Systems and methods for enhancing streaming media

• US 20030061280A1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Loudeye Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bibeault, Susan Elizabeth, Sites, Seth Thomas, Bulson, Jason Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Streaming media is delivered in various scenarios that include live/on-demand events, Real/Windows Media platforms, and Netscape/Internet Explorer browsers. Systems and methods for enhancing streaming media delivery in this environment are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for delivering streaming media, comprising:

creating a text string that includes data to be extracted by a media player; and

inserting said text string as a uniform resource locator event in a media stream, said text string being used to transmit data and not to identify a resource location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating comprises creating a text string that includes caption data to be extracted by said media player and displayed to a viewer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said creating comprises creating a text string that includes live caption data.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving live caption data that has been extracted using a line 21 decoder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said inserting comprises writing said text string to an encoding application programming interface.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said encoding application programming interface is a Real or Windows Media application programming interface.

7. A computer program product, comprising:

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to monitor a stream to determine a time position of said stream;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine whether said monitored time position matches a time code in an event list;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to execute an action associated with said time code if said monitored time position matches said time code; and

a computer-usable medium configured to store the computer-readable program codes.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said action is a display of a caption.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said action is a display of a slide.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said action is a display of a poll.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein said action is a display of a pop-up window.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein an entry in said event list includes a time code, an identification of a resource, and an instruction for how to handle the event.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said identification includes a file name and a uniform resource locator.

14. A method for delivering streaming media, comprising:

receiving a caption text segment that is associated with a live stream;

storing said received caption text segment into a memory format that is capable of reproducing a caption text transcript having a length greater than said received caption text segment;

receiving a request from a media player for caption text that occurred at a point in time prior to a current viewing time of said media player; and

transmitting a requested portion of a live caption transcript to said media player.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said caption text segment has been extracted using a line 21 decoder.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said storing comprises storing multiple words of caption text at a time.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the entire live caption transcript.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the last N seconds of said live caption transcript.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting a portion of said live caption transcript that was recorded between a first and second point in time.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting said requested portion of said live caption transcript from an application server.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting said requested portion of said live caption transcript from a web server.

22. A method for delivering streaming media, comprising:

inserting first messages into a media stream at configurable intervals;

receiving second messages from a player, said second messages indicating that said player has received a respective one of said first messages; and

determining an amount of time that a particular user has watched an event based on receipt of said second messages.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said inserting comprises inserting a message as a uniform resource locator event.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said inserting comprises periodically inserting a message into said media stream.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said inserting comprises inserting a message that includes a time said message was created.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said inserting comprises inserting a message that further includes an encoder ID and information regarding the event.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a message that includes a time that said player received one of said first messages.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said receiving comprises receiving a message that further includes session information.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising tracking a session using cookies.

30. An application versioning method, comprising:

receiving a request at a master application;

querying a first database associated with said master application;

forwarding said request to a versioned application based on said query;

querying a second database associated with said versioned application; and

responding, by said versioned application, to said request, wherein subsequent requests in a session go directly to said versioned application.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising directing external pointers to the application to said master application.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein a separate database is associated for each versioned application, further comprising a versioned application calling stored procedures in its associated database and in said first database associated with said master application.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said master application and said versioned application operate on a single logical platform.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein said querying comprises querying a subscription table that includes a global hierarchy, wherein said subscription table is accessed to determine a subscribed version based on a predefined subscription scope level.

35. An application customization method, comprising:

storing a list of a plurality of modules, each of said plurality of modules representing a feature of an application;

subscribing each of said plurality of modules to a scope level, said scope level being selected from a global hierarchy; and

determining which modules are enabled for an object in said global hierarchy based on a scope level of said object.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said global hierarchy includes global, client, series, and event levels.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein said application is an online streaming media services application.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said module is one of a viewer registration, synchronized slides, and a question/answer form.