System and method for distributed media streaming and sharing

• US 20080140849A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softmd Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: iWatchNow Inc.
• Inventors: Collazo, Caesar
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks

Abstract

A distributed media sharing and streaming system and method is disclosed, wherein an encrypted resident micro web server stores media files in a universal media format including an embedded, automated streaming media player, where the micro web server further fingerprints and authenticates media file contents, indexes media files, manages user permission, group permissions and sharing functionality, shares authenticated media files over a network via a distributed system employing other users on the network with the resident micro web server and the authenticated media file, shares media file and user information with a central index server, and streams authenticated media files to a sharing user using an embedded streaming media player regardless of whether the sharing user has the micro web server or any particular media codec.

Claims

1. A method of electronically sharing media content between users of respective user computers via a network, comprising operating a first user computer to perform the steps of:

(a) receiving a media file and an instruction from a second user at a second user computer via the network, the instruction directing sharing of the media file;

(b) causing the received media file to be stored in association with sharing information, the sharing information being in accordance with the instruction, the sharing information identifying a user of the first user computer and users of one or more computers other than the first user computer having permission to access the media file;

(c) receiving a request to access the media file from a third user via the network; and

(d) causing the media file to be transmitted to the third user via the network when the sharing information indicates that the third user has permission to access the media file, whereby the sharing information controls to which users the media file can be shared, in accordance with the instruction received from the second user.

2. A recording medium having computer-readable instructions recorded thereon, said instructions being executable by a computer to perform a method as claimed in claim 1.

3. A user-to-user system for sharing media files, comprising:

a plurality of user computers including at least one first user computer and a second user computer connectable to the first user computer via a network, wherein each first user computer has a media-sharing server operable to perform steps including;

(a) receiving a media file and an instruction from a second user at a second user computer via the network, the instruction directing sharing of the media file;

(b) causing the received media file to be stored in association with sharing information, the sharing information being in accordance with the instruction, the sharing information identifying a user of the first user computer and users of one or more computers other than the first user computer having permission to access the media file;

(c) receiving a request to access the media file from a third user via the network; and

(d) causing the media file to be transmitted to the third user via the network when the sharing information indicates that the third user has permission to access the media file, whereby the sharing information controls to which users the media file can be shared, in accordance with the instruction received from the second user.

4. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the media-sharing server is operable to generate the sharing information.

5. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the plurality of computers includes a plurality of the first user computers each having an instance of the media-sharing server.

6. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 5, wherein in step (a), the second user computer is an other one of the plurality of first user computers having an instance of the media-sharing server operable to perform each of steps (a) through (d), and the sharing information stored at the other one of the first user computers for a given media file is different from the sharing information stored at the first user computer, such that access to each stored media file is controlled by the sharing information of the particular first user computer'"'"'s media-sharing server having stored the media file in step (b).

7. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the media-sharing server of each first user computer is further operable to use information associated with the first user computer and information associated with the received media file to obtain a media access code and a media key, and encrypt the media file with the media key to obtain an encrypted media file,

wherein step (b) includes storing the encrypted media file in association with the media access code and the sharing information, step (c) includes receiving the media access code from the third user, and step (d) includes decrypting the encrypted media file using the media access code and the media key to obtain a decrypted media file and transmitting the decrypted media file to the third user via the network.

8. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a third computer including an index server, the index server being operable to maintain index information identifying the media files stored by the media-sharing servers of the respective first user computers and information for establishing communication with each respective first user computer.

9. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the index server is further operable to assist in establishing communications paths through the network between the computers of third users who request media files and the media-sharing servers of the first user computers having stored the requested media files.

10. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the index server is operable to update the information for establishing communication with the respective first user computers at predetermined intervals.

11. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the media-sharing servers of each respective first user computer is operable to transmit at least a portion of the sharing information to the index server, and the index server is operable to update the information for establishing communication with the respective first user computer upon receiving the transmitted portion of the sharing information from the respective first user computer.

12. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 3, wherein step (d) includes transmitting a link to the second computer representing the requested media file, and causing the requested media file to be streamed to the second computer upon execution of the transmitted link.

13. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 5, wherein step (b) includes storing at least some of the media files locally at the respective first user computers.

14. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each respective first user computer is further operable to authenticate users requesting access to media files stored by the respective first user computer.

15. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each respective first user computer is further operable to authenticate rights of the user relative to a media file requested by such user.

16. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 14, wherein each first user computer is further operable to authenticate sharing information associated with at least one of a particular media file or a particular user.

17. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 16, wherein each first user computer is operable to create a media file fingerprint from media data associated with each received media file, and use the media file fingerprint to authenticate the received media file.

18. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 15, wherein each respective first user computer is operable to determine when sufficient rights are not available for sharing the received media file and, if so, avoid performing at least step (d) with respect to such received media file.

19. The user-to-user system as claimed in claim 15, wherein each respective first user computer is operable to determine when sufficient rights are not available for sharing the received media file and, if so, avoid performing steps (b) through (d) with respect to such received media file.

20. A universal media sharing system for distributed sharing of media content, comprising:

a secure encrypted micro web server including a media file store for storing media files for a local user on a computer and for sharing media files over a network connected to the computer;

a media file fingerprinting module linked to said micro web server for creating media file fingerprints and media file metadata accurately authenticating the content of the user'"'"'s media files regardless of original media file metadata;

a local user index stored by the micro web server on said computer based on the user'"'"'s media files and media file fingerprints stored by the micro web server;

a global sharing index of media file fingerprints, media file metadata, local users, and local user metadata stored on a central remote server in network contact with the micro web server;

a sharing group index stored by the micro web server on said computer, said sharing group index including a list of other users authorized to access one or more of the media files stored on the micro web server and available from the micro web server over the network;

a user authentication module linked to the micro web server for authenticating other users for access to the micro web server based on independently verifiable data associated with the other user;

a media file authentication module linked to the micro web server for authenticating a media file as legitimate and correlated to the micro web server and associated media store in which the media file is located;

a media conversion module linked to the micro web server for converting media files to a universal media format upon receipt of a media file at the micro web server, the universal media format including an encapsulated streaming media player coupled to the media file metadata of universal media format files;

a media distribution module linked to the micro web server for at least one of distributed sharing and distributed streaming of a media file to a remote computer over the network via a standard network protocol; and

a media sharing module linked to the micro web server for distributing to a sharing user, upon an authenticated request for a media file over the network from the sharing user to the micro web server, such that the sharing user begins to receive the media file in the universal media format and playback begins of the media file at the sharing user through the encapsulated streaming media player without further user intervention and without requiring user installation of a media codec.

21. The universal media sharing system of claim 20, further comprising a header region for digital rights management information in said universal media format, said digital rights management information being transferred from the original format of said media file to said header region upon conversion of the media file to universal media format.

22. The universal media sharing system of claim 20, wherein the independently verifiable data associated with another user is an authenticated e-mail address and an authenticated unique user identification value, said authenticated e-mail address obtained via an e-mail authentication module that confirms the validity of an other user'"'"'s e-mail address without further other user intervention and via an authenticated unique user identification value associated with the other user'"'"'s micro web server.

23. A method of serving media files, comprising:

(a) receiving a user request for a media file from a local user on the computer;

(b) comparing the requested media file to a local index associated with the micro web server;

(c) if the local index includes the media file as stored on the computer, returning a link to the media file on the computer to the local user or if the local index includes the requested media file as stored on another computer for which the local user has sharing access, returning a link to the media file on the another computer to the local user;

(d) if the local index does not include the requested media file, seeking a global index from a remote central index server, and if said global index is accessible, comparing the requested media file to the global index to find a set of other users hosting the requested media files and returning a link to the media file on the other users'"'"' computers to the local user on the local computer; and

(e) upon the local user clicking upon a link to the requested media file if supplied, streaming the requested media file from at least one of a local media store and a remote media store to the local user at the computer.