FORWARD PATH MULTI-MEDIA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH END USER FEEDBACK TO DISTRIBUTED CONTENT SOURCES

• US 20100228814A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lava Two, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Lava Two, LLC.
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel Bernard, Graziano, James Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

The Forward Path Multi-Media Management System architecture enables end user devices to share a common wireless forward path of a multicast communication architecture in which the forward path delivered content is dynamically changed or modified based on a real-time, near-real-time, or delay-time basis via aggregated reverse path feedback from at least one of a plurality of end user devices. The Forward Path Multi-Media Management System periodically or continuously aggregates the feedback input received via the reverse path (having wired and/or wireless connectivity), modifies the forward path multi-media content, and delivers this dynamically modified multi-media content to the then connected population of end user devices via a wireless forward path multicast in a repetitive closed loop fashion.

Claims

1. A Forward Path Multi-media Management System, operational in a wireless communication network which serves a plurality of wireless end user devices, for wirelessly transmitting end user generated content from a plurality of wireless end user devices in said wireless communication network to selected ones of said wireless end user devices over a unidirectional forward broadcast path that extends from said wireless communication network to said wireless end user devices, comprising:

private reverse path means, concurrently operational with said unidirectional forward broadcast path, for transmitting end user input data which is responsive to presently received end user generated content to dynamically modify end user generated content transmitted to said selected ones of said wireless end user devices over said unidirectional forward broadcast path;

feedback aggregation means, responsive to receipt of said end user input data received from said selected wireless end user devices over said reverse path, for accumulating said end user input data to dynamically modify said end user generated content; and

feedback integration means for generating a modified end user generated content by modifying end user generated content received from said wireless end user devices based on said accumulated end user input data.

2. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 1 further comprising:

content delivery means for transmitting said modified end user generated content to said wireless communication network for transmission over said unidirectional forward broadcast path to said selected wireless end user devices.

3. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 1 wherein said feedback aggregation means comprises:

synchronization means for associating said end user input data received from said end users with a corresponding end user generated content.

4. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 3 further comprising:

wherein said end user generated content comprises a series of frames that are delivered in sequence to said selected wireless end user devices, wherein a past frame is a frame last delivered to said selected wireless end user devices and a present frame is a frame received from said end user content source but not yet delivered to said selected wireless end user devices; and

wherein said feedback aggregation means further comprises;

updating means for accumulating end user input data received from said end users for a corresponding end user generated content.

5. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 4 wherein said feedback integration means further comprises:

at least one end user integration application, responsive to receipt of said accumulated end user input data, for revising said received end user generated content to produce a revised end user generated content.

6. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 5 further comprising:

end user content generator feedback means for transmitting end user input data, associated with a corresponding end user generated content, to a wireless end user device that is generating said corresponding end user generated content via a private forward path that extends from said wireless communication network to said wireless end user device.

7. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 6 further comprising:

end user content control means for transmitting data from a wireless end user device, that is generating said corresponding end user generated content, via said private reverse path that extends from said wireless end user device to said wireless communication network to control operation of said end user integration application.

8. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 3:

wherein said end user generated content comprises a series of frames that are delivered in sequence to said selected wireless end user devices, wherein a past frame is a frame last delivered to said selected wireless end user devices and a present frame is a frame received from said end user content source but not yet delivered to said selected wireless end user devices; and

wherein said feedback aggregation means further comprises;

timing means for defining a time period for use by said synchronization means during which time period said end user input data received from said end users is associated with said present frame.

9. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 8 wherein said feedback aggregation means further comprises:

accumulated data processing means for processing said accumulated end user input data received from said end users to a composite content revision for a end user generated content.

10. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 9 wherein said feedback integration means further comprises:

at least one end user integration application, responsive to receipt of said accumulated end user input data, for revising said received end user generated content to produce a revised end user generated content.

11. The Forward Path Multi-media Management System of claim 1 further comprising:

end user content generator feedback means for transmitting end user input data, associated with a corresponding end user generated content, to a wireless end user device that is generating said corresponding end user generated content via a private forward path that extends from said wireless communication network to said wireless end user device.

12. A method of operating a Forward Path Multi-media Management System, operational in a wireless communication network which serves a plurality of wireless end user devices, for transmitting end user generated content from a plurality of wireless end user devices in said wireless communication network to selected ones of said wireless end user devices over a unidirectional forward broadcast path that extends from said wireless communication network to said wireless end user devices, comprising:

transmitting, concurrently operational with said unidirectional forward broadcast path, end user input data which is responsive to presently received end user generated content to dynamically modify said end user generated content transmitted to said selected wireless end user devices over said unidirectional forward broadcast path;

accumulating, in response to receipt of said end user input data received from said selected wireless end user devices over said reverse path, said end user input data to dynamically modify said end user generated content; and

generating a modified end user generated content by modifying end user generated content received from said wireless end user devices based on said accumulated end user input data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting said modified end user generated content to said wireless communication network for transmission over said unidirectional forward broadcast path to said selected wireless end user devices.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of accumulating comprises:

associating said end user input data received from said end users with a corresponding end user generated content.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

wherein said end user generated content comprises a series of frames that are delivered in sequence to said selected wireless end user devices, wherein a past frame is a frame last delivered to said selected wireless end user devices and a present frame is a frame received from said end user content source but not yet delivered to said selected wireless end user devices; and

wherein said step of accumulating further comprises;

accumulating end user input data received from said end users for a corresponding end user generated content.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of generating further comprises:

operating at least one end user integration application, responsive to receipt of said accumulated end user input data, for revising said received end user generated content to produce a revised end user generated content.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

transmitting end user input data, associated with a corresponding end user generated content, to a wireless end user device that is generating said corresponding end user generated content via a private forward path that extends from said wireless communication network to said wireless end user device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting data from a wireless end user device, that is generating said corresponding end user generated content, via said private reverse path that extends from said wireless end user device to said wireless communication network to control operation of said end user integration application.

19. The method of claim 14:

wherein said end user generated content comprises a series of frames that are delivered in sequence to said selected wireless end user devices, wherein a past frame is a frame last delivered to said selected wireless end user devices and a present frame is a frame received from said end user content source but not yet delivered to said selected wireless end user devices; and

wherein said step of accumulating further comprises;

defining a time period for use by said step of associating during which time period said end user input data received from said end users is associated with said present frame.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of accumulating further comprises:

processing said accumulated end user input data received from said end users to a composite content revision for a end user generated content.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said step of generating further comprises:

revising, in response to receipt of said accumulated end user input data, said received end user generated content to produce a revised end user generated content.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

transmitting end user input data, associated with a corresponding end user generated content, to a wireless end user device that is generating said corresponding end user generated content via a private forward path that extends from said wireless communication network to said wireless end user device.