Customized multimedia content method, apparatus, media and signals

• US 20030225696A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Paul Niwa
• Original Assignee: Paul Niwa
• Inventors: Niwa, Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/240,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225696A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• 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: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method, apparatus, media and signals for presenting customized multimedia content are disclosed. The method involves causing video segments having information content associated with a particular subscriber and having smooth transition features, to be successively played to produce a continuous video program comprising the segments.

Claims

1. A method of presenting customized multimedia content, the method comprising causing video segments having information content associated with a particular subscriber and having smooth transition features, to be successively played to produce a continuous video program comprising the segments.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying said video segments having information content associated with said particular subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying comprises accessing a content database for content associated with at least one subscriber characteristic of said particular subscriber.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising storing, in a subscriber database, at least one said subscriber characteristic associated with each said particular subscriber of a plurality of subscribers.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising acquiring at least some of said subscriber characteristics from said subscribers.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein storing said at least one subscriber characteristic comprises storing an identification of an investment holding of said particular subscriber.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein storing said at least one subscriber characteristic further comprises storing an identification of at least one transaction made by said particular subscriber relating to said investment holding.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising monitoring communications between said particular subscriber and a service, and wherein storing said at least one subscriber characteristic comprises producing a usage log of usage of said service by said particular subscriber.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein producing said usage log comprises recording a uniform resource locator specified by said particular subscriber.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein producing said usage log comprises recording at least some source code associated with a resource identified by a uniform resource locator specified by said particular subscriber.

11. The method of claim 3 further comprising optimizing said continuous video program.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein optimizing comprises eliminating from said program a video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is overrepresented in said continuous video program.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein optimizing comprises eliminating from said program a video segment associated with a particular subscriber characteristic, in response to a transaction history associated with said particular subscriber and with said particular subscriber characteristic.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein eliminating a video segment comprises eliminating said video segment when a change in a dynamic value associated with said particular subscriber characteristic is less than a threshold value derived from said transaction history.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein optimizing comprises adjusting a proportion of content of said continuous video program in response to subscriber characteristics associated with said particular subscriber.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein adjusting comprises adding to said continuous video program a video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is underrepresented in said continuous video program.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein adjusting comprises eliminating from said continuous video program a video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is overrepresented in said continuous video program.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising ordering said video segments into a playback sequence.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein ordering comprises ordering said video segments according to relevance of each of said segments to said particular subscriber.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising determining said relevance of each of said segments to said particular subscriber, in response to subscriber characteristics associated with said particular subscriber.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein determining relevance comprises determining relevance in response to quantities of respective investment holdings associated with said particular subscriber.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein ordering comprises scheduling a first video segment of high relevance to said particular subscriber at a commencement of said playback sequence, and scheduling a second video segment of high relevance to said particular subscriber at an end of said playback sequence.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein causing to be successively played comprises causing at least one general interest video segment having information content of general interest to subscribers to be played in said continuous video program.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing at least one advertisement video segment to be played in said continuous video program.

25. The method of claim 2 wherein identifying comprises identifying at least one advertisement video segment having information content associated with said particular subscriber.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said video segments having said smooth transition features in a content database.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein storing said video segments comprises storing video segments having, as said smooth transition features, opening and closing scenes of said video segments sufficiently dissimilar from each other to prevent jump cuts from a closing scene of one video segment to an opening scene of a following video segment.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein causing comprises causing to be successively played video segments having opening and closing scenes of said video segments sufficiently dissimilar from each other to prevent jump cuts from a closing scene of one video segment to an opening scene of a following video segment.

62. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said processor circuit is configured to cause to be successively played video segments having opening and closing scenes of said video segments sufficiently dissimilar from each other to prevent jump cuts from a closing scene of one video segment to an opening scene of a following video segment.

29. An apparatus for presenting customized multimedia content, the apparatus comprising a processor circuit configured to cause video segments having information content associated with a particular subscriber and having smooth transition features, to be successively played to produce a continuous video program comprising the segments.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said processor circuit is configured to identify said video segments having information content associated with said particular subscriber.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising a content database in communication with said processor circuit, wherein said processor circuit is configured to access said content database for content associated with at least one subscriber characteristic of said particular subscriber.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising a subscriber database in communication with said processor circuit, wherein said processor circuit is configured to store in said subscriber database at least one said subscriber characteristic associated with each said particular subscriber of a plurality of subscribers.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said processor circuit is configured to acquire at least some of said subscriber characteristics from said subscribers.

34. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said processor circuit is configured to store, as said at least one subscriber characteristic, an identification of an investment holding of said particular subscriber.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein said processor circuit is further configured to store, as said at least one subscriber characteristic, an identification of at least one transaction made by said particular subscriber relating to said investment holding.

36. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein said processor circuit is configured to monitor communications between said particular subscriber and a service, and to produce and store, as said at least one subscriber characteristic, a usage log of usage of said service by said particular subscriber.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said processor circuit is configured to record in said usage log a uniform resource locator specified by said particular subscriber.

38. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein said processor circuit is configured to record in said usage log at least some source code associated with a resource identified by a uniform resource locator specified by said particular subscriber.

39. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said processor circuit is configured to optimize said continuous video program.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said processor circuit is configured to compare a playback duration of said continuous video program to a desired playback duration.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said processor circuit is configured to identify an additional video segment in said content database having information content associated with said particular subscriber, when said playback duration of said continuous video program is less than said desired playback duration.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said processor circuit is configured to identify a characteristic category associated with said at least one subscriber characteristic, and to identify other video segments associated with said characteristic category.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said processor circuit is configured to identify another video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is underrepresented in said continuous video program.

44. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said processor circuit is configured to identify another video segment in response to a video segment characteristic of a video segment already identified as having information content associated with said particular subscriber.

45. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein said processor circuit is configured to eliminate a video segment identified as having information content associated with said particular subscriber, when said playback duration of said continuous video program exceeds said desired playback duration.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein said processor circuit is configured to eliminate from said program a video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is overrepresented in said continuous video program.

47. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein said processor circuit is configured to eliminate from said program a video segment associated with a particular subscriber characteristic, in response to a transaction history associated with said particular subscriber and with said particular subscriber characteristic.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said processor circuit is configured to eliminate said video segment when a change in a dynamic value associated with said particular subscriber characteristic is less than a threshold value derived from said transaction history.

49. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said processor circuit is configured to adjust a proportion of content of said continuous video program in response to subscriber characteristics associated with said particular subscriber.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said processor circuit is configured to add to said continuous video program a video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is underrepresented in said continuous video program.

51. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said processor circuit is configured to eliminate from said continuous video program a video segment associated with a particular characteristic category, when said category is overrepresented in said continuous video program.

52. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said processor circuit is configured to order said video segments into a playback sequence.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein said processor circuit is configured to order said video segments according to relevance of each of said segments to said particular subscriber.

54. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein said processor circuit is configured to determine said relevance of each of said segments to said particular subscriber, in response to subscriber characteristics associated with said particular subscriber.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein said processor circuit is configured to determine said relevance in response to quantities of respective investment holdings associated with said particular subscriber.

56. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein said processor circuit is configured to schedule a first video segment of high relevance to said particular subscriber at a commencement of said playback sequence, and to schedule a second video segment of high relevance to said particular subscriber at an end of said playback sequence.

57. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said processor circuit is configured to cause at least one general interest video segment having information content of general interest to subscribers to be played in said continuous video program.

58. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said processor circuit is configured to cause at least one advertisement video segment to be played in said continuous video program.

59. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein said processor circuit is configured to identify at least one advertisement video segment having information content associated with said particular subscriber.

60. The apparatus of claim 29 further comprising a content database in communication with said processor circuit, said content database storing said video segments having said smooth transition features.

61. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said smooth transition features of said video segments comprise opening and closing scenes of said video segments sufficiently dissimilar from each other to prevent jump cuts from a closing scene of one video segment to an opening scene of a following video segment.

63. An apparatus for presenting customized multimedia content, the apparatus comprising:

a) means for causing video segments having information content associated with a particular subscriber and having smooth transition features, to be successively played to produce a continuous video program comprising the segments; and

b) means for identifying said video segments having information content associated with said particular subscriber.

64. A computer readable medium for providing instructions for directing a processor circuit to present customized multimedia content, by causing video segments having information content associated with a particular subscriber and having smooth transition features, to be successively played to produce a continuous video program comprising the segments.

65. A signal embodied in a carrier wave, the signal comprising a code segment for directing a processor circuit to cause video segments having information content associated with a particular subscriber and having smooth transition features, to be successively played to produce a continuous video program comprising the segments.