Generating and Providing Rich Media Presentations Optimized for a Device over a Network

• US 20100100636A1
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Distributed Media Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dandia Audio KG LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kind, Jason Matthew Walter, McGrath, Raymond Edward III, DeWitt, Josiah, Hegde, Kiran Venkatesh, Krause, Eric Kane
• Granted Patent: US 8,122,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355

Abstract

Generating and providing rich media presentations to a requesting device is described. Attributes of the requesting device are determined and used to create optimized code for the requesting device. The attributes may include information relating to the operating system of the requesting device; a media player; a bandwidth parameter; presence or absence of a firewall, permissions related to the requesting device, and the like. A virtual player is created that includes code to play media files. A presentation package is created that sets the presentation attributes for the multimedia experience. A media package is created that instructs the virtual player what multimedia content to play.

Claims

1. A method implemented by at least one server device of a content distribution system, the method comprising:

processing requests for media content from network devices to determine whether the network devices are supported by the content distribution system; and

for at least one network device that is supported;

configuring a content package for media content that is requested by the network device and selected based upon one or more attributes of the network device; and

causing communication of the content package to the network device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, for a network device that is not supported, denying access to the media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content package comprises a virtual player package configured to define a virtual player configured to play the media content at the at least one network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content package comprises a virtual player package, a presentation package, and a media package configured for the at least one network device based on the one or more attributes.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, detecting the one or more attributes of the at least one network device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more attributes include one or more of basic operating characteristics of the at least one network device, a language attribute, a bandwidth attribute, a firewall attribute, or a permissions attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the content package comprises obtaining the media content from within the content distribution system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the content package comprises determining that the media content is not available from within the content distribution system and obtaining the media content from an origin server.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising caching the media content obtained from the origin server at the content distribution system to service subsequent requests.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the content package for the media content is cached at the at least one network device; and

performing the configuring and causing communication of the content package responsive to determining that the content package is not cached at the at least one network device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising, responsive to determining that the content package for the media content is cached at the at least one network device:

determining whether an updated version of the content package is available;

responsive to determining that an updated version is available, causing communication of the updated version to the at least one network device; and

responsive to determining that an updated version is not available;

instructing the at least one network device to use the content package cached at the at least one network device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device is a mobile device configured to connect to the at least one server via a wireless network.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the content package comprises:

creating one or more device specific packages for the at least one network device including at least one of a virtual player package configured to encode a virtual player selected for the at least one network device, a presentation package configured to set presentation attributes for presentation of the media content via the virtual player, and a media package configured to identify a source of the media content; and

assembling the one or more device specific packages to form the content package.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the content package comprises:

determining whether up-to-date versions of a plurality of device specific packages are cached by the at least one network device; and

assembling the content package to include up-to-date versions of device specific packages of the plurality determined not to be cached by the at least one network device.

15. One or more computer readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed by one or more devices of a content distribution system, cause the one or more devices to perform operations comprising:

detecting attributes of a network device in response to a request from the network device for device specific packages associated with a rich media presentation;

determining whether the requested device specific packages are cached in a cache location;

for requested device specific packages that are cached, communicating instructions to cause the network device to obtain the cached device specific packages from the cache location;

for requested device specific packages that are not cached;

automatically generating device specific packages that are configured for the device in accordance with the detected attributes; and

communicating the generated device specific packages to the network device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the detected attributes comprises one or more of device operating characteristics, a language attribute, a bandwidth attribute, a firewall attribute, or a permissions attribute.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device specific packages include at least one of a virtual player selected for the network device, a presentation package configured to set attributes for presentation of the rich media presentation via the virtual player, or a media package configured to designate content for inclusion in the rich media presentation.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request for the device specific packages is received by the content distribution system responsive to loading of request code at the network device, the request code included in a web page for the rich media presentation to cause the network device to form the request for the device specific packages.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the cache location comprises storage at the network device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the cache location is a storage device accessible to the network device over a communication network.

21. A distribution server device, comprising:

a device configured to determine one or more attributes of a network device responsive to a request from the network device for a rich media presentation; and

an object handler configured to cause at least part of the rich media presentation to be assembled for delivery to the network device so that the at least part of the rich media presentation is configured according to the one or more attributes of the network device determined by the device tracker and detector.

22. The distribution server device of claim 21, further comprising a restrictor configured to receive the request from the network device and determine if the network device is supported.

23. The distribution server device of claim 22, wherein the restrictor is configured to restrict the network device from receiving the rich media presentation if the restrictor determines that the network device is not supported.

24. The distribution server device of claim 21, wherein the object handler comprises a presentation package assembler configured to assemble a presentation package that is configured according to the one or attributes of the network device.

25. The distribution server device of claim 21, wherein the object handler comprises a virtual player assembler configured to cause assembly of a virtual player that is configured according to the one or more attributes of the network device.

26. The distribution server device of claim 21, wherein the object handler comprises a media package assembler configured to cause assembly of a media package that is configured according to the one or more attributes of the network device.

27. The distribution server device of claim 21, wherein the object handler comprises a stream switch configured to configure the rich media package to be streamed to the network device.