CENTRALIZED CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR MANAGING DISTRIBUTION OF PACKAGES TO VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS

• US 20110004897A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: TANDBERG Television, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Petrusis, Michael, Gentela, Sumanth, Ghanate, Ashish, Alexander, James H., Yamamoto, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,136,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A centralized Content Management System (“CCMS”) facilitates management of packages comprising assets comprising meta-data and associated content of video programs for distribution to various types of service providers and equipment locations therein. The CCMS can receive meta-data and associated content, normalize the meta-data according to various formats based on various rules depending on where the meta-data and contents are to be distributed, and the distribute the content. The CCMS has various capabilities for managing packages, including adapting the meta-data and content for different types of equipment or individual locations based on rules for that service provider, thus providing an automated system reducing error and time in distributing video assets to a number of locations.

Claims

1. A system for exporting a localized package to a video service provider wherein said video service provider provides a video program over a distribution facility to a subscriber of the video service provider for viewing, said system comprising:

a first interface configured to receive a first package, said first package comprising a data structure comprising;

a) a first title metadata, said first title metadata indicating a title of said video program, and

b) a first video asset further comprising a first video content and a first video metadata part, wherein said first video metadata comprises a first major version value and a first minor version value;

a processor configured to;

a) receive the first package from the first interface,

b) store the first package,

c) generate a normalized package based on the first package, wherein said normalized package comprises a normalized title metadata and a normalized video asset, said normalized title metadata being different from said first title metadata and said normalized video asset is determined independently from a particular video service provider destination;

d) ascertain a destination video service provider to receive a localized package wherein said localized package is based on said normalized package,

e) retrieve video service provider destination specific configuration data,

f) generate said localized package using said normalized package and said video service provider destination specific configuration data, wherein said localized package comprises a second data structure comprising;

a) second title metadata, said title metadata indicating the title of the video program, said second title metadata being different from said normalized title metadata, and

b) a second video asset further comprising a second video content and a second video metadata, wherein said second video content is based on the first video content, and the second video metadata comprises the first major version value and a second minor version value;

a data storage configured to storing said first package, said normalized package, and said localized package, and said video service provider destination specific configuration data; and

a second interface configured to receive said localized package from said processor, and transmit said localized package to said video service provider.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to generate the localized package such that the second minor version value in the localized package is different from the first minor version value in the first package.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said data storage is configured to store destination independent configuration data used by the processor in generating said normalized package.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a transcoder, said transcoder configured to receive said first video content from said data storage in a first encoding format and generate a digital video file in a second encoding format, wherein said localized package comprises said digital video file in a second encoding format.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said localized package comprises second video content comprising advertisements.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to use said video service provider destination specific configuration data to determine a price of the video program in second title metadata, wherein the second price is different than a price of the video program in the first package.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the video service provider destination specific configuration data identifies a geographical serving area of the video service provider.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein said second video metadata of said localized package reflects said second encoding format.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said second encoding format is indicated in said video service provider destination specific configuration data.

10. A method of exporting a localized package to a video service provider comprising the steps of:

receiving a first package from a communication facility originating from a video program distributor at a first interface of a processing system, said first package comprising a data structure comprising;

a) a first title metadata, said first title metadata indicating a title of a video program, and

b) a first video asset further comprising a video content and a video metadata, wherein said video metadata comprises a first major version value and a first minor version value;

storing said first package in a data storage system of the processing system by a processor;

generating a normalized package based on the first package by said processor, said normalized package generated independent of said video service provider, wherein said normalized package comprises a normalized title metadata and a normalized video asset, said video asset comprising a normalized video content and a normalized video metadata;

ascertaining a video service provider to receive a localized package by said processor, wherein said localized package is based on said normalized package;

said processor retrieving video service provider destination specific configuration data from the data storage system;

generating said localized package using i) said normalized package and ii) said video service provider destination specific configuration data, wherein said localized package comprises a second data structure comprising

a) a second title metadata, said second title metadata indicating the title of the video program, and

b) a second video asset further comprising a second video content and a second video metadata, wherein said second video content is based on the first video content, and the second video metadata comprises a second version value, said second version value comprising the first major version value and a second minor version value;

storing said localized package in said data storage system; and

said processor transmitting said localized package over a second interface to said video service provider.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said second video content is a MPEG based encoded digital video file generated by transforming said first video content, wherein said video file represents a series of digital image data of physical objects.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said second video content is generated by a transcoder receiving said first video content in a first encoding format and generating said second video content in a second encoding format.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said processor sets a value in the second video metadata to indicate said second encoding format.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said second minor version value of said localized package is different from said first minor version value of said first package.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a second video service provider destination specific configuration data from said data storage system;

generating a second localized package using said normalized package and said second video service provider destination specific configuration data, wherein said second localized package comprises a second data structure comprising

a) a third title metadata, said title metadata indicating the title of the video program, and

b) a third video asset further comprising a third video content and a third video metadata, wherein said third video content is based on the first video content, and the third video metadata comprises a third version value, said third version value comprising the first major version and a third minor version value;

storing said second localized package in said data storage system; and

said processor transmitting said localized package over a second interface to said second video service provider.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

receiving at said processing system a distribution schedule indicating a date by which said package should be exported by said processing system; and

said processing system transmitting said localized package over a second interface to said video service provider prior to said date.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:

receiving at said processing system a date by which said localized package should be deleted from said data storage system; and

said processing system deleting said localized package from said data storage system based on said date.

18. A computer-readable medium containing code executable by a processor for providing a package to a video service provider comprising computer-readable program instructions adapted for:

receiving a first package from a communication facility originating from a video program distributor at a first interface of a processing system, said first package comprising a data structure comprising;

a) a first title metadata, said first title metadata indicating a title of a video program, and

b) a first video asset further comprising a video content and a video metadata, wherein said video metatdata comprises a first major version value and a first minor version value;

storing said first package in a data storage system of the processing system by a processor;

generating a normalized package based on the first package, wherein said normalized package is generated independent of the video service provider, wherein said normalized package comprises a normalized title metadata and a normalized video asset, said normalized video asset comprising a normalized video content and a normalized video metadata;

ascertaining the video service provider to receive a localized package by said processor, wherein said localized package is based on said normalized package;

retrieving video service provider destination specific configuration data from the data storage system;

generating said localized package using i) said normalized package and ii) said video service provider destination specific configuration data, wherein said localized package comprises a second data structure comprising;

a) a second title metadata, said second title metadata indicating the title of the video program, and

b) a second video asset further comprising a second video content and a second video metadata, wherein said second video content is based on the first video content, and the second video metadata comprises a second version value, wherein said second version value comprises the first major version value and a second minor version value;

storing said localized package in said data storage system; and

transmitting said localized package over a second interface to said video service provider.

19. The A computer-readable medium code of claim 18 further comprising computer-readable program instructions adapted for:

retrieving a second video service provider destination specific configuration data from said data storage system;

generating a second localized package using said normalized package and said second video service provider destination specific configuration data, wherein said second localized package comprises a second data structure comprising

a) a third title metadata, said title metadata indicating the title of the video program, and

b) a third video asset further comprising a third video content and a third video metadata, wherein said third video content is based on the first video content, and the third video metadata comprises a third version value, said third version value comprising the first major version value and a third minor version value;

storing said second localized package in said data storage system; and

transmitting said localized package over a second interface to said second video service provider.

20. The computer readable medium code of claim 18 further comprising computer-readable program instructions adapted for:

providing a user interface to a user to enter said first and second video service provider destination specific configuration data; and

storing said first and second video service provider destination specific configuration data in said data storage system.

21. The computer readable medium code of claim 20 further comprising computer-readable program instructions adapted for:

providing a user interface to said user to enter price data for inclusion in said localized package for said video service provider destination;

storing said price data in said data storage system as part of said video service provider destination specific configuration data; and

generating said localized package comprising said second title metadata wherein said second title metadata comprises said price data.