Augmenting the functionality of a content player

• US 10,009,242 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Inventors: Ganjam, Aditya Ravikumar, Hu, Ningning, Necula, George C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/742,674
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3082 the data filtering being achieved by aggregating or compressing the monitored data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 : Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 : Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 : Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 : Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 : Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Improving a content player is disclosed. A monitoring module is configured to obtain status information associated with a content player. The monitoring module is loaded. Status information associated with the content player is obtained. A report of at least a portion of the obtained status information is made to a monitoring service.

Claims

1. A system, including:

a set of one or more processors configured to;

dynamically load, by a content player deployed on a client, a monitoring module configured to obtain status information associated with the content player deployed on the client;

obtain, by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, status information associated with the content player; and

report, from the client, and via a communications interface, at least a portion of the status information obtained by the monitoring module loaded by the content player to a remote monitoring service; and

a memory coupled to the set of one or more processors and configured to provide the set of one or more processors with instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the content player is running on the system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the status information is obtained at least in part by detecting a state of the content player.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein detecting the state of the content player comprises making an inference about the state.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer that the player has not yet accumulated enough data to start playing a video.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer an inference is made that the player is playing video.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer that the player is buffering data and video is not playing.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer that the player is paused.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer that the player has stopped playing a video.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer that a video is not playing due to an error.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining a time when the player transitioned between a first state and a second state.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining a total length of time the player spent in each of a plurality of states.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer a total time during which the content player was interrupted by suspending or pausing the set of one or more processors configured to execute the content player.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining a number of bytes received by the content player.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining a bitrate of a stream.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining an average frame rate at which a video is playing.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the monitoring module loaded by the content player is configured to infer a frame rate at which a video is encoded based at least in part on an observed history of the frame rate at which the video is playing.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining an accuracy with which the content player is able to render a video, computed at least in part from an average frame rate being played and an encoded frame rate.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes obtaining a measure of an ability of the content player to download video data, computed based at least in part on a history of transitions between a playing and a buffering state.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein obtaining the status information by the monitoring module loaded by the content player includes detecting capabilities of the player.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein detecting the capabilities of the player comprises making, by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, an inference about a processing speed of the player.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein detecting the capabilities of the player comprises making, by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, an inference about a video rendering speed of the player.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein detecting the capabilities of the player comprises making by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, an inference about available memory.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein detecting the capabilities of the player comprises making by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, an inference about available download bandwidth.

25. A method, comprising:

dynamically loading, by a content player deployed on a client, a monitoring module configured to obtain status information associated with the content player deployed on the client;

obtaining, by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, status information associated with the content player; and

reporting, from the client, and via a communications interface, at least a portion of the status information obtained by the monitoring module loaded by the content player to a remote monitoring service.

26. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

dynamically loading, by a content player deployed on a client, a monitoring module configured to obtain status information associated with a content player deployed on the client;

obtaining, by the monitoring module loaded by the content player, status information associated with the content player; and

reporting, from the client, and via a communications interface, at least a portion of the status information obtained by the monitoring module loaded by the content player to a remote monitoring service.