Patent ID: 8316411
Filing Date: 2012-11-20
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A content storage and delivery system comprising: a plurality of set-top boxes configured to receive and store content and to interface with a communications network configured to operate according to a peer to peer file distribution protocol; a first router in communication with a main content source; at least one second router in communication with at least one of the set-top boxes; and at least one intermediate router in communication with the first router and the at least one second router, each intermediate router defining a hub to service a subset of the set-top boxes, each set-top box in the subset of set-top boxes configured to access at least one other set-top box within the subset of the set-top boxes serviced by the hub and independent of communication with the first router, wherein each set-top box in the plurality of set-top boxes includes a partitioned storage area with at least one partition accessible by a content provider, and wherein the routers communicate in accordance with the peer to peer file distribution protocol to provide content to the plurality of set-top boxes via the communications network, wherein the at least one second router, the at least one intermediate router, the first router, and the main content source are arranged in a hierarchical network topology such that at least one upstream network communication pathway is formed from the at least one secondary router to the at least one intermediate router to the first router to the main content source, wherein at least one of the set-top boxes in the plurality of set-top boxes is configured to query, in response to a user request for content, a plurality of content sources for the requested content, and wherein querying the plurality of content sources in response to the user request for content comprises issuing a query to a first subset of content sources for the requested content and transmitting the query to a next available upstream router to query a larger subset of content sources serviced by the upstream router if the requested content is not available from the first subset.