Method and system for processing multi-media content

• US 10,341,721 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimik Technology Canada Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mimik Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharif-Ahmadi, Seyed, Arjomandi, Fay
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doshi, Akshay
• Application Number:
  US13/498,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,199 Days
• Field of Search: 725 62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• 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 21/4183 : providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 : involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 : Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 : Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 : the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 : Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 : on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 : Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A method and system for micro-cloud computing is described. An application serving node, which is a specifically configured piece of customer premises equipment such as a set-top box, is the server for a micro-cloud network. Various user devices that form part of the micro-cloud network, such as television sets and smart phones, communicate with the application serving node. The application serving node is configured with software that allows various heterogeneous types of data to be obtained and streamed to the user devices in multiple ways. The application serving node performs much of the processing necessary for such content streaming itself and thus represents an edge-based network architecture.

Claims

1. A system for processing of multi-media content for a user device independent of the user device location, the system comprising:

a first serving node located at a home, said first serving node configured to receive the multi-media content from a content provider via a network and configured to deliver said multi-media content to a plurality of user devices registered with said first serving node at the home served by said first serving node;

each of said plurality of user devices associated with at least one user selected from a plurality of users registered at the home, at least one of said plurality of user devices associated with more than one of said plurality of users; and

each of said plurality of users associated with a record in a database accessible by said first serving node, said database including content characterization and preferences of each of said plurality of users, said content characterization and preferences of each of said plurality of users depending on a user device each of said plurality of users is using and a type of network that each of said plurality of users is using to access said multi-media content,

wherein said first serving node is configured to uniquely distinguish each of said plurality of users by;

verification of a unique id that is associated with said user device, wherein the unique id is assigned to said user device at a time of registration with said first serving node at the home; and

determination of the type of network through an interface at which a request for said multi-media content was received,

wherein when the multi-media content is received by said first serving node, said multi-media content is reformatted by said first serving node, based on said content characterization and preferences of one of said plurality of users for display on one of said plurality of user devices selected by the one of said plurality of users, and content transmission bit rate of said multi-media content is adjusted based on a speed of said one of said plurality of user devices, wherein said one of said plurality of user devices is selected by said one of said plurality of users,

wherein said first serving node is configured to multiplex the multi-media content directly to the plurality of user devices, and

wherein said one of said plurality of user devices is a mobile phone, and said first serving node transmits a location of said mobile phone to a server within the network, and when said mobile phone is closer to a second serving node at a second home than the home of said first serving node, and said second serving node is connected to the network, said server is configured to instruct said second serving node to deliver the multi-media content to said mobile phone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein when a user of said plurality of users uses another user device while experiencing the multi-media content, said first serving node is configured to reformat the multi-media content for the other user device and is further configured to display the multi-media content on the other user device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first serving node stores data about usage patterns related to said plurality of users and said plurality of user devices in said database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said first serving node has a plurality of television tuners for receiving a plurality of video streams, and said first serving node is configured to display at least two of said plurality of video streams simultaneously on said mobile phone.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second serving nodes includes a television tuner and the multi-media content is a television signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein to associate a user of the plurality of users and the plurality of user devices with the first serving node, said user obtains an account with said first serving node by registering said user with said first serving node and said plurality of user devices with said first serving node.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said first serving node is further configured to distinguish each of said plurality of users by

said plurality of user devices redirecting requests to said first serving node through a unique identifier URL, said unique identifier URL including a MAC address, a physical location, and a serial number of said user device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the type of network includes one of:

a web portal, a WAP portal, a Bluetooth portal, a Wi-Fi portal, a Femtocell portal, and an Ethernet portal.