiment in which the host communication
module and the client communication
module are both telephone modems 914, 916 connected through a telephone system
or line 912. In one configuration, the
video recording system 120 periodically calls the host system 102 (e.g. late
at night) to check for and download programming
data and to provide state information 122 to the host system. This
configuration can be supplemented with a broadcast-type
communication link (Figures 9C-E) in order to provide near instantaneous
remote programming capabilities. In one
embodiment, the host system 102 can be configured to use the telephone system
912 to call the video recording system 120
whenever the user 110 clicks on a "Transmit" button on a programming web page.
Alternatively, the host system 102 can be configured to call the video
recording system 120 just in time to transmit
programming data 108 for a next scheduled recording event. These
configurations provide instantaneous programming but
may be inconvenient in that either an extra phone line is required or there
may be contention for the use of a shared phone line.
In one embodiment, the recording system 120 (or the client programming device
702) can be configured with
functionality available in some presently available fax machines so that two
devices (e.g. client programming device and
answering machine) can share a single telephone line. An answering machine
message instructs the caller to press a number
on the telephone keypad if the caller is sending a fax. The fax machine, upon
detecting the resulting keypad tone, then takes
over the call and receives a transmitted fax. In order to support near-
instantaneous remote programming of a recording system
120, the recording system can be configured with similar technology to share a
phone line with an answering machine and/or a
fax. The host system can be configured to call the recording system and send
an appropriate tone indicating that the call is
specifically for the recording system. The recording system detects the tone,
takes over the call, and communicates with the
host system. Alternatively, the recording system can terminate the call upon
receiving the tone from the host system and then
call the host system back. In this configuration, the initial call from the
host system can be used as a signal that
synchronization is required (e.g., programming data is ready to be
transmitted).
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Figure 9B illustrates an embodiment in which the communication link 130 is a
computer network 922. The host
communication module and the client communication module can be network
interface cards 924, 926 or other communication
devices that allow communication over the computer network 922. The network
interface cards 924, 926 are preferably
continuously connected through the computer network 922. The computer network
may be a wide area network, such as the
Internet, or it may be a local or home network.
In one embodiment, the host system 102 can be located in the user's home in
conjunction with a remotely
programmable video recording system 500. In this configuration, the
communication modules 312, 524, and 704 can be home
computer networking devices or wireless communication devices using
technologies such as Bluetooth.
In Figure 9C the host communication module 312 is configured to transmit
programming data 108 to a local open-air
(VHFIUHF) or cable television signal provider 932 preferably via a
communication link 934. The communication link 934 may
be implemented using any applicable technology such as a computer network. The
provider 932 preferably retransmits the
programming data 108 in conjunction with standard broadcast open-air
television signals to the client communication module,
which is preferably a broadcast signal decoder 936. The programming data 108
can be tagged with an identifier identifying the
user's remotely programmable video recording system 120 so that other
recording systems disregard the transmitted data 108.
The programming data 108 can also be encrypted for decryption by the user's
system 120 to ensure confidentiality.
International Application WO 96/13932 to Ng discloses applicable technology
wherein an identification of a television program
in CDTL format is combined with a recorder identifier and transmitted in a
vertical blanking interval of a broadcast signal. A
recorder receives the CDTL data and identifier through the broadcast signal,
and upon recognizing a matching identifier, stores
the CDTL data to enable subsequent automatic recording of the identified
program.
In Figure 9D the host communication module 312 is configured to transmit
programming data 108 to a satellite
broadcast television signal provider 942. The provider 942 retransmits the
programming data 108 in conjunction with satellite
television signals via a satellite 945 to a satellite signal decoder 946. As
will be understood by one skilled in the art, the
features of the embodiment illustrated in 9C are also particularly applicable
to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 9D.
In Figure 9E, the host communication module 312 is configured to transmit
programming data 108 as page data to a
paging service provider 952 by calling a phone number. The paging service
provider 952 transmits the programming data 108
as a page through a paging infrastructure 954, which may include a satellite
955. In this embodiment, the client communication
module is a pager unit 956 modified to output received page data in electronic
form. In one configuration, each remotely
programmable video recording system's pager unit 956 has its own pager phone
number. In this configuration, the host
communication module 312 can transmit a VCR-Plus code as the page data.
Alternatively, the page data can be null and the
video recording system can interpret a page as a signal to use the embodiment
illustrated in Figure 9A to call the host system
to download the programming data 108. In another configuration, all of the
pager units serviced by the host system 102 can be
configured to be identical and receive and process all of the page data. For
example, all pager units effectively may have the
same pager phone number. In this configuration, the host system can transmit a
particular recording system's identification
number as the page data. When the recording system receives its own
identification number as a page, it calls the host system
using the embodiment of Figure 9A.
V. Distribution of Proprietary Content
Figure 10 illustrates one embodiment of a system 1000 for distributing
proprietary or paid content. Figure 11
illustrates a corresponding method 1100 in accordance with which proprietary
content can be distributed. Preferably, popular
programs, movies, and other proprietary video content units are encrypted and
broadcast in digitally encrypted form on satellite,
cable, or open-air broadcast channels. The host system 102 provides a
decryption key 1002 to a video recording system 120
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so that the recording system 120 can decrypt and present the content. The host
system 102 preferably provides the key 1002
by encrypting the key such that it can be decrypted by the recording system
120 and transmitting the encrypted key 1006 in
conjunction with programming data 108 to the recording system 120. Figures 10
and 11 will now be described~concurrently in
additional detail.
At a step 1102 of the method 1100, a proprietary content unit is digitally
encrypted to create encrypted content unit
1004 that can be decrypted with a content decryption key 1002. The encrypted
content 1004 is scheduled for broadcast by a
broadcaster 1010 over a transmission infrastructure such as open-air, cable,
or satellite television. The content unit can be
encrypted by the broadcaster 1010, the owner of the content, or another party.
At a step 1104 the host system 102 obtains the content decryption key 1002
preferably from the broadcaster, the
owner of the content unit, or the entity that encrypted the content unit. The
transfer of the content decryption key 1002 from the
broadcaster to the host system 102 is preferably performed using any secure
communication or delivery method. The host
system 102 preferably associates the content decryption key 1002 with the
encrypted content unit 1004 so that the content
decryption key can be supplied when a user chooses to record the content unit.
At a step 1106, the user 110 selects an encrypted content unit 1004 for
recording in accordance with the present
invention. In one embodiment, the host system 102 may bill the user for the
content when the programming instructions 118
are received from the user. Alternatively, the host system 102 may defer
billing until content use data 1030, which is described
below, has been collected.
At a step 1108, the host system 102 encrypts the content decryption key 1002
to create an encrypted content
decryption key 1006, which can be decrypted by the user's remotely
programmable video recording system 120. By encrypting
the content decryption key 1002, the host system is able to prevent the key
1002 from being intercepted and used by
unauthorized parties. The host system may use a key encryption module 1020 to
perform this encryption. Each video
recording system 120 can be equipped with asymmetric key (e.g., public-private
key) decryption technology that allows data to
be encrypted by other devices only for decryption by the particular recording
system. In this manner an encrypted content
decryption key 1006 can be transmitted securely to a single video recording
system 120.
At a step 1110, the host system 102 transmits the encrypted content decryption
key 1106 to the user's video
recording system 120 preferably in conjunction with programming data 108 for
the requested proprietary program.
At a step 1112, the video recording system 120 receives the encrypted content
decryption key 1006 and the
programming data 108.
At a step 1114, the video recording system 120 decrypts the encrypted content
decryption key 1006 in order to obtain
the content decryption key 1002. The decryption module 508 of the recording
system 120 can be configured to decrypt the
encrypted key 1006.
At a step 1116, the video recording system 120 automatically records the
encrypted video content 1004 when it is
broadcast by the broadcaster 1004.
At a step 1118, the video recording system 120 decrypts the recorded encrypted
content 1004 using the content
decryption key. The decryption module 508 of the recording system 120 can be
configured to decrypt the encrypted content
1004 using the content decryption key 1002. In one embodiment, the decryption
module 508 can decrypt the content 1004 as
the content is received such that the decrypted content is then stored by the
video recording and replay module 502.
Alternatively, the content 1004 can be stored in encrypted form for subsequent
decryption during playback.
At a step 1120, the user preferably uses a hand held remote control to operate
the video recording system 120 to
present the decrypted video content.
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At a step 1122 the video recording system preferably accumulates content use
data 1030 during replay of the
decrypted program. Content use data 1030 is information relating to the user's
use of the content and is preferably
representative of the amount the content has been used.
At a step 1124 the video recording system transmits the content use data 1030
to the host system 102. The host
system 102 can then bill the user for the use of the program/content.
In one embodiment, the video recording system 120 stores content in a digital
format. In accordance with this
embodiment, content use data 1030 can be collected by tracking the amount of
digital content data of a particular content unit
that has been read or used. In this embodiment, content use is measured
through a simple tracking of the amount of digital
content data that is transferred or read. If certain data is read twice, it
can be counted twice. A quantity of digital content data
serves as an excellent measure of the amount of use the content unit has
received. In accordance with this embodiment, the
video recording system 120 preferably comprises a data counter 507 (Figure 5)
that counts the amount of data from a content
unit that have been replayed or presented. The data counter 507 can be
configured to just track the amount of content data
read or used. Consequently, slow motion display, fast motion display, and
multiple replay of a content unit or segment in
determining how much a content unit has been used are automatically taken into
account in determining the amount of use a
content unit receives. For example, if a content unit occupies 2 Gigabytes of
space and the user has displayed 2 Gigabytes of
data, the user is charged for 1 viewing of the content unit. If the user has
read 3 Gigabytes of digital content data from a
content unit, it is likely that the user reviewed or replayed at least
portions of the content unit, and the user is charged for 1.5
viewings. Technology applicable to the implementation of the data counter 507
is used in most networked computers and
computer networking equipment to track network traffic and data rates.
In an alternative embodiment, the video recording system 120 does not or
cannot transmit data to the host system
102. In this embodiment, the user can be charged for the purchase or use of
the proprietary content unit upon submitting the
programming instructions 118 at the step 1106. In this case the video
recording system 120 need not collect any content use
data 1030.
VI. Program-Identifying Links and Banner Advertisements
Figure 12 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which a program-
identifying hypertext link 1202, preferably
linking to the programming web site 104, can be located anywhere, on the World
Wide Web. The program-identifying link 1202
can be associated with a selectable object 1204 on any web page 1206. The
selectable object 1204 can be any selectable
object, such as an image or text, that represents a program to be recorded.
The link 1202 is preferably a link to a URL hosted
by the host system 102 and is preferably coded to generically identify the
program to be recorded.
As illustrated in Figure 12, by clicking on or selecting the selectable object
1204, the user follows the program-
identifying link 1202. The program-identifying link 1202 supplies a generic
identification of a program to the host system 102.
In accordance with the step 404 of the method 400, the host system 102
identifies the user 110. The host system 102 can
identify the user 110 through a Login Page 200 (Figure 2A) that may be
returned in response to the link 1202 or through the
use of a web browser cookie that may have been previously deposited by the
host system 102. Once the host system 102
identifies the user 110, the host system 102 associates the generically
identified program with a particular channel, date, time,
and length combination (CDTL) during which the program is to be broadcast to
the user's video recording system 120. The
host system 102 then returns a web page that preferably displays the
programming details and requests confirmation of the
programming instructions 118. The host system 102 receives the confirmation at
the step 406 and transmits the proper
programming data 108 to the user's video recording system 120.
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In one embodiment, the web server 302 (Figure 3) hosts the selectable object
1204. In the process of requesting the
selectable object 1204 from the web server 302, the web browser 112 supplies
an identifying cookie to the web server 302. In
this manner, the web server 302 can identify the user 110 before the user
views the selectable object 1204. The web server
302 then responds with the selectable object 1204 that presents to the user an
option to record a particular program that the
host system 102 has already confirmed is scheduled to be broadcast to the
user's video recording system 120. In one
configuration, the selectable object 1204 leads to a web page (not
illustrated) on the web site 104 that preferably confirms the
user's decision to record the program. In one embodiment, the user's single
action of clicking on a selectable object 1204 can
be sufficient to cause the host system 102 to remotely program the user's
video recording system 120.
Clickable icons 1204 and the program-identifying links 1202 can be implemented
using banner ad technology such as
is provided by the well-known banner advertisement company DoubIeClick, Inc.
In accordance with the present invention
however, the destination links of banner advertisements can be configured to
cause a user's video recording device to be
programmed.
As will be understood by one skilled in the art, the features of this Section
can be combined with the features of
Section V (Distribution of Proprietary Content) above in order to advertise
the availability of proprietary content for distribution.
In one embodiment, a user can be presented with a banner advertisement that
advertises, instead of a program or
movie, a broadcast commercial or video advertisement that the user may be
interested in watching. The banner advertisement
can be configured in accordance with the techniques disclosed in this Section
to cause the user's remotely programmable video
recording device to record the advertised commercial. The user can then watch
the commercial at a convenient time rather
than when the commercial happens to be broadcast. DoubIeClick, Inc. provides
technology that allows banner ads to be
targeted to users browsing the web based upon the user's previous selections.
This technology, in addition to other ad-
targeting technology can be used to target users with banner advertisements
that advertise commercials that may be of
particular interest. Since commercials can be easily recorded by users'
recording devices, commercials can be broadcast less
frequently, such as once per day. In accordance with this embodimerit,
commercials can be more effectivly targeted to
viewers, viewers can avoid watching commercials that are not of interest, and
advertisers can avoid paying to repeatedly
broadcast the same commercial.
VII. Program Request Integration
Local cable television service providers generally have at least a hundred and
sometimes several hundred channels
upon which to broadcast content. Oftentimes, it may be the case that many of
these channels are not watched by even a few
people within a whole service area for extended periods of time, such as late
at night. Viewers will frequently find scrolling text
ads, low-viewership programs, and paid commercial advertising on these
channels late at night. The result is that a
tremendous amount of bandwidth is wasted during late night and off peak hours.
In accordance with one embodiment of the
invention, this bandwidth is used to distribute content that is recorded and
then watched during more convenient viewing hours.
Figure 13 illustrates one embodiment 1300 in accordance with which users can
request that certain content be
broadcast through a scheduling system 1302. When content is scheduled to be
broadcast in response to a request, the host
system 102 automatically sends programming data to the user's remotely
programmable video recording system 120 to cause
the system to record the requested content.
In one embodiment, the programming web site 104 provides a search utility that
allows a user 110 to search for a
particular content unit of interest. It may be the case that the content unit
is not scheduled to be broadcast at all or that the
content unit is scheduled to be broadcast too far in the future. In such
cases, the programming web site 104 can present the
user 110 the option of making a scheduling request 1310 that the content unit
of interest be scheduled for broadcast at some
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time in the near future. The host system 102 receives the scheduling request
1310 from the user 110 and then preferably
forwards the scheduling request to the scheduling system 1302.
The scheduling system 1302 can be configured to schedule the broadcast of
content units for broadcast using any
scheduling algorithm or method. If there is sufficient unused bandwidth
available in the broadcasting system, the scheduling
system 1302 may schedule the requested content unit for immediate broadcast.
On the other hand, if bandwidth is limited, the
scheduling system may schedule the requested content unit to be broadcast some
time in the future. By broadcasting a
content unit in the future, the content unit becomes a scheduled program that
other users can also select to be recorded. As a
content unit is scheduled further into the near future, the number of users
that will likely record the content will likely increase up
to a certain point. In accordance with one embodiment, higher demand content
units can be scheduled sooner while lower
demand content units can be scheduled further into the future so that an
maximum number of users record each content unit
when it is broadcast. As a result broadcast bandwidth is more efficiently
utilized.
Once the scheduling system 1302 schedules a content unit for broadcast, the
scheduling system 1302 sends
programming instructions 118 back to the host system 102. The scheduling
system 1302 can formulate the programming
instructions 118 based upon the broadcast time that the scheduling system 1302
has decided upon. The host system 102
receives the programming instructions 118 and then formulates programming data
108 that it then transmits to the video
recording system 120 in accordance with the aforementioned embodiments. The
programming web site 104 can also update
the program grid 212 (Figure 2) andlor a list of scheduled content to reflect
the scheduling information received in the
programming instructions 118 from the scheduling system. In the case that the
content unit is scheduled for broadcast at some
time in the future, other users can also record the same content unit through
the programming web site 104.
The scheduling system 1302 also provides scheduling instructions 1306 to a
broadcaster 1010 that broadcasts to the
user's video recording system 120. The broadcaster 1010 then broadcasts the
requested content in accordance with the
scheduling instructions 1306 so that the requesting user's and others' video
recording systems 120 can receive and record the
broadcast content unit.
As an alternative to having the host system 102 forward scheduling requests
1310 to the scheduling system 1302,
the scheduling system 1302 can support its own web site 1308. Users can go
directly to the scheduling web site to request the
scheduling of proprietary content or content that is generally not broadcast
on a regular basis. When a scheduling request is
made through the scheduling web site 1308, the scheduling system 1302 can
determine if a requested content unit has already
been scheduled, and if so, it may rely upon the already scheduled broadcast.
If the requested content has not been scheduled,
then the scheduling system 1302 can proceed to schedule the broadcast of the
requested content. In either case, the
scheduling system 1302 sends the appropriate programming instructions for the
requesting user's video recording system to
the host system 102.
In one embodiment, the functionality and features of the scheduling system
1302 and the host system 102 are
combined in a single system with a single web site. The features of the
scheduling system 1302 and of this Section in general
can also be combined with the features of Section V (Distribution of
Proprietary Content) above to provide a pseudo-on-
demand proprietary content distribution system.
VIII. Broadcast Scheduling
In one embodiment, the host system 102 maintains statistics relating to the
number of users that have scheduled
each broadcast show for recording. These statistics can be used for various
purposes, such as determining what content to
broadcast and when to broadcast it.
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A broadcaster can use the collected statistics to determine the frequency at
which to rebroadcast repeating content or
serial programs. Suppose, for example, that a broadcaster broadcasts movies on
a certain channel. A movie can be
scheduled for rebroadcast at a rate (e.g., hours of movie per day) that is
proportional to the rate (e.g. number of requests, per
hour of movie, per day) at which users record the movie. Movies that are
requested less frequently can be broadcast less
frequently. By scheduling content with a rate that is proportional to the rate
at which the content is recorded, the average
number of users recording content from the channel can be maximized.
The statistical information obtained from the host system can also be used to
determine when to schedule programs.
Programs that are recorded more frequently can be broadcast before or during
peak watching hours in order to reduce or
minimize the amount of time an average user will have to wait to watch a
program.
IX. Recording Other Types of Content
In one embodiment, the present invention can be configured to record other
types or forms of content that can be
broadcast in digital form, such as audio content, data, or software. In order
to capture these varied types of content, a
computer can be configured with a digital broadcast signal receiver to receive
broadcast content. Any type of content can then
be digitally encoded and broadcast through a digital broadcast signal, such as
available digital television bandwidth. iBlast, Inc.
(www.iblast.com) provides technology that enables computers to receive various
types of digitally encoded broadcast content.
In accordance with the technology of the present invention, computers can be
further configured to receive programming data
108 through which they can be programmed to record or store broadcast content.
In addition, any type of broadcast can be
encrypted and decryption keys can be encrypted and transmitted to individual
receiving computers to provide a general
proprietary content distribution system in accordance with the techniques
presented in Section V.
In one embodiment, the recording system 120 can be configured to receive
broadcast FM radio or to receive digital
radio stations that are provided by many cable and satellite television
service providers.
X. Web Server Enabled Video Recording System
Figure 14 illustrates one embodiment of the invention in which a content
recording device 1402 is supplemented with
a web server 1404 to provide a point of presence on the World Wide Web. The
web server 1404 can be configured to serve a
small number of web pages 1406 that enable a user 110 to program the recording
device 1402 through a web browser 112.
The web pages 1406 can include a Login Page 200 (Figure 2A), a Clickable
Programming Page 210 (Figure 2B), a Program
Schedule Page 220 (Figure 2C), and a Setup Page such as are described in
Section I.
The content recording device 1402 is preferably based upon a computer system
plattorm so that little or no additional
hardware is necessary to support the web server 1404. Alternatively, the
device 1402 can be a computer system
supplemented with a digital broadcast signal receiver (e.g., in accordance
with iBlast, Inc. technology). Presently available
digital video recorders are generally based upon stripped-down computer
systems and little or no hardware would have to be
added in order to run a web server 1404. The TiVo personal video recorder, for
example, is essentially a stripped down
computer system that runs the Linux operating system and has an MPEG-2 video
codec. Alternatively, a separate computer
system can be used to support the web server 1404.
In accordance with this embodiment, much of the functionality of the host
system 102 can be incorporated into the
web server 1404, eliminating the need for a separate host system 102. The web
server 1404 can also include any ancillary
programs (e.g., CGI scripts) necessary to generate web pages, process web page
requests, and/or receive and process
received programming instructions 118. The web server 1404 and a programmable
recording module 1408 are preferably
connected in communication in a single device.
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The web server preferably creates programming data 108 based at least on
programming instructions 118 received
from the user 110 and provides the programming data 108 to the recording
module 1408. In one embodiment, the
programming data 108 can be the unmodified programming instructions 118. The
programming data 108 identifies the content
to be recorded. The recording module 1408 receives the programming data 108
and records the identified broadcast content.
The recording module 1408 preferably also includes replay functionality that
supports the replay of recorded content. The
recording module 1408 can be configured to include any of the features of the
recording and replay module 502 (Figure 5).
A communication module 1410 provides access to the web server 1404 from the
Internet or a computer network 922.
The communication module 1410 preferably provides a constant-on connection so
that the web server 1404 can be accessed
at any time. The communication module 1410 can be a network interface card
that supports TCP/IP and can be connected
directly to the Internet. Alternatively, the communication module 1410 can be
any home networking (e.g., wireless or home
LAN) through which a connection to the Internet can be provided. The
communication module 1410 is preferably configured
with a dedicated IP address so that the web-server can be easily accessed at a
known address. Alternatively, the
communication module 1410 and the computer system 1402 can be configured to
use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol to
obtain a dynamically assigned an IP address from a server. In this case, a
third party host system, such as the server
assigning the IP address, could be used to redirect the user to the
dynamically assigned IP address. The third party host
system is preferably accessible at a dedicated IP address.
The web server 1404 preferably accesses an electronic programming guide 1405
to create the programming web
pages for the user 110. The electronic programming guide 1405 can be
downloaded through the communication module 1410
or through a modem by calling a server from which the data can be made
available.
XI. Alternative and Additional Embodiments
In one embodiment, the video recording system 120 is configured to include a
removable media drive, preferably with
write and read capability, such as a DVD or CD readlwrite drive. The removable
media drive is preferably included in addition
to the recording and replay module 502 or the primary recording media used by
the video recording system 120: In this
configuration, any type of recorded content can be transferred onto removable
media for use elsewhere. In conjunction with
the proprietary content distribution system described in Section V, the data
counter 507 can log the amount or number of
transfers of proprietary content onto removable media and the user can be
charged according to the number of copies made.
In one embodiment, digitally encoded content can be broadcast in faster than
real time for simultaneous or
subsequent playback at normal speed. In order to broadcast content in faster
than real time, additional bandwidth can be used
to provide a higher speed broadcast link. Alternatively, compression
technology (e.g., MPEG-4 or DivX) can be used to
compress content such that it can be broadcast in faster than real time using
a standard bandwidth channel. High-demand
programs can be broadcast repeatedly in faster than real-time on a single
channel. For example, an hour-long show can be
broadcast in 15 minutes, repeating every 15 minutes. The video recording
system 120 can record the program at faster-than-
real-time-rate and can simultaneously or later play back the program at normal
speed. Using a.combination of wasted
bandwidth, high speed broadcast, and recording for delayed viewing, large
amounts of content can be cost effectively
distributed to viewers. Such content may include proprietary content that is
subject to viewing charges in accordance with the
techniques presented in Section V.
In one embodiment, a set top box with recording and web browsing functionality
can be used in conjunction with the
present invention. The set-top box can be configured to receive remotely
transmitted programming data and/or decryption
keys. In one configuration, the set-top box can be configured to receive
content decryption keys in conjunction with the
remotely transmitted programming data. In another configuration, the set-top
box need not be programmed remotely and can
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be programmed directly by the user. In this configuration, the set-top box can
use received programming schedules to
schedule the recording of encrypted content. The set-top box can also request
and receive decryption keys from a host
system. The host system can in turn bill the requesting user for content for
which decryption keys are provided.
In one embodiment, the host system can be configured to receive e-mail from
users, wherein programming
instructions are included in the e-mail. A user can compose an e-mail message
on any e-mail capable device, such as, for
example, a computer, a digital phone with e-mail capability, or a personal
digital assistant. The e-mail preferably contains an
identifier of the user and an identifier of the content unit to be recorded.
The user can be identified by a return address of the e-
mail or by another identifier, such as a user ID included in the e-mail. The
content unit can be identified using, for example, a
VCR-Plus (~deo Plus) code or any other coding scheme. The host system can be
configured to receive and process the e-
mail in accordance with known techniques in order to identify the user and the
content unit to be recorded. The host system
can then program the remotely programmable video recording to record the
selected content in accordance with the present
invention.
In one embodiment, a specially configured client program can be configured to
run on a user computer 114 to allow a
user 110 to send programming instructions 118 to the host system 102 without
using web pages. The client program can
provide a simple interface through which CDTL data is entered. The client
program and a remotely programmable recording
device 120 can alternatively be configured to communicate with one another
through a computer network. In these
configurations, the client program 'can provide a remote user interface to the
remotely programmable recording device 120
without using a web browser or web pages.
In certain instances, such as when recording short content units (e.g.,
commercials) it is advantageous to configure
the timing of a recording session to correspond precisely with the broadcast
of a content unit. Gemstar International Group
Limited provides technology whereby indication signals that signal the precise
beginning and end of content units are broadcast
in conjunction with the content units. The indication signals can be received
by recording devices and used to precisely time
the recording of content. These signals can account for the unplanned shifting
of the time of broadcast content due to delays
such as sporting events.
In one embodiment, the web pages 106 of the web site 104 can be coded using
VoiceXML, the web browser 112 can
be a voice web browser, and the user computer 114 on which the voice web
browser executes can be a VoiceXML gateway. In
accordance with known techniques, the VoiceXML, the voice web browser, and the
VoiceXML gateway are configured so that a
user can browse web pages by listening to speech synthesized VoiceXML pages
and responding with voice commands that are
interpreted with automated speech recognition technology. In this embodiment,
the user can call a VoiceXML gateway on the
telephone, listen to various options of content to be broadcast and provide
programming instructions via voice commands.
Additional information on VoiceXML is available from www.voicexml.org.
X11. Conclusion
One skilled in the art will recognize that many of the functions of the
various functional blocks and modules described
can be performed by alternative functional blocks and modules. For example, in
one embodiment, the web server 302 of the
host system 102, instead of the control module 310, can be configured to
create the programming data 108.
One skilled in the art will recognize that the various embodiments of the
invention disclosed herein can be combined
in a single embodiment. Furthermore, the functionality disclosed with respect
to certain embodiments need not be included in
all embodiments.
While certain embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying
drawings, it is to be understood
that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the
broad invention. Further, it is to be understood that
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this invention is not limited to the specific construction and arrangements
shown and described since various modifications or
changes may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It
is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed
description but by the claims appended hereto. In the
method claims, reference characters are used for convenience of description
only, and do not indicate a particular order for
performing the method.
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