Systems and methods for managing local storage of on-demand content

Abstract

On-demand systems and methods are provided to manage locally-stored on-demand content. A user's equipment controls the deletion of and/or access to on-demand content from a local storage device based on constraining criteria that may include rental conditions, dynamic factors, and keys.

1 . In an on-demand system comprising an on-demand server and an on-demand client, a method for managing at least a portion of on-demand content provided by the on-demand server and stored in a storage device that is local to the on-demand client, the method comprising: 
 receiving an on-demand rental condition which constrains deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device in accordance with an on-demand provider's rental policies; and    controlling deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device as a function of the on-demand rental condition.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the on-demand rental condition is received from at least one of the on-demand server and a third-party rights-management server.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the on-demand rental condition specifies at least one of: 
 at least one time period;    at least one usage limit; and    characteristics of other on-demand content stored on the storage device.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the on-demand rental condition is a function of a rating of an on-demand content and specifies at least one of: 
 a maximum number of times as a function of the rating; and    a cumulative time period as a function of the rating.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 receiving a key according to which the at least a portion of the on-demand content may be decrypted;    decrypting the at least a portion of the on-demand content as a function of the key; and    playing back the decrypted at least a portion of the on-demand content.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 receiving a dynamic factor which constrains deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content stored on the storage device based on conditions of equipment on which the on-demand client is implemented; and    controlling deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content as a function of the dynamic factor.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the dynamic factor specifies at least one of: 
 determining whether the user is watching the on-demand content;    determining whether the storage device is available; and    determining whether the at least a portion of the on-demand content meets a keep criterion.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein controlling the deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device comprises: 
 determining that a user of the on-demand client is not actively watching the at least a portion of the on-demand content; and    deleting the at least a portion of the on-demand content from the storage device in response to the determining.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein controlling the deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device comprises: 
 determining that a user of the on-demand client is not watching the at least a portion of the on-demand content and space on the storage device is needed for other system activities; and    deleting the at least a portion of the on-demand content from the storage device in response to the determining.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein controlling the deletion and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device comprises: 
 determining that the user of the on-demand client is not watching the at least a portion of the on-demand content, space on the storage device is needed for other system activities, and the space used by the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device is less than a specified minimum keep threshold; and    deleting the at least a portion of the on-demand content from the storage device in response to the determining.    
     
     
         11 . User equipment on which an on-demand client is implemented, the user equipment comprising a storage device configured to store at least a portion of on-demand content and processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is adapted to: 
 direct the storage device to store at least a portion of the on-demand content;    receive an on-demand rental condition which constrains deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device in accordance with an on-demand provider's rental policies; and    control deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device as a function of the on-demand rental condition.    
     
     
         12 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the on-demand rental condition is received by the processing circuitry from at least one of an on-demand server and a third-party rights-management server.  
     
     
         13 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the on-demand rental condition specifies at least one of: 
 at least one time period;    at least one usage limit; and    characteristics of other on-demand content on the storage device.    
     
     
         14 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the on-demand rental condition is a function of the rating of the on-demand content and specifies at least one of: 
 a maximum number of times as a function of the rating; and    a cumulative time period as a function of the rating.    
     
     
         15 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: 
 receive a key according to which the at least a portion of the on-demand content may be decrypted; and    decrypt the at least a portion of the on-demand content as a function of the key; and    play back the decrypted at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device.    
     
     
         16 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: 
 receive a dynamic factor which constrains deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device based on conditions of the user equipment; and    further control deletion of and/or access to the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device as a function of the dynamic factor.    
     
     
         17 . The user equipment of  claim 16  wherein the dynamic factor specifies at least one of: 
 determining whether the user is watching the on-demand content;    determining whether the storage device is available; and    determining whether the at least a portion of the on-demand content meets a keep criterion.    
     
     
         18 . The user equipment of  claim 16  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: 
 determine that a user of the on-demand client is not actively watching the at least a portion of the on-demand content; and    direct, in response to the determining, the storage device to delete the at least a portion of the on-demand content.    
     
     
         19 . The user equipment of  claim 16  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: 
 determine that a user of the on-demand client is not watching the at least a portion of the on-demand content and space on the storage device is needed for other uses of resources in the user equipment; and    in response to the determining, direct the storage device to delete the at least a portion of the on-demand content.    
     
     
         20 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: 
 determine that the user of the on-demand client is not watching the at least a portion of the on-demand content, space on the storage device is needed for other uses of resources in the user equipment, and the space used by the at least a portion of the on-demand content on the storage device is less than a specified minimum keep threshold; and    in response to the determining, direct the storage device to delete the at least a portion of the on-demand content.    
     
     
         21 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the processing circuitry is coupled to an on-demand server via a communications path comprising at least one of a satellite path, a fiber-optic path, and a cable path.  
     
     
         22 . The user equipment of  claim 11  wherein the processing circuitry is part of at least one of a television, a set-top box, and a recording device.  
     
     
         23 . An on-demand server adapted to operate in an on-demand system comprising an on-demand server and an on-demand client, the on-demand server comprising: 
 a storage device configured to store an on-demand content and an on-demand rental condition, wherein the on-demand rental condition constrains deletion of and/or access to portions of the on-demand content stored at the on-demand client in accordance with an on-demand provider's rental policies; and    processing circuitry configured to: 
 receive a playback command for the on-demand content from the on-demand client, and  
 stream at least a portion of the on-demand content and the on-demand rental condition to the on-demand client.