Thematic programming channel

• US 10,182,251 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Finnerty, Nadine, Rothschild, Keith Alan, Pereira, Roy Edmond, Toney, Jr., Roy Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/214,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/17372 the upstream transmission being initiated or timed by a signal from upstream of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• 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 21/4823 using a channel name
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to configuration of content and consumption thereof content in a networked environment. In certain aspects, the consumed content can be coordinated or otherwise synchronized between disparate consumption devices, which may be served content via different content platforms. In another aspect, the consumed content can be customized for a specific device and/or an end-user thereof. In yet another aspect, recommendations for content and/or products associated with at least a portion of the content can be provided.

Claims

1. A method for configuration of thematic programming channels, comprising:

accessing, by a computing platform comprising at least one processor functionally coupled to at least one memory device, thematic information and subscriber information, the thematic information being representative of thematic content associated with a defined topic, and the subscriber information being indicative of a subscriber to a content delivery service;

selecting, by the computing platform, a group of media assets associated with the thematic information based on a request from a computing device;

generating, by the computing platform, a thematic programming channel based on the group of media assets, the thematic programming channel conveying at least one media asset of the group of media assets, wherein metadata is associated with the at least one media asset and at least one marker, and the metadata comprises a first content unique identifier (CUID) and a package unique identifier (PUID), and wherein;

the thematic content is selected based on the PUID being associated with the defined topic,

the PUID corresponds to a classification of the first CUID, and the PUID corresponds to the at least one media asset of a first media asset type and provided by a first system,

a second media asset, of a second media asset type, having a second metadata comprising a second CUID, is provided by a second system,

the PUID further corresponds to a classification of the second CUID, and

the at least one marker being configured to cause the computing platform to synchronize playback of the at least one media asset on a second computing device with playback of the at least one media asset on a first computing device, in response to a transfer of the at least one media asset from the first computing device to the second computing device;

configuring, by the computing platform, access rights to the thematic programming channel by a computing device associated with the subscriber, the access rights being configured based on the subscriber information and the thematic information;

determining, by the computing platform, a trigger associated with the at least one media asset, wherein the trigger identifies the asset marker of the at least one media asset, the asset marker indicative of a location for an action in the at least one media asset;

determining, by the computing platform, that the action is to insert additional content into the at least one media asset at the location indicated by the asset marker;

inserting, by the computing platform, the additional content at the location, wherein the playback of the at least one media asset includes a playback of the additional content at the location and resumption of playback of the at least one media asset after the playback of the additional content; and

configuring, by the computing platform, guide information indicative of the thematic programming channel based on the access rights.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the guide information to the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the access rights include access rights to the at least one media asset by the computing device, and wherein the computing device is one of customer premises equipment or a wireless computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the thematic programming channel comprises assigning a frequency channel to transmit the at least one media asset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises one or more of selecting at least one linear media asset or selecting at least one time-shifted media asset.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the access rights comprises configuring an entitlement associated with the thematic programming channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein configuring the guide information comprises configuring at least a portion of the guide information based on the entitlement.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the entitlement to the computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting the guide information to the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein configuring the access rights comprises configuring a subscriber profile associated with the subscriber to the content delivery service, wherein the subscriber information comprises analytics information including demographics data;

user profile data;

content consumption information;

content affinities;

purchasing patterns;

social networking data;

information about a user device;

network connectivity;

or exceptions information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting an update notification to the computing device, the update notification being indicative of an instruction to request the guide information.

12. The method of claim 11, further receiving a request for at least a portion of the guide information from the computing device, and in response,

transmitting at least the portion of the guide information to the computing device, the portion of the guide information comprising a channel map comprising the thematic programming channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting an update notification to the computing device, the update notification being indicative of an instruction to request the subscriber profile.

14. The method of claim 13, further receiving a request for at least a portion of the subscriber profile from the computing device, and in response,

transmitting at least the portion of the subscriber profile to the computing device.

15. An apparatus for configuration of thematic programming channels, comprising:

at least one memory device having computer-executable instructions encoded thereon; and

at least one processor functionally coupled to the at least one memory device and configured, by at least the computer-executable instructions to;

access thematic information and subscriber information, the thematic information being representative of thematic content, associated with a defined topic, and the subscriber information being indicative of a subscriber to a content delivery service;

select a group of media assets associated with the thematic information, based on a request from a first computing device;

generate a thematic programming channel based on the group of media assets, the thematic programming channel conveying at least one media asset of the group of media assets, wherein metadata is associated with the at least one media asset and at least one marker, and the metadata comprises a first content unique identifier (CUID) and a package unique identifier (PUID), and wherein;

the thematic content is selected based on the PUID being associated with the defined topic,

the PUID corresponds to a classification of the first CUID, and PUID corresponds to the at least one media asset of a first media asset type and provided by a first system,

a second media asset, of a second media asset type, having a second metadata comprising a second CUID, is provided by a second system,

the PUID further corresponds to a classification of the second CUID, and

the at least one marker being configured to cause the at least one processor to synchronize playback of the at least one media asset on a second computing device with playback of the at least one media asset on a first computing device, in response to a transfer of the at least one media asset from the first computing device to the second computing device;

configure access rights to the thematic programming channel by a computing device associated with the subscriber, the access rights being configured based on the subscriber information and the thematic information;

determine a trigger associated with the at least one media asset, wherein the trigger identifies the asset marker of the at least one media asset, the asset marker indicative of a location for an action in the at least one media asset;

determine that the action is to insert additional content into the at least one media asset at the location indicated by the asset marker;

inserting, by the computing platform, the additional content at the location, wherein the playback of the at least one media asset includes a playback of the additional content at the location and resumption of playback of the at least one media asset after the playback of the additional content; and

configure guide information indicative of the thematic programming channel based on the access rights.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate the guide information to the computing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the access rights include access rights to the at least one media asset by the computing device, and wherein the computing device is one of customer premises equipment or a wireless computing device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to assign a frequency channel to transmit the at least one media asset.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform one or more of select at least one linear media asset, select an on-demand media asset, or select at least one time-shifted media asset.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure an entitlement associated with the thematic programming channel.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure at least a portion of the guide information based on the entitlement.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the entitlement to the computing device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit the guide information to the computing device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to configure a subscriber profile associated with the subscriber to the content delivery service, wherein the subscriber information comprises analytics information including one or more of demographics data;

user profile data;

content consumption information;

content affinities;

purchasing patterns;

social networking data;

information about a user device;

network connectivity;

or exceptions information.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit an update notification to the computing device, the update notification being indicative of an instruction to request the guide information.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a request for at least a portion of the guide information from the computing device, and in response,

to transmit at least the portion of the guide information to the computing device, the portion of the guide information comprising a channel map comprising the thematic programming channel.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit an update notification to the computing device, the update notification being indicative of an instruction to request a subscriber profile.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a request for at least a portion of the subscriber profile from the computing device, and in response,

to transmit at least the portion of the subscriber profile to the computing device.

29. At least one non-transitory storage medium having instructions for thematic programming channels encoded thereon that, in response to execution, cause at least one computing platform having at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

accessing thematic information and subscriber information, the thematic information being representative of thematic content associated with a defined topic, and the subscriber information being indicative of a subscriber to a content delivery service;

selecting a group of media assets associated with the thematic information, based on a request from a first computing device;

generating a thematic programming channel based on the group of media assets, the thematic programming channel conveying at least one media asset of the group of media assets, wherein metadata is associated with the at least one media asset and at least one marker, and the metadata comprises a first content unique identifier (CUID) and a package unique identifier (PUID), and wherein;

the thematic content is selected based on the PUID being associated with the defined topic,

the PUID corresponds to a classification of the first CUID, and the PUID corresponds to the at least one media asset of a first media asset type and provided by a first system,

a second media asset, of a second media asset type, having a second metadata comprising a second CUID, is provided by a second system,

the PUID further corresponds to a classification of the second CUID, and

the at least one marker being configured to cause the at least one processor to synchronize playback of the at least one media asset on a second computing device with playback of the at least one media asset on the first computing device, in response to a transfer of the at least one media asset from the first computing device to the second computing device;

configuring access rights to the thematic programming channel by a computing device associated with the subscriber, the access rights being configured based on the subscriber information and the thematic information;

determining a trigger associated with the at least one media asset, wherein the trigger identifies the asset marker of the at least one media asset, the asset marker indicative of a location for an action in the at least one media asset;

determining that the action is to insert additional content into the at least one media asset at the location indicated by the asset marker;

inserting, by the computing platform, the additional content at the location, wherein the playback of the at least one media asset includes a playback of the additional content at the location and resumption of playback of the at least one media asset after the playback of the additional content; and

configuring guide information indicative of the thematic programming channel based on the access rights.