Method and apparatus for targeted content delivery

• US 20080109529A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Story, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70

Abstract

A method and protocol for creating and configuring customized paths, such as channels, for the delivery of electronic content to a variety of devices associated with a user is provided. A content provider may create a channel for each device registered by a user by creating a provisioning Uniform Resource Locator (“URL”) for each device. The user may select certain content to be delivered to a registered device via the channel. The user'"'"'s device requests a list of feed URLs available to the user by accessing the provisioning URL. A content management program returns the list of feed URLs to the device and the list of feed URLs stored on the device is updated. The electronic content may be distributed through the disclosed protocol directly to the registered device if the device is active, or to a computing device for distribution to passive devices. A user, content provider or other entity may manage the delivery of the feeds contained in the channels using a web-based control panel or other application.

Claims

1. A method of delivering electronic content from a remote computer to a plurality of playback devices, the method comprising:

receiving at least one registration request for the plurality of playback devices;

providing a content management program that allows a user to register the plurality of playback devices and specify at least one content feed to be associated with each of the plurality of playback devices, wherein the content management program communicates a provisioning network location to each of the plurality of playback devices, the provisioning network location including a provisioning list specifying the at least one content feed associated with each of the plurality of playback devices; and

allowing the plurality of playback devices to periodically communicate with the provisioning network location and copy the at least one content feed associated with each of the plurality of playback devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising periodically receiving content with the plurality of playback devices from the at least one content feed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning network location comprises a provisioning URL.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one content feed is providing a feed URL.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the content management program allows the user to designate a plurality of content feeds for each of the plurality of registered playback devices.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising allowing the plurality of playback devices to periodically communicate with the provisioning network location and copy the plurality of content feeds associated with each of the plurality of playback devices such that the plurality of playback devices have updated content feed information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content management program is located on a remote computer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning list is initially substantially automatically populated based on a default setting.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning list is initially populated based on user input to the content management program.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning list is periodically modified by the user using the content management program.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the provisioning list is periodically modified by selecting content feeds to add from a plurality of predefined content feeds.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the provisioning list is periodically modified by selecting content feeds to be removed from a plurality of predefined content feeds previously associated with at least one of the plurality of playback devices.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the provisioning list is periodically modified by the user by searching for and selecting customized content feeds.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning list of at least one of the plurality of playback devices is managed by a proxy computing device.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising periodically receiving content with a proxy computing device and transferring to the plurality of playback devices from the at least one content feed.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the provisioning list is provided substantially directly to at least one of the plurality of playback devices.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the content management program allows the user to specify a different provisioning network location for each of the plurality of playback devices.

18. The method of claim 5 wherein the content management program substantially automatically organizes the plurality of content feeds into categories.

19. A system for delivering one or more electronic content feeds from a remote computer to a plurality of playback devices, the system comprising:

a remote computer hosting a content management program that allows a user to register the plurality of playback devices and specify at least one content feed to be associated with each of the plurality of playback devices, wherein the content management program communicates a provisioning network location to each of the plurality of playback devices, the provisioning network location including a provisioning list specifying the at least one content feed associated with each of the plurality of playback devices; and

wherein the remote computer is configured such that the plurality of playback devices are allowed to periodically communicate with provisioning network location and copy the at least one content feed associated with each of the plurality of playback devices.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the plurality of playback devices are configured to periodically receive content from the at least one content feed associated with each of the plurality of playback devices.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the content management program is configured to allow the user to periodically modify the provisioning list by searching for and selecting customized content feeds.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein at least one of the plurality of playback devices is configured to receive the provisioning list through a proxy computing device.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the content management program is configured by the user to designate a plurality of content feeds for each of the plurality of registered playback devices.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the plurality of playback devices periodically communicate with the provisioning network location and copy the plurality of content feeds associated with each of the plurality of playback devices such that the plurality of playback devices have updated content feed information.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the content management program is configured to allow the user to specify a different provisioning network location for each of the plurality of playback devices.