Streaming media delivery on multicast networks for network and server bandwidth minimization and enhanced personalization

• US 20030236843A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Weber, Barry Jay, Calvert, Kerry Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for personalizing received transmissions includes a content source that provides multiple transmission streams over a transmission media. A plurality of receivers is included wherein each receiver selects portions of one or more of the transmission streams in accordance with a playlist for each user. The receiver renders the portions of the received transmissions in accordance with a schedule.

Claims

1. A system for personalizing received transmissions, comprising:

a receiver configured to scan content from multiple transmission streams, wherein

the receiver selects portions of one or more of the transmission streams in accordance with a playlist; and

the receiver renders the portions of the received transmissions serially in accordance with a schedule.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a buffer for temporarily storing a portion of a received transmission for future rendering.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the transmission streams are sent over one at least one of an Internet, cable and the airwaves.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver includes an audio player or video player.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple transmission streams include advertisements (Ad), which are rendered to a user during predetermined segments of the schedule.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the advertisements (Ad) are individually received by users based on demographic information about the users.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a memory buffer, the memory buffer for storing content for a next segment of the schedule prior to being rendered.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the schedule includes a schedule time, and the playlist, advertisements and fill are scheduled within the schedule time.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the playlist includes a user-generated playlist.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiver simultaneously scans the content from multiple transmission streams.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiver uses copyright information in scheduling received transmissions.

12. A method of receiving content transmissions comprising the steps of:

scanning content from multiple transmission streams,

selecting portions of one or more of the transmission streams, wherein said selecting step is done in accordance with a playlist;

receiving the selected portions of the transmission streams;

rendering portions of the received selected portions serially, wherein said rendering is scheduled.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said scanning step scans the multiple transmission streams simultaneously.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said transmission streams are sent over at least one of an Internet, cable, and the airwaves.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said rendering step includes rendering a scheduled advertisement.

16. A system for personalizing transmissions, comprising:

a content source providing multiple transmission streams over a transmission media;

the multiple transmission streams being transmitted as to permit a plurality of content files to be available within a given schedule period for a plurality of users; and

a playlist generator, which employs usage patterns by users to generate a playlist for the multiple transmissions, streams during the schedule period.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the multiple transmission streams include transmission channels.

18. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the transmission streams are sent over one of the Internet, cable and the airwaves.

19. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the multiple transmission streams include advertisements (Ad), which are rendered to a user during predetermined segments of the schedule.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein the advertisements (Ad) are individually scheduled and directed to specific users based on demographic information about the users.

21. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the usage patterns are determined by user interest, including factors selected from a group comprising at least one of a temporal factor, a subject preference, and a specific programming preference.

22. A method for transmitting content to a plurality of users based on personal playlists, comprising the steps of:

generating a playlist for each of a plurality of users; and

transmitting a plurality of content streams, the content streams including selected files with each file being transmitted at a frequency over a same or a different content stream such that a given file is made available, in accordance with a schedule, to satisfy each playlist.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the playlists are selected by each of the plurality of users.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of directing advertisements to users based on demographic information.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising the step of computing schedules for users based on the playlists.

26. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said transmitting step transmits the plurality of content streams simultaneously.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the step of simultaneously transmitting a plurality of content stream includes simultaneously transmitting advertisements in at least one content stream.

28. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein said generating step considers copyright information in the generation of a playlist, wherein a selection is included when a file has an appropriate copyright permission.