BROADCAST MEDIA STREAMING WITH CUSTOMIZED PLAYLIST INSERTION METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20120184202A1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triton Digital Canada Inc. (The E W Scripps Company)
• Original Assignee: Ando Media, LLC (The E W Scripps Company)
• Inventors: GADOURY, JEAN-FRANÇOIS
• Granted Patent: US 9,236,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/10 Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method, system and server for customizing a broadcast media stream for delivery to a client associated with a user via a communication network. The broadcast media stream comprises a plurality of content segments, such as hosted segments, which are separated by a plurality of musical, informational or generic segments. During streaming the plurality of musical, informational or generic segments are modified based on one or more user preferences such that there content matches more closely the preferred content of the user.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a broadcast media stream for delivery to a client associated with a user via a communication network, the broadcast media stream comprising a plurality of content segments, the method comprising:

requesting at least one user preference from the user;

detecting an attribute of a next content segment to be streamed;

comparing the detected attribute with the at least one user preference wherein if the detected attribute does not accord with the at least one user preference, the next content segment to be streamed to the user is altered with an alternative content segment, said alternative content segment comprising an attribute which accords with the at least one user preference; and

streaming said next content segment to the client associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said next content segment is altered by replacing said next content segment with said alternative content segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said requesting at least one user preference comprises presenting the user a plurality of selectable user preferences on a web interface, prompting the user to select at least one of the user preferences and storing the at least one selected user preference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media stream comprises a plurality of hosted segments separated by a plurality of musical segments, wherein said next content segment comprises a musical segment comprising at least one attribute that does not accord with the at least one user preference and wherein said musical segment is altered with said alternative content segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said alternative content segment is an alternative musical segment comprising attributes that accord with the at least one user preference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media stream comprises a plurality of hosted segments separated by a plurality of informational segments, wherein said next content segment comprises an informational segment comprising at least one attribute that does not accord with the at least one user preference and wherein said informational segment is altered with said alternative content segment.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said alternative content segment comprises an alternative informational segment comprising attributes that accord with the at least one user preference.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media stream is an online radio audio stream, the user is a listener and further wherein said at least one user preference comprises a play list comprising at least one play item selected from a group consisting of an artist, an album and a song.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media stream is an online radio audio stream, the user is a listener and further wherein said at least one user preference is a music genre preference selected from a group consisting of pop, rock, r&

b, country, blues, electronic, latin, reggae, international, jazz, classical and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media stream is an online radio audio stream, the user is a listener and further wherein said at least one user preference comprises a no-play list comprising at least one no-play item selected from a group consisting of an artist, an album and a song.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media stream is an online radio audio stream, the user is a listener and further wherein said at least one user preference is an informational content preference selected from a group consisting of news, traffic reports, weather, advertisements and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one user preference further comprises a location of the user, said next content segment comprises an informational segment comprising a location attribute that does not accord with said location of the user, said alternative content segment comprises an alternative informational segment and wherein said alternative informational content is customized to said location of the user.

13. A system for delivering a customized broadcast media stream to a plurality of users, the system comprising:

a communication network;

a plurality of media clients, each of said media clients associated with a respective on of the users and at least one user preference associated with each of the users;

a media server connected with each of said plurality of media clients via said communications network;

a source of a media stream comprising a plurality of content segments; and

a source of a plurality of alternative content segments;

wherein for each of said plurality of media clients said media server detects an attribute of a next content segment to be streamed from said plurality of content segments and wherein when said detected attribute does not accord with said at least one user preference of said associated user, said next content segment is modified with an alternative content segment for streaming to said client, said alternative content segment comprising an attribute which accords with the at least one user preference.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a web server comprising a web interface for presenting the user a plurality of selectable user preferences and prompting the user to select at least one of the user preferences wherein said selected user preferences are stored such that they are accessible by said media server.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said media stream is a live hosted audio stream comprising a plurality of hosted segments separated by a plurality of musical segments, said plurality of alternative content segments comprises a plurality of alternative musical segments and said at least one user preference is a musical preference.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said media stream is a live hosted audio stream comprising a plurality of hosted segments separated by a plurality of informational segments, said plurality of alternative content segments comprises a plurality of alternative informational segments and said at least one user preference is a informational preference.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said at least one user preference is a user location, said next content segment comprises an informational segment comprising a location attribute that does not accord with said user location and wherein at least one of said plurality of said alternative informational content is customized to said user location.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said media stream source is connected with said media server via said communications network.

19. A media server for customizing a generic media stream comprising a plurality of content segments for delivery to a plurality of media clients via a communications network, each of said clients associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, each of the users having at least one user preference, the server comprising:

an interface for communicating with the plurality of media clients via the communications system;

a storage system for holding a plurality of alternative content segments;

a fragmenter for dividing the generic media stream into a plurality of sub streams, each of sub streams for streaming to an associated client via said interface; and

a modifier for each of said sub streams, wherein for each sub stream, when said modifier detects that an attribute of a next content segment does not accord with the at least one user preference of the user of said client associated with said sub stream, said next segment is replaced with an alternative content segment comprising an attribute which accords with the at least one user preference.

20. The server of claim 19, wherein the generic media stream is generated by an external source and further comprising an interface for receiving the media stream from the external source.

21. The server of claim 19, wherein said generic media stream comprises a live hosted audio stream comprising a plurality of hosted segments separated by a plurality of generic segments, said plurality of alternative content segments comprises a plurality of musical segments, said at least one user preference is a musical preference, and further wherein when said modifier detects that said next content segment is a generic segment, said modifier replaces said generic segment with one of said plurality of musical segments having an attribute which accords with said at least one user preference.

22. The server of claim 19, wherein said generic media stream comprises a live hosted audio stream comprising a plurality of hosted segments separated by a plurality of musical segments, said plurality of alternative content segments comprises a plurality of musical segments, said at least one user preference is a musical preference, and further wherein when said modifier detects that said next content segment is a musical segment comprising an attribute that does not accord with said at least one user preference, said modifier replaces said next segment with one of said plurality of alternative musical segments having an attribute which accords with said at least one user preference.

23. The server of claim 22, wherein said storage system comprises a music server and further wherein said modifier provides said music server with said at least one user preference said music server returns said modifier one of said plurality of alternative musical segments having an attribute which accords with said at least one user preference.