IP Library Granted Patent US 9,264,652
Granted Patent B2
US 9,264,652 · App. 12/846,901 · Granted Feb 16, 2016

Home and network video caching

Inventors: Donald E. Smith (Lexington, MA); James Di Mattia (Churchville, MD); Xue Li (Basking Ridge, NJ)
Assignee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
H04N5/782H04N21/4334H04N21/4335H04N21/44204H04N21/44245H04N5/76H04N9/8205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,264,652
App. No.
12/846,901
Granted
Feb 16, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method may include storing a number of programs on a digital video recorder (DVR) and assigning a score or ranking to each of the programs. The method may also include receiving a request to store another program on the DVR and determining whether the DVR has adequate storage space for the other program. The method may further include forwarding, when the DVR does not have adequate storage space for the other program, one of the programs having a lowest score or ranking to a secondary storage located remotely from the DVR.

Claims (61)

1. A method, comprising:

storing a plurality of video programs on a digital video recorder (DVR);

assigning a score or ranking to each of the plurality of video programs based on a viewing history associated with different programs previously recorded on the DVR;

requesting customer permission to transfer at least some of the plurality of video programs to a secondary storage located remotely from the DVR when a level of used storage at the DVR is at a certain threshold of capacity of the DVR;

receiving, from a customer and in response to the request, permission to transfer at least some of the plurality of video programs;

receiving a request to store an other video program on the DVR;

determining whether the DVR has adequate storage space for the other video program;

forwarding, when the DVR does not have adequate storage space for the other video program, a first one of the plurality of video programs having a lowest score or ranking to the secondary storage located remotely from the DVR;

periodically forwarding at least some of the plurality of video programs to the secondary storage based on scores or rankings of the plurality of video programs; and

periodically forwarding video programming stored on the secondary storage to the DVR based on scores or rankings assigned to the video programming stored on the secondary storage, wherein the DVR is located in a customer's premises and the secondary storage is located externally to the customer's premises.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

scheduling the forwarding of the first video program to the secondary storage, and wherein the assigning a score or ranking to each of the plurality of video programs comprises:

assigning a relatively high score to a first one of the plurality of video programs, in response to determining that the viewing history indicates that a user has previously recorded and viewed other programs in a series of programs associated with the first program.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the scheduling comprises:

determining upload bandwidth needed to forward the first video program from the DVR to the secondary storage;

determining, at a scheduled time, whether adequate upload bandwidth exists to forward the first video program; and

forwarding the first video program to the secondary storage when adequate upload bandwidth exists.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the scheduling comprises:

scheduling the forwarding for time when upload activity at a premises associated with the DVR is expected to be relatively low.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

periodically updating the score or rankings of each of the plurality of video programs based on when each of the plurality of video programs was recorded.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

transmitting at least one video program stored on the secondary storage to the DVR based on the updated scores or rankings.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

scheduling the transmission of the at least one video program to the DVR for a time when download activity to a premises associated with the DVR is expected to be low, wherein the secondary storage is not located at the premises associated with the DVR.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the periodically updating comprises:

identifying viewing habits or viewing history associated with the different programs previously recorded on the DVR; and

updating the scores or rankings based on the viewing habits or viewing history.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secondary storage includes a second plurality of video programs, each of the second plurality of video programs having a score or ranking, the method further comprising:

automatically transmitting video programs between the DVR and the secondary storage based on the assigned scores or rankings associated with the plurality of video programs and the second plurality of video programs.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forwarding comprises:

forwarding the first video program to the secondary storage located at service provider associated with providing video programming.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

allocating, to a customer associated with the DVR, a first amount of network storage based on a subscription level associated with the customer.

12. A system, comprising:

a memory configured to store a first plurality of video programs associated with a user, the memory being located remotely from a premises associated with the user; and

logic configured to:

assign a score or ranking to each of a second plurality of video programs stored on the user's digital video recorder (DVR) based on a viewing history associated with other programs previously recorded on the DVR,

request user permission to transfer at least some of the second plurality of video programs to the memory when a level of used storage at the DVR is at a certain threshold of capacity of the DVR,

receive, from the user and in response to the request, permission to transfer at least some of the second plurality of video programs, and

initiate transfer of the at least some of the second plurality of video programs between the DVR and the memory based on the scores or rankings and in response to receiving permission.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein when initiating a transfer, the logic is configured to:

identify a video program having a lowest score or ranking, and

signal the DVR to transfer the video program having the lowest score or ranking to the memory.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the logic is further configured to:

periodically update scores of the first plurality of video programs and the second plurality of video programs based on when each of the first plurality of video programs and each of the second plurality of video programs were recorded.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein when periodically updating the scores, the logic is configured to:

identify viewing habits or viewing history of the user with respect to video programs stored on the DVR, and

update the scores or rankings based on the user's viewing habits or viewing history.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is located at a premises associated with a service provider that provides video programming to the premises associated with the user.

17. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of content requested by a customer, wherein each piece of content has a score or ranking based on the customer's viewing habits or viewing history associated with other content stored in the memory; and

logic configured to:

identify a first piece of content having a lowest score or ranking,

request customer permission to transfer at least some of the plurality of content to an external storage located remotely from the device when a level of used storage in the memory is at a certain level, wherein the at least some of the plurality of content includes the first piece of content,

receive, from a customer and in response to the request, permission to transfer the at least some of the plurality of content, and

forward the first piece of content to the external storage located remotely from the device based on the lowest score or ranking.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the device comprises a digital video recorder (DVR).

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the logic is further configured to:

periodically forward at least some of the plurality of content from the memory to the external storage based on scores or rankings of the plurality of content, and

periodically receive, from the external storage, content stored on the external storage based on scores or rankings assigned to the content stored on the external storage.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 30, 2010
From: SMITH, DONALD E.; DI MATTIA, JAMES; LI, XUE
To: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.
Reel/Frame 024764/0799 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120030721A1 · Feb 2, 2012