Content customization at a content platform

• US 10,205,983 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• 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:
  US14/214,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20150256864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 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 content personalization, comprising:

receiving, by a computing platform having at least one processor functionally coupled to at least one storage device, a request for thematic content associated with a defined topic from a computing device;

configuring, by the computing platform, a thematic programming channel, the thematic programming channel including;

an interaction asset that causes an interaction with the thematic content at a second computing device, wherein the interaction asset comprises at least one of an interactive advertisement or a market survey, and

control information representative of signaling to manage the thematic content, the control information comprising channel guide information, one or more media asset identifiers, and one or more information structures indicative of a scheduling of a first media asset having first metadata and at least one marker, wherein the first 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 first media asset is 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 first CUID and the second CUID, and

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

establishing, by the computing platform, and based at least in part on the first CUID, a trigger for a queuing action associated with the scheduling of the first media asset, the trigger comprising a type of condition to be satisfied for consumption of the first media asset by the computing device or the second computing device;

receiving, by the computing platform, a subscriber profile element, the subscriber profile element being representative of at least the thematic content;

updating, by the computing platform, the subscriber profile element based at least on the thematic content; and

configuring, by the computing platform, the subscriber profile element, wherein configuring includes generating a recommendation based at least in part on the subscriber profile element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprises receiving one or more respective requests for one or more of a linear media assets associated with the defined topic, an on-demand media asset associated with the defined topic, or a time-shifted media asset associated with the defined topic, and wherein the subscriber profile element comprises a manifest file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring comprises transmitting, in response to the request, the subscriber profile element to the computing device, and wherein the computing device is one of customer premises equipment (CPE) or a wireless computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving, from the computing device, a second request for a content asset associated with the subscriber profile element.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating at least one of the content asset, a descriptive asset associated with the content asset, or an advertisement asset to the computing device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating the content asset to the computing device, and communicating at least one of a descriptive asset associated with the content asset or an advertisement asset to the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is one of a second CPE or a second wireless computing device.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising communicating a control asset to the second computing device, the control asset being associated with the content asset, wherein the control asset is configured to receive second control information from the second computing device in response to implementation of the control asset.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving at least a portion of the second control information in response to implementation of the control asset, and updating the subscriber profile element based at least in part on at least the portion of the second control information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises requesting content information representative of at least the thematic content, where the content information includes a content list.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media asset type is a document, web page, or video, and the second media asset type is a document, web page, or video.

10. An apparatus for content personalization, 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, at least by the computer-executable instructions, to;

receive a request for thematic content associated with a defined topic from a computing device;

configure a thematic programming channel, the thematic programming channel including;

an interaction asset that causes an interaction with the thematic content at a second computing device, wherein the interaction asset comprises at least one of an interactive advertisement or a market survey, and

control information representative of signaling to manage the thematic content from the computing device, the control information comprising channel guide information, one or more media asset identifiers, and one or more information structures indicative of a scheduling of a first media asset having first metadata and at least one marker, wherein the first metadata comprises first a 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 first media asset is 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 first CUID and the second CUID, and

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

establish, based at least in part on the first CUID, a trigger for a queuing action associated with the scheduling of the first media asset, the trigger comprising a type of condition to be satisfied for consumption of the first media asset by the computing device or the second computing device;

receive a subscriber profile element, the subscriber profile element being representative of at least the thematic content;

update the subscriber profile element based at least on the thematic content; and

provide the subscriber profile element, wherein providing the subscriber profile element includes generating a recommendation based at least in part on the subscriber profile element.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the thematic content comprises one or more of a linear media asset associated with the defined topic, an on-demand media asset associated with the defined topic, or a time-shifted media asset associated with the defined topic, and wherein the subscriber profile element can be embodied in a manifest file.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the subscriber profile element comprises a manifest file.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit, in response to the request, the subscriber profile element to the computing device, and wherein the computing device is one of customer premises equipment (CPE) or a wireless computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive, from the computing device, a request for a content asset associated with the subscriber profile element.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate at least one of the content asset, a descriptive asset associated with the content asset, or an advertisement asset to the computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate the content asset to the computing device, and to communicate at least one of a descriptive asset associated with the content asset or an advertisement asset to the second computing device, wherein the second computing device is one of a second CPE or a second wireless computing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to communicate a control asset to the second computing device, the control asset being associated with the content asset, wherein the control asset is configured to receive control information from the second computing device in response to implementation of the control asset.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive at least a portion of the control information in response to implementation of the control asset, and to update the subscriber profile element based at least in part on at least the portion of the control information.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to request content information representative of at least the thematic content, where the content information can comprise a content list.

22. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first media asset type is a document, web page, or video, and the second media asset type is a document, web page, or video.

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

receiving a request for thematic content associated with a defined topic from a computing device;

configuring a thematic programming channel, the thematic programming channel including;

an interaction asset that causes an interaction with the thematic content at a second computing device, wherein the interaction asset comprises at least one of an interactive advertisement or market survey, and

control information representative of signaling to manage the thematic content, the control information comprising channel guide information, one or more media asset identifiers, and one or more information structures indicative of a scheduling of a first media asset and at least one marker, wherein the first media asset includes first metadata, wherein the first 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 first media asset is 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 first CUID and the second CUID, and

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

establishing, based at least in part on the first CUID, a trigger for a queuing action associated with the scheduling of the first media asset, the trigger comprising a type of condition to be satisfied for consumption of the first media asset by the computing device or the second computing device;

receiving a subscriber profile element, the subscriber profile element being representative of at least the thematic content;

updating the subscriber profile element based at least on the thematic content; and

providing the subscriber profile element, wherein providing the subscriber profile element includes generating a recommendation based at least in part on the subscriber profile element.

23. The at least one non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the first media asset type is a document, web page, or video, and the second media asset type is a document, web page, or video.