Embedded Video Playlists

• US 20090024927A1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Aaron, Hartwig, Gunthar, Schrock, Jasson, Oestlien, Christian, Chandhok, Nikhil
• Granted Patent: US 9,553,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system, method and various user interfaces provide an embedded web-based video player for navigating video playlists and playing video content. A website publisher can create and store a video player with customized parameters (e.g., player type, appearance, advertising options, etc.) and can associate the player with a playlist of selected videos. The stored video player is associated with a player ID in a player database and can be embedded in a website using an embed code referencing the player ID. A user interface for the embedded player provides controls for controlling video playback and for controlling the selection of a video from the playlist.

Claims

1. A method for providing embedded video content, comprising:

receiving from a client computer a player identifier associated with stored player parameters;

retrieving the stored player parameters associated with the player identifier from a player database; and

transmitting the stored player parameters to the client computer, wherein the client computer configures an embedded player on a website according to the player parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the player parameters includes an association with a playlist comprising a set of videos.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the player parameters includes a player type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the player parameters includes player appearance preferences.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the player parameters includes advertisement preferences.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising streaming advertisement content to the embedded video player based at least in part on the advertisement preferences.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving from the client computer a video identifier corresponding to a selection of video content from the playlist; and

streaming the video content associated with the video identifier to the embedded player.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video content is selected from the playlist responsive to a user input.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the video content is automatically selected from the playlist based on the player parameters.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the embedded player comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a main viewing window for displaying a current video;

a set of player controls for controlling playback of the current video; and

a set of playlist controls for controlling the selection of a video from the playlist for playback.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user interface further comprises a playlist window having a set of thumbnails corresponding to videos in the playlist.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the playlist window is displayed adjacent to the main viewing window.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one player control of the set of player controls is displayed responsive to a first user action.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one player control is hidden responsive to a second user action.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first user action comprises rolling a pointer over the main viewing window and the second user action comprises rolling the pointer off the main viewing window.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the player control is displayed overlaying the video in the main viewing window.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded player includes a user interface, the user interface including a display of an embed code referencing the player identifier.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the embedded player includes a user interface, the user interface including a display of a link to one or more videos in the playlist.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein a set of thumbnails corresponding to videos in the playlist are displayed responsive to a first user action.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of thumbnails corresponding to videos in the playlist are hidden responsive to a second user action.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first user action comprises rolling a pointer over the main viewing window and the second user action comprises rolling the pointer off the main viewing window.

22. The method of claim 2, wherein the embedded player includes a user interface, the user interface including a banner having a set of thumbnails corresponding to the videos in the playlist, wherein the banner is embedded in a website.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a selection of a first thumbnail from the set of thumbnails causes the selected video to play in a popup video player.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the banner comprises scroll buttons for scrolling between the thumbnails.

25. A computer program product for providing embedded video content, the computer program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium and including instructions configured to cause a processor to carry out the steps of:

receiving from a client computer a player identifier associated with stored player parameters;

retrieving the stored player parameters associated with the player identifier from a player database; and

transmitting the stored player parameters to the client computer, wherein the client computer configures an embedded player on a website according to the player parameters.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the player parameters includes an association with a playlist comprising a set of videos.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the player parameters includes a player type.

28. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the player parameters includes player appearance preferences.

29. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the player parameters includes advertisement preferences.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, further including instructions configured to cause the processor to carry out the step of streaming advertisement content to the embedded video player based at least in part on the advertisement preferences.

31. The computer program product of claim 26, further including instructions configured to cause the processor to carry out the steps of:

receiving from the client computer a video identifier corresponding to a selection of video content from the playlist; and

streaming the video content associated with the video identifier to the embedded player.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the video content is selected from the playlist responsive to a user input.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the video content is automatically selected from the playlist based on the player parameters.

34. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the embedded player comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising:

a main viewing window for displaying a current video;

a set of player controls for controlling playback of the current video; and

a set of playlist controls for controlling the selection of a video from the playlist for playback.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the user interface further comprises a playlist window having a set of thumbnails corresponding to videos in the playlist.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the playlist window is displayed adjacent to the main viewing window.

37. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein at least one player control of the set of player controls is displayed responsive to a first user action.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the at least on player control is hidden responsive to a second user action.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the first user action comprises rolling a pointer over the main viewing window and the second user action comprises rolling the pointer off the main viewing window.

40. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the player control is displayed overlaying the video in the main viewing window.

41. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the embedded player comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising a display of an embed code referencing the player identifier.

42. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the embedded player comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising a display of a link to one or more videos in the playlist.

43. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein a set of thumbnails corresponding to videos in the playlist are displayed responsive to a first user action.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the set of thumbnails are hidden responsive to a second user action.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the first user action comprises rolling a pointer over the main viewing window and the second user action comprises rolling the pointer off the main viewing window.

46. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the embedded player comprises a user interface, the user interface comprising a banner having a set of thumbnails corresponding to the videos in the playlist, wherein the banner is embedded in a website.

47. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein a selection of a first thumbnail from the set of thumbnails causes the selected video to play in a popup video player.

48. The computer program product of claim 46, wherein the banner comprises scroll buttons for scrolling between the thumbnails.

49. A method for providing embedded video content comprising:

transmitting a player identifier over a network, wherein the player identifier is referenced in embed code of a website;

receiving over the network player parameters associated with the player identifier;

configuring an embedded video player according to the received player parameters; and

displaying the embedded video player via a web browser.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the player parameters includes an association with a playlist comprising a set of videos.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the player parameters includes a player type.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the player parameters includes player appearance preferences.

53. The method of claim 49, wherein the player parameters includes advertisement preferences.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising displaying advertisement content based at least in part on the advertisement preferences.

55. The method of claim 50, further comprising:

transmitting a request to a video server to provide at least one video identified in the playlist;

receiving at least one of the requested videos; and

playing the received video using the embedded video player.

56. A system for providing embedded video content comprising:

a player database for storing player parameters associated with a player identifier; and

a network interface coupled to the player database adapted to receive the player identifier from a client computer and to provide the player parameters to the client computer in accordance with the player identifier, the player parameters describing a configuration for an embedded video player.

57. The system of claim 56, further comprising:

a playlist database coupled to the network interface adapted to store a playlist associated with the player identifier, and wherein the network interface is further adapted to provide the playlist to the client computer.

58. The system of claim 56, further comprising:

a video database coupled to the network interface adapted to store video content associated with a video identifier; and

a video server coupled to the video database and the network interface, the video server configured to stream the video content to the embedded video player responsive to receiving a request including the video identifier.

59. The system of claim 56, further comprising an advertising management system configured to provide advertisement content to the embedded video player.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the advertising management system comprises an advertisement database for storing advertisement content.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the advertising management system comprises an advertisement control subsystem coupled to the advertisement database, the advertisement control subsystem configured to select advertisements to provide to the embedded video player.