USOO828.0982B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 8,280,982 B2 La Joie et al. (45) Date of Patent: Oct. 2, 2012 (54) PERSONAL CONTENT SERVER APPARATUS 5,159,163 A 10, 1992 Bahjat et al. AND METHODS 5,200,583 A 4, 1993 Kupersmith et al. 5,255,341 A 10/1993 Nakajima (75) Inventors: Michael L. La Joie, Stamford, CT (US); 3556. A SE Male s al Michael Hayashi, Evergreen, CO (US) 5,463,209 A 10/1995 Figh et al. 5,485,897 A 1/1996 Matsumoto et al. (73) Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc., New York, 5,551,532 A 9/1996 Kupersmith NY (US) (Continued) (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS patent is extended or adjusted under 35 JP 52O18653. A 2, 1977 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1594 days. (Continued) (21) Appl. No.: 11/440,490 OTHER PUBLICATIONS (22) Filed: May 24, 2006 DK. Kahaner (Mar. 16, 1991) “Hitachi 1991 Technology Exhibition, (65) P Pub D Tokyo.” Asian Technology Information Program, pp. 1-14. rior Publication Data Continued US 2007/0276925A1 Nov. 29, 2007 ( ) P rinaryy E.Examiner — Jude Jean GillGilles (51) as is (2006.01) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — GaZdzinski & Associates, G06F2L/00 (2006.01) PC G06O 10/00 (2006.01) (57) ABSTRACT (52) U.S. Cl. ........ 709/219; 709/203; 709/229; 709/217; 709/228; 709/225; 709/218; 725/4; 725/28 Personal content server apparatus and associated methods (58) Field of Classification Search 709/219 that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to 700228.223.245 212 213 access content, Such as a video program, from a location See application file for complete search histo s outside the subscriber's network. In one embodiment, a per pp p ry. sonal content server streams the content to the subscriber over (56) References Cited a networkk connect1onion ffrom thehe local e.ge.g., (Subscription)bscripti net work to a remote network upon authorization by a content U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS manager process. Various access, business or operational 3,388,376 A 6/1968 Magee rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; 4,534,056 A 8, 1985 Feilchenfeld et al. e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or 4,577,177 A 3, 1986 Marubashi archived content from the subscriber's digital video recorder 4,708,224 A 11, 1987 Schrooder (DVR) or networked PVR. Secondary content (e.g., promo 4,749,062 A 6/1988 Tsuji et al. tions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively replaced if 4,979,593. 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Kenji Yoneda, et al. (Dec. 1997) “Multi-Objective Elevator Supervi 8, 181,206 5, 2012 Hasek ........................ 7.25/58 sory-Control System with Individual Floor-Situation Control.” 2002fO169961 11, 2002 Giles et al. Hitachi Review, p. 1. 2003/0O28893 A1 2, 2003 Addington 2003/0056217 A1 3, 2003 Brooks * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 1 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 100 y 102 03 DATA/ CONTENT L. APPLICATION SOURCE SOURCE 105 HEAD END 104 VOD APPLICATION SERVER(S) SERVERS 106 N FIG. 1 U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 2 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 150 N 154N 152 suBSCRIBERMANAGEMENT SYSTEM (SMS) & CPE CABLE MODEM CONFIGURATION TERMINATION SYSTEM (CMTS) 158 N & OOB SYSTEM LAW 157 CONDITIONALACCESS SYSTEM DEMODULATE 105 (CAS) AND SPLIT VOD SERVER 162 MULTIPLEXER, ENCRYPTER AND MODULATOR DEMODULATE AND DECRYP7 100) LAW 101 LOCAL & REMOTE FILE SERVERS DISTRIBUTION SERVERS NETWORK 106 MANAGEMENT TO & FROM SYSTEM (NMS) CONSUMER PREMISES FOUIPMENT (CPE) FIG 1 a U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 3 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 @(II."501-{ U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 4 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 5 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 6 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 CONTENT SOURCE REMOTE REMOTE SERVER DIST. CLIENT NETWORK LOCAL ----------- y - W - W- - ------- a mm - m m ar-M as a - o DISTRIB. NETWORK 208 U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 8 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 TVOISÄHAI TIVOI!OOT**--±-~-- 997 {{JLOVNIH?H XIRHOAALEIN CINEI-CIVEIH U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 10 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 FIG 3 3 O 6 3 USer Selld Authentication authenticated? EITOF Message YeS 31 O Send Entitlement - Continue Error MeSSage 34 Send Viewing User entitled? Error Message Yes Additional User Archived Live Viewing Constraints? VOD PVR OT COSTe premises? 3.24. Further SteiS EO Further Steps EO Further Steps to Further Steps to urther Step establish VOD establish live establish PWR establish WPVR progral prograin Streaming session Streaming session Streaming SeSSiOI) Strealing Sessio: U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 11 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 ‘TWOOTI XIQHOAAL'HIN in--. SSVIN {{{DV\OLS RIGHARIHS 907 RIOSSEHOORIAI U.S. Patent US 8,280,982 B2 U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 13 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 NOISI s s D LNVNOdWOO t /OHCIIAS ddVAVquan XVOO an O | \d FINOHdHFITH,L U.S. Patent Oct. 2, 2012 Sheet 14 of 14 US 8,280,982 B2 700 MSO SUBSCRIBER 702 INITIATESSESSION WITH SERVER MSO SUBSCRIBER 704 AUTHENTICATED FOR PURPOSES OF ESTABLISHINGAPPROPRIATE ACCESS TO MSO ACCOUNT SERVER ACCESSES 7O6 BILLING MODULE TO CHARGE MSO ACCOUNT FOR ACCESSING CONTENT FIG 7 US 8,280,982 B2 1. 2 PERSONAL CONTENT SERVER APPARATUS mat, the conversion of this digital program to analog format, AND METHODS and back again to digital, results in Some degradation in media quality.