Network systems and methods to push video

• US 20050015807A1
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Published: 01/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digi International Inc.
• Inventors: Young, Joel K.
• Application Number:
  US10/621,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20050015807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• 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 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440281 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. by frame skipping television signal recording using magnetic recording on tape for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A network video system providing centralized control of video content displayed on remotely located video displays. The system comprises at least one video display, at least one media server, at least one video file server and a web client. Each media server communicates with one or more of the video displays. Each video file server includes a number of video files that include video content to be selectively displayed on a video display. The web client communicates with each video file server through a network to configure at least one playlist in each video file server. Each playlist includes at least one identifier to select one or more of the number of video files. A video file server pushes video content from a selected video file in the video file server to a selected media server based on the playlist. Each media server translates the pushed video content into a video output signal suitable for display on the video display.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one video display;

at least one media server, each media server to communicate with one or more of the at least one video display;

at least one video file server, each video file server including a number of video files, each video file including video content to be selectively displayed on the at least one video display;

a web client to communicate with each video file server through a network to configure at least one playlist in the video file server, each playlist including at least one identifier to select one or more of the number of video files;

each video file server being adapted to push video content from a selected video file in the video file server to a selected media server based on the playlist; and

each media server to translate the pushed video content into a video output signal suitable for display on the video display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each media server further serves as a conversion agent to translate application specific pushed video content into a video output signal suitable for display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the video file server further includes a virtual display driver, wherein the virtual display driver serves as a conversion agent to encode the selected video content before it is sent to the at least one media server for display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each playlist further includes logical actions related to playing the files.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the logical actions execute in the video file server as a decision tree.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the video server executes the at least one playlist based on the logical actions, and wherein the logical actions are configured at least in part by the web client.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the logical actions are configured at least in part in real time by a user using the web client.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein logical actions further include inputs external to the video file server.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the logical actions further include a timed duration of playing the files.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the logical actions further include a time to initiate playing the files.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the logical actions further include a time to terminate playing the files.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the logical actions further include a number of times to play the files.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the inputs external to the video file server are mapped into application specific commands according to the format of the video file.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the video file further includes audio content.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the video content includes any combination from the set of Power Point, J-Peg, Video Clip, or Web formats.

16. A video file server, comprising:

memory to store video files and at least one playlist, each video file including video content to be selectively displayed on at least one video display, each playlist including a list of identifiers for video files, a file server location of the video files, and logical actions related to playing the selected video content; and

a processor executing application specific software to send the selected video content according to the playlist to at least one media server for display.

17. The video file server of claim 16, further comprising a virtual display driver, wherein the virtual display driver functions as a conversion agent to encode the selected video content before it is sent to the at least one media server for display.

18. The video file server of claim 16, wherein the processor executes the at least one playlist based on the logical actions and wherein the logical actions depend in part on inputs external to the video file server.

19. The video file server of claim 18, wherein the inputs external to the video file server are mapped into application specific commands depending on a format of the video file.

20. The video file server of claim 19, wherein the application specific commands include any combination from the set of Play, Restart, Pause, Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward, Next File, Next Slide, Previous Slide, Mouse Click, Hyperlink and Go To New Playlist.

21. The video file server of claim 20, wherein the inputs external to the video file server include messages received from the network.

22. The media server of claim 20, wherein the inputs external to the video file server include a prompt.

23. A method of distributing video information, comprising:

from a first network location, configuring a playlist of video files, the video files being stored in at least one second network location;

from a second location, executing a playlist, where executing includes pushing video content associated with a video file to a third network location according to the playlist; and

from the third network location, translating the video content into a video output signal suitable for display.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein executing the playlist further includes executing logical actions associated with initiation of display and termination of display of the video files.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein executing logic actions includes the second location receiving external inputs that are mapped into application specific commands.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein executing logic actions includes the second location receiving logic actions from the first location.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the application specific commands include any combination from the set of Play, Restart, Pause, Stop, Rewind, Fast Forward, Next File, Next Slide, Previous Slide, Mouse Click, Hyperlink and Go To New Playlist.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the first network location includes a web client.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the second network location includes a video file server.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein the third location includes a media server.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first network location includes a computer and configuring a playlist includes:

downloading an existing playlist from the video file server at the second network location to the computer;

editing the playlist; and

uploading the edited playlist from the computer to the video file server.