Video-on-demand content delivery system for providing video-on-demand services to TV service subscribers

• US 10,306,321 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadband iTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Perez, Milton Diaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mushfikh I
• Application Number:
  US15/999,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20190007744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 725 74-104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• 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 21/26225 involving billing parameters, e.g. priority for subscribers of premium services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 : for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 : using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• 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 21/858 : Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

A video-on-demand (VOD) content delivery system has a VOD Application Server which manages a database of templates for presentation of video content elements of different selected types categorized in hierarchical order. A web-based Content Management System receives content uploaded online in file formats with metadata for title and topical area, and automatically converts it into video data format compatible with the VOD content delivery system indexed by title and topical area. A User Interface for the system delivers listings data to the viewer'"'"'s TV indexed by title and topical area specified by the uploaded metadata.

Claims

1. A content delivery platform for providing video-on-demand services to a plurality of TV service subscribers via a closed system, the content delivery platform comprising:

(a) a web-based content management system, comprising a first set of one or more computers and a first set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the first set of one or more computers of the web-based content management system, wherein the web-based management system is configured to (i) receive an upload of a first video content by a first content provider device associated with a first video content provider via an open online network in a first digital video format, along with associated first metadata designated by the first video content provider, wherein the first metadata includes first title information, first category information and first subcategory information, to specify a respective hierarchical location of a first title of the first video content within a video-on-demand content menu using the respective hierarchically-arranged first category information and first subcategory information associated with the first title, and (ii) store the first metadata in a database on a second set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the web-based content management system;

(b) a content conversion system, comprising a third set of one or more computers and a third set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the third set of one or more computers of the content conversion system, that converts the first video content from the first digital video format to a second digital video format such that the first video content is capable of playback on demand on respective TV equipment of a respective TV service subscriber;

(c) a video-on-demand application server, comprising a fourth set of one or more computers and a fourth set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the fourth set of one or more computers of the video-on-demand application server, that receives, from the web-based content management system, the first video content in the second digital video format and receives, from the web-based content management system, the associated first metadata;

(d) a video server, comprising a fifth set of one or more computers and a fifth set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the fifth set of one or more computers of the video server, wherein the video server is associated with the video-on-demand application server, and wherein the video server is configured to store the received first video content and supply the first video content, upon request, for transmission to a respective first set top box operatively connected to the respective TV equipment of the respective TV service subscriber of the plurality of TV service subscribers;

(e) a tracking system, comprising a sixth set of one or more computers and a sixth set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the sixth set of one or more computers of the tracking system, wherein the tracking system is configured to ingest, from the video-on-demand application server, usage data for the respective TV service subscriber including data indicative of selections, by the respective TV service subscriber, for viewing of the first video content;

(f) a profiling system, comprising a seventh set of one or more computers and a seventh set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the seventh set of one or more computers of the profiling system, wherein the profiling system is operatively connected to the video-on-demand application server and to the video server, wherein the profiling system is configured to;

(1) consolidate TV service subscriber-related data to profile the respective TV service subscriber;

(2) provide the consolidated TV service subscriber-related data to a targeting system to reformat a user interface for presenting the video-on-demand services to the respective TV service subscriber; and

(3) segregate and maintain as private a portion of TV service subscriber-related data collected specifically for the first video content provider; and

(g) the targeting system, comprising an eighth set of one or more computers and an eighth set of computer-readable memory operatively connected to the eighth set of one or more computers of the targeting system, wherein the targeting system is operatively connected to the profiling system, the video-on-demand application server and the video server, wherein the targeting system is configured to receive, by the respective TV service subscriber, the data indicative of selections that is tracked by the tracking system for viewing of the first video content, to obtain from the profiling system the consolidated TV service subscriber-related data, and to reformat the user interface to be displayed to the respective TV service subscriber based at least on the consolidated TV service subscriber-related data and the data indicative of selections, by the respective TV service subscriber, for viewing of the first video content;

wherein the video-on-demand application server is programmed to perform the steps of;

(i) providing the respective set top box operatively connected to the respective TV equipment of the respective TV service subscriber with access to the video-on-demand content menu for navigating through categories and subcategories to titles, including the respective title of the received first video content, by first category information and first subcategory information in order to locate a particular one of the titles whose associated video content is desired for viewing on the respective TV equipment,

wherein the video-on-demand content menu lists the titles using a same hierarchical structure of category information and subcategory information as was designated by the first video content provider in the associated first metadata for the first video content, and wherein the video-on-demand content menu is formatted by the targeting system; and

(ii) in response to the respective TV service subscriber selecting, via a control unit in communication with the respective set top box, the respective title associated with the first video content from the hierarchically-arranged category information and subcategory information of the video-on-demand content menu, and the respective set top box transmitting an electronic request for the first video content associated with the selected title, retrieving the selected first video content from the video server, and transmitting the selected first video content to the respective set top box for display on the respective TV equipment of the respective TV service subscriber.

2. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the control unit is a remote control unit.

3. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the video-on-demand application server is configured to generate and render the video-on-demand content menu in real-time by querying the database that is operatively connected to the web-based content management system for the first metadata.

4. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the web-based content management system is further configured to receive second video content that is uploaded to the web-based content management system.

5. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the usage data further includes at least one of commands, behaviors, responses, or requests of the respective TV service subscriber.

6. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the tracking system is further configured to generate a report indicative of the selections based on the usage data, and to provide a web interface to provide an authorized user with access to the report.

7. The content delivery platform of claim 6, wherein the report generated by the tracking system comprises user interface data.

8. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the video-on-demand application server is further programmed to generate the video-on-demand content menu.

9. The content delivery platform of claim 1, further comprising:

(h) an application data center associated with the video-on-demand application server, which is programmed to perform the steps of;

storing a plurality of different display templates for presentation of the respective title using the same respective hierarchically-arranged category information and subcategory information associated with the respective title from the first video content provider in the uploaded metadata for the first video content; and

transmitting the plurality of different display templates to the video-on-demand application server.

10. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the video-on-demand application server is further programmed to perform the steps of:

automatically establishing at the video server a specific location of a templatized display for a respective title in a hierarchical ordering by assigning the respective titles to display templates based on the hierarchical ordering; and

transmitting the templatized display to the respective TV service subscriber for display on the respective TV equipment of the respective TV service subscriber,

whereby the first video content uploaded by the first video content provider on the open online network is viewable by the respective TV service subscriber by navigation through the hierarchical ordering of respective titles transmitted to the respective TV equipment of the respective TV service subscriber.

11. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the consolidated TV service subscriber-related data comprises set top box addresses.

12. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the profiling system is incorporated into the targeting system.

13. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the first metadata further comprises time information that specifies at least one of (i) when the first video content is scheduled to be available for viewing on the content delivery platform or (ii) when the first video content is scheduled to be removed from display on the content delivery platform.

14. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the tracking system is programmed to calculate billing charges for placement of ads on the content delivery platform.

15. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the tracking system is programmed to provide access to the report generated by the tracking system to an authorized user.

16. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the web-based content management system further comprises a classified management application, and wherein the tracked data indicative of selections by the respective TV service subscriber, as tracked by the tracking system, is aggregated and used to select at least one of a classified ad, promotion, program, or informational content, to be provided to the respective TV service subscriber for viewing.

17. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the web-based content management system comprises an account management component that is programmed to control access to the web-based content management system by performing the steps of:

(1) requiring, by the account management component, the first content provider device to access an account to access the content delivery platform; and

(2) managing, by the account management component, privileges and security associated with the account.

18. The content delivery platform of claim 17, wherein the account is associated with an account name and payment information.

19. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the web-based content management system further comprises a management application that is configured to allow a user to view a templatized display that has been composed using at least one display template.

20. The content delivery platform of claim 1, wherein the conversion, by the content conversion system, of the first video content from the first digital video format to the second digital video data format comprises the conversion of at least one of video data, audio data, or image data.