System, method, and computer program product for remotely determining the configuration of a multi-media content user

• US 20080281943A1
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jody Shapiro
• Original Assignee: Jody Shapiro
• Inventors: Shapiro, Jody
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• 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 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user includes sending a player detection code the user'"'"'s computer and receiving configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer. A method of determining a connection speed of a computer includes determining a size of a timing block based on an estimated bandwidth and retrieving the timing block. The connection speed is determined based on the timing block size and the times at which transfer begins and ends.

Claims

1. A method for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, comprising:

(a) sending player detection code the user'"'"'s computer; and

(b) receiving configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer, said configuration information comprising;

(1) OS version;

(2) web browser version;

(3) hardware platform;

(4) user interface language type;

(5) encoding format;

or

(6) compression algorithm;

or

(7) combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a cookie at the user'"'"'s computer to a domain of a delivery management server, performed before said receiving, and wherein the configuration information is received in the cookie.

3. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, the method comprising:

(a) sending player detection code the user'"'"'s computer; and

(b) receiving configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer, said configuration information comprising;

(1) OS version;

(2) web browser version;

(3) hardware platform;

(4) user interface language type;

(5) encoding format;

or

(6) compression algorithm;

or

(7) combinations thereof.

4. The one or more storage devices of claim 3, the method further comprising setting a cookie at the user'"'"'s computer to a domain of a delivery management server, performed before said receiving, and wherein the configuration information is received in the cookie.

5. A method of determining a connection speed of a computer, comprising:

(a) determining a size of a timing block based on an estimated bandwidth;

(b) marking the time at which transfer of the timing block begins;

(c) marking the time at which transfer of the timing block ends; and

(d) determining the connection speed based on the determined timing block size and the times at which transfer begins and ends.

6. The method of claim 5, said timing block size determining comprising:

(1) fetching estimated bandwidth information;

(2) determining an estimated time to retrieve data for determining connection speed with adequate resolution; and

(3) determining the timing block size that will take the determined estimated time to retrieve.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the timing block is received in a markup language comment as part of a preferences page.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing the connection speed in a cookie.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending the cookie to a delivery management server.

10. The method of claim 5, the timing block comprising random data.

11. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of determining a connection speed of a computer, the method comprising:

(a) determining a size of a timing block based on an estimated bandwidth;

(b) marking the time at which transfer of the timing block begins;

(c) marking the time at which transfer of the timing block ends; and

(d) determining the connection speed based on the determined timing block size and the times at which transfer begins and ends.

12. The one or more storage devices of claim 11, said timing block size determining comprising:

(1) fetching estimated bandwidth information;

(2) determining an estimated time to retrieve data for determining connection speed with adequate resolution; and

(3) determining the timing block size that will take the determined estimated time to retrieve.

13. The one or more storage devices of claim 11, wherein the timing block is received in a markup language comment as part of a preferences page.

14. The one or more storage devices of claim 11, the method further comprising storing the connection speed in a cookie.

15. The one or more storage devices of claim 14, the method further comprising sending the cookie to a delivery management server.

16. The one or more storage devices of claim 11, the timing block comprising random data.

17. A method of determining a connection speed of a computer, comprising:

(a) receiving a timing block of data having a known size;

(b) receiving a start time at which transfer of the timing block is to begin;

(c) beginning the timing block transfer at the start time;

(d) marking the time at which transfer of the timing block ends; and

(e) determining the connection speed based on the timing block size and the times at which transfer begins and ends.

18. The method of claim 17, the known size of the timing block being determined by:

(1) fetching estimated bandwidth information;

(2) determining an estimated time to retrieve data for determining connection speed with adequate resolution; and

(3) determining the timing block size that will take the determined estimated time to retrieve.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the timing block is received in a markup language comment as part of a preferences page.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the connection speed in a cookie.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising sending the cookie to a delivery management server.

22. The method of claim 17, the timing block comprising random data.

23. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of determining a connection speed of a computer, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a timing block of data having a known size;

(b) receiving a start time at which transfer of the timing block is to begin;

(c) beginning the timing block transfer at the start time;

(d) marking the time at which transfer of the timing block ends; and

(e) determining the connection speed based on the timing block size and the times at which transfer begins and ends.

24. The one or more storage devices of claim 23, the known size of the timing block being determined by:

(1) fetching estimated bandwidth information;

(2) determining an estimated time to retrieve data for determining connection speed with adequate resolution; and

(3) determining the timing block size that will take the determined estimated time to retrieve.

25. The one or more storage devices of claim 23, wherein the timing block is received in a markup language comment as part of a preferences page.

26. The one or more storage devices of claim 23, the method further comprising storing the connection speed in a cookie.

27. The one or more storage devices of claim 26, the method further comprising sending the cookie to a delivery management, server.

28. The one or more storage devices of claim 23, the timing block comprising random data.

29-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A method for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, comprising:

(a) receiving at a user'"'"'s computer player detection code from a second computer;

(b) sending to the second computer configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer; and

(c) receiving a modified information header instruction.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising receiving an unique client ID.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising appending a client ID pointer address with configuration information for sending to the second computer.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising preparing modified header information based on the received header instruction.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising sending to the second computer the modified header information with appended client ID.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising receiving a further configuration information request prior to the sending of the modified header information.

44. The method of claim 38, the instruction receiving occurring after the sending, and the modified information including some information that was not included in the sent information.

45. The method of claim 38, the instruction receiving occurring after the sending, and the modified information excluding some information that was included in the sent information.

46. The method of claim 38, the modified information header instruction being received prior to the sending, and the configuration information sent being prepared according to the modified information header instruction.

47. The method of claim 38, the sent configuration information including one or more adaptations.

48. The method of claim 47, the one or more adaptations comprising a hardware adaptation.

49. The method of claim 47, the one or more adaptations comprising a user interface version adaptation.

50. The method of claim 47, the modified header information instruction being prepared according to the adaptation information.

51-60. -60. (canceled)

61. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, the method comprising:

(a) receiving at a user'"'"'s computer player detection code from a second computer;

(b) sending to the second computer configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer; and

(c) receiving a modified information header instruction.

62. The one or more storage devices of claim 61, the method further comprising receiving an unique client ID.

63. The one or more storage devices of claim 62, the method further comprising appending a client ID pointer address with configuration information for sending to the second computer.

64. The one or more storage devices of claim 61, the method further comprising preparing modified header information based on the received header instruction.

65. The one or more storage devices of claim 64, the method further comprising sending to the second computer the modified header information with appended client ID.

66. The one or more storage devices of claim 65, the method further comprising receiving a further configuration information request prior to the sending of the modified header information.

67. The one or more storage devices of claim 61, the instruction receiving occurring after the sending, and the modified information including some information that was not included in the sent information.

68. The one or more storage devices of claim 61, the instruction receiving occurring after the sending, and the modified information excluding some information that was included in the sent information.

69. The one or more storage devices of claim 61, the modified information header instruction being received prior to the sending, and the configuration information sent being prepared according to the modified information header instruction.

70. The one or more storage devices of claim 61, the sent configuration information including one or more adaptations.

71. The one or more storage devices of claim 70, the one or more adaptations comprising a hardware adaptation.

72. The one or more storage devices of claim 70, the one or more adaptations comprising a user interface version adaptation.

73. The one or more storage devices of claim 70, the modified header information instruction being prepared according to the adaptation information.

74. (canceled)