CONTENT ENRICHMENT USING UNIFIED SYSTEM OF UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS

• US 20120173666A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jellison, David C. Jr., Littlejohn, Jeffrey Lee, Ramirez, Richard A., Kubon, Joseph III, Speicher, Robert Glenn Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25 Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00
• 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

Abstract

A unified system of unique identifiers is used to match enrichment content with primary content being delivered by subscribers, e.g. broadcasters, in different markets, market segments, etc. Songs, video, advertisements, or other content from multiple different content publishers or databases, each of which may be assigned identifiers using different identification systems, are assigned a unified, unique identifier. The unique identifiers are also mapped to content identifiers used by subscribers. When subscribers provide primary content, for example by broadcasting the content to end users, enrichment content is matched to the unified, unique identifier associated with the content, and appropriate enrichment data and content are sent to the subscriber for distribution along with the primary content. If subscribers or content publishers change their own identifiers associated with content, the content can be un-matched and re-matched with the same or a different unique identifier.

Claims

1. A method for use in a system that receives primary content from a plurality of sources, and delivers content to a plurality of subscribers for further distribution to end users, the method comprising:

receiving a message including a primary content alias and a station identifier, the primary content identifier associated with a primary content element being delivered by a subscriber, and the station identifier indicating a station on which the primary content is being delivered;

matching the primary content alias with a master unified numbering system (UNS) identifier;

selecting enrichment data based on the master UNS identifier; and

providing the enrichment data to the subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which enrichment data to provide to the subscriber based on subscriber preferences associated with the primary content being delivered.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

associating subscriber preferences with a master UNS identifier.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing different enrichment data to different subscribers, where each of the subscribers is delivering the same primary content element.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the enrichment data based on an override status associated with the station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the enrichment data based on whether the station is a master station.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a push-now-playing message.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

caching enrichment data associated with scheduled content items identified in the PNP message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhancement data includes information associated with a currently playing advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking public performance of the primary content by multiple different subscribers using the master UNS identifier.

11. A server for use in a system that receives primary content from a plurality of sources, and delivers content to a plurality of subscribers for further distribution to end users, the server comprising:

circuitry to implement an initial match module configured to;

match each of a plurality of primary content items received from a plurality of sources implementing different identification schemes to a master unified numbering system (UNS) identifier;

match each of a plurality of aliases employed by a plurality of different subscribers to master UNS identifier; and

circuitry to implement a re-matching module configured to;

un-match an alias from an associated master UNS identifier in cases where the alias and the master UNS identifier are mismatched;

re-match an unmatched alias to a master UNS identifier.

12. The server of claim 11, further comprising:

circuitry configured to track public performance of the primary content by multiple different subscribers using the master UNS identifier.

13. The server of claim 11, further comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a message including a primary content alias and a station identifier, the primary content identifier associated with a primary content element being delivered by a subscriber, and the station identifier indicating a station on which the primary content is being delivered;

circuitry configured to match the primary content alias with a master UNS identifier;

circuitry configured to select enrichment data based on the master UNS identifier; and

circuitry configured to provide the enrichment data to the subscriber.

14. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

circuitry configured to determine which enrichment data to provide to the subscriber based on subscriber preferences associated with the primary content being delivered.

15. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

circuitry configured to provide different enrichment data to different subscribers, where each of the subscribers is delivering the same primary content element.

16. The server of claim 13, further comprising:

providing the enrichment data based on an override status associated with the station.

17. The server of claim 11, further comprising:

circuitry configured to determine whether an alias included in a push-now-playing (PNP) message matches a master UNS identifier; and

circuitry configured to determine whether a master UNS identifier matched to the alias matches content identified by a partner identifier.

18. A server for use in a system that receives primary content from a plurality of sources, and delivers content to a plurality of subscribers for further distribution to end users, the server comprising:

circuitry configured to implement a push-now-playing PNP service that receives a PNP message including an alias identifying a primary content element currently being broadcast, and a station identifier associated with a subscriber station currently broadcasting the primary content;

circuitry configured to match the alias to a master unified numbering system (UNS) identifier;

circuitry configured to use the master UNS identifier to deliver enriched content to the subscriber; and

circuitry configured to determine and store billing information associated with delivery of the enriched content.

19. The server of claim 18, further comprising:

circuitry configured to match a master UNS identifier to partner identifiers, each of the partner identifiers associated with a plurality of primary content items received from a plurality of different content sources;

un-match a partner identifier master UNS identifier in cases where the partner identifier and the master UNS identifier become mismatched;

re-match the unmatched partner identifier to a master UNS identifier.

20. The server of claim 18, further comprising:

circuitry to determine which enrichment data to provide to the subscriber based on subscriber preferences associated with the master UNS identifier.