Video sharing platform providing for posting content to other websites

• US 10,091,462 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2017
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crackle Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Crackle Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eyal, Aviv, Haken, Piers, Hodgson, David Charles Alexander, Hazel, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kurien, Christen A
• Application Number:
  US15/671,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20170339374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for use in providing content includes hosting a network site on a computer network, displaying on the network site links to one or more videos, and displaying on the network site at least an on-demand preview of a first video in response to a corresponding one of the links being selected. A storage medium stores a computer program for use on a client computer. Several other methods, systems and programs are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium for storing a computer program for input to a client computer and a computer program stored on the storage medium causing the client computer to execute steps comprising:

establishing a first video stored in the client computer;

displaying on a display screen of the client computer a tool for uploading information related to a first video to a database that stores information relating to the video, wherein the information includes some or all of the video;

displaying on the display screen of the client computer an option for sharing the first video either publicly or privately;

communicating through a computer network to upload information relating to the first video to the database that stores information relating to a plurality of videos, wherein the information relating to the first video includes a designation whether it is to be shared publicly or privately;

making available an on-demand video preview that is based on the information communicated to the database, where the video preview comprises a video and is generated at the client computer, where the video preview comprises a portion of and less than all of the first video, wherein the communicating through the computer network to upload the information relating to the first video comprises uploading the video preview; and

providing an option to initiate a download of the first video in pieces from two or more computers on the network;

wherein one of the two or more computers defines a restriction in uploading pieces of content of video provided through the option to initiate a download of video in pieces, where the restriction restricts uploading of a corresponding one or more of the pieces of one or more videos including the first video such that a portion of an available network bandwidth available to the one of the two or more computers in uploading the one or more pieces of video remains below a defined percentage of the available network bandwidth available to the one of the two or more computers, where the one of the two or more computers in defining the restriction in uploading restricts uploading based on different categories of content, and where the restriction further allows a use of bandwidth previously allocated to a different category when the bandwidth allocated to the different category is not fully used.

2. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 1, wherein the information includes a digital video file that is generated from the first video and includes a representation of some or all of the first video'"'"'s video data and audio data;

and

further comprising communicating routability information over the computer network to the client computer, wherein the routability information corresponds to the first videos such that a client software application operating on the client computer determines routable sources and selects sources from which the pieces of the first video are acquired.

3. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 1, wherein the on-demand video preview is made available on a video sharing website.

4. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 3, wherein the option to initiate a download of the first video is restricted to members of a video sharing website.

5. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer program further causes the client computer to execute a step comprising:

displaying on the display screen of the client computer an option for sending an email having a link to the on-demand video preview.

6. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium for storing a computer program for input to a client computer and a computer program stored on the storage medium the client computer to execute steps comprising:

communicating through a computer network with a database that stores information relating to a plurality of videos;

displaying on a display screen of the client computer links to one or more of the plurality of videos;

displaying on the display screen of the client computer at least an on-demand preview of a first video in response to a corresponding one of the links being selected, where the video preview is generated at a separate client computer;

displaying on the display screen of the client computer an option to download the first video; and

downloading different portions of the first video from respective other client computers in response to the download option being selected, wherein the downloading comprises establishing a bridge transfer between a first client computer and a second client computer where the client computer cannot communicate with the second client computer such that at least a first portion of the different portions of the first video is downloaded at the client computer from the first client computer in response to a request from the client computer where the first client computer obtains the first portion of the different portions of the first video via the bridge transfer and directly from the second client computer, and the client computer downloads a second portion of the different portions of the first video from a third client computer, where the third client computer defines a restriction in available bandwidth in uploading pieces of content of video provided through the option to download the first video, where the restriction restricts bandwidth available in uploading allocating available bandwidths to different categories of content, and where the restriction further allows a use of bandwidth previously allocated to a different category when the bandwidth allocated to the different category is not fully used.

7. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 6, wherein the computer program further causes the client computer to execute a step comprising:

requesting a list of file sources for the first video.

8. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 6, wherein the computer program further causes the client computer to execute a step comprising:

assembling the different portions of the first video received from other client computers.

9. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 6, wherein the respective other client computers comprise a private group.

10. A system for use in sharing content, comprising:

a data center that includes a database that stores information relating to a plurality of videos, wherein the data center is configured to display on a network site links to one or more of the videos, at least an on-demand video preview of a first video in response to a corresponding one of the links being selected where the video preview comprises a video and is generated at a source client computer of the first video available, and an option to download the first video, wherein the video preview comprises a portion of and less than all of the first video and the video preview is uploaded from the source client computer to the data center;

at least two client computers that each store different portions of the first video, wherein the data center is further configured to keep track of which client computer has what portion of the first video; and

another client computer that is configured to request from the data center a list of file sources for the first video and then download the different portions of the first video from the at least two client computers in response to the download option being selected;

wherein one of the two client computers restricts bandwidth available in uploading of a corresponding one of the different portions of the first video such that a portion of an available network bandwidth available to the one of the two client computers in uploading the one of the different portions of the first video remains below a defined percentage of the available network bandwidth available to the one of the two client computers, where the one of the two or more computers in defining the restriction of bandwidth available in uploading restricts amounts of available bandwidth in uploading allocated to different categories of content, and where the restriction further allows a use of bandwidth previously allocated to a different category when the bandwidth allocated to the different category is not fully used.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the another client computer is further configured to assemble the different portions of the first video received from the at least two client computers.

12. A system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the data center is further configured to add the another client computer to the list of file sources for the first video for future downloads.

13. A system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the data center further comprises a system slave that stores one or more portions of the first video, and wherein the data center determines that none of the one or more client devices contain a first portion of the first video and identifies the system slave as the source for the first portion of the first video.

14. A method for use in providing content, comprising:

hosting, through a data center, a network site on a computer network;

displaying on the network site links to one or more videos;

displaying on the network site at least an on-demand video preview of a first video in response to a corresponding one of the links being selected, where the video preview comprises a video and is generated at an originating client computer, wherein the video preview comprises a portion of and less than all of the first video and the video preview is uploaded from the source client computer to the data center;

displaying on the network site an option to download the first video; and

causing a downloading of the first video to a requesting client computer by initiating a running of a computer program on the requesting client computer in response to the download option being selected, wherein the program downloads the first video in chunks, coming from two or more other client computers on the network;

wherein one of the two or more computers restricts bandwidths available in uploading of one or more of the chunks of the first video such that a portion of an available network bandwidth available to the one of the two or more computers in uploading the one or more chunks of the first video remains below a defined percentage of the available network bandwidth available to the one of the two or more computers, where the one of the two or more computers in defining the restriction of available bandwidths in uploading restricts uploading based on bandwidths allocated to different categories of content, and where the restriction further allows a use of bandwidth previously allocated to a different category when the bandwidth allocated to the different category is not fully used.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising:

providing a list of file sources for the first video to the requesting client computer.

16. A method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising:

assembling the different chunks of the first video received from the two or more servers.

17. A method in accordance with claim 14, further comprising:

adding the requesting client computer to a list of file sources for the first video for future downloads.

18. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium for storing a computer program for input to a client computer and a computer program stored on the storage medium causing the client computer to execute steps comprising:

communicating with a digital camera connected to the client computer;

importing images and/or video from the camera into the client computer;

establishing a first video in response to the step of importing images and/or video from the camera;

generating at the client computer a video preview of the first video, wherein the video preview comprises a video that comprises a portion of and less than all of the first video;

communicating through a computer network to upload information relating to the first video to a database that stores information relating to a plurality of videos including video data of some or all of the first video, where the video data of some or all of the first video comprises the video preview of the first video;

displaying on a display screen of the client computer links to one or more of the plurality of videos including the first video;

displaying on the display screen of the client computer at least an on-demand playback of the video preview of the first video using the uploaded video data in response to a corresponding one of the links being selected;

displaying a command to download the first video; and

downloading the first video to a client computer by running a computer program on the client computer in response to the download option being selected, wherein the program downloads the first video in chunks, coming from two or more computers on the network, wherein one of the two or more computers restricts bandwidth available in uploading one or more of the chunks of one or more videos, including one or more chunks of the first video, such that a portion of an available network bandwidth available to the one of the two or more computers in uploading the one or more chunks of the one or more videos remains below a defined percentage of the available network bandwidth available to the one of the two or more computers, wherein the restriction defined by the one of the two or more computers in uploading comprises a restriction in uploading based on bandwidths allocated to different categories of content, and where the restriction further allows a use of bandwidth previously allocated to a different category when the bandwidth allocated to the different category is not fully used.

19. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 18, wherein the on-demand video preview is made available on a video sharing website.

20. A computer program product comprising in accordance with claim 18, wherein the command to download the first video is restricted to members of a video sharing website.