System, method and computer program product for the delivery of media content

• US 20040111476A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (Conversant Intellectual Property Management, Inc. (f/k/a MOSAID Technologies))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Trossen, Dirk, Chaskar, Hemant M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/184 Messaging devices, e.g. message centre
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for delivering media content. The system includes at least one recipient that may be associated with at least one recipient rule. The system also includes a sending entity capable of transmitting a multimedia message addressed to the recipients. The sending entity can also specify delivery rules in the message. In this regard, the multimedia message includes media content. The system further includes a network entity capable of receiving the multimedia message and identifying any recipient rules, sending entity rules and/or network rules associated with the multimedia message. The network entity can then deliver the media content to the recipients based upon respective rules. The network entity can also be capable of processing the media content based upon the rules before delivering the media content, such as by transcoding or truncating at least a portion of the media content prior to delivery.

Claims

1. A method of delivering media content from a sending entity comprising:

receiving a multimedia message from the sending entity and addressed to at least one recipient, wherein the multimedia message includes media content;

identifying at least one rule comprising at least one of a recipient rule and a network rule, wherein the recipient rule is associated with at least one recipient and is independent of a sending entity, wherein the network rule is associated with at least one network over which the media content is to be delivered, and wherein the at least one rule is identified prior to delivering the media content; and

delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the respective at least one rule.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recipient rule includes state information based upon a state of the respective at least one recipient, wherein the method further comprises updating the state information when the state of the respective at least one recipient changes, and wherein identifying at least one recipient rule includes determining the state of the respective at least one recipient based upon the state information.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the state information comprises the connectivity of the at least one recipient, wherein updating the state information comprises updating the state information when the connectivity of the respective at least one recipient changes, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the connectivity of the respective at least one recipient.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one recipient rule is based upon at least one preference of at least one recipient, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the at least one preference of the respective at least one recipient.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising processing the media content based upon the at least one rule before delivering the media content.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein processing the media content comprises transcoding at least a portion of the media content, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the transcoded portion of the media content.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein processing the media content comprises truncating at least a portion of the media content, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the truncated portion of the media content.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia message further includes at least one sending entity rule, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to at least one recipient based upon the at least one sending entity rule.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising encoding at least one sending entity rule into the multimedia message, wherein identifying at least one rule comprises identifying at least one sending entity rule from the multimedia message.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein at least one sending entity rule comprises at least one deadline for delivery of the media content, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content based upon the at least one deadline for delivery of the media content.

11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the media content includes a plurality of objects, wherein at least one sending entity rule comprises an ordering of the plurality of objects of the media content, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering at least a portion of the media content based upon the ordering of the plurality of objects of the media content.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one network rule includes state information comprising a state of the respective at least one network, wherein the method further comprises updating the state information when the state of the respective at least one network changes, and wherein identifying at least one network rule includes determining the state on the respective at least one network based upon the state information.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the state information comprises traffic on the respective at least one network, wherein updating the state information comprises updating the state information when the traffic on the respective at least one network changes, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the traffic on the respective at least one network.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least one network rule is based upon the media content and at least one network over which the media content is delivered, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to at least one recipient based upon the media content and the respective at least one network over which the media content is delivered.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one network rule is based upon at least one delivery time of the media content determined based upon the media content and at least one network over which the media content is delivered, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to at least one recipient based upon the at least one delivery time.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein at least one network rule is based upon bandwidth available to at least one recipient on at least one network over which the media content is delivered, and wherein delivering the media content comprises delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the bandwidth available to the at least one recipient on a respective at least one network, the media content and the respective at least one network.

17. A system for delivering media content comprising:

a sending entity capable of transmitting a multimedia message addressed to at least one recipient, wherein the multimedia message includes media content;

a network entity capable of receiving the multimedia message and identifying at least one rule comprising at least one of a recipient rule and a network rule, wherein the recipient rule is associated with at least one recipient and is independent of a sending entity, wherein the network rule is associated with at least one network over which the media content is to be delivered, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the respective at least one rule.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one recipient rule includes state information based upon a state of the respective at least one recipient, wherein the state information is capable of being updated when the state of the respective at least one recipient changes, and wherein the network entity is capable of determining the state of the respective at least one recipient based upon the state information.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the state information comprises the connectivity of at least one recipient, wherein the network entity is capable of updating the state information when the connectivity of the at least one recipient changes, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the connectivity of the respective at least one recipient.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein at least one recipient rule is based upon at least one preference of at least one recipient, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the at least one preference of the respective at least one recipient.

21. A system according to claim 17, wherein the network entity is capable of processing the media content based upon the at least one rule before delivering the media content.

22. A system according to claim 17, wherein the network entity is capable of processing the media content by transcoding at least a portion of the media content, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the transcoded portion of the media content.

23. A system according to claim 17, wherein the network entity is capable of processing the media content by truncating at least a portion of the media content, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the truncated portion of the media content.

24. A system according to claim 17, wherein the multimedia message further includes at least one sending entity rule, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the at least one sending entity rule.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the sending entity is capable of encoding at least one sending entity rule into the multimedia message, wherein the network entity is capable of identifying at least one sending entity rule from the multimedia message.

26. A system according to claim 24, wherein at least one sending entity rule comprises a deadline for the delivery of the media content, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content based upon the at least one deadline for delivery of the media content.

27. A system according to claim 24, wherein the media content includes a plurality of objects, wherein at least one sending entity rule comprises an ordering of the plurality of objects of the media content, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering at least a portion of the media content based upon the ordering of the plurality of objects of the media content.

28. A system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one network rule includes state information comprising a state of the respective at least one network, wherein the state information is capable of being updated when the state of the respective at least one network changes, and wherein the network entity is capable of determining the state of the respective at least one network based upon the state information.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein the state information comprises traffic on at least one network, wherein the network entity is capable of updating the state information when the traffic on the respective at least one network changes, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the traffic on the respective at least one network.

30. A system according to claim 17, wherein at least one network rule is based upon the media content and at least one network over which the media content is delivered, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the media content and the respective at least one network.

31. A system according to claim 30, wherein at least one network rule is based upon at least one delivery time of the media content determined based upon the media content and at least one network over which the media content is delivered, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the at least one delivery time.

32. A system according to claim 30, wherein at least one network rule is based upon bandwidth available to the at least one recipient on at least one network over which the media content is delivered, and wherein the network entity is capable of delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the bandwidth available to the at least one recipient, the media content and the respective at least one network.

33. A system according to claim 17, wherein the sending entity comprises a session initiation protocol (SIP) client, wherein the sending entity is capable of transmitting a multimedia message addressed to at least one recipient comprising an SIP client, and wherein the network entity comprises an SIP proxy server.

34. A system according to claim 33, wherein the network entity is capable of receiving at least one recipient rule from at least one recipient.

35. A system according to claim 34, wherein the network entity is capable of receiving at least one recipient rule from at least one recipient according to at least one of the SIP REGISTER, PUBLISH and SUBSCRIBE techniques.

36. A system according to claim 17 further comprising a storing location coupled to the network entity, wherein the storing location is capable of receiving at least one recipient rule from at least one recipient, and wherein the network entity is capable of receiving at least one recipient rule from the storing location.

37. A computer program product for delivering media content from a sending entity, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion for receiving a multimedia message from the sending entity and addressed to at least one recipient, wherein the multimedia message includes media content;

a second executable portion for identifying at least one rule comprising at least one of a recipient rule and a network rule, wherein the recipient rule is associated with at least one recipient and is independent of a sending entity, and wherein the network rule is associated with at least one network over which the media content is to be delivered; and

a third executable portion for delivering the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the at least one rule.

38. A computer program product according to claim 37, wherein the multimedia message further includes at least one sending entity rule, and wherein the third executable portion delivers the media content to the at least one recipient based upon the at least one sending entity rule.

39. A computer program product according to claim 38 further comprising a fourth executable portion for encoding at least one sending entity rule into the multimedia message, wherein the second executable portion further identifies at least one sending entity rule from the multimedia message.

40. A computer program product according to claim 37 further comprising a fourth executable portion for processing the media content based upon the at least one rule before the third executable portion delivers the media content.

41. A computer program product according to claim 40, wherein the fourth executable portion processes the media content by transcoding at least a portion of the media content.

42. A computer program product according to claim 40, wherein the fourth executable portion processes the media content by truncating at least a portion of the media content, and wherein the third executable portion delivers the truncated portion of the media content.