System and method for providing network access to individually recorded content
View Patent ↗A method and system for capturing, storing, and streaming over the air broadcasts based on user requests and at their command is disclosed. The system and method utilize subarrays of antenna elements for receiving over the air broadcasts. Processing pipelines are used to demodulate, transcode and index the content transmissions to produce content data that are streamed to users. In this way, the feeds from antennas can be accessed by users over a network connection.
1. A method of streaming recorded captured television program content transmissions to user devices, the method comprising:
storing the captured television program content transmissions in a broadcast file store as television program content data, the television program content data being uniquely allocated to each of the users individually such that the television program content data for each stored television program content transmission is only allocated to a single user, wherein the television program content data that are allocated to individual users include stored content data at two or more resolutions, the television program content data being generated by capturing terrestrial television broadcasts with antenna elements that are uniquely assigned to individual users, wherein the antenna elements are arranged in a three dimensional array of the antenna elements;
presenting the users with a list of stored television program content transmissions that were recorded at request of each of the users; and
in response to selections by the users, accessing the television program content data for the stored television program content transmissions and streaming the television program content data of a selected resolution to user devices for the corresponding users and only streaming to the each of the users the television program content data that were uniquely allocated to that user,
wherein the television program content data stored in the file store are identified by antenna information that identifies the antenna elements that were used to capture the over the air broadcasts from which the television program content data were generated.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored television program content transmissions in the broadcast file store are captured with the antenna elements that are uniquely assigned to each of the users for a duration of their user account.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored television program content transmissions in the broadcast file store are captured with the antenna elements that are uniquely assigned to each of the users for a duration of the television program content transmissions.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising users accessing the uniquely allocated television program content data in the broadcast file store with user accounts.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining resolution of the user devices and then selecting whether to stream a high resolution or a low resolution version of the television program content data.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the television program content data for each television program content transmission stored in the file store are identified by user information identifying the individual user to which the television program content data are allocated.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the television program content data stored in the file store are identified by time information that identifies time when the broadcasts were captured from which the television program content data were generated.
8. A system for streaming recorded television program content transmissions, the system comprising:
an array of antenna elements that are used to capture terrestrial television broadcasts of television program content transmissions, wherein the antenna elements are arranged in a three dimensional array of the antenna elements;
a broadcast file store that stores television program content data of the television program content transmissions, wherein the file store stores the recorded television program content transmissions at two or more two resolutions;
an application server for providing access to separate accounts of users, wherein the application server provides the users with a list of recorded television program content transmissions that were recorded at a request of each of the separate users by capturing the terrestrial television broadcasts of television program content transmissions with antenna elements that were uniquely assigned to individual users; and
a streaming server that accesses the television program content data at a selected resolution for the recorded television program content transmissions, the television program content data being uniquely allocated to the each of the users separately such that the television program content data for each recorded television program content transmission are only allocated to a single user, wherein the streaming server only streams the television program content data to a device of a user that were uniquely allocated to only that user,
wherein the television program content data stored in the file store are identified by antenna information that identifies the antenna elements that were used to capture the over the air broadcasts from which the television program content data were generated.
9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the file store identifies the antenna elements used to capture each of the broadcasts.
10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the streaming server streams one of the television program content transmissions at one of the resolutions based on a resolution of the user device.
11. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the television program content data stored in the file store is identified by user information identifying the single user to which the television program content data are allocated.