METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTENT SHARING

• US 20080155628A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Soukup, Martin Jan, Nannra, Anoop
• Application Number:
  US11/615,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155628A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• 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 21/25816 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 21/4183 providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides a hyperlinking convention for Internet Protocol (IP) Television (TV) program content. A hyperlink comprises a resource identifier that identifies a location of the program content, and an index to a content segment within the program content. The content segment corresponds to a portion of the program content that is not directly addressable using a resource identifier from a defined content source at which the program content is stored. When user equipment receives the hyperlink, a user may select the hyperlink, and a request is routed based on the resource identifier to a content server where the program content is stored. The content server uses the resource identifier and the index to identify the content segment. The content server accesses the program content based on the resource identifier and selects the content segment based on the index. The content server sends the content segment to the user equipment in response to the request.

Claims

1. A method of sharing a content segment, the method comprising:

identifying a content segment within program content;

generating a hyperlink comprising a resource identifier associated with the program content and an index associated with the content segment; and

sending the hyperlink toward user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content segment corresponds to a portion of the program content that is not directly addressable using the resource identifier from a defined content source at which the program content is stored.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the content segment is less than the program content.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the portion of the program content is not stored as a predefined content segment at the defined content source.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the program content is television content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the program content is radio content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the hyperlink is sent toward the user equipment via at least one of the group consisting of:

instant messaging (IM), short message service (SMS), and email.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the content segment within the program content comprises identifying a scene within the program content.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the content segment within the program content comprises identifying a beginning location within the program content.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the content segment within the program content comprises identifying a duration of the content segment.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the content segment within the program content comprises identifying an end location within the program content

12. A method comprising:

receiving from user equipment a request comprising a resource identifier for program content and an index for a content segment of the program content, the request resulting from a user selecting a hyperlink comprising the resource identifier and the index;

identifying the program content based on the resource identifier;

accessing the content segment of the program content based on the index; and

sending the content segment toward the user equipment.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the content segment corresponds to a portion of the program content that is not directly addressable using the resource identifier from a defined content source at which the program content is stored.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the content segment is less than the program content.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the portion of the program content is not stored as a predefined content segment at the defined content source.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising authenticating the user of the user equipment to confirm that the user has a right to receive the content segment.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising transcoding the content segment such that the content segment will adequately present on the user equipment.

18. A system for sharing a content segment, the system comprising:

at least one interface facilitating sharing a content segment; and

at least one control system associated with the at least one interface and adapted to;

identify a content segment within program content;

generate a hyperlink comprising a resource identifier associated with the program content and an index associated with the content segment; and

send the hyperlink toward user equipment.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the content segment corresponds to a portion of the program content that is not directly addressable using the resource identifier from a defined content source at which the program content is stored.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the content segment is less than the program content.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the portion of the program content is not stored as a predefined content segment at the defined content source.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the program content is television content.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the program content is radio content.