SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING USER GENERATED CONTENT

• US 20110113454A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Jackson, Markus Wayne, Newell, Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/63
• 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 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A television provider receives content from a plurality of users. The user generated content is aggregated and scheduled for broadcast across a channel of the television provider. The user generated content is then broadcast at the scheduled time for reception by communication devices associated with the television provider.

Claims

1. A method for distributing content, the method comprising:

receiving a first content file, at an aggregation server, from a first user;

receiving a second content file, at the aggregation server, from a second user;

scheduling a broadcast time for each of the content files based on attributes associated with the content files; and

broadcasting each of the content files across a communication network at the identified broadcast time for each of the content files.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input, at the aggregation server, approving the broadcasting of each of the content files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the broadcast time further comprises:

identifying a priority for the first content file based on an associated attribute; and

scheduling the broadcast time of the first content file based on the priority.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein scheduling the broadcast time based on the priority further comprises:

identifying one of a plurality of channels upon which to broadcast the first content file based on the priority.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein scheduling the broadcast time further comprises:

receiving at least one attribute describing the first content file from the first user;

grouping the first content file into at least one group with other content files based on the attribute; and

broadcasting the content files of the at least one group in a common time slot.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

receiving a contact list, in association with the first content file; and

transmitting a message to a communication device of each user of the contact list, the message specifying the broadcast time for the first content file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein transmitting the message further comprises:

transmitting a recording command to the communication device for each user of the contact list, the recording command instructing the communication device to record the first content file at the broadcast time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network includes a plurality of channels and wherein scheduling the broadcast time further comprises:

receiving supplemental information, in association with the first content file, the supplemental information identifying at least one of the plurality of channels that are receivable by a communication device of the first user; and

scheduling the broadcast time of the first content file on the identified channel.

9. A satellite distribution system comprising:

an aggregation server operable to;

receive a plurality of content files from a plurality of users;

receive user input approving each of the plurality of content files for broadcast;

schedule a broadcast time for each content file based on attributes of each of the plurality of content files; and

an uplink system operable to;

receive the plurality of content files from the aggregation server; and

transmit each of the plurality of content files to a satellite at the associated broadcast time, the satellite distributing the content files to multiple communication devices for viewing by users.

10. The satellite distribution system of claim 9, wherein the aggregation server receives supplemental information for each content file, the supplemental information including at least one attribute describing the content file.

11. The satellite distribution system of claim 10, wherein the attribute for each content file identifies a creator of the content file and wherein scheduling the broadcast time further comprises:

identifying user feedback received by the aggregation server regarding other videos created by a first user providing a first of the content files; and

scheduling the broadcast time of the first content file based on the user feedback.

12. The satellite distribution system of claim 9, wherein:

the uplink system communicates with a plurality of satellites;

the aggregation server receives supplemental information in association with a first of the content files from a first user, the supplemental information identifying at least one of the satellites from which the communication device of the first user is capable of receiving data; and

the aggregation server schedules the first content file for transmission on the satellite identified by the supplemental information.

13. The satellite distribution system of claim 9, wherein the aggregation server is operable to:

identify a priority for a first of the plurality of content files based on an associated attribute; and

schedule the broadcast time of the first content file based on the priority.

14. The satellite distribution system of claim 13, wherein the aggregation server is operable to identify one of a plurality of channels upon which to broadcast the first content file based on the priority.

15. The satellite distribution system of claim 9, wherein the aggregation server is operable to:

receive a contact list, in association with a first of the plurality of content files; and

transmit a message to a communication device of each user of the contact list, the message specifying the broadcast time for the first content file.

16. The satellite distribution system of claim 15, wherein the aggregation server is operable to transmit a recording command to the communication device for each user of the contact list, the recording command instructing the communication device to record the first content file at the broadcast time.

17. A method for distributing content, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of content files, at an aggregation server, from a plurality of users, each content file including at least one attribute describing the content file;

receiving user input, at the aggregation server, approving each of the plurality of content files for broadcast through a communication network;

identifying a priority for each content file based on the associated attribute for the content file;

scheduling a broadcast time for each content file based on the priority; and

broadcasting each of the content files through the communication network at the identified broadcast time for the content file.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a contact list, associated with one of the content files; and

transmitting a message to a communication device of each user of the contact list, the message specifying the broadcast time for the content file.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the message further comprises:

transmitting a recording command to the communication device for each user of the contact list, the recording command instructing the communication device to record the content file at the broadcast time.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the content files further comprises:

receiving at least one content file from a communication device of the communication network.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying the priority further comprises:

identifying the priority of a first of the content files based on feedback regarding previously broadcast videos of the user providing the first content file.