Prioritization in a continuous video playback experience

• US 10,425,455 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Knapp Investment Company Limited
• Inventors: McIntosh, David, Crane, Max, Pennello, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Duyen M
• Application Number:
  US15/614,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 709203, 709206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/4788 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus can provide ordered (e.g. ranked) lists of content items as a suggested list of items to watch. The ordered list can be based on feedback from other users. The content items can also be presented (e.g. in a continuous playback mode) to a passive user so that the user does not have to actively select a next item to watch. This passive mode can select a next item (e.g. from a list that is updated based on recent user feedback), and the item can be queued on a client device for playing to a user. Content items can also be provided from different independent servers.

Claims

1. A method of presenting content by a client device, the method comprising performing by the client device:

receiving content files associated with a first set of content items, the first set of content items being at a top of an ordered list of a plurality of content items;

creating a queue of the received content files;

upon presenting the received content files, reducing a number of remaining content files in the queue;

determining whether the number of remaining content files in the queue is less than a threshold; and

when the number of the remaining content files in the queue is less than the threshold, requesting one or more content files associated with a second set of content items, wherein the second set of content items are to be presented following the first set of content items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more content items comprise one or more picture files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more content items comprise one or more video files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more content items comprise links to one or more picture files or video files.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received one or more content items are transmitted from a first server, and the method further comprises:

requesting a channel of content items from the first server, wherein the request is conveyed to a second server by the first server; and

receiving, from the second server, code for determining whether the queue is less than the threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the client device from the second server, code for determining an ordering of the ordered list of the plurality of content items.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of content items include links associated with the received one or more content items, and the method further comprises:

displaying images referenced by links for the requested channel that were received from the first server;

determining whether remaining links for the requested channel are less than a second threshold;

when the remaining links are less than the second threshold, automatically retrieving links at least from the second server; and

presenting second images referenced by the links from the second server by the client device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second images referenced by the links from the second server are displayed interspersed with third images referenced by links from the first server, the third images not being from the requested channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the interspersing is performed such that a specified percentage of the second images or the third images are presented by the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a rating threshold; and

adjusting the ordered list of the plurality of content items based in part on the rating threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a date associated with the received one or more content items; and

adjusting the ordered list of the plurality of content items based in part on the date associated with the received one or more content items.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a processor to perform an operation for presenting content, wherein, when the plurality of instructions being executed, the processor is configured to perform:

receiving content files associated with a first set of content items, the first set of content items being at a top of an ordered list of a plurality of content items;

creating a queue of the received content files;

upon presenting the received content files, reducing a number of remaining content files in the queue;

determining whether the number of remaining content files in the queue is less than a threshold; and

when the number of the remaining content files in the queue is less than the threshold, requesting one or more content files associated with a second set of content items, wherein the second set of content items are to be presented following the first set of content items.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

a processor configured to access the memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to collectively at least;

receive content files associated with a first set of content items, the first set of content items being at a top of an ordered list of a plurality of content items;

create a queue of the received content files;

upon presenting the received content files, reduce a number of remaining content files in the queue;

determine whether the number of remaining content files in the queue is less than a threshold; and

when the number of the remaining content files in the queue is less than the threshold, request one or more content files associated with a second set of content items, wherein the second set of content items are to be presented following the first set of content items.