Content storage method and system

Abstract

A content storage method and system for use in a content distribution network are provided. A personal file locker is established on the network for a user. A content-storage-request database is established. The database tracks requests by the user for placing video programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user. Upon the broadcasting of a video program for which there exists a request by the user to place the video program into the user's file locker, the requested video program is stored in the user's file locker. The stored video program is then made available to the user for viewing. Alternative approaches to content storage methods and systems are also described, including the use of a buffer enhancement to enable the performance of operations on “live” television.

1 . A content storage method for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network providing broadcast video programming over the network to a plurality of users in accordance with a broadcasting schedule, the method comprising: 
 establishing a personal file locker on the network for a user, the file locker including network storage space allocated for personal use by the user;    establishing a content-storage-request database for tracking requests by the user for placing broadcast video programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user;    upon the broadcasting of a video program for which there exists a request by the user to place the video program into the user's file locker, storing that video program in the user's file locker;    making the stored video program available to the user for viewing;    establishing a buffer enhancement for the file locker; and    enabling the user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the file locker buffer.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 enabling the user to rewind broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 enabling the user to fast-forward broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the utilization of the buffer enhancement is initiated by the user viewing broadcast programming such that programming is only stored to the file locker upon the viewing thereof unless the programming is the subject of a specific request by the user for placement in the file locker.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the personal file locker is a construct created to hold the user's content, and wherein the method further comprises: 
 establishing a file-locker database for storing a description of the file locker construct.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the content-storage-request database has entries corresponding to scheduled video programs, and wherein the method further comprises: 
 upon the occurrence of a content request by the user for a program, adding a pointer to the content-storage-request database entry for the requested program, the pointer designating the requesting user's file locker; and    upon the broadcasting of the requested program, storing the requested program in the user's file locker.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the personal file locker is a construct created to hold the user's content, and wherein the method further comprises: 
 establishing a file-locker database for storing a description of the file locker construct, wherein the added pointer points to the entry in the file-locker database for the requesting user's file locker.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 annotating the entry in the file-locker database for the requesting user's file locker to note the presence of the pointer.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 upon the occurrence of a request by the user to delete the previous content request by the user, removing the previously added pointer and removing the annotation.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the content distribution network generally makes video programming available over the network to the plurality of users, and wherein the method further comprises: 
 tracking requests by the user for placing available video programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user; and    upon the general making available of a video program for which there exists a request by the user to place the video program into the user's file locker, storing that video program in the user's file locker.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 authenticating a request by the user to view the available stored video program to authenticate the requesting user.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 providing the available stored video program to the user for viewing; and    during viewing, providing pause, rewind, and fast forward features.    
   
   
       13 . A content storage system for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network providing broadcast video programming over the network to a plurality of users in accordance with a broadcasting schedule, the system comprising: 
 a personal file locker on the network for a user, the file locker being a construct created to hold the user's content and including network storage space allocated for personal use by the user, the file locker including a buffer enhancement;    a content-storage-request database for tracking requests by the user for placing broadcast video programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user; and    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the broadcasting of a video program for which there exists a request by the user to place the video program into the user's file locker, store that video program in the user's file locker, and make the stored video program available to the user for viewing; and    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to enable the user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the file locker buffer.    
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to enable the user to rewind broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program.    
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to enable the user to fast-forward broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the utilization of the buffer enhancement is initiated by the user viewing broadcast programming such that programming is only stored to the file locker upon the viewing thereof unless the programming is the subject of a specific request by the user for placement in the file locker.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 a file-locker database for storing a description of the file locker construct.    
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the content-storage-request database has entries corresponding to scheduled video programs, and wherein the system further comprises: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the occurrence of a content request by the user for a program, add a pointer to the content-storage-request database entry for the requested program, the pointer designating the requesting user's file locker; and    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the broadcasting of the requested program, store the requested program in the user's file locker.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18  further comprising: 
 a file-locker database for storing a description of the file locker construct, wherein the added pointer points to the entry in the file-locker database for the requesting user's file locker.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  further comprising: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to annotate the entry in the file-locker database for the requesting user's file locker to note the presence of the pointer.    
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the occurrence of a request by the user to delete the previous content request by the user, remove the previously added pointer and remove the annotation.    
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the content distribution network generally makes video programming available over the network to the plurality of users, and wherein the system further comprises: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to track requests by the user for placing available video programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user; and    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the general making available of a video program for which there exists a request by the user to place the video program into the user's file locker, store that video program in the user's file locker.    
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to authenticate a request by the user to view the available stored video program to authenticate the requesting user.    
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising: 
 computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to provide the available stored video program to the user for viewing; and    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, during viewing, providing pause, rewind, and fast forward features.    
   
   
       25 . A content storage method for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network providing broadcast video programming over the network to a plurality of users in accordance with a broadcasting schedule, the method comprising: 
 establishing a plurality of personal file lockers on the network for a plurality of users, each file locker including network storage space allocated for personal use by the corresponding user, each file locker including a buffer enhancement;    establishing a content-storage-request database for tracking requests by the plurality of users for placing broadcast video programs into their file lockers for personal use;    upon the broadcasting of a video program for which there exists at least one request by a user to place the video program into the user's file locker, storing that video program in each requesting user's file locker;    making the stored video program available for viewing by each user whose file locker received the video program; and    enabling a user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement in that user's file locker, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the user's file locker buffer.    
   
   
       26 . A content storage system for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network providing broadcast video programming over the network to a plurality of users in accordance with a broadcasting schedule, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of personal file lockers on the network for a plurality of users, each file locker including network storage space allocated for personal use by the corresponding user, each file locker including a buffer enhancement;    a content-storage-request database for tracking requests by the plurality of users for placing broadcast video programs into their file lockers for personal use;    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the broadcasting of a video program for which there exists at least one request by a user to place the video program into the user's file locker, store that video program in each requesting user's file locker;    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to make the stored video program available for viewing by each user whose file locker received the video program; and    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to enable a user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement in that user's file locker, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the user's file locker buffer.    
   
   
       27 . A method for time-shifted viewing of content for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network delivering a plurality of broadcast video programs over the network to a plurality of viewers in accordance with a broadcast schedule, the method comprising: 
 allocating a remote personal storage resource on the network for a user;    receiving a request by the user for storage of a desired one or more of the broadcast video programs;    only if said request is received no later than a scheduled broadcast of the desired program, in response to the request automatically storing the desired video program in the user's remote personal storage resource upon the scheduled broadcasting of the desired video program;    automatically making the stored video program available to the user over the network for viewing at a subsequent time specified by the user;    establishing a buffer enhancement for the remote personal storage resource; and    enabling the user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the remote personal storage resource buffer.    
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 enabling the user to rewind broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program.    
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 enabling the user to fast-forward broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the utilization of the buffer enhancement is initiated by the user viewing broadcast programming such that programming is only stored to the file locker upon the viewing thereof unless the programming is the subject of a specific request by the user for placement in the file locker.  
   
   
       31 . A content storage method for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network providing broadcast programming over the network to a plurality of users in accordance with a broadcasting schedule, the method comprising: 
 establishing a personal file locker on the network for a user, the file locker including network storage space allocated for personal use by the user;    establishing a content-storage-request database for tracking requests by the user for placing broadcast programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user;    upon the broadcasting of a program for which there exists a request by the user to place the program into the user's file locker, storing that program in the user's file locker;    making the stored program available to the user for viewing;    establishing a buffer enhancement for the file locker; and    enabling the user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the file locker buffer.    
   
   
       32 . A content storage system for use in a content distribution network, the content distribution network providing broadcast programming over the network to a plurality of users in accordance with a broadcasting schedule, the system comprising: 
 a personal file locker on the network for a user, the file locker being a construct created to hold the user's content and including network storage space allocated for personal use by the user, the file locker including a buffer enhancement;    a content-storage-request database for tracking requests by the user for placing broadcast programs into the user's file locker for personal use by the user;    computer instructions executable by a computer on the network to, upon the broadcasting of a program for which there exists a request by the user to place the program into the user's file locker, store that program in the user's file locker, and make the stored program available to the user for viewing; and    computer instructions executable by a computer to enable the user to pause broadcast programming during the broadcasting thereof via utilization of the buffer enhancement, thereby further personalizing the viewing of an otherwise traditionally delivered program, whereby after unpausing of the broadcast programming, the delayed programming is viewed from the file locker buffer.