System and method for managing program assets

1. A method of operating a communications system storing assets for later transmission, wherein the assets have respective expiration dates beyond which a right to transmit expires, the method comprising:

checking an expiration date of an asset; and

deleting the asset from storage based, at least in part, on a deletion date different from the expiration date, the deletion date being a function of, at least in part, the expiration date and a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing the deletion date to a current date; and

deleting the asset based, at least in part, on whether the deletion date is earlier than the current date.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period of time depends, at least in part, on a length of playtime of the asset.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

adding the predetermined period of time to the expiration time to determine the deletion date.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the asset is provided by a source, the method further comprising:

adding the predetermined period of time to the expiration time to determine the deletion date, if the source has authorized transmission of the asset after the expiration date.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

subtracting the predetermined period of time from the expiration date to determine the deletion date.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the asset is provided by a source, the method further comprising:

subtracting the predetermined period of time from the expiration date to determine the deletion date, if the source has not authorized transmission of the asset after the expiration date.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the expiration date based, at least in part, on a broadcast date of the content corresponding to the asset; and

a period of time the system is authorized to transmit the content after the broadcast date.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

deleting the asset from storage based, at least in part, on the deletion date, if the asset has been selected for viewing by a user.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first asset containing content is stored in a first location, a second asset comprising a first pointer to the first asset is stored in a second location, expiration information associated with the content is stored in a third location, and the second asset further comprises a second pointer to the respective expiration information, the method further comprising:

identifying the second asset;

locating the expiration information based on the second pointer in the second asset; and

determining the expiration date corresponding to the content based, at least in part, on the expiration information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of second assets corresponding to a respective plurality of pieces of content are stored as a package, the method further comprising:

selecting a package; and

identifying the second asset in the package.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

deleting the package based, at least in part, on whether all the second assets in the package have been deleted.

13. A communications system for storing assets for later transmission, wherein the assets have respective expiration dates beyond which a right to transmit expires, the system comprising:

means for checking an expiration date of an asset; and

means for deleting the asset from storage based, at least in part, on a deletion date different than the expiration date, the deletion date being a function of, at least in part, the expiration date and a predetermined period of time.

14. A communications system to store assets for later transmission, wherein the assets have respective expiration dates beyond which a right to transmit expires, the system comprising:

memory to store assets; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being programmed to:

check an expiration date of an asset; and

delete the asset from the memory based, at least in part, on a deletion date different from the expiration date, the deletion date being a function of, at least in part, the expiration date and a predetermined period of time.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

compare the deletion date to a current date; and

delete the asset based, at least in part, on whether the deletion date is earlier than the current date.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the asset is provided by a source and the processor is further programmed to:

determine whether the source has authorized transmission of the asset after the expiration date, if transmission starts prior to the expiration date; and

add the predetermined period of time to the expiration date if the source has authorized said transmission; or

subtract the predetermined period of time from the expiration date if the source has not authorized said transmission.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

delete the asset from storage based, at least in part, on the deletion date, if the asset has been selected for viewing by a user.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined period of time depends, at least in part, on a length of the selected asset.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine the expiration date based, at least in part, on a broadcast date of the content corresponding to the asset; and

a period of time the system is authorized to transmit the content after the broadcast date.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein a first asset containing content is stored in a first location, a second asset comprising a first pointer to the first asset is stored in a second location, expiration information associated with the content is stored in a third location, and the second asset further comprises a second pointer to the expiration information, the processor being further programmed to:

identify the second asset;

locate the expiration information based on the second pointer in the second asset; and

determine the expiration date corresponding to the content based, at least in part, on the expiration information.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein a plurality of second assets corresponding to a respective plurality of pieces of content are stored as a package, each second asset in the package comprising a pointer to a respective first asset containing respective content, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

select a package; and

identify the second asset in the package.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

delete a package based, at least in part, on whether all the second assets in the package have been deleted.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined period of time depends, at least in part, on a length of playtime of the asset.

24. A method of operating a headend of a communications system storing assets for later transmission, the method comprising:

checking by the headend an expiration date of an asset;

checking by the headend whether the asset has been selected for viewing; and

deleting the asset by the headend based, at least in part, on:

a deletion date different from the expiration date, the deletion date being a function of, at least in part, the expiration date and a predetermined period of time; and

whether the asset has been selected.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the expiration date is a date beyond which a right to transmit expires.

26. The method of claim 25 , comprising:

deleting the asset based, at least in part, on the expiration date, whether the asset has been selected and a current date.

27. The method of claim 26 , comprising:

deleting the asset if:

the expiration date is later than or equal to the current date; and

the asset has not been selected.

28. The method of claim 27 , comprising:

deleting the asset if:

the expiration date is later than or equal to the current date;

the asset has not been selected; and

the expiration date is within a predetermined time interval of the current date.

29. The method of claim 24 , comprising:

deleting the asset if:

the asset has not been selected by a predetermined date.

30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the asset is provided by a source, the method further comprising:

determining whether the source has authorized transmission of the asset after the expiration date, if transmission starts prior to the expiration date; and

adding the predetermined period of time to the expiration date to determine the deletion date if the source has authorized said transmission; or

subtracting the predetermined period of time from the expiration date to determine the deletion date if the source has not authorized said transmission.

31. The method of claim 24 , wherein a first asset containing broadcasted content is stored in a first location, a second asset comprising a first pointer to the first asset is stored in a second location, expiration information associated with the content is stored in a third location, and the second asset further comprises a second pointer to the respective expiration information, the method further comprising:

identifying the second asset;

locating the expiration information based on the second pointer in the second asset; and

determining the expiration date corresponding to the content based, at least in part, on the expiration information.

32. A headend of a communications system for storing assets for later transmission, the headend comprising:

means for checking an expiration date of an asset;

means for checking whether the asset has been selected for viewing; and

means for deleting the asset based, at least in part, on:

a deletion date different from the expiration date, the deletion date being a function of, at least in part, the expiration date and a predetermined period of time; and

whether the asset has been selected.

33. A headend of a communications system to store assets for later transmission, the headend comprising:

memory to store assets; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being programmed to:

check an expiration date of an asset;

check whether the asset has been selected; and

delete the asset based, at least in part, on:

a deletion date different from the expiration date, the deletion date being a function of, at least in part, the expiration date and a predetermined period of time; and

whether the asset has been selected.

34. The system of claim 33 , wherein the expiration date is a date beyond which a right to transmit expires.

35. The system of claim 34 , wherein the processor is programmed to:

delete the asset if:

the expiration date is later than or equal to the current date; and

the asset has not been selected.

36. The system of claim 35 , wherein the processor is programmed to:

delete the asset if:

the expiration date is later than or equal to the current date;

the asset has not been selected; and

the expiration date is within a predetermined time interval of the current date.

37. The system of claim 36 , wherein the processor is programmed to:

delete the asset if:

the asset has not been selected by a predetermined date.

38. The system of claim 33 , wherein the asset is provided by a source and the processor is further programmed to:

determine whether the source has authorized transmission of the asset after the expiration date, if transmission starts prior to the expiration date; and

add the predetermined period of time to the expiration date to determine the deletion date if the source has authorized said transmission; or

subtract the predetermined period of time from the expiration date to determine the deletion date if the source has not authorized said transmission.

39. The system of claim 33 , wherein a first asset containing content is stored in a first location, a second asset comprising a first pointer to the first asset is stored in a second location, expiration information associated with the content is stored in a third location, and the second asset further comprises a second pointer to the respective expiration information, the processor being programmed to:

identify the second asset;

locate the expiration information based on the second pointer in the second asset; and

determine the expiration date corresponding to the content based, at least in part, on the expiration information.

40. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assets are stored by a headend of the communications system, the method comprising:

checking the expiration dates and deleting the asset by the headend.

41. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a headend configured to receive broadcast content from broadcast sources to deliver the broadcast content to terminals at user locations, and to store broadcast content in the form of assets for delivery to users on demand;

wherein the headend comprises the processor.

42. A method for delivering program content to terminals at user locations through a cable television network, the method comprising:

receiving broadcast content from a broadcast source by a headend of a cable television network;

delivering the broadcast content to terminals at user locations, through the cable television network, at respective air dates in accordance with a broadcast schedule, by the headend;

storing the broadcast content in the form of assets for delivery to respective users on demand, by the headend;

periodically checking a status of a stored asset by:

determining an expiration date based, at least in part, on the air date and an availability period for which a stored asset is available for viewing on demand; and

adjusting the expiration date based, at least in part, on a predetermined time period; and

deleting the stored asset based, at least in part, on the adjusted expiration date and a current date.

43. The method of claim 42 , further comprising:

adjusting the expiration date by adding the predetermined time period to the expiration date, if the broadcast source allows viewing of the asset after the expiration date if viewing commences prior to the expiration date; and

adjusting the expiration date by subtracting the predetermined time period from the expiration date, if the broadcast source does not allow viewing of the asset after the expiration date.

44. The method of claim 42 , further comprising:

deleting the asset if the asset has not been selected for viewing within a second predetermined period of time prior to the expiration date, regardless of the adjusted expiration date.

45. A headend of a communications system for delivering program content to terminals at user locations through a cable television network, the headend comprising:

an interface to receive broadcast content from a broadcast source;

a mechanism to deliver the broadcast content to terminals at user locations, through the cable television network, at respective air dates in accordance with a broadcast schedule;

at least one processor configured to:

record the broadcast content and store the recorded broadcast content in the form of assets for delivery to respective users on demand;

periodically check a status of a stored asset by:

determining an expiration date of the stored asset based, at least in part, on the air date of the corresponding broadcast content and an availability period for which the stored asset is available for viewing by a user on demand; and

adjusting the expiration date of the stored asset based, at least in part, on a predetermined time period; and

delete the stored asset from the memory based, at least in part, on the adjusted expiration date and a current date.

46. The headend of claim 45 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

adjust the expiration date by adding the predetermined time period to the expiration date, if the broadcast source allows viewing of the asset on demand after the expiration date, if viewing of the program commences prior to the expiration date; and

adjust the expiration date by subtracting the predetermined time period from the expiration date, if the broadcast source does not allow viewing of the asset on demand after the expiration date.

47. The headend of claim 45 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

delete the asset if the asset has not been selected for viewing within a second predetermined period of time prior to the expiration date, regardless of the adjusted expiration date.