MOVIE STUDIO-BASED NETWORK DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070220575A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verimatrix Incorporated (Verimatrix SA)
• Original Assignee: Verimatrix Incorporated (Verimatrix SA)
• Inventors: Beatty, Michael R., Munro, Thomas A., Cooper, Robin Ross
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/118
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Digital content files containing entertainment media such as movies, TV shows, and the like are distributed from at least one content source primarily responsible for the original creation of the media to subscribers over a network system. The content source is connected over at least one content source network to a plurality of distribution partners, and each distribution partner is connected with a selected group of subscribers over an access network. A requested digital content file is distributed from the content source to a subscriber in a network distribution path comprising at least the content source network, the distribution partner associated with the subscriber, and the second network. A profile information package containing subscriber preferences is transmitted from the subscriber to the content source by way of a proxy over the network distribution path, and the profile information package is stored at the content source.

Claims

1. A network distribution method of distributing digital content files from at least one content source to subscribers, comprising:

storing a plurality of media projects as digital content files at a content source;

receiving digital content file requests at the content source from subscribers associated with at least one distribution partner connected to the associated subscribers through an access network;

transmitting the requested digital content files from the content source to the requesting subscribers in a network distribution path comprising at least a first network, the distribution partner, and the access network;

creating a unique subscriber identification code (ID) for each subscriber associated with the distribution partner at a proxy module located in the distribution path between the distribution partner and content source, the subscriber ID containing no private subscriber information;

associating each subscriber ID with a subscriber location and subscriber profile packages containing subscriber preference data;

storing the associated subscriber IDs, subscriber locations and subscriber profile packages at the proxy module;

transmitting the subscriber profile packages of subscribers requesting files from the content source from the proxy module to the content source along with the subscriber ID associated with each subscriber profile package; and

storing the profile packages and associated subscriber IDs at the content source.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using subscriber preference data in each subscriber profile package to create customized advertising for predetermined subscribers, and inserting the customized advertising in digital content files requested by a subscriber prior to delivery to the subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the customized advertising is inserted at the content source.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the customized advertising is inserted at the distribution partner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content source is a movie studio.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content source is a television studio.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting at least two content sources together through an intermediary module and sharing subscriber profile packages between the content sources through the intermediary module.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting new digital content files from the content source to a movie theater over at least one network.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising offering new digital content files from the movie theater for viewing by subscribers in a selected subscriber group in their homes simultaneously with showing of the new digital content files to audiences in the movie theater.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising offering digital content files comprising games to subscribers through at least part of the same network distribution path between the content source and subscriber.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving requests from subscribers comprises receiving requests from subscribers associated with a plurality of distribution partners, the method further comprising sharing profile packages of subscribers associated with different distribution partners through a platform linkage between proxy modules in the paths from the content source to the distribution partners.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking a plurality of content sources through a single network distribution system to a plurality of distribution partners, whereby content files from any linked content source are available to a subscriber of any one of the distribution partners.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one content source comprises a movie studio.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one content source comprises a web site.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one content source comprises a peer-to-peer network.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one content source comprises a social network.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the movie studio is linked to the other content sources and shares subscriber profile information with the other content sources, and each content source provides meta data for inserting targeted advertisements in content provided from the respective content source to a subscriber.

18. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating community groups of subscribers having common interests based on profile information and inserting the same customized advertising in digital content files transmitted to all subscribers in a community group.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising linking subscribers in a community group together and allowing communication between subscribers in the same community group.

20. A method of distributing digital content files from a digital media content source to a plurality of subscribers, comprising:

connecting at least one content source comprising a movie or television studio to a plurality of distribution partners over at least one network, the content source having a library of digital content files containing media projects initiated by the movie or television studio;

distributing digital content files to subscribers of the distribution partners over two-way communication paths from the content source to the respective subscribers, each communication path for a respective subscriber comprising at least one network between the content source and an associated distribution partner, the distribution partner, and an access network path from the associated distribution partner to the respective subscriber;

distributing communications from subscribers to the content source over the same two-way communication path for each subscriber comprising the access network path from a respective subscriber to the associated distribution partner and the at least one network from the distribution partner to the content source; and

coordinating the billing systems of the content source and distribution partners and providing a single aggregated bill for services of a content source and a distribution partner to each subscriber receiving services from a content source through the distribution partner.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of distributing communications from subscribers to the content source comprises distributing subscriber profile information packages to the content source, and the method further comprises using the subscriber profile information packages to create customized content and adding the customized content to content files prior to delivery to the associated subscriber.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising analyzing the subscriber profile information packages and creating profile groups of subscribers based on common preferences in the profile information packages.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of adding customized content comprises adding the same customized content to content files delivered to all subscribers in a subscriber profile group.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising connecting a plurality of content sources to the distribution partners, distributing digital content files from any of the content sources to a requesting subscriber and distributing subscriber profile information packages associated with subscribers to each of the content sources.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising connecting the content sources together through an intermediary which permits sharing of subscriber profile information between content sources and which restricts sharing of predetermined types of restricted content source information between content sources.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising converting a content file to a predetermined digital rights format for a subscriber device before distributing the converted content file to the subscriber device over the communication path.

27. A content distribution network system for distributing movies from movie studios to subscribers, comprising:

at least one movie studio having a library of digital content files comprising movies created under the control of the movie studio;

a plurality of distribution partners linked to the movie studio, each distribution partner associated with a respective group of subscribers and having an access network over which content is distributed to the subscriber group for the distribution partner;

at least one content source network which links the movie studio to each distribution partner;

the access networks, distribution partners, and content source network comprising a two way communication path between the subscribers and the movie studio;

the movie studio having a title request management module which receives subscriber requests for digital content files over the communication path and distributes requested digital content files to a requesting subscriber over the communication path;

at least one proxy module in the network path between the movie studio and each distribution partner, each proxy module having a proxy management module which creates a unique subscriber identifier (ID) for each subscriber of the respective distribution partner and associates the subscriber ID with an access network location of the subscriber, and which substitutes the corresponding subscriber ID for any subscriber personal information in any communication from a subscriber forwarded from the proxy module to the movie studio;

each proxy module having a data base which stores subscriber identifiers and corresponding subscriber private information including subscriber locations along with subscriber profile information packages containing collected preferences for each subscriber, and a communication module which forwards subscriber profile information packages along with the corresponding subscriber identifiers to the movie studio without the subscriber private information; and

the movie studio having a subscriber profile data management module which receives subscriber profile information packages from the proxy module, a data base which stores subscriber profile information packages along with the associated subscriber IDs, and a targeted advertisement module which uses the subscriber profile information packages to select targeted advertisements for insertion in digital content files transmitted to one or more subscribers having the same preferences.

28. The system of claim 27, comprising at least two movie studios each linked to the plurality of distribution partners, whereby any subscriber of the distribution partners can obtain movies from at least two different movie studios.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising a linkage between each pair of movie studios, the linkage including an intermediary which controls communications between the movie studios, the intermediary being located in the content source network path from each movie studio to the distribution partners.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein each movie studio has a first billing system, the intermediary has a second billing system, and each distribution partner has a third billing system, and the billing systems are linked together, at least one of the billing systems having a bill aggregating system which provides an aggregated bill for services of a movie studio, the intermediary, and a distribution partner for any content files distributed to a subscriber, whereby the movie studio receives only one bill.

31. The system of claim 27, further comprising a targeted advertisement insertion module which inserts subscriber-targeted advertisements in digital content files distributed to requesting subscribers.

32. The system of claim 27, further comprising a movie theater which exhibits movies to audiences linked to the movie studio, a network which links the movie theater to a selected distribution partner through the proxy module between the distribution partner and movie studio, the movie theater having a movie distribution module which distributes copies of new movies exhibited at the movie theater to subscribers of the selected distribution partner through the proxy module and selected distribution partner.

33. A network distribution method of distributing digital content files from at least one content source to subscribers, comprising:

offering a catalog of digital content files contained in the libraries of a plurality of associated content sources to subscribers of at least one distribution partner, the associated content sources being linked together;

transmitting a requested digital content file from the library of a selected content source which holds the requested file to a requesting subscriber in a network distribution path comprising at least a first network, a distribution partner associated with the subscriber, and a second network;

transmitting subscriber profile information from each subscriber requesting files to the content source holding the requested file;

receiving and storing subscriber profile information of each subscriber requesting files from a respective content source at the respective content source, the subscriber profile information comprising subscriber preferences;

sending subscriber profile information from each content source to all of the associated content sources;

creating communities of subscribers having similar preferences using the subscriber profile information collected at each content source; and

using the subscriber preferences of each community of subscribers to create targeted information for insertion in digital content files transmitted to the community of subscribers.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising linking the billing systems of the content sources and distribution partners, aggregating the billing of a content source and the associated distribution partner for a digital content file received from the content source through the distribution partner, and sending an aggregated bill for the service to the subscriber which requested the digital content file.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising linking the content sources together through an intermediary and linking the billing systems of the content sources and distribution partners with a billing system of the intermediary, the step of aggregating the billing further comprising aggregating the billing of the intermediary with the billing of the content source and distribution partner for a digital content file transmitted via the content source, intermediary, and distribution partner to a subscriber.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the content sources comprise at least two different content sources selected from the group consisting of movie studios, television studios, web sites, peer to peer networks, and social networks.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the content source is a record label.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the distribution partner is a radio station.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the radio station is an Internet protocol radio station.

40. A media project financing method, comprising:

selecting a media project proposal;

creating futures contracts for the proposal;

selling and trading the futures contracts over a commodities exchange;

producing the media project;

releasing the media project for public consumption;

collecting domestic box office numbers (DBO) for the media project; and

at an agreed upon settlement date, independently auditing the DBO numbers and using the audited DBO numbers as a basis for settlement of all accounts.