System to communicate media

• US 10,341,403 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2018
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC
• Original Assignee: Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC
• Inventors: White, Russell W., Imes, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US15/883,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20180337969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/02 with automatic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 : for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 : for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 : file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 : using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for communicating media is disclosed. Such a system may include, for example, a media broken into a plurality of independent segment files that may represent sequential portions of the media. One of the segment files can be encoded to have a format that is different than the encoded format of another one of the segment files. The formats may be chosen to allow outputting of information in the segments at different rates. A list may include network addresses for the segment files, and a content delivery system may be deployed to distribute media content to remotely located requesting devices by sending the segment files in response to requests for the segment files.

Claims

1. A media delivery method using specialized networking components operating in an unconventional manner to facilitate a delivery decision relationship between clients and servers in an effort to enhance and improve network functionality, comprising:

maintaining an application for use by a wireless enabled device that comprises a non-volatile memory, a processing device operable to execute instructions stored in the non-volatile memory, a buffer, and at least one wireless transceiver, wherein the application can be communicated to the wireless enabled device and executed at the wireless enabled device to provide an application generated interface that facilitates receiving video content from a network based distribution system;

delivering a portion of a media to the wireless enabled device in response to a request from the wireless enabled device, wherein the delivery is a streaming delivery using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol, further wherein the portion has a format;

subsequently delivering another portion of the media, which has a different format than the format, to the wireless enabled device in response to a request for the another portion from the wireless enabled device using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, wherein the different format is selected at least in part because of a buffer fill status of the buffer; and

communicating a playlist to the wireless enabled device to facilitate a periodic outputting of requests for media portions by the wireless enabled device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer is a video buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a copy of the application to the wireless enabled device via an over the air download.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Hypertext Transfer Protocol comprises an authentication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless enabled device considers the buffer fill status before requesting the another portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the format affects a rate at which data included in the portion is output, and the different format facilitates outputting of data included in the different portion at a different rate, further wherein the buffer is configured to output data included in the portion at or near the rate for presentation on a display associated with the wireless enabled device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the wireless enabled device was issued after the wireless enabled device determined its buffer fill status and the request indicates the buffer fill status by referencing a desired format for the portion in an effort to facilitate just in time delivery of the portion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the application executing at the wireless enabled device acts as a client and a network based delivery resource acts as a server, further wherein the buffer fill status is an indication of a transmission rate capability of the network communicatively coupling the client and the server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media is a video, and the portion and the another portion are sequential chunks of the video.

10. A system utilizing specialized network elements operating in an unconventional manner to manage a hybrid rate streaming functionality that communicates selected videos across a network by sending and receiving sequential video components that have different encoding parameters, the system comprising:

an application stored in a memory and configured for execution by a wireless enabled device, the application comprising instructions operable when executed;

(1) to present an application generated interface on a display associated with the wireless enabled device;

(2) to request a streaming delivery of a video via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol; and

(3) to initiate presentation of the video on the display; and

a server configured to deliver video content to a remotely located wireless enabled device that has a buffer and is executing a copy of the application, wherein the server is configured to utilize a Hypertext Transfer Protocol;

(1) to deliver a portion of a video as a video stream to the remotely located wireless enabled device, where the portion has a formatting characteristic that allows for delivery via a certain bandwidth, and (2) to subsequently deliver another portion of the video to the remotely located wireless enabled device, where the other portion has a different formatting that allows for delivery via a different bandwidth, wherein the other portion with the different formatting is selected at least in part because of a buffer fill status of the buffer, wherein the streaming delivery utilizes an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol that comprises an authentication, the portion and the other portion of the video each represent the same amount of video time.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the application executing at the wireless enabled device acts as a client, further wherein the buffer fill status is an indication of a transmission rate capability of the network communicatively coupling the client and the server.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a log-in memory system maintaining credential information for a plurality of registered users, the log-in memory system communicatively coupled to a log-in resource that considers the maintained credential information in connection with granting access to user-specific information; and

a message communication resource configured to initiate a sending of a particular message to a credentialed user via the application generated interface.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the application is configured such that a copy of the application can be over the air downloaded to and executed by a cellular telephone.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory is a component of the wireless enabled device, wherein the wireless enabled device is a cellular telephone that comprises a processor, a communication module configured to receive a wirelessly communicated collection of digital data packets, a display configured to present a user interface, and a Bluetooth communication module.

15. A system utilizing specialized network elements operating in an unconventional manner to manage a hybrid rate streaming functionality that communicates selected videos across a network by sending and receiving sequential video components that have different encoding parameters, the system comprising:

an application stored in a memory and configured for execution by a wireless enabled device, the application comprising instructions operable when executed;

(1) to present an application generated interface on a display associated with the wireless enabled device;

(2) to request a streaming delivery of a video via a Hypertext Transfer Protocol; and

(3) to initiate presentation of the video on the display;

a server configured to deliver video content to a remotely located wireless enabled device that has a buffer and is executing a copy of the application, wherein the server is configured to utilize a Hypertext Transfer Protocol;

(1) to deliver a portion of a video as a video stream to the remotely located wireless enabled device, where the portion has a formatting characteristic that allows for delivery via a certain bandwidth, and (2) to subsequently deliver another portion of the video to the remotely located wireless enabled device, where the other portion has a different formatting that allows for delivery via a different bandwidth, wherein the other portion with the different formatting is selected at least in part because of a buffer fill status of the buffer; and

a memory system communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the memory system is maintaining a plurality of videos that are available for selection by the remotely located wireless enabled device and delivery by the server.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of remotely located wireless enabled devices executing locally stored copies of the application;

wherein the server comprises a system including a plurality of streaming servers;

wherein at least one of the remotely located wireless enabled devices is a cellular telephone, at least one other of the remotely located wireless enabled devices is a television, and at least one other of the remotely located wireless enabled devices is a computer.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a log-in memory system maintaining credential information for a plurality of registered users, the log-in memory system communicatively coupled to a log-in resource that considers the maintained credential information in connection with granting access to user-specific information; and

a message communication resource configured to initiate a sending of a particular message to a credentialed user via the application generated interface.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the application is configured such that a copy of the application can be over the air downloaded to and executed by a cellular telephone.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the streaming delivery utilizes an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol that comprises an authentication.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the memory is a component of the wireless enabled device, wherein the wireless enabled device is a cellular telephone that comprises a processor, a communication module configured to receive a wirelessly communicated collection of digital data packets, a display configured to present a user interface, and a Bluetooth communication module.