Granted Patent B2

US 12,363,383 · App. 17/385,710 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Inventor: Michael L. LaJoie (Stamford, CT)

Assignee: TIME WARNER CABLE ENTERPRISES LLC

H04N21/4627G06F21/10H04L63/0428H04N21/2743H04N21/44H04N21/4432

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A computerized method of managing digitally rendered content within a content delivery network configured for data communication with a plurality of computerized client devices, the computerized method comprising:

causing storage of the digitally rendered content at a local storage location of a first computerized client device of the plurality of computerized client devices;

determining whether the storage of the digitally rendered content at the local storage location of the first computerized client device is complete by comparing metadata associated with the digitally rendered content with one or more data values known to be consistent with a complete recordation of the digitally rendered content;

based on the determining indicating that the storage of the digitally rendered content at the local storage location of the first computerized client device is complete, causing storage of the digitally rendered content (i) obtained from the first computerized client device of the plurality of computerized client devices, and (ii) at a first storage location of a cloud-based storage apparatus;

causing transfer of the digitally rendered content from the first storage location to a second storage location, wherein the digitally rendered content is inaccessible by the first computerized client device at the second storage location and accessible by a second computerized client device at the second storage location; and

based at least on data indicating that the second computerized client device has completed use of the digitally rendered content, causing transfer of the digitally rendered content from the second storage location back to the first storage location such that the digitally rendered content is removed from the second storage location.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the second computerized client device, data representative of a request to access the digitally rendered content;

wherein the transfer of the digitally rendered content from the first storage location to the second storage location is based at least on the receipt of the data representative of the request to access the digitally rendered content.

3. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing data stored at a computerized network entity, the stored data related to prior activity associated with the digitally rendered content;

based on the accessing, identifying at least a portion of the digitally rendered content that is a duplicate of at least a portion of digitally rendered content previously stored at the first storage location; and

based at least on the identifying, preventing upload of the at least portion of the digitally rendered content that is duplicative of the at least portion of the digitally rendered content previously stored.

4. The computerized method of claim 3 , further comprising tracking the data related to prior activity via instances of a client application program configured to run on respective ones of the first and the second computerized client devices, and (ii) uploaded to the computerized network entity.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing data stored at a computerized network entity, the stored data related to prior activity associated with the digitally rendered content;

based on the accessing, identifying at least a portion of the digitally rendered content that is a duplicate of at least a portion of digitally rendered content previously stored within the cloud-based storage apparatus; and

based at least on the identifying, preventing upload of the at least portion of the digitally rendered content that is duplicative of the at least portion of the digitally rendered content previously stored.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the digitally rendered content in an encrypted format from a digital content source within the content delivery network; and

causing decryption of the encrypted content utilizing cryptographic data provided by a network operator of the content delivery network;

wherein the transfer of the digitally rendered content from the first storage location to the second storage location comprises transfer of the decrypted content to the second storage location.

7. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the causing of the storage of the digitally rendered content (i) obtained from the first computerized client device of the plurality of computerized client devices, and (ii) at the first storage location of the cloud-based storage apparatus, comprises utilizing an upload prioritization algorithm to evaluate at least portions of the digitally rendered content with respect to one or more criteria, and assign a priority level to the digitally rendered content based at least on the evaluation.

8. The computerized method of claim 7 , wherein the utilizing the upload prioritization algorithm to evaluate the at least portions of the digitally rendered content with respect to the one or more criteria comprises utilizing the upload prioritization algorithm to evaluate the metadata associated with the digitally rendered content, the metadata indicating an importance that the digitally rendered content is uploaded to the first storage location.

9. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the causing of the storage of the digitally rendered content (i) obtained from the first computerized client device of the plurality of computerized client devices, and (ii) at the first storage location of the cloud-based storage apparatus, comprises causing a first upload of the digitally rendered content to the first storage location; and the computerized method further comprises:

periodically determining whether at least portions of the digitally rendered content stored at the first storage location of the cloud-based storage apparatus have changed since the first upload; and

causing a second upload of the at least portions of the digitally rendered content which have changed since the first upload.

10. The computerized method of claim 9 , wherein the periodically determining whether the at least portions of the digitally rendered content stored at the first storage location of the cloud-based storage apparatus have changed since the first upload comprises accessing a database to identify the data related to one or more stop and start times, the data related to the one or more stop and start times tracked via at least one client application computer program configured to run on the first computerized client device.

11. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the storage of the digitally rendered content at the local storage location of the first computerized client device of the plurality of computerized client devices, causing delivery of the digitally rendered content to a third computerized device of the plurality of computerized client devices;

wherein the obtainment of the digitally rendered content from the first computerized client device is based on at least one of (i) insufficient upload bandwidth or (ii) tuner availability, at the third computerized device such that upload of the digitally rendered content to the first storage location from the third computerized device is frustrated.

12. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein the obtainment of the digitally rendered content from the first computerized client device is based on an available local storage capacity of the first computerized client device falling below a prescribed threshold.

13. A computerized network apparatus configured to obtain and store digital content from one or more computerized client devices, the computerized network apparatus comprising:

a digital processor apparatus; and

a storage apparatus in data communication with the digital processor apparatus and comprising at least one computer program thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

obtain the digital content from a first computerized client device, wherein the obtainment of the digital content from the first computerized client device is based on receipt of data representative of a request from a second computerized client device to upload the digital content from the first computerized client device;

cause storage of the digital content at a first storage location of a cloud-based storage apparatus;

cause transfer of the digital content from the first storage location to a second storage location, wherein the digital content is inaccessible by the first computerized client device at the second storage location but accessible by the second computerized client device at the second storage location; and

cause transfer of the digital content from the second storage location back to the first storage location, such that the digital content is accessible by the first computerized client device but not accessible by the second computerized client device.

14. The computerized network apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the causation of the transfer accessible by the second computerized client device from the second storage location back to the first storage location is based at least on data indicating that the second computerized client device has completed use of accessible by the second computerized client device.

15. The computerized network apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the obtainment of the digital content from the first computerized client device comprises obtainment of the digital content over a managed content distribution network, and the digital content is accessible by the second computerized client device at the second storage location over a third-party internetwork.

16. The computerized network apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

prior to the obtainment of the digital content from the first computerized client device, attempt an upload of the digital content from the second computerized client device; and

cancel the upload of the digital content from the second computerized client device based on an incompletion of recordation of the digital content at the second computerized client device.

17. The computerized network apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by the digital processor apparatus, cause the computerized network apparatus to:

identify the incompletion of the recordation of the digital content at the second computerized client device, the identification comprising a comparison of metadata of the digital content with one or more data values known to be consistent with a complete recordation of the digital content.

18. Computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a processing apparatus, cause a computerized apparatus to:

obtain digitally rendered content from a first computerized client device, the obtainment of the digitally rendered content from the first computerized client device comprising causation of a transfer of the digitally rendered content from an initial computerized device to the first computerized client device based on a determination that the first computerized client device will upload the digitally rendered content more efficiently than the initial computerized device;

cause storage of the digitally rendered content at a first storage location of a cloud-based storage apparatus; and

cause storage of the digitally rendered content at a second storage location of a second computerized client device;

wherein the digitally rendered content is accessible to the second computerized client device from the second storage location.

19. The computer readable apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the digitally rendered content is accessible from the first storage location to only one of the first computerized client device or the second computerized client device at a then-current time.

20. The computer readable apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the digitally rendered content is inaccessible to the first computerized client device from the first storage location when the digitally rendered content is being accessed by the second computerized client device at the second storage location.

21. The computer readable apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the obtainment of the digitally rendered content from the first computerized client device comprises and automatic upload of the digitally rendered content from the first computerized client device based on a number of requests for the digitally rendered content meeting or exceeding a prescribed threshold.

Assignments (3)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (400)