Multimedia network system with content importation, content exportation, and integrated content management

Abstract

This placeshifting system provides wired and/or wireless access throughout a multimedia network built on a distributed architecture which can be transparent to the user. This multimedia network includes content which is imported or generated within the network. The system allows for the content provider to determine the license status of content and update the license status of content which was previously provided by that provider. The external content can be accessed in real time or downloaded and stored within the system for later access at the convenience of the user. The usage of some content is controlled by the use of encryption and other protection methods. The system allows for storage of live video by storing the digitized video and allowing the user to control how, when and where the content is viewed. The system makes available multiple multimedia services to all users in the network or connected via the internet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A placeshifting system comprising:
 a personal media broadcaster configured to:
 receive an uncompressed signal from an audio/video source device; 
 encode a media stream from the uncompressed signal using an encoder setting; 
 transmit the media stream over a network; and 
 adjust the encoder setting based upon variations in an available bandwidth of the network; and 
   a media player client configured to:
 communicate with the personal media broadcaster over the network; 
 receive the media stream; and 
 play the media stream for a user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the media player client is further configured to:
 receive a user command to control the media stream and to communicate the user command to the personal media broadcaster, and wherein the personal media broadcaster is configured to adjust the encoder setting responsive to the user command.   
     
     
         3 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal media broadcaster includes an interface to receive the uncompressed signal from a plurality of audio/video source devices. 
     
     
         4 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal media broadcaster is further configured to dynamically adjust the encoder setting in response to the variations in the available bandwidth of the network as the media stream is transmitted over the network. 
     
     
         5 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal media broadcaster is further configured to adjust the encoder setting in real time as the media stream is transmitted on the network. 
     
     
         6 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the encoder setting comprises at least one of the following: a bit rate, a resolution or a frame rate. 
     
     
         7 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the media player client and the personal media broadcaster are further configured to communicate over the network to mutually establish capabilities of the media player client, and wherein the personal media broadcaster is further configured to initially establish the encoder setting based upon the capabilities of the media player client. 
     
     
         8 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the media player client and the personal media broadcaster are further configured to communicate over the network to mutually establish a throughput of a connection between the media player client and the personal media broadcaster over the network, and wherein the personal media broadcaster is further configured to initially establish the encoder setting based upon the throughput of the connection. 
     
     
         9 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises a wide area network (WAN). 
     
     
         10 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         11 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal media broadcaster is further configured to encode the media stream by digitizing and compressing the uncompressed signal received from the audio/visual source device. 
     
     
         12 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream is encoded by compressing the media stream using the encoder setting. 
     
     
         13 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the uncompressed signal is a live stream from the audio/visual source device. 
     
     
         14 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the media player client employs a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
         15 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein the media player client communicates with the personal media broadcaster through a Web browser interface. 
     
     
         16 . The placeshifting system of  claim 1 , wherein at least some communication between the personal media broadcaster and the media player client is encrypted. 
     
     
         17 . The placeshifting system of  claim 16 , wherein at least some of the encryption employs a public key-private key encryption method. 
     
     
         18 . A placeshifting device comprising:
 an input interface configured to receive an uncompressed signal from one or more source devices;   a processor configured to construct a media stream by encoding the uncompressed signal using an encoder setting and to adjust the encoder setting based upon variations in an available bandwidth of a network; and   an embedded network interface configured to transmit the media stream to a client over the network.   
     
     
         19 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the network interface is configured to receive a user command to control content in the media stream from the client. 
     
     
         20 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the input interface comprises an interface for receiving the uncompressed signal from a plurality of different types of source devices. 
     
     
         21 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , further configured to dynamically adjust the encoder setting based on the variations in the available bandwidth of the network as the media stream is transmitted over the network. 
     
     
         22 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the encoder setting in real time. 
     
     
         23 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the encoder setting comprises at least one of the following: a bit rate, a resolution or a frame rate. 
     
     
         24 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the uncompressed signal comprises an analog signal that is a live stream from the one or more source devices. 
     
     
         25 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the uncompressed signal comprises a live stream from a personal video recorder (PVR). 
     
     
         26 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the uncompressed signal comprises a live stream from a set-top box. 
     
     
         27 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein uncompressed signal comprises a live stream from a video camera. 
     
     
         28 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the network comprises a wide area network (WAN). 
     
     
         29 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         30 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the uncompressed signal is received in an analog format, and wherein the placeshifting device further comprises an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the uncompressed signal from the analog format to a digital format. 
     
     
         31 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the uncompressed signal is received in a digital format. 
     
     
         32 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the encoder setting while the media stream is transmitted on the network. 
     
     
         33 . The placeshifting device of  claim 18 , wherein the client employs a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 receiving an uncompressed signal;   encoding the uncompressed signal to construct a media stream;   adjusting the encoding based upon variations in an available bandwidth of a network; and   transmitting the media stream to a client over the network.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the uncompressed signal is a live stream provided by a source device. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the adjusting comprises dynamically adjusting the encoder setting based on the variations in the available bandwidth of the network as the media stream is transmitted over the network. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the encoder setting in real time as the media stream is transmitted over the network. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the uncompressed signal is a digital signal and the encoding comprises compressing the uncompressed signal. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the encoding comprises compressing the uncompressed signal using an encoder setting. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the adjusting comprises adjusting the encoder setting as the available bandwidth of the network changes. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the uncompressed signal is received in an analog format, and wherein the method further comprises digitizing the analog signal. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the uncompressed signal is received in a digital format. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the client employs a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the client is a web browser. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the uncompressed signal is a live stream from a source device, and wherein the method further comprises receiving an instruction from the web browser and controlling the source device in response to the instruction received from the web browser to adjust the live stream. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein at least some communication with client is encrypted. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein at least some of the encryption employs a public key-private key encryption method. 
     
     
         48 . A method comprising:
 receiving an uncompressed signal from an audio/visual source device;   encoding the uncompressed signal to construct a digitally-compressed media stream;   transmitting the digitally-compressed media stream to a web browser via an IP network; and   adjusting the encoding of the uncompressed signal in response to variations in an available bandwidth of the IP network.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the encoding is performed in real time as the uncompressed signal is received. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the adjusting comprises dynamically adjusting the encoding based on the variations in the available bandwidth of the IP network as the digitally-compressed media stream is transmitted on the IP network. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the uncompressed signal represents a live stream from the audio/visual source device, and wherein the encoding and the transmitting are performed as the uncompressed signal representing the live stream is received. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the encoding comprises compressing the uncompressed signal using an encoder setting. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the client is uses a graphical user interface (GUI). 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising receiving an instruction from the web browser via the IP network. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising controlling the audio/visual source device in response to the instruction received from the web browser. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 48 , further comprising converting the digitally-compressed media stream to network packets compatible with the IP network. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting the network packets on the IP network. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein at least some communication with client is encrypted. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein at least some of the encryption employs a public key-private key encryption method.