System and method for enhancing streaming media delivery and reporting

• US 20030061305A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 03/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ChyronHego Corp. (Vector CH Holdings (Cayman) LP)
• Original Assignee: ChyronHego Corp. (Vector CH Holdings (Cayman) LP)
• Inventors: Copley, Devon, Henderson, Alexander, Chidambaram, Elango, Sokol, Chris
• Application Number:
  US10/107,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061305A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A content distribution system provides the ability for a user to select content from one location and, if problems develop in streaming the content to the user, to automatically fallback to a second location for the content. In particular, the system comprises a client-side computer, a management server, a reporting server, and an asset server. The client-side computer comprises a player for playing content to a user. The player initially selects a provider for providing the content as a function of previous service data associated with the provider, via the management server. If problems are encountered with providing the content from the selected provider, the player dynamically falls back to another provider of the content.

Claims

1. A method for use in playing content retrieved from a network, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving a first media file, associated with the content, from the network;

playing the first media file;

automatically falling back to retrieve a second media file, associated with the content, from the network when a failure is detected in playing the first media file; and

playing the second media file.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first media file and the second media file are retrieved from a first location in the network and a second location in the network, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of determining that the first media file is associated with a provider that is more optimum for retrieving content therefrom than a second provider associated with the second media file.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the automatically falling back step comprises the step of requesting information from a server in the network, the information used for identifying an address for retrieving the second media file therefrom.

5. A method for use in playing content from a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first media playlist to a client computer, the first media playlist comprising an address associated with a first media file associated with the content, which the client computer can use for playing the first media file;

subsequently receiving a request from the client computer for a second media playlist, the second media playlist comprising an address associated with a second media file associated with the content, which the client computer may use for playing the second media file if a failure occurs in playing the first media file; and

providing the second media playlist to the client computer.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the subsequently received request from the client computer comprises failure information associated with the playing of the first media file.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the first media playlist references not only the first media file address but also the second media file address, and wherein the second media playlist only reference the second media file address.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein each media play list references at least one media group, each media group comprising a media ball, which comprises at least one media file and an associated location for the at least one media file.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein each media group has associated therewith a group metadata set describing a media selection associated with the media group, wherein each group metadata set comprises at least one of a value identifying a title of the media selection, a value identifying a publisher of the media selection, and a value identifying content of the media selection.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of providing the first media playlist includes the steps of:

retrieving selection criteria associated with different providers of the content;

selecting a provider for providing the first media file;

forming the first media playlist comprising the address of the selected provider.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the selection criteria comprises at least one of a rule set, player preference data and demographic data associated with a user of the client computer.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of soliciting and receiving from the user, and storing in a storage medium in a manner associated with the user, at least one of the player preference data and the user demographic data.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of associating a user identifier with the stored user data.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the storage medium is a cookie on the client computer.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a connection speed, a media player type, and a media file format.

17. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of receiving performance data from the client computer associated with the playing of the content.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the performance data comprises at least one of session start time, session end time, failure information, latency information, clip viewed information, and transport activity.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of processing the performance data for real-time reporting and providing the processed performance data to a real-time report viewer adapted to request and receive the processed performance data.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of processing the performance data for historical reporting and providing the processed performance data to a historical report viewer adapted to request and receive the processed performance data.

21. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

receiving, from the network, media groups, each media group comprising a media ball, which comprises at least one media file and an associated location for the at least one media file; and

storing each media group for use in playing the content.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code, for executing a streaming media player, the product comprising:

code for retrieving a first media file, associated with content, from a network;

code for playing the first media file; and

code for automatically falling back to retrieve, for playing, a second media file, associated with the content, from the network when a failure is detected in playing the first media file.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the first media file and the second media file are retrieved from a first location in the network and a second location in the network, respectively.

24. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising code for determining that the first media file is associated with a provider that is more optimum for retrieving content therefrom than a second provider associated with the second media file.

25. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein the code for automatically falling back further includes code for requesting information from a server in the network, the information used for identifying an address for retrieving the second media file therefrom.

26. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer program code, for use in playing content from a network, the product comprising:

code for providing a first media playlist to a client computer, the first media playlist comprising an address associated with a first media file associated with the content, which the client computer can use for playing the first media file; and

code for subsequently providing a second media playlist to the client computer, the second media playlist comprising an address associated with a second media file associated with the content, which the client computer may use for playing the second media file if a failure occurs in playing the first media file.

27. A server for use in playing content from a network, the server comprising:

at least one processor for executing a program; and

memory for storing the program;

wherein the program causes the server to (a) provide a first media playlist to a client computer, the first media playlist comprising an address associated with a first media file associated with the content, which the client computer can use for playing the first media file; and

(b) to provide a second media playlist comprising an address associated with a second media file associated with the content, which the client computer may use for playing the second media file if a failure occurs in playing the first media file.

28. Apparatus for use in playing content from a network, the apparatus comprising:

means for determining a first provider of the content and a second provider of the content; and

means for (a) providing a first media playlist to a client computer, the first media playlist comprising an address associated with a first media file associated with the first provider, which the client computer can use for playing the first media file; and

(b) subsequently providing a second media playlist to the client computer, the second media playlist comprising an address associated with a second media file associated with the second provider, which the client computer may use for playing the second media file if a failure occurs in playing the first media file.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the subsequently received request from the client computer comprises failure information associated with the playing of the first media file.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the address is a uniform resource locator (URL).

31. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the first media playlist references not only the first media file address but also the second media file address, and wherein the second media playlist only reference the second media file address.

32. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein each media play list references at least one media group, each media group comprising a media ball, which comprises at least one media file and an associated location for the at least one media file.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein each media group has associated therewith a group metadata set describing a media selection associated with the media group, wherein each group metadata set comprises at least one of a value identifying a title of the media selection, a value identifying a publisher of the media selection, and a value identifying content of the media selection.

34. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein means for determining retrieves selection criteria associated with different providers of the content.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the selection criteria comprises at least one of a rule set, player preference data and demographic data associated with a user of the client computer.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a connection speed, a media player type, and a media file format.

37. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for receiving performance data from the client computer associated with the playing of the content.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the performance data comprises at least one of session start time, session end time, failure information, latency information, clip viewed information, and transport activity.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 further comprising means for processing the performance data for real-time reporting and means for providing the processed performance data to a real-time report viewer adapted to request and receive the processed performance data.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 for comprising means for processing the performance data for historical reporting and means for providing the processed performance data to a historical report viewer adapted to request and receive the processed performance data.

41. The apparatus of claim 28 further comprising means for receiving, from the network, media groups, each media group comprising a media ball, which comprises at least one media file and an associated location for the at least one media file;

and means for storing each media group for use in playing the content.