System for delivering media

• US 20060253599A1
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Two-Way Media Ltd
• Original Assignee: Antonio M. Monteiro, James F. Butterworth
• Inventors: Butterworth, James F., Monteiro, Antonio M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5626 Network management, e.g. Intelligent nets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• 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 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

The system delivers a continuous sequence of individual pieces of media information over a communications network to a group of users that selected said media information. The system includes at least one server that transmits the continuous sequence of individual pieces of media information at approximately the same time to each user in the group. The system also includes an application configured to generate a user interface screen. The User interface screen includes a list of available media information, a program guide containing information relating to the media information selected by a user, and an object configured to allow a user to initiate a purchase of a product. Finally, the system includes at least one server configured to maintain an audit log that records data. The records data includes how many users received the particular media information, times at which users received the particular media information, the total bytes of said media information transmitted to each user, the composition of said media information, and the identity of users.

Claims

1. A system for delivering a continuous sequence of individual pieces of media information over a communications network to a group of users that selected said media information, the system comprising:

at least one server configured to transmit the continuous sequence of individual pieces of media information at approximately the same time to each user in the group;

an application configured to generate a user interface screen containing information selected from a group consisting of;

a list of available media information;

a program guide containing information relating to the media information selected by a user; and

an object configured to allow a user to initiate a purchase of a product; and

at least one server configured to maintain an audit log that records data selected from a group consisting of;

how many users received the particular media information;

times at which users received the particular media information;

the total bytes of said media information transmitted to each user;

the composition of said media information; and

the identity of users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said media information comprises audio, video, or any combination of the aforementioned.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein membership in the group of users is dynamic.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface screen is configured to allow a user to play, stop and mute the media information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the application that generates a user interface is a client application configured to be downloaded over the communications network and installed on computers of the group of users.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the product that can be purchased is a compact disc.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the product that can be purchased is related to the media information being transmitted.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface screen is configured to allow a user in the group to initiate two-way interaction with at least one other user in the group.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the two-way interaction allows the user and the at least one other user to chat.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface screen is configured to display information selected from the group consisting of an album cover, artist information, song lyrics, tour dates, and a URL.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface screen is configured to display information via a series of tabbed sections.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the information provided in the user interface screen is dynamically transmitted to the application.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the list of available media information includes at least one of music, talk radio, news, special events, concerts, sports broadcasts, or corporate announcements.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server configured to send advertising information to at least one of the users in the group.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the advertising information is varied.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server configured to control the routing of the individual pieces of information in response to selection signals received from the users.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the media information is configured to be transmitted by a plurality of servers configured to be scalable so that any number of users can receive the media information.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the media information is configured to be transmitted by a plurality of servers configured so that the media information is received at approximately the same time by each user in the group.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server configured to monitor the status of users.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to transmit said continuous sequence of individual pieces of media information from one user in the group to at least one other user in the group.

21. A system for streaming media information over a communications network, the system comprising:

multiple channels of media information, each channel of the multiple channels including an independent continuous sequence of individual pieces of information;

at least one server configured to transmit the media information of each channel, said server configured so that the media information for a particular channel of the multiple channels is transmitted at approximately the same time to a group, wherein the group comprises a set of all users that selected the particular channel;

an application configured to generate a user interface screen including information selected from a group consisting of;

a channel guide containing a list of the multiple channels;

a program guide that provides information relating to a channel selected by a user; and

an object configured to allow a user to initiate a purchase of a product; and

at least one server configured to maintain an audit log that records data selected from a group consisting of;

the channels selected by the users;

how many users received the selected channels;

times at which users received the selected channels;

the total bytes of said media information transmitted to each user;

the composition of said media information; and

the identity of users.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select any of the multiple channels and start and stop watching any of the channels at any time.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of servers configured to transmit the multiple channels.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the system is configured to select one or more of the plurality of servers from which to transmit the multiple channels in response to selection signals received from one or more of the users.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein at least one server is configured to aggregate the data in an audit log over a predetermined time period.