Methods For Preloading Media Assets

• US 20080104121A1
• Filed: 10/26/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Jellyvision Lab, Inc.
• Inventors: Jacover, Evan, Fram, Steven, Gottlieb, Harry N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method for preloading media assets during playback execution of a multimedia experience is disclosed. The method includes providing a default preloading scheme. The method also includes receiving a custom instruction to preload at least one media asset associated with a multimedia experience and, in response to the custom instruction, loading the at least one media asset so as to override the default preloading scheme. The method further includes playing the least one media asset after loading the at least one media asset.

Claims

1. A method for preloading media assets during playback execution of a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

providing a default preloading scheme;

receiving a custom instruction to preload at least one media asset associated with a multimedia experience;

in response to the custom instruction to preload the at least one media asset, loading the at least one media asset so as to override the default preloading scheme; and

playing the least one media asset after loading the at least one media asset.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the custom instruction is an instruction to preload at least one target media asset.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the custom instruction is an instruction to preload a set of media assets falling within a programmable distance from at least one location in the multimedia experience.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the programmable distance is static.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the programmable distance is dynamic.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the programmable distance is dynamically adjusted based at least on a size of the set of media assets.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the programmable distance is dynamically adjusted based at least on a likelihood of reaching a target location in the multimedia experience from the least one location in the multimedia experience.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the custom instruction is an instruction to preload a set of media assets falling within a programmable distance from every location in the multimedia experience.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising loading the at least one media asset over a computer network from a remote location on the computer network.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the custom instruction to preload at least one media asset in a configuration file.

11. A method for supporting a preloading of media assets associated with a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

generating a flowchart representing a multimedia experience;

associating the flowchart with at least one target media asset for playback; and

configuring the flowchart with at least one instruction to preload the at least one target media asset.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one instruction is configured to override a predefined scheme for preloading media assets during playback execution of the multimedia experience.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein configuring the flowchart includes identifying the at least one target media asset.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a graphical view of the flowchart including a plurality of cells, wherein each cell represents a discrete portion of the multimedia experience, and selecting at least one cell to configure the flowchart with the at least one instruction to preload the at least one target media asset.

15. A method for supporting a preloading of media assets associated with a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

generating a flowchart representing a multimedia experience;

identifying a location L in the multimedia experience represented in the flowchart; and

configuring the flowchart with at least one instruction to preload at least one media asset falling within a distance V from the location L.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one instruction is configured to override a predefined scheme for preloading media assets falling within a fixed distance from the location L during playback execution of the multimedia experience.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the distance V is static.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the distance V is dynamic.

19. A method for supporting a preloading of media assets associated with a multimedia experience, the method comprising:

generating a flowchart representing a multimedia experience; and

configuring the flowchart with a global scheme for preloading media assets, including at least one instruction to preload media assets falling within a global distance G from every location C in the multimedia experience.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the least one instruction is configured to override a default scheme for preloading media assets during playback execution of the multimedia experience.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the global scheme is configured to dynamically vary the global distance G during playback execution of the multimedia experience based on a playback property of the multimedia experience.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the playback property includes a total size of a set of media assets falling within the global distance G.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the playback property includes a likelihood of reaching one of a set of media assets falling within the global distance G.