Content delivery systems and methods to operate the same

Abstract

Content delivery systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. A disclosed example content delivery system comprises: a receiver station; a content server to transfer a file to a receiver via a point-to-point communication signal; and a transmission source that includes a computer readable medium to store the file containing pre-packetized content data and a controller to send the file containing the pre-packetized content data to a broadcast transmitter and to the content server.

1 . A content delivery system comprising: 
 a receiver station;    a content server to transfer a file to the receiver station via a point-to-point communication signal; and    a transmission source including: 
 a computer readable medium to store the file containing pre-packetized content data; and  
 a controller to send the file containing the pre-packetized content data to a broadcast transmitter and to the content server.  
   
   
   
       2 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the receiver station is to receive the contents of the file from at least one of the content server or the broadcast transmitter, wherein at least one of storage or playback of the contents of the file does not depend upon from where the contents of the file are received.  
   
   
       3 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein the receiving station is an integrated receiver/decoder (IRD).  
   
   
       4 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the broadcast transmitter is a satellite broadcast transmitter comprising: 
 a modulator to convert the packetized data to a modulated waveform; and    an uplink frequency converter to convert the modulated waveform to a frequency band suitable for transmission to at least one of a satellite or a satellite relay station.    
   
   
       5 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the content server is one of a plurality of Internet-based content servers that form a content delivery network (CDN), and wherein the Internet-based content server is to transmit the file via an Internet Protocol (IP) network.  
   
   
       6 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the content data is at least one of video data, audio data, computer data, or website data.  
   
   
       7 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the broadcast transmitter is at least one of a satellite broadcast transmitter, a wireless broadcast transmitter, a wired broadcast transmitter, a cable television broadcast transmitter, an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) radio frequency broadcast transmitter, a Multi-channel Multi-point Distribution System (MMDS) broadcast transmitter, a Local Multi-point Distribution System (LMDS) broadcast transmitter, an Internet-based broadcast transmitter, a cellular broadcast transmitter, or a fiber optic broadcast transmitter.  
   
   
       8 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the transmission source is a headend of a direct-to-home satellite system.  
   
   
       9 . A content delivery system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the content server transfers the file to the receiver station using at least one of an Internet protocol (IP) network, a file transfer protocol (FTP) or an hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a broadcast transmitter;    a computer readable medium to store a file containing pre-packetized content data; and    a controller to send the file containing the pre-packetized content data to the broadcast transmitter and to a content server, the content server to transfer the file to a receiver via at least one of a point-to-point communication path or point-to-point communication protocol.    
   
   
       11 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the content data represents as least one of video data, audio data, computer data, or website data.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the broadcast transmitter is at least one of a satellite broadcast transmitter, a wireless broadcast transmitter, a wired broadcast transmitter, a cable television broadcast transmitter, an Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF) radio frequency broadcast transmitter, a Multi-channel Multi-point Distribution System (MMDS) broadcast transmitter, a Local Multi-point Distribution System (LMDS) broadcast transmitter, an Internet-based broadcast transmitter, a cellular broadcast transmitter, or a fiber optic broadcast transmitter.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein a payload of a signal transmitted by the content server and the broadcast transmitter comprises the pre-packetized content data.  
   
   
       14 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the pre-packetized content data stored in the file is pre-encrypted.  
   
   
       15 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the pre-packetized content data is pre-encrypted using substantially the same encryption applied by the broadcast transmitter to a live program.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the encryptions applied to the pre-packetized content data and the live program differ only in a code word used during the encryptions.  
   
   
       17 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein a payload of a signal transmitted by the content server and the broadcast transmitter comprises the pre-encrypted pre-packetized content data.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the broadcast transmitter applies the same modulation to the file as to a live program.  
   
   
       19 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the pre-packetized content data stored in the file is pre-encrypted and wherein the controller is to send the file containing the pre-encrypted pre-packetized content data to the content server and to the broadcast transmitter.  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the file contains a single representation of the content data.  
   
   
       21 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the pre-packetization of the content data to form the file is performed at least one of live while an associated program is occurring, in non-real time or prior to sending the file to the content server or to the broadcast transmitter.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the broadcast transmitter is a satellite broadcast transmitter comprising: 
 a modulator to convert the packetized data to a modulated waveform; and    an uplink frequency converter to convert the modulated waveform to a frequency band suitable for transmission to at least one of a satellite or a satellite relay station.    
   
   
       23 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the transmission source is a headend of a direct-to-home satellite system.  
   
   
       24 - 33 . (canceled)  
   
   
       34 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a content transport processing system to create an asset file containing at least one of pre-packetized or pre-encrypted first content data;    a repository to store the asset file; and    a traffic and scheduling system to route the asset file to at least one of a content delivery network or a broadcast system, and to route second content data to the broadcast system, wherein the second content data is live content data.    
   
   
       35 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the traffic and scheduling system is to schedule and control the content transport processing system and the repository to create and store the asset file.  
   
   
       36 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the content transport processing system comprises: 
 a packetizer to pre-packetize the first content data; and    an encrypter to encrypt the pre-packetized first content data.    
   
   
       37 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 a media library to store the first and the second content data;    an encoder/converter to encode/convert the first and the second content data into a common file format; and    a storage server to store the encoded/converted first and the second content data.    
   
   
       38 . An apparatus as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the broadcast system is a satellite broadcast system comprising: 
 an encoder;    a modulator; and    an uplink frequency converter.    
   
   
       39 - 43 . (canceled)  
   
   
       44 . A method comprising: 
 packetizing content data;    storing the packetized content data in an asset file; and    sending the asset file contents to an Internet-based content server and to a broadcast transmitter.    
   
   
       45 . A method as defined in  claim 44 , further comprising: 
 encrypting the packetized content data; and    storing the encrypted packetized content data in the asset file.    
   
   
       46 . A method as defined in  claim 45 , wherein the encryption applied to the packetized content data using substantially the same encryption applied to a live program by the broadcast transmitter.  
   
   
       47 . A method comprising: 
 packetizing first content data, wherein the first content data is live content data;    creating an asset file containing packetized second content data, wherein packetization of the second content data is implemented substantially the same as for the packetization of the first content data;    forming broadcast transmission signal based on the packetized first content data; and    forming a point-to-point communication signal based on the asset file.    
   
   
       48 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein forming the broadcast transmission signal based on the packetized first content data comprises modulating the packetized first content data.  
   
   
       49 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein forming the point-to-point communication signal based on the asset file comprises forming an Internet protocol (IP) packet wherein a payload of the IP packet is a portion of the contents of the asset file.  
   
   
       50 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein the packetized first content data is encrypted and the broadcast transmission signal is based on the encrypted packetized first content data, wherein the asset file contains encrypted packetized second content data, and wherein a common encryption is applied to both the first content data and the second content data.  
   
   
       51 . A method as defined in  claim 50 , further comprising: 
 creating a second asset file containing the encrypted packetized first content data; and    forming a second Internet signal based on the second asset file;    
   
   
       52 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein the second content data is non-live content data.  
   
   
       53 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , further comprising: 
 creating a second asset file containing the packetized first content data; and    forming a second point-to-point communication signal based on the second asset file;    
   
   
       54 . A method as defined in  claim 47 , further comprising: 
 encoding the first content data prior to packetization; and    encoding the second content data prior to packetization.    
   
   
       55 - 59 . (canceled)  
   
   
       60 . An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to: 
 packetize first content data, wherein the first content data is live content data;    create an asset file containing packetized second content data, wherein packetization of the second content data is implemented substantially the same as for the packetization of the first content data;    form broadcast transmission signal based on the packetized first content data; and    form a point-to-point communication signal based on the asset file.    
   
   
       61 . An article of manufacture as defined in  claim 60 , wherein forming the broadcast transmission signal based on the packetized first content data comprises modulating the packetized first content data.  
   
   
       62 . An article of manufacture as defined in  claim 60 , wherein forming the point-to-point communication signal based on the asset file comprises forming an Internet protocol (IP) packet wherein a payload of the IP packet is a portion of the contents of the asset file.  
   
   
       63 . An article of manufacture as defined in  claim 60 , wherein the packetized first content data is encrypted and the broadcast transmission signal is based on the encrypted packetized first content data, wherein the asset file contains encrypted packetized second content data, and wherein a common encryption is applied to both the first content data and the second content data.  
   
   
       64 . An article of manufacture as defined in  claim 60 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to: 
 create a second asset file containing the packetized first content data; and    form a second point-to-point communication signal based on the second asset file;    
   
   
       65 . An article of manufacture as defined in  claim 60 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to: 
 encode the first content data prior to packetization; and    encode the second content data prior to packetization.