METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CREATING AND USING VIDEO PLAYLISTS WITHIN A NETWORK

• US 20100125882A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: ATHIAS, FRANKLYN
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The invention pertains to a method and apparatus for creating and using video playlists within a network. In accordance with the invention, a user is enabled to create a playlist comprising a plurality of video segments and store the playlist for later access and viewing. In some implementations, the user may upload playlists to the network in order to permit other users to view the playlist and, if desired, watch the playlist'"'"'s contents. In other implementations, the content provider or third parties may create playlists and make the contents available for viewing. In yet other implementations, the content provider or a third party may insert advertisements into a playlist'"'"'s contents.

Claims

1. A method of sharing video playlists in a network amongst a plurality of users of the network, the method comprising the steps of:

storing a playlist comprising a plurality of video segments at a node of the network;

permitting users of the network to select said playlist; and

responsive to the selection, transmitting the plurality of video segments to the requesting user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the node is a server node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

permitting users of the network to peruse the playlist.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the video segments are stored at memory locations in at least one node of the network and wherein the playlist comprises a plurality of pointers to the memory locations of the corresponding video segments.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of transmitting the playlist comprises the steps of:

parsing the playlist to identify the individual memory locations of the video segments comprising the playlist;

assembling the individual video segments comprising the video playlist into a unit comprising the individual video segments listed in the video playlist; and

transmitting the unit to the requesting user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a plurality of playlists are stored at the node and further comprising the step of:

providing a search engine via the network that enables users to search the plurality of playlists for playlists of interests.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

organizing the playlists according to an ontology for purposes of enabling ontological searching for playlists.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

creating the playlist, wherein the creating step is performed at a user'"'"'s client node of the network; and

transmitting the playlist via the network to the server node.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein users of the network are limited to including in playlists video segments that are under control of an administrator of the server node.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein users of the network may upload to the network video segments for inclusion in playlists.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is a subscription-based television network.

12. An apparatus for enabling the creation of playlists consisting of a plurality of video segments comprising:

a terminal for connecting to a node of a network through which the apparatus may transmit and receive video segments via the network;

a processor for executing computer executable code and interfacing with a user and with nodes on the network;

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for permitting a user to select a plurality of video segments for inclusion in a video playlist;

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for creating a video playlist based on the selected video segments; and

computer executable code running on the processor for causing the video playlist to be stored.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer executable code for creating the playlist comprises computer instructions for adding a pointer to each selected video segment to the playlist.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is a set top box and the network is a television service network.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computer instructions for causing the video playlist to be stored causes the video playlist to be stored at a network node other than a node at which said apparatus is located.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for permitting users to peruse a plurality of available playlists and select one of the playlists for viewing; and

computer executable code comprising computer instructions for receiving video segments comprising said video segments of said playlist and causing the video segments to be displayed on a monitor coupled to the apparatus.

17. An apparatus for enabling the creation of playlists consisting of a plurality of video segments in an information network including a plurality of client nodes comprising:

a server located at a first node of the network for transmitting video segments via the network to client nodes of the network;

a processor associated with the server for executing computer executable code and interfacing with other nodes on the network;

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for receiving playlists from client nodes via the network;

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for causing the playlists to be stored at a node of the network;

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for permitting users at the client nodes to peruse playlists available for viewing by the users;

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for receiving a request for one of the playlists; and

computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for sending video segments listed in a requested playlist to a client node responsive to the request.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the playlists comprise an organized list of links to the video segments listed in the playlist and wherein the computer instructions for sending video segments listed in a playlist to a client node comprises computer instructions for retrieving the video segments from the locations identified in the links and assembling the video segments in accordance with the organization of the playlist.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the computer instructions for permitting users at the client nodes to peruse playlists available for viewing comprises computer instructions for organizing the playlists according to an ontology.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the computer instructions for permitting users at the client nodes to peruse playlists available for viewing by the users further comprises a search engine for permitting users to search the playlists by keywords.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for uploading video segments from client nodes that comprise content of playlists and storing the content on the network.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising computer executable code running on the processor comprising computer instructions for examining video segments uploaded to the network for inappropriate content.

23. A method of using video playlists in a network amongst a plurality of users of the network, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a playlist comprising a plurality of video segments;

causing the playlist to be stored at a node of the network;

selecting the playlist; and

viewing the video segments.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the creating step is performed at a user'"'"'s client node of the network and wherein the node of the network at which the video playlist is stored is a server node, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the playlist via the network to the server node of the network.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

accessing the server node;

perusing a plurality of playlists stored at the server;

selecting one of the plurality of playlists; and

transmitting a request to view the contents of the playlist; and

receiving the contents of the requested playlist.

26. A method of peer-to-peer sharing of video playlists in a network amongst a plurality of users of the network, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a playlist comprising a plurality of video segments;

storing the playlist at a first node of the network;

permitting a user of the network at a second node of the network to peruse the playlist stored at the first node;

permitting the user at the second node of the network to select the playlist and transmit a request to view the contents of the playlist from the second node to the first node; and

responsive to receipt of such a request, the first node transmitting the video segments to the second node.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein a plurality of playlists are stored at a plurality of network nodes and further comprising:

providing a search engine that enables users to search the plurality of playlists at the plurality of network nodes.