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WO2007084937A2 - Content item distribution - Google Patents

Content item distribution Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007084937A2
WO2007084937A2 PCT/US2007/060665 US2007060665W WO2007084937A2 WO 2007084937 A2 WO2007084937 A2 WO 2007084937A2 US 2007060665 W US2007060665 W US 2007060665W WO 2007084937 A2 WO2007084937 A2 WO 2007084937A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
content item
missed
broadcast
communication system
distribution system
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2007/060665
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2007084937A3 (en
Inventor
Nicolas Lhuillier
Alexis Olivereau
Jerome Picault
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Motorola Solutions Inc
Original Assignee
Motorola Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Motorola Inc filed Critical Motorola Inc
Publication of WO2007084937A2 publication Critical patent/WO2007084937A2/en
Publication of WO2007084937A3 publication Critical patent/WO2007084937A3/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H04N7/17309—Transmission or handling of upstream communications
    • H04N7/17318—Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
    • H04N21/4334—Recording operations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
    • H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
    • H04N21/44209—Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
    • H04N21/466—Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
    • H04N21/47—End-user applications
    • H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
    • H04N21/47202—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
    • H04N21/6156—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network
    • H04N21/6181—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the upstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via a mobile phone network
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
    • H04N21/65—Transmission of management data between client and server
    • H04N21/658—Transmission by the client directed to the server
    • H04N21/6581—Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N9/00—Details of colour television systems
    • H04N9/79—Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
    • H04N9/80—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback
    • H04N9/804—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
    • H04N9/8042—Transformation of the television signal for recording, e.g. modulation, frequency changing; Inverse transformation for playback involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components involving data reduction
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
    • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
    • H04N2007/1739—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line

Definitions

  • the invention relates to content item distribution and in particular, but not exclusively, to distribution of television programmes.
  • Efficient distribution of content such as audiovisual content is of increasing importance.
  • wireless broadcasting of content has been widely used for scenarios where a large number of users in a large geographical area are to be reached. For example, from the early days of television, distribution has been by wireless broadcasting from a relatively low number of television transmitters.
  • Broadcasting of content items such, as television programmes provide an efficient distribution with a relatively low air interface resource requirement.
  • traditional broadcasting also has a number of disadvantages .
  • broadcast sessions are time- bounded, it frequently occurs that a user misses the beginning of a specific content item being broadcast. For short broadcasts, which are repeatedly transmitted, this may not be a significant problem as the user may simply wait until next broadcast starts. However for longer and more irregular broadcasts, this may be a significant problem, especially for television programmes where missing the beginning of a programme may reduce user satisfaction as there is currently no way to overcome this problem and the user is forced to either miss the beginning of the programme, to ignore the programme or to wait for a repeat .
  • Video on Demand (VoD) distribution systems it has been proposed to include functionality for additionally transmitting part of a content item to devices that have missed the beginning of the content
  • CML02654EV item CML02654EV item.
  • traditional VoD service employs a client-server unicast distribution model. Each client sets up its own connection with the server over a unicast channel. As the service popularity increases, the server soon becomes the bottleneck.
  • One common technique which is used for saving bandwidth - called batching - consists in waiting for some additional peers before starting a multicast. This delay however significantly decreases the user perceived quality of service.
  • batching - One common technique which is used for saving bandwidth - called batching - consists in waiting for some additional peers before starting a multicast. This delay however significantly decreases the user perceived quality of service.
  • dynamic multicasting In order to address this issue, it has been proposed to use dynamic multicasting. In this approach, the multicast destinations are not static during the multicasting but can be dynamically expanded to accommodate new clients requesting the same content item. A patching technique is then used to allow a new client to join an existing multicast.
  • the server initiates a patching stream which transmits the missing initial part of the content item from the server to the client.
  • the client continues to play back the remainder of the content using the data that has been buffered on the local disk in the meantime.
  • patching can involve other clients rather than just the server.
  • VoD systems are based on a complex and integrated management and control operation involving both the server and clients.
  • VoD systems are designed as an alternative to existing broadcast services and do not interwork with broadcast services.
  • the deployment of VoD systems is typically expensive and requires significant initial investment and
  • an improved content item distribution would be advantageous and in particular a system allowing increased flexibility, enhanced user service/experience, compatibility with e.g. existing broadcast services and/or improved performance would be advantageous.
  • the Invention seeks to preferably mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages singly or in any combination.
  • a content item distribution system comprising a plurality of content item presentation devices, at least a first content item presentation device comprising: first receiving means for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to a plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system; means for detecting that a broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing; means for determining a missed part of the selected content item; first transmitting means for transmitting a request for the missed part to at least one external source using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system; and second receiving means for receiving the missed part of the content item via the different communication system.
  • the invention may allow improved content item distribution performance and may e.g. provide increased flexibility, improved user experience, and/or an improved user service.
  • the invention may allow an additional service to be provided to content item presentation devices for receiving broadcast transmissions.
  • the invention may allow enhanced functionality for content item broadcasts without requiring the involvement, modification and/or even knowledge of the broadcast communication system or the operator thereof.
  • the invention may be compatible with existing broadcast services and may for example provide an additional service for a broadcast television service.
  • the first and second receiving means may be arranged to receive signals through different communication mediums.
  • the broadcast communication system and the different communication system may be independently managed and controlled. For example, completely different and independent communication resources may be used.
  • the different communication system may for example be a cellular communication system or a wired or wireless local area network.
  • the first content item presentation device further comprises means for generating a complete selected content item by combining the missed part of the selected content item with a remaining part received from the broadcast transmitter by the first receiving means.
  • the invention may allow an efficient and flexible service for providing a complete content item to a content item
  • CML02654EV presentation device even if a part of a broadcast of the content item has been missed.
  • An efficient communication resource may be achieved and the service may be provided by a service provider which is independent of the broadcast service provider.
  • the first content item presentation device further comprises means for presenting the complete selected content item to a user.
  • the invention may allow an efficient and flexible service for providing a complete content item to a user of the content item presentation device even if a part of a broadcast of the content item has been missed.
  • An efficient communication resource may be achieved and the service may be provided by a service provider which is independent of the broadcast service provider.
  • the first content item presentation device further comprises storage means for storing the complete selected content item to a user of the content item presentation device.
  • the invention may allow an efficient and flexible service for storing or recording a complete content item even if a part of a broadcast of the content item has been missed.
  • An efficient communication resource may be achieved and the service may be provided by a service provider which is independent of the broadcast service provider .
  • the different communication system is independent of the broadcast communication system.
  • the different communication system and the broadcast communication system may specifically have separate resource allocation, network management, network operators/service providers and/or may be operating in accordance with different and separate standards and technical specifications.
  • the broadcast communication system is a television broadcast communication system.
  • the invention may allow an improved or enhanced service for users of a television broadcast service.
  • the broadcast communication system is a wireless broadcast communication system.
  • the broadcast to the content item presentation devices may be by wireless means.
  • the broadcast function may be achieved by wireless transmission such as for example by transmission of electromagnetic signals. This may allow for efficient performance.
  • the different communication system may be a wired communication system.
  • the content item distribution system further comprises a server, the server comprising: third receiving means for receiving requests for missed parts of content items from
  • CML02654EV content item presentation devices means for obtaining missed parts of content items; and second transmitting means for transmitting missed parts of content items to content item presentation devices.
  • This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation in many embodiments.
  • it may allow facilitated service provider control, facilitated deployment for existing broadcast system and/or reduced complexity in many embodiments.
  • the means for obtaining comprises: means for, in response to receiving the request from the first content item presentation device, requesting the missed part from at least one other content item presentation device; and means for receiving the missed part from at least one other content item presentation device; and wherein the second transmitting means is arranged to transmit the missed part to the first content item presentation device.
  • the server comprises means for receiving storage information from content item presentation devices, the storage information indicating content items stored at the content item presentation devices; and wherein the means for obtaining comprises means for identifying a first content item presentation device having stored the missed part in response to the storage information.
  • CML02654EV This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation. For example, a faster identification and/or retrieval of required content item parts may be achieved and/or the communication resource requirement may be reduced.
  • the server comprises storage means for storing at least parts of content items; and wherein the means for obtaining is arranged to determine if requested missed parts are stored in the storage, means and if so to retrieve the requested parts from the storage means.
  • the first transmitting means is arranged to transmit the request to at least one other content item presentation device; and the second receiving means is arranged to receive the missed part of the content item from the at least one other content item presentation device.
  • the missed part may be obtained directly from another content item presentation device without the involvement of a server.
  • the request may be transmitted or broadcast to a plurality of content item presentation devices and any content item presentation device having the requested missed part may transmit this back.
  • the feature may allow
  • CML02654 EV a de-centralised system and may facilitate implementation and/or improve operation in many embodiments .
  • the different communication system is a peer-to-peer communication network.
  • the request comprises an identification of the missed part.
  • the identification comprises at least one indication selected from the group consisting of: a real time indication of an event of the missed part; a duration of the missed part; a frame number of an event of the missed part; a content item time indication of an event of the missed part; and an identification of the selected content item.
  • the event of the missed part may for example be a start or an ending of the missed part and may specifically correspond to the start time of the content item or to the time from which the broadcast is received.
  • the first content item presentation device further comprises:
  • CML02654EV means for storing at least parts of received content items; means for receiving a request for a part of a content item from a requesting source; means for determining if at least some of the part of the content item is stored in the means for storing; and means for transmitting the least some of the part of the content item to the requesting source.
  • the requesting source may be another content item presentation device and/or may be a server providing missed parts of content items to requesting content item presentation devices.
  • the content item presentation device is a personal video recorder .
  • the invention may allow an improved service to be provided by a personal video recorder.
  • a server for a content item distribution system including a plurality of content item presentation devices for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to the plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system, the server comprising: receiving means for receiving requests for missed parts of content items from content item presentation devices; means for obtaining missed parts of content items; and transmitting means for transmitting missed parts of content items to the content item presentation devices .
  • CML02654EV According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of operation for a content item distribution system including a plurality of content item presentation devices, the method comprising at least a first content item presentation device performing the steps of: receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to a plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system; detecting that broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing; determining a missed part of the selected content item; transmitting a request for the missed part to at least one external source using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system; and receiving the missed part of the content item via the different communication system.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example of content item distribution system in accordance with some embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a content item presentation device in accordance with some embodiments of the invention
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a server in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method of retrieving a missed part of a content item in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an example of content item distribution system in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a television broadcast transmitter 101 which is a conventional broadcast transmitter that broadcasts analogue or digital television signals to a large number of users in a relatively large geographical area.
  • a television broadcast transmitter 101 which is a conventional broadcast transmitter that broadcasts analogue or digital television signals to a large number of users in a relatively large geographical area.
  • digitally encoded e.g. by MPEG-2 encoding
  • the described principles may be applicable to many other types of content items.
  • the television broadcast transmitter 101 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it need not be part of the content item distribution system but can e.g. be considered part of an existing, independent and separate television broadcast system.
  • the service provided by the content item distribution system may be an additional or enhanced service for a television broadcast system provided by completely independent hardware and software and by an independent service provider .
  • the content item distribution system comprises a large number of devices for receiving the television broadcasts.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates three Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) 103, 105, 107 and the embodiments will be described with reference to this. It will be appreciated that the system may alternatively or additionally comprise other broadcast receiving means and user presentation devices .
  • PVRs Personal Video Recorders
  • the PVRs 103, 105, 107 are able to receive the television broadcasts from the television broadcast transmitter 101 and can record these programs on a local storage.
  • the PVRs 103, 105, 107 also comprise functionality for retrieving programmes from the local storage and for outputting the corresponding audiovisual signal, for example to a television.
  • the PVRs 103, 105, 107 are coupled together via a network 109.
  • the network may for example be a wired or wireless
  • CML02654EV Local Area Network can be a public or proprietary network.
  • the network can be the Internet.
  • the network 109 is furthermore coupled to a server 111 which is arranged to communicate with the PVRs 103, 105, 107 in order to distribute missed parts of television programmes as will be described in more detail in the following.
  • the system of FIG. 1 may provide a mechanism for the users to obtain the missed part of a content item from the server or from another user who is receiving and has recorded the same content item. Specifically, if a user is interested in recording a complete content item but has missed the beginning, the PVR can record the rest of the broadcast of the content item and can in addition request the missing part from another device or from the server.
  • the system includes functionality for the PVR to unambiguously identify the television programme for which the beginning has been missed as well as the size (e.g. duration) of the missing part.
  • the system can identify another device
  • CML02654 EV same television programme.
  • the missing part of the programme can then be transmitted from this device to the requesting PVR which can combine the missed part of the beginning with the rest of the content item received directly by the broadcast.
  • a user may realize (e.g. when turning on the television or changing channel) that a television programme is of interest but that the beginning of this television programme has been missed.
  • the user requests the PVR (e.g. by pressing a button on the remote) to retrieve the beginning of the television programme.
  • the television programme may be univocally identified by the channel number and the broadcast date and time or via a unique identifier, such as those typically assigned in Electronic Program Guides (EPG) .
  • EPG Electronic Program Guides
  • the system temporary stops playing the television programme to the user and starts recording the television programme from the current instant.
  • the system contacts the server 111 and transmits the unique identifier as well as the indication of the size of the missed part.
  • this consists in the current time from which the planned (or actual) start time will be subtracted by the server to get the missed duration.
  • it may consists in the frame number of the MPEG stream from which the number of the first frame of the television programme will be subtracted by the server to get the size of the missed section .
  • the server 111 can optionally check the request for appropriate service policies. If the request is acceptable, the server 111 then searches for another device 105, 107 (including the server itself 111) that is recording the television programme. In order to avoid an exhaustive search by contacting all devices 105, 107, each device 105, 107 may inform the server 111 of the television programme which it has recorded or is recording. For privacy concerns/ this list of recordings can be cleared periodically (e.g. once the maximum missed duration has passed, the information is removed) .
  • the server 111 requests the identified device 105, 107 to transmit the missing part to the requesting PVR 101.
  • the missed part can e.g. be identified by two timestamps (beginning time and end time) in time synchronized systems (e.g. in systems where the devices 103, 105, 107 periodically obtain the current system time from the server, e.g. using the widely deployed NTP protocol) or by a MPEG frame number and a duration.
  • This transmission of the missed part to the PVR 101 may in different embodiments e.g. be direct or via the server 111.
  • the server 111 can receive the missed part and forward it to the requesting PVR 101.
  • the server may also temporary store the missed section in its own local storage. For instance if the server 111 already received x minutes from a first request, a subsequent request for the same television programme of a longer missed section (e.g. of y minutes) may result in only the additional y-x minutes being retrieved from the identified device 105, 107 and the previously received part of x minutes being directly
  • the server 111 can recorabine the two sections and transfer the entire y minutes to the requesting device.
  • the requesting device can combine the parts received from the TV broadcast transmitter 101 and from the server 111 e.g. using the MPEG frame numbers.
  • the complete television programme can then be stored and can be presented to the user. If the missed beginning cannot be retrieved, the PVR 101 may e.g. allow the user to select between watching the end of the television programme (the part that has been received from TV broadcast transmitter 101) or to search for a future broadcast in the EPG.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a content item presentation device in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
  • the content item presentation device may specifically be the first PVR 103 of FIG. 1 and will be described with reference to this.
  • the first PVR 103 comprises a broadcast receiver 201 which can receive the television programmes broadcast from the TV broadcast transmitter 101.
  • the broadcast receiver 201 is coupled to a recording controller 203 which receives the received content items.
  • the recording controller 203 is arranged to control the recording operation of the first PVR 103 and specifically is arranged to store content items on a hard disk 205 coupled to the recording controller 203.
  • the recording controller 203 can receive a user input requesting that a specific television programme is recorded. In response, the recording controller 203 stores the digital data stream of that television programme on the hard disk 205.
  • the hard disk 205 is furthermore coupled to a playback controller 207 which controls the playback operation of the first PVR 103.
  • the playback controller 207 is coupled to an audiovisual output 209 and is operable to retrieve a selected recording from the hard disk 205 and to forward it to the audiovisual output 209 for presentation to a user.
  • the audiovisual output 209 can itself comprise a display for presenting the television programme or can e.g. comprise output circuitry for coupling to an external presentation device such as a television.
  • the recording controller 203 may in some cases receive a request for the recording of a programme which is currently being received by the broadcast receiver 201 but for which an initial part has not been recorded. In such cases, the recording controller 203 can detect that the selected television programme is currently undergoing and that it accordingly cannot record the complete television programme.
  • the recording controller 203 proceeds to record the television programme from the current time and to inform a missed part processor 211 that a currently received programme is being partially recorded. In response, the missed part processor 211 proceeds to
  • CML02654EV determine the part of the television programme which has been missed.
  • the missed part processor 211 can determine a time instant from which the television programme is being recorded.
  • the missed part processor 211 can further determine an identification of the television programme. For example, a unique identifier received for the television programme can be determined and/or a television channel, timing and/or programme name can be determined. Thus, both an identification of the content item and an indication of which part has been missed is determined by the missed part processor 211.
  • This information is forwarded to a request transmitter 213 which is operable to transmit a request for the missed part to the server 111.
  • the request transmitter 213 is coupled to a network interface 215 which interfaces to the network 109.
  • the request transmitter 213 transmits the request message to the server 111 through a different communication medium and communication system than the one used for receiving the broadcast television programme.
  • the request comprises an identification of the missed part allowing the server 111 and/or other devices to identify exactly which part has been missed.
  • the request can comprise the identification of the television programme as well as the indication of the time from which the broadcast has been recorded.
  • the time indication may be provided as a real time indication and/or may be presented as a timing referenced to the content item itself. For example, a frame number from
  • CML02654EV which the television programme has been recorded can be included.
  • the missed part processor 211 can furthermore be arranged to determine a duration of the missed part. For example this can be determined as the time of the start of the recording of the received broadcast signal minus a start time of the television programme (for example obtained by an electronic program guide) .
  • the server 111 may localise a copy of the missed part of the television programme and forward this to the first PVR 103.
  • the first PVR 103 comprises the network receiver 217 which is coupled to the network interface 215 and which is arranged to receive the missed part from the server 111.
  • the first PVR 103 is arranged to receive parts of the television programmes that are broadcast by the TV broadcast transmitter 101 through a different and independent communication system.
  • the network receiver 217 is coupled to the recording controller 203 which is fed the missed part.
  • the recording controller 213 proceeds to store the missed part received from the server 111 on the hard disk 205.
  • the recording controller 203 is furthermore arranged to generate a complete version of 'the selected television programme by combining the missed part received from the server 111 with the part received from the TV broadcast transmitter 101 by the broadcast receiver 201. It will be appreciated that any suitable algorithm or process for
  • CML02654EV combining the digital audiovisual signals may be used.
  • the MPEG-2 encoded files may be decoded to provide the image frames in a time interval around the borderline.
  • the frame numbers can then be used to align the two sections such that a continuous sequence of frames is achieved by selecting frames from either one or the other section.
  • the resulting video may be re-encoded using the MPEG-2 video encoding protocol.
  • the recording controller 203 may combine the two sections as part of the recording or storage process or may subsequently retrieve the sections from the hard disk 205 for combining and subsequent storage of the complete combined television programme. It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments a combination of the two different parts of sections may be achieved during playback. Specifically the functionality for combining the different sections may be comprised in the playback controller 207.
  • the first PVR 103 comprises functionality for storing the complete television programme following a combination of a section received via the broadcast communication system by the broadcast receiver 201 and a section received via an independent communication system.
  • the complete television programme may be presented to a user by the playback controller 207 and the audiovisual output 209.
  • a user service is provided allowing recording and/or presentation of complete content items even if the beginning of the broadcast of the content item has been missed.
  • the first PVR 103 furthermore
  • GML02654EV comprises functionality that allows it to provide content items which have been missed by other devices .
  • the first PVR 103 comprises an exchange controller 219 which is coupled to the network interface 215 and to the hard disk 205.
  • the exchange controller 219 can receive a request from the server 111 which indicates that another device of the system is trying to retrieve a missed part of a broadcast content item. In response, the exchange controller 219 can search the hard disk 205 to determine if the same content item has been recorded by the first PVR 103. Specifically, the first PVR 103 may currently be recording a television programme for which another device is seeking to retrieve a missed part. In this case, the exchange controller 219 can retrieve an appropriate section from that television programme and transmit this to the server 111 via the network interface 215 and the network 109. Thus, as well as providing an additional user service to the user of the first PVR 103, the first PVR 103 can also assist in providing this user service to other devices of the system.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a server in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
  • the server may specifically be the server 111 of FIG. 1 and will be described with reference to this.
  • the server comprises a network interface 301 which is operable to interface to the network 109.
  • the network interface 301 is coupled to a request receiver 303 which is arranged to receive requests for missed parts of content items from devices of the system, specifically,
  • the request receiver 303 can receive the request for the missed part of the television programme from the first PVR 103.
  • the request receiver 303 is coupled to a retrieval controller 305 which is operable to obtain missed parts of content items.
  • the retrieval controller 305 can obtain a section of the content item from an internal storage or from another device of the system.
  • the retrieval controller 305 may be capable of only obtaining the section from either an external storage or from another device of the system.
  • the retrieval controller 305 proceeds to attempt to retrieve the requested part of the television programme .
  • the retrieval controller 305 is coupled to a transmit controller 307 which is arranged to transmit missed parts of content items to requesting devices. Specifically, if the retrieval controller 305 is successful in obtaining the missed part requested by the first PVR 103, this is fed to the transmit controller 307 and transmitted to the first PVR 103 via the network interface 301 and the network 109. If the retrieval controller 305 is unsuccessful, a message informing the first PVR 103 of this can be transmitted.
  • the retrieval controller 305 of FIG. 3 comprises a localisation processor 309 which is coupled to the request receiver 303.
  • the localisation processor 309 is coupled to the request receiver 303.
  • CML02654EV 309 comprises functionality for determining exactly which part of which content item is requested in response to the information comprised in the request. Specifically, the localisation processor 309 can extract information identifying the television programme as well as the time from which the first PVR 103 is recording the programme.
  • the localisation processor 309 then proceeds to determine the size of the missing part.
  • the requesting device does not know the exact time of when the broadcast of the content item actually started.
  • the broadcast operator may also record the first frame number for each television programme which can then be subtracted from the first frame recorded by the requesting device.
  • the frame number may also be reset to zero at the beginning of each television programme.
  • the broadcast operator may also put special tags in the broadcast stream at the beginning of each show for the recording device to detect the first frame. It will be appreciated that in various embodiments, the exact size of the missed part may be determined by the devices, by the server or by both the requesting device and the server in combination.
  • the localisation processor 309 is coupled to a retrieval processor 311 which retrieves the missing part of the content item in response to the information received from the localisation processor 309.
  • the retrieval processor 311 is coupled to a remote retrieval processor 313 which is arranged to retrieve the missing part from another device of the system.
  • the remote retrieval processor 313 is coupled to the network interface 301 and is arranged to transmit a request for the missed part to other devices in the system.
  • the remote retrieval processor 313 can transmit this request to different devices without knowing if these devices are likely to have the missed part. Specifically, the remote retrieval processor 313 may blindly transmit requests to a number of devices in the hope that one these of will be able to provide the missed part. In other embodiments, the localisation processor 309 may provide an indication of a specific device which is likely to have the missed part. In such a situation, the remote retrieval processor 313 may only transmit the request to this specific device.
  • the retrieval processor 311 then forwards the missed part to the transmit controller 307 which transmits it to the requesting device.
  • the server 111 comprises a local content item storage 315 for storing complete or part content items. For example, whenever a missed item is received from a device of the system, this may
  • this server 111 may itself comprise a broadcast receiver for receiving content items from the TV broadcast transmitter 101. These content items may be stored in the content item storage 315.
  • the retrieval processor 311 is coupled to the content item storage 315. If the content item storage 315 comprises the missed part, the retrieval processor 311 can retrieve this directly therefrom and forward it to the transmit controller 307 for transmission to the first PVR 103.
  • the retrieval processor 311 may search through the content items stored in the content item storage 315 to determine if the missed part is stored therein.
  • the retrieval controller 305 comprises a recording list processor 317 which is coupled to the network interface 301.
  • some or all of the devices in the system comprise functionality for transmitting information of which content items are recorded to the server 111. This information is received by the recording list processor 317 which is coupled to a recording list storage 319 in which the recording list processor 317 maintains a list indicating which content items are currently stored at the individual devices .
  • the localisation processor 309 can be coupled to the recording list storage 319. Whenever a request is received, the localisation processor 309 can search through the recording list storage 319 in order to
  • CML02654EV identify any device that may have the corresponding missed part. It can then proceed to provide the retrieval processor 311 with the device address of this device. The remote retrieval processor 313 can then proceed to directly request the content item from the identified device thereby facilitating operation and reducing delay and communication resource usage.
  • the described system provides an enhanced user service that enhances a broadcast system.
  • the user service is provided without any reliance on the broadcast communication system and by using a different communication system which can be independent of the broadcast communication system. This may for example allow a service provider who is independent of the broadcast service provider to provide an added value service without requiring the approval or involvement of the broadcast service provider.
  • the different communication system may be a system that is better suited to a more targeted communication than the broadcast communication system.
  • the TV broadcast transmitter 101 of FIG. 1 is a conventional wireless broadcast television transmitter
  • the network 109 may be a wired network or any other suitable network for coupling the devices together.
  • the broadcast communication system is inherently a one-to-many architecture
  • the other communication system can be a communication system much which is better suited for communication between individual network nodes.
  • the network 109 may be the Internet.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method of retrieving a missed part of a content item in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The method may specifically be executed by the system of FIG. 1.
  • the individual devices may directly communicate with each other without a central server and may specifically send requests for missed parts directly to other devices and can equivalently receive missed parts directly from the other devices .
  • the network may be a peer-to-peer communication network.
  • the principles may be applied to a mobile television domain (such as DVB-H) without including a centralised server. Rather, communication may achieved by relying on unlicensed short range communication protocols such as WiFiTM or BluetoothTM.
  • the described systems may enhance the user experience by avoiding that the user has to either miss the start of a
  • the missed section can be transmitted as a unicast transmission as the majority of the content item is typically received via the broadcast system.
  • the invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these.
  • the invention may optionally be implemented at least partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.
  • the elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way. Indeed the functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units. As such, the invention may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units and processors .

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Abstract

A content item distribution system comprises content item presentation devices (103, 105, 107) with receivers (201) for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter (101) via a broadcast communication system. The devices comprise a recording controller (203) which can detect that a broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing. A processor (211) determines a missed part of the selected content item and in response a request transmitter (213) transmits a request to external sources using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system. A network receiver (217) receives the missed part of the content item via the different communication system and the recording controller (203) combines this with a remaining part received via the broadcast communication system to generate a complete content item.

Description

CONTENT ITEM DISTRIBUTION
Field of the invention
The invention relates to content item distribution and in particular, but not exclusively, to distribution of television programmes.
Background of the Invention
Efficient distribution of content such as audiovisual content is of increasing importance. Conventionally, wireless broadcasting of content has been widely used for scenarios where a large number of users in a large geographical area are to be reached. For example, from the early days of television, distribution has been by wireless broadcasting from a relatively low number of television transmitters.
Broadcasting of content items such, as television programmes provide an efficient distribution with a relatively low air interface resource requirement. However, traditional broadcasting also has a number of disadvantages .
Most significantly, the shared broadcasting results in all users being provided with the same content items at the same time. Traditionally users of television systems have been forced to start watching or recording a desired television programme from the time the broadcasts start, which is highly inconvenient and limits the user' s freedom in using the broadcast service.
Furthermore, as the amount and variety of content which is provided to the consumer has increased substantially in the last decade, it is becoming increasingly difficult and inconvenient to keep track of the broadcast times of desired content items as well as to coordinate between different broadcasts. For example, in the last decade the average number of television channels available to the user has increased substantially and it has become increasingly impractical and cumbersome to identify and plan for the watching and recording of selected programmes .
Specifically, because broadcast sessions are time- bounded, it frequently occurs that a user misses the beginning of a specific content item being broadcast. For short broadcasts, which are repeatedly transmitted, this may not be a significant problem as the user may simply wait until next broadcast starts. However for longer and more irregular broadcasts, this may be a significant problem, especially for television programmes where missing the beginning of a programme may reduce user satisfaction as there is currently no way to overcome this problem and the user is forced to either miss the beginning of the programme, to ignore the programme or to wait for a repeat .
In some closed Video on Demand (VoD) distribution systems, it has been proposed to include functionality for additionally transmitting part of a content item to devices that have missed the beginning of the content
CML02654EV item. Specifically, traditional VoD service employs a client-server unicast distribution model. Each client sets up its own connection with the server over a unicast channel. As the service popularity increases, the server soon becomes the bottleneck. One common technique which is used for saving bandwidth - called batching - consists in waiting for some additional peers before starting a multicast. This delay however significantly decreases the user perceived quality of service. In order to address this issue, it has been proposed to use dynamic multicasting. In this approach, the multicast destinations are not static during the multicasting but can be dynamically expanded to accommodate new clients requesting the same content item. A patching technique is then used to allow a new client to join an existing multicast. In such a case, the server initiates a patching stream which transmits the missing initial part of the content item from the server to the client. When the playback of the missing part is completed, the client continues to play back the remainder of the content using the data that has been buffered on the local disk in the meantime. In some VoD systems, it has been proposed to use peer-to-peer patching wherein patching can involve other clients rather than just the server.
However, such systems are based on a complex and integrated management and control operation involving both the server and clients. Furthermore, the VoD systems are designed as an alternative to existing broadcast services and do not interwork with broadcast services. Thus, the deployment of VoD systems is typically expensive and requires significant initial investment and
' CML02654EV tends to have high running cost partly due to high communication resource requirements.
Hence, an improved content item distribution would be advantageous and in particular a system allowing increased flexibility, enhanced user service/experience, compatibility with e.g. existing broadcast services and/or improved performance would be advantageous.
Summary of the Invention
Accordingly, the Invention seeks to preferably mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages singly or in any combination.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a content item distribution system comprising a plurality of content item presentation devices, at least a first content item presentation device comprising: first receiving means for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to a plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system; means for detecting that a broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing; means for determining a missed part of the selected content item; first transmitting means for transmitting a request for the missed part to at least one external source using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system; and second receiving means for receiving the missed part of the content item via the different communication system.
CML02654EV The invention may allow improved content item distribution performance and may e.g. provide increased flexibility, improved user experience, and/or an improved user service. The invention may allow an additional service to be provided to content item presentation devices for receiving broadcast transmissions. The invention may allow enhanced functionality for content item broadcasts without requiring the involvement, modification and/or even knowledge of the broadcast communication system or the operator thereof. The invention may be compatible with existing broadcast services and may for example provide an additional service for a broadcast television service.
The first and second receiving means may be arranged to receive signals through different communication mediums. The broadcast communication system and the different communication system may be independently managed and controlled. For example, completely different and independent communication resources may be used. The different communication system may for example be a cellular communication system or a wired or wireless local area network.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the first content item presentation device further comprises means for generating a complete selected content item by combining the missed part of the selected content item with a remaining part received from the broadcast transmitter by the first receiving means.
The invention may allow an efficient and flexible service for providing a complete content item to a content item
CML02654EV presentation device even if a part of a broadcast of the content item has been missed. An efficient communication resource may be achieved and the service may be provided by a service provider which is independent of the broadcast service provider.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the first content item presentation device further comprises means for presenting the complete selected content item to a user.
The invention may allow an efficient and flexible service for providing a complete content item to a user of the content item presentation device even if a part of a broadcast of the content item has been missed. An efficient communication resource may be achieved and the service may be provided by a service provider which is independent of the broadcast service provider.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the first content item presentation device further comprises storage means for storing the complete selected content item to a user of the content item presentation device.
The invention may allow an efficient and flexible service for storing or recording a complete content item even if a part of a broadcast of the content item has been missed. An efficient communication resource may be achieved and the service may be provided by a service provider which is independent of the broadcast service provider .
CML02654EV According to an optional feature of the invention, the different communication system is independent of the broadcast communication system.
The different communication system and the broadcast communication system may specifically have separate resource allocation, network management, network operators/service providers and/or may be operating in accordance with different and separate standards and technical specifications.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the broadcast communication system is a television broadcast communication system.
The invention may allow an improved or enhanced service for users of a television broadcast service.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the broadcast communication system is a wireless broadcast communication system.
The broadcast to the content item presentation devices may be by wireless means. Thus, the broadcast function may be achieved by wireless transmission such as for example by transmission of electromagnetic signals. This may allow for efficient performance. The different communication system may be a wired communication system.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the content item distribution system further comprises a server, the server comprising: third receiving means for receiving requests for missed parts of content items from
CML02654EV content item presentation devices; means for obtaining missed parts of content items; and second transmitting means for transmitting missed parts of content items to content item presentation devices.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation in many embodiments. In particular, it may allow facilitated service provider control, facilitated deployment for existing broadcast system and/or reduced complexity in many embodiments.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the means for obtaining comprises: means for, in response to receiving the request from the first content item presentation device, requesting the missed part from at least one other content item presentation device; and means for receiving the missed part from at least one other content item presentation device; and wherein the second transmitting means is arranged to transmit the missed part to the first content item presentation device.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation in many embodiments.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the server comprises means for receiving storage information from content item presentation devices, the storage information indicating content items stored at the content item presentation devices; and wherein the means for obtaining comprises means for identifying a first content item presentation device having stored the missed part in response to the storage information.
CML02654EV This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation. For example, a faster identification and/or retrieval of required content item parts may be achieved and/or the communication resource requirement may be reduced.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the server comprises storage means for storing at least parts of content items; and wherein the means for obtaining is arranged to determine if requested missed parts are stored in the storage, means and if so to retrieve the requested parts from the storage means.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation. For example, a faster identification and/or retrieval of required content item parts may be achieved and/or the communication resource requirement may be reduced.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the first transmitting means is arranged to transmit the request to at least one other content item presentation device; and the second receiving means is arranged to receive the missed part of the content item from the at least one other content item presentation device.
The missed part may be obtained directly from another content item presentation device without the involvement of a server. The request may be transmitted or broadcast to a plurality of content item presentation devices and any content item presentation device having the requested missed part may transmit this back. The feature may allow
CML02654EV a de-centralised system and may facilitate implementation and/or improve operation in many embodiments .
According to an optional feature of the invention, the different communication system is a peer-to-peer communication network.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the request comprises an identification of the missed part.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the identification comprises at least one indication selected from the group consisting of: a real time indication of an event of the missed part; a duration of the missed part; a frame number of an event of the missed part; a content item time indication of an event of the missed part; and an identification of the selected content item.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation. The event of the missed part may for example be a start or an ending of the missed part and may specifically correspond to the start time of the content item or to the time from which the broadcast is received.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the first content item presentation device further comprises:
CML02654EV means for storing at least parts of received content items; means for receiving a request for a part of a content item from a requesting source; means for determining if at least some of the part of the content item is stored in the means for storing; and means for transmitting the least some of the part of the content item to the requesting source.
This may allow an efficient implementation and/or advantageous operation. The requesting source may be another content item presentation device and/or may be a server providing missed parts of content items to requesting content item presentation devices.
According to an optional feature of the invention, the content item presentation device is a personal video recorder .
The invention may allow an improved service to be provided by a personal video recorder.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a server for a content item distribution system including a plurality of content item presentation devices for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to the plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system, the server comprising: receiving means for receiving requests for missed parts of content items from content item presentation devices; means for obtaining missed parts of content items; and transmitting means for transmitting missed parts of content items to the content item presentation devices .
CML02654EV According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of operation for a content item distribution system including a plurality of content item presentation devices, the method comprising at least a first content item presentation device performing the steps of: receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to a plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system; detecting that broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing; determining a missed part of the selected content item; transmitting a request for the missed part to at least one external source using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system; and receiving the missed part of the content item via the different communication system.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment (s) described hereinafter.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of content item distribution system in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;
CML02654EV FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a content item presentation device in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a server in accordance with some embodiments of the invention; and
FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method of retrieving a missed part of a content item in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
Detailed. Description of Some Embodiments of the Invention
The following description focuses on embodiments of the invention applicable to broadcasting of television signals and in particular to a Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) for a television broadcasting system. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this application but may be applied to many other systems and services.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of content item distribution system in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 1 illustrates a television broadcast transmitter 101 which is a conventional broadcast transmitter that broadcasts analogue or digital television signals to a large number of users in a relatively large geographical area. For clarity and brevity, the following description will focus on distribution of digital content items in the form of digitally encoded (e.g. by MPEG-2 encoding)
CML02654EV television programmes but it will be appreciated that the described principles may be applicable to many other types of content items. Although the television broadcast transmitter 101 is illustrated in FIG. 1, it need not be part of the content item distribution system but can e.g. be considered part of an existing, independent and separate television broadcast system. Thus, the service provided by the content item distribution system may be an additional or enhanced service for a television broadcast system provided by completely independent hardware and software and by an independent service provider .
The content item distribution system comprises a large number of devices for receiving the television broadcasts. For brevity and clarity, FIG. 1 illustrates three Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) 103, 105, 107 and the embodiments will be described with reference to this. It will be appreciated that the system may alternatively or additionally comprise other broadcast receiving means and user presentation devices .
The PVRs 103, 105, 107 are able to receive the television broadcasts from the television broadcast transmitter 101 and can record these programs on a local storage. The PVRs 103, 105, 107 also comprise functionality for retrieving programmes from the local storage and for outputting the corresponding audiovisual signal, for example to a television.
The PVRs 103, 105, 107 are coupled together via a network 109. The network may for example be a wired or wireless
CML02654EV Local Area Network and can be a public or proprietary network. Specifically, the network can be the Internet.
In the example of FIG. 1, the network 109 is furthermore coupled to a server 111 which is arranged to communicate with the PVRs 103, 105, 107 in order to distribute missed parts of television programmes as will be described in more detail in the following.
In a broadcast system, the transmissions of content items, such as television programmes, are time constrained and the content items are inherently transmitted to all receivers at the same time. In such a system, it can often occur that a user misses the beginning of a specific programme. This may cause user frustration and degrade the user experience.
The system of FIG. 1 may provide a mechanism for the users to obtain the missed part of a content item from the server or from another user who is receiving and has recorded the same content item. Specifically, if a user is interested in recording a complete content item but has missed the beginning, the PVR can record the rest of the broadcast of the content item and can in addition request the missing part from another device or from the server.
In the specific example, the system includes functionality for the PVR to unambiguously identify the television programme for which the beginning has been missed as well as the size (e.g. duration) of the missing part. In addition, the system can identify another device
(potentially including the server) which has recorded the
CML02654EV same television programme. The missing part of the programme can then be transmitted from this device to the requesting PVR which can combine the missed part of the beginning with the rest of the content item received directly by the broadcast.
As a specific example, a user may realize (e.g. when turning on the television or changing channel) that a television programme is of interest but that the beginning of this television programme has been missed. The user then requests the PVR (e.g. by pressing a button on the remote) to retrieve the beginning of the television programme. The television programme may be univocally identified by the channel number and the broadcast date and time or via a unique identifier, such as those typically assigned in Electronic Program Guides (EPG) .
First, the system temporary stops playing the television programme to the user and starts recording the television programme from the current instant. Concurrently, the system contacts the server 111 and transmits the unique identifier as well as the indication of the size of the missed part. In its simplest form, this consists in the current time from which the planned (or actual) start time will be subtracted by the server to get the missed duration. In more advanced versions, it may consists in the frame number of the MPEG stream from which the number of the first frame of the television programme will be subtracted by the server to get the size of the missed section .
CML02654EV The server 111 can optionally check the request for appropriate service policies. If the request is acceptable, the server 111 then searches for another device 105, 107 (including the server itself 111) that is recording the television programme. In order to avoid an exhaustive search by contacting all devices 105, 107, each device 105, 107 may inform the server 111 of the television programme which it has recorded or is recording. For privacy concerns/ this list of recordings can be cleared periodically (e.g. once the maximum missed duration has passed, the information is removed) .
Eventually, the server 111 requests the identified device 105, 107 to transmit the missing part to the requesting PVR 101. The missed part can e.g. be identified by two timestamps (beginning time and end time) in time synchronized systems (e.g. in systems where the devices 103, 105, 107 periodically obtain the current system time from the server, e.g. using the widely deployed NTP protocol) or by a MPEG frame number and a duration.
This transmission of the missed part to the PVR 101 may in different embodiments e.g. be direct or via the server 111. In the latter case, the server 111 can receive the missed part and forward it to the requesting PVR 101. For optimization purposes, the server may also temporary store the missed section in its own local storage. For instance if the server 111 already received x minutes from a first request, a subsequent request for the same television programme of a longer missed section (e.g. of y minutes) may result in only the additional y-x minutes being retrieved from the identified device 105, 107 and the previously received part of x minutes being directly
CML02654EV provided by the server 111. Specifically, the server 111 can recorabine the two sections and transfer the entire y minutes to the requesting device.
When the missed part is received, the requesting device can combine the parts received from the TV broadcast transmitter 101 and from the server 111 e.g. using the MPEG frame numbers. The complete television programme can then be stored and can be presented to the user. If the missed beginning cannot be retrieved, the PVR 101 may e.g. allow the user to select between watching the end of the television programme (the part that has been received from TV broadcast transmitter 101) or to search for a future broadcast in the EPG.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a content item presentation device in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The content item presentation device may specifically be the first PVR 103 of FIG. 1 and will be described with reference to this.
The first PVR 103 comprises a broadcast receiver 201 which can receive the television programmes broadcast from the TV broadcast transmitter 101.
The broadcast receiver 201 is coupled to a recording controller 203 which receives the received content items. The recording controller 203 is arranged to control the recording operation of the first PVR 103 and specifically is arranged to store content items on a hard disk 205 coupled to the recording controller 203.
CML02654EV During typical operation, the recording controller 203 can receive a user input requesting that a specific television programme is recorded. In response, the recording controller 203 stores the digital data stream of that television programme on the hard disk 205.
The hard disk 205 is furthermore coupled to a playback controller 207 which controls the playback operation of the first PVR 103. Specifically, the playback controller 207 is coupled to an audiovisual output 209 and is operable to retrieve a selected recording from the hard disk 205 and to forward it to the audiovisual output 209 for presentation to a user. Specifically, the audiovisual output 209 can itself comprise a display for presenting the television programme or can e.g. comprise output circuitry for coupling to an external presentation device such as a television.
The recording controller 203 may in some cases receive a request for the recording of a programme which is currently being received by the broadcast receiver 201 but for which an initial part has not been recorded. In such cases, the recording controller 203 can detect that the selected television programme is currently undergoing and that it accordingly cannot record the complete television programme.
In such a case, the recording controller 203 proceeds to record the television programme from the current time and to inform a missed part processor 211 that a currently received programme is being partially recorded. In response, the missed part processor 211 proceeds to
CML02654EV determine the part of the television programme which has been missed.
For example, the missed part processor 211 can determine a time instant from which the television programme is being recorded. The missed part processor 211 can further determine an identification of the television programme. For example, a unique identifier received for the television programme can be determined and/or a television channel, timing and/or programme name can be determined. Thus, both an identification of the content item and an indication of which part has been missed is determined by the missed part processor 211.
This information is forwarded to a request transmitter 213 which is operable to transmit a request for the missed part to the server 111. Specifically, the request transmitter 213 is coupled to a network interface 215 which interfaces to the network 109. Thus, the request transmitter 213 transmits the request message to the server 111 through a different communication medium and communication system than the one used for receiving the broadcast television programme.
The request comprises an identification of the missed part allowing the server 111 and/or other devices to identify exactly which part has been missed. Specifically, the request can comprise the identification of the television programme as well as the indication of the time from which the broadcast has been recorded. The time indication may be provided as a real time indication and/or may be presented as a timing referenced to the content item itself. For example, a frame number from
CML02654EV which the television programme has been recorded can be included.
In some embodiments, the missed part processor 211 can furthermore be arranged to determine a duration of the missed part. For example this can be determined as the time of the start of the recording of the received broadcast signal minus a start time of the television programme (for example obtained by an electronic program guide) .
In response to the request, the server 111 may localise a copy of the missed part of the television programme and forward this to the first PVR 103. Accordingly, the first PVR 103 comprises the network receiver 217 which is coupled to the network interface 215 and which is arranged to receive the missed part from the server 111. Thus, the first PVR 103 is arranged to receive parts of the television programmes that are broadcast by the TV broadcast transmitter 101 through a different and independent communication system.
The network receiver 217 is coupled to the recording controller 203 which is fed the missed part. In response, the recording controller 213 proceeds to store the missed part received from the server 111 on the hard disk 205.
The recording controller 203 is furthermore arranged to generate a complete version of 'the selected television programme by combining the missed part received from the server 111 with the part received from the TV broadcast transmitter 101 by the broadcast receiver 201. It will be appreciated that any suitable algorithm or process for
CML02654EV combining the digital audiovisual signals may be used. For example, the MPEG-2 encoded files may be decoded to provide the image frames in a time interval around the borderline. The frame numbers can then be used to align the two sections such that a continuous sequence of frames is achieved by selecting frames from either one or the other section. The resulting video may be re-encoded using the MPEG-2 video encoding protocol.
It will be appreciated, that the recording controller 203 may combine the two sections as part of the recording or storage process or may subsequently retrieve the sections from the hard disk 205 for combining and subsequent storage of the complete combined television programme. It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments a combination of the two different parts of sections may be achieved during playback. Specifically the functionality for combining the different sections may be comprised in the playback controller 207.
Thus, the first PVR 103 comprises functionality for storing the complete television programme following a combination of a section received via the broadcast communication system by the broadcast receiver 201 and a section received via an independent communication system. The complete television programme may be presented to a user by the playback controller 207 and the audiovisual output 209. Thus, a user service is provided allowing recording and/or presentation of complete content items even if the beginning of the broadcast of the content item has been missed.
In the specific example, the first PVR 103 furthermore
GML02654EV comprises functionality that allows it to provide content items which have been missed by other devices . Specifically, the first PVR 103 comprises an exchange controller 219 which is coupled to the network interface 215 and to the hard disk 205.
The exchange controller 219 can receive a request from the server 111 which indicates that another device of the system is trying to retrieve a missed part of a broadcast content item. In response, the exchange controller 219 can search the hard disk 205 to determine if the same content item has been recorded by the first PVR 103. Specifically, the first PVR 103 may currently be recording a television programme for which another device is seeking to retrieve a missed part. In this case, the exchange controller 219 can retrieve an appropriate section from that television programme and transmit this to the server 111 via the network interface 215 and the network 109. Thus, as well as providing an additional user service to the user of the first PVR 103, the first PVR 103 can also assist in providing this user service to other devices of the system.
FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a server in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The server may specifically be the server 111 of FIG. 1 and will be described with reference to this.
The server comprises a network interface 301 which is operable to interface to the network 109. The network interface 301 is coupled to a request receiver 303 which is arranged to receive requests for missed parts of content items from devices of the system, specifically,
CML02654EV the request receiver 303 can receive the request for the missed part of the television programme from the first PVR 103.
The request receiver 303 is coupled to a retrieval controller 305 which is operable to obtain missed parts of content items. In the example, the retrieval controller 305 can obtain a section of the content item from an internal storage or from another device of the system. However, it will be appreciated than in other embodiments the retrieval controller 305 may be capable of only obtaining the section from either an external storage or from another device of the system.
In the specific example, when the request receiver 303 receives the request from the first PVR 103, the retrieval controller 305 proceeds to attempt to retrieve the requested part of the television programme .
The retrieval controller 305 is coupled to a transmit controller 307 which is arranged to transmit missed parts of content items to requesting devices. Specifically, if the retrieval controller 305 is successful in obtaining the missed part requested by the first PVR 103, this is fed to the transmit controller 307 and transmitted to the first PVR 103 via the network interface 301 and the network 109. If the retrieval controller 305 is unsuccessful, a message informing the first PVR 103 of this can be transmitted.
In more detail, the retrieval controller 305 of FIG. 3 comprises a localisation processor 309 which is coupled to the request receiver 303. The localisation processor
CML02654EV 309 comprises functionality for determining exactly which part of which content item is requested in response to the information comprised in the request. Specifically, the localisation processor 309 can extract information identifying the television programme as well as the time from which the first PVR 103 is recording the programme.
The localisation processor 309 then proceeds to determine the size of the missing part. In many embodiments, the requesting device does not know the exact time of when the broadcast of the content item actually started. There are several solutions to this problem. A simple approach is to use information from programme guides (possibly adding a small margin to support the inaccuracy typical of such schedules) . The broadcast operator may also record the first frame number for each television programme which can then be subtracted from the first frame recorded by the requesting device. The frame number may also be reset to zero at the beginning of each television programme. The broadcast operator may also put special tags in the broadcast stream at the beginning of each show for the recording device to detect the first frame. It will be appreciated that in various embodiments, the exact size of the missed part may be determined by the devices, by the server or by both the requesting device and the server in combination.
The localisation processor 309 is coupled to a retrieval processor 311 which retrieves the missing part of the content item in response to the information received from the localisation processor 309.
CML02654EV The retrieval processor 311 is coupled to a remote retrieval processor 313 which is arranged to retrieve the missing part from another device of the system. Specifically the remote retrieval processor 313 is coupled to the network interface 301 and is arranged to transmit a request for the missed part to other devices in the system.
It will be appreciated, that in some embodiments the remote retrieval processor 313 can transmit this request to different devices without knowing if these devices are likely to have the missed part. Specifically, the remote retrieval processor 313 may blindly transmit requests to a number of devices in the hope that one these of will be able to provide the missed part. In other embodiments, the localisation processor 309 may provide an indication of a specific device which is likely to have the missed part. In such a situation, the remote retrieval processor 313 may only transmit the request to this specific device.
If the request is received by a device which has recorded the missed part, this is transmitted back to the server 111 and received by the remote retrieval processor 313 from where it is forwarded to the retrieval processor
311. The retrieval processor 311 then forwards the missed part to the transmit controller 307 which transmits it to the requesting device.
In some embodiments, the server 111 comprises a local content item storage 315 for storing complete or part content items. For example, whenever a missed item is received from a device of the system, this may
GML02654EV temporarily be stored in the content item storage 315. As another example, this server 111 may itself comprise a broadcast receiver for receiving content items from the TV broadcast transmitter 101. These content items may be stored in the content item storage 315.
The retrieval processor 311 is coupled to the content item storage 315. If the content item storage 315 comprises the missed part, the retrieval processor 311 can retrieve this directly therefrom and forward it to the transmit controller 307 for transmission to the first PVR 103.
In some embodiments, the retrieval processor 311 may search through the content items stored in the content item storage 315 to determine if the missed part is stored therein.
In the example of FIG. 3, the retrieval controller 305 comprises a recording list processor 317 which is coupled to the network interface 301. In this example, some or all of the devices in the system comprise functionality for transmitting information of which content items are recorded to the server 111. This information is received by the recording list processor 317 which is coupled to a recording list storage 319 in which the recording list processor 317 maintains a list indicating which content items are currently stored at the individual devices .
In this case, the localisation processor 309 can be coupled to the recording list storage 319. Whenever a request is received, the localisation processor 309 can search through the recording list storage 319 in order to
CML02654EV identify any device that may have the corresponding missed part. It can then proceed to provide the retrieval processor 311 with the device address of this device. The remote retrieval processor 313 can then proceed to directly request the content item from the identified device thereby facilitating operation and reducing delay and communication resource usage.
Thus, the described system provides an enhanced user service that enhances a broadcast system. Furthermore, the user service is provided without any reliance on the broadcast communication system and by using a different communication system which can be independent of the broadcast communication system. This may for example allow a service provider who is independent of the broadcast service provider to provide an added value service without requiring the approval or involvement of the broadcast service provider.
Furthermore, the different communication system may be a system that is better suited to a more targeted communication than the broadcast communication system. For example, whereas the TV broadcast transmitter 101 of FIG. 1 is a conventional wireless broadcast television transmitter, the network 109 may be a wired network or any other suitable network for coupling the devices together. Thus, whereas the broadcast communication system is inherently a one-to-many architecture, the other communication system can be a communication system much which is better suited for communication between individual network nodes. Specifically, the network 109 may be the Internet.
CML02654EV FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a method of retrieving a missed part of a content item in accordance with some embodiments of the invention. The method may specifically be executed by the system of FIG. 1.
It will be appreciated, that although the previous description focused on a centralised implementation, a decentralised implementation may be used in other embodiments. For example, the individual devices may directly communicate with each other without a central server and may specifically send requests for missed parts directly to other devices and can equivalently receive missed parts directly from the other devices . Thus, the network may be a peer-to-peer communication network.
As a specific example, the principles may be applied to a mobile television domain (such as DVB-H) without including a centralised server. Rather, communication may achieved by relying on unlicensed short range communication protocols such as WiFi™ or Bluetooth™.
E.g. if a user enters a DVB-H cell in which a broadcast has started for a short period of time, their device can search within the WiFi™ or Bluetooth™ range for another device that has recorded the beginning of the broadcast. This process follows a similar process to the approach previously described but with the recording device ' transferring the missing section over the short range communication protocol .
The described systems may enhance the user experience by avoiding that the user has to either miss the start of a
CML02654EV broadcast or wait for a later transmission. The missed section can be transmitted as a unicast transmission as the majority of the content item is typically received via the broadcast system.
It will be appreciated that the above description for clarity has described embodiments of the invention with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units or processors may be used without detracting from the invention. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processors or controllers may be performed by the same processor or controllers. Hence/ references to specific functional units are only to be seen as references to suitable means for providing the described functionality rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.
The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented at least partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors. The elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way. Indeed the functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units. As such, the invention may be implemented in a single unit or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units and processors .
CML02654EV Although the present invention has been described in connection with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the accompanying claims. Additionally, although a feature may appear to be described in connection with particular embodiments, one skilled in the art would recognize that various features of the described embodiments may be combined in accordance with the invention. In the claims, the term comprising does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps.
Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means, elements or method steps may be implemented by e.g. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly be advantageously combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. Also the inclusion of a feature in one category of claims does not imply a limitation to this category but rather indicates that the feature is egually applicable to other claim categories as appropriate. Furthermore, the order of features in the claims does not imply any specific order in which the features must be worked and in particular the order of individual steps in a method claim does not imply that the steps must be performed in this order. Rather, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.
CML02654EV

Claims

CIiAIMS
1. A content item distribution system comprising a plurality of content item presentation devices, at least a first content item presentation device comprising: first receiving means for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to a plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system; means for detecting that a broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing; means for determining a missed part of the selected content item; first transmitting means for transmitting a reguest for the missed part to at least one external source using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system; and second receiving means for receiving the missed part of the content item via the different communication system.
2. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first content item presentation device further comprises means for generating a complete selected content item by combining the missed part of the selected content item with a remaining part received from the broadcast transmitter by the first receiving means.
3. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first content item presentation device further comprises means for presenting the complete selected content item to a user.
CML02654EV
4. The content item distribution system of claim 3 wherein the first content item presentation device further comprises storage means for storing the complete selected content item.
5. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the different communication system is independent of the broadcast communication system.
6. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the broadcast communication system is a television broadcast communication system.
7. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the broadcast communication system is a wireless broadcast communication system.
8. The content item distribution system of claim 1 further comprising a server, the server comprising: third receiving means for receiving requests for missed parts of content items from content item presentation devices; means for obtaining missed parts of content items; and second transmitting means for transmitting missed parts of content items to content item presentation devices .
9. The content item distribution system of claim 8 wherein the means for obtaining comprises means for, in response to receiving the request from the first content item presentation device, requesting
CML02654EV the missed part from at least one other content item presentation device; and means for receiving the missed part from at least one other content item presentation device; and wherein the second transmitting means is arranged to transmit the missed part to the first content item presentation device .
10. The content item distribution system of claim 9 wherein the server comprises: means for receiving storage information from content item presentation devices, the storage information indicating content items stored at the content item presentation devices; and wherein the means for obtaining comprises means for identifying a first content item presentation device having stored the missed part in response to the storage information.
11. The content item distribution system of claim 8 wherein the server comprises storage means for storing at least parts of content items; and wherein the means for obtaining is arranged to determine if requested missed parts are stored in the storage means and if so to retrieve the requested parts from the storage means .
12. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first transmitting means is arranged to transmit the request to at least one other content item presentation device; and the second receiving means is arranged to receive the missed part of the content item from the at least one other content item presentation device.
CML02654EV
13. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the different communication system is a peer-to- peer communication network.
5 14. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the request comprises an identification of the missed part.
15. The content item distribution system of claim 14 10 wherein the identification comprises at least one indication selected from the group consisting of: a. a real time indication of an event of the missed part; b. a duration of the missed part;
15 c. a frame number of an event of the missed part; d. a content item time indication of an event of the missed part; and e. an identification of the selected content item.
20 16. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the first content item presentation device further comprises : means for storing at least parts of received content items; 25 means for receiving a request for a part of a content item from a requesting source; means for determining if at least some of the part of the content item is stored in the means for storing; and 30 means for transmitting the least some of the part of the content item to the requesting source.
CML02654EV
17. The content item distribution system of claim 1 wherein the content item presentation device is a personal video recorder.
18. A server for a content item distribution system including a plurality of content item presentation devices for receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to the plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system, the server comprising: receiving means for receiving requests for missed parts of content items from content item presentation devices; means for obtaining missed parts of content items; and transmitting means for transmitting missed parts of content items to the content item presentation devices.
19. A method of operation for a content item distribution system including a plurality of content item presentation devices, the method comprising at least a first content item presentation device performing the steps of: receiving content items from a broadcast transmitter broadcasting content items to a plurality of content item presentation devices via a broadcast communication system; detecting that broadcast of a selected content item is ongoing; determining a missed part of the selected content item;
CML02654EV transmitting a request for the missed part to at least one external source using a different communication system than the broadcast communication system; and receiving the missed part of the content item via the different communication system.
CML02654EV
PCT/US2007/060665 2006-01-20 2007-01-18 Content item distribution Ceased WO2007084937A2 (en)

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FR2968880B1 (en) * 2010-12-13 2014-09-26 Tv Numeric SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DIFFUSION AND CONSUMPTION OF AUDIOVISUAL CONTENT.

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US6629318B1 (en) * 1998-11-18 2003-09-30 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Decoder buffer for streaming video receiver and method of operation
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US8392952B2 (en) * 2002-05-03 2013-03-05 Time Warner Cable Enterprises Llc Programming content processing and management system and method
CN1217543C (en) * 2002-06-28 2005-08-31 国际商业机器公司 Apparatus and method for equivalent VOD system
GB2413026B (en) * 2003-02-12 2006-03-22 Video Networks Ltd System for capture and selective playback of broadcast programmes
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GB2434512B (en) 2008-03-12

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