USER ADAPTIVE HTTP STREAM MANAGER AND METHOD FOR USING SAME

• US 20130067052A1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Jennifer, Dasher, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A stream manager and a method are described herein for creating an adaptive stream manifest file (e.g., HTTP adaptive stream manifest file) associated with original content where the original content is subsequently modified while being streamed based on input from a user of a user device. The user device is configured to request, receive and playback the original content and the modified content associated with the adaptive stream manifest file.

Claims

1. A stream manager configured to create an adaptive stream manifest file which is provided to a user device, the stream manager comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions therein where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable the following;

create the adaptive stream manifest file associated with original content where the original content is subsequently modified while being streamed to the user device based on input from a user of the user device, wherein the user device is configured to request, receive and playback the original content and the modified content associated with the adaptive stream manifest file.

2. The stream manager of claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to create the adaptive stream manifest file by:

receiving a request initiated by the user via the user device to stream a desired piece of content;

creating segments for the adaptive stream manifest file corresponding to the desired piece of content;

causing the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the segments to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the desired piece of content;

receiving an input initiated by the user of the user device indicating that the desired piece of content should be modified;

creating additional segments for the adaptive stream manifest file corresponding to the modified piece of content; and

causing the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the additional segments to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the modified piece of content.

3. The stream manager of claim 2, wherein the input from the user is an implied input.

4. The stream manager of claim 3, wherein the implied input includes one or more of the following an updated account status, demographics, and prior viewing habits.

5. The stream manager of claim 2, wherein the input from the user is an explicit input.

6. The stream manager of claim 5, wherein the explicit input includes one or more of the following a request to change a channel, a request to view an alternate scene, a request to zoom-in, and a request to alter a resolution of the content.

7. The stream manager of claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to create the adaptive stream manifest file by:

receiving a content file with one or more descriptive labels associated with one or more scenes of the content file;

segmenting the content file while taking into account the one or more descriptive labels associated with the one or more scenes of the content file;

storing each segment and associated one or more descriptive labels of the content file;

receiving a request initiated by the user via the user device to stream the content file;

adding references associated with the segments to the adaptive stream manifest file;

causing the adaptive stream manifest file containing the references to the segments associated with the content file to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the content file;

receiving an input initiated by the user of the user device indicating that the content file should be modified based on at least one of the one or more descriptive labels;

modifying the content file to include only the segments per the input from the user; and

causing the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the segments associated with the modified content file to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the modified content file.

8. The stream manager of claim 7, wherein the one or more descriptive labels associated with the one or more scenes of the content file:

indicate importance of the corresponding scene in regard to a plot of a show in the content file;

indicate a particular subject of the corresponding scene in regard to different parts of a news program in the content file;

indicate a particular character associated with the corresponding scene in regard to a show in the content file;

or

indicate a particular keyword associated with the corresponding scene in regard to a show in the content file.

9. A method implemented by a stream manager for creating an adaptive stream manifest file which is streamed to a user device, the method comprising the step of:

creating the adaptive stream manifest file associated with original content where the original content is subsequently modified while being streamed to the user device based on input from a user of the user device, wherein the user device is configured to request, receive and playback the original content and the modified content associated with the adaptive stream manifest file.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the creating step further comprises:

receiving a request initiated by the user via the user device to stream a desired piece of content;

creating segments for the adaptive stream manifest file corresponding to the desired piece of content;

causing the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the segments to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the desired piece of content;

receiving an input initiated by the user of the user device indicating that the desired piece of content should be modified;

creating additional segments for the adaptive stream manifest file corresponding to the modified piece of content; and

causing the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the additional segments to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the modified piece of content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input from the user is an implied input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the implied input includes one or more of the following an updated account status, demographics, and prior viewing habits.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the input from the user is an explicit input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the explicit input includes one or more of the following a request to change a channel, a request to view an alternate scene, a request to zoom-in, and a request to alter a resolution of the content.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the creating step further comprises:

receiving a content file with one or more descriptive labels associated with one or more scenes of the content file;

segmenting the content file while taking into account the one or more descriptive labels associated with the one or more scenes of the content file;

storing each segment and associated one or more descriptive labels of the content file;

receiving a request initiated by the user via the user device to stream the content file;

adding references associated with the segments to the adaptive stream manifest file;

causing the adaptive stream manifest file containing the references to the segments associated with the content file to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the content file;

receiving an input initiated by the user of the user device indicating that the content file should be modified based on at least one of the one or more descriptive labels;

modifying the content file to include only the segments per the input from the user; and

causing the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the segments associated with the modified content file to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the modified content file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more descriptive labels associated with the one or more scenes of the content file:

indicate importance of the corresponding scene in regard to a plot of a show in the content file;

indicate a particular subject of the corresponding scene in regard to different parts of a news program in the content file;

indicate a particular character associated with the corresponding scene in regard to a show in the content file;

or

indicate a particular keyword associated with the corresponding scene in regard to a show in the content file.

17. A stream manager configured to create an adaptive stream manifest file which is provided to a user device, the stream manager comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions therein where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable the following;

receive a request initiated by the user via the user device to stream a desired piece of content;

create segments for the adaptive stream manifest file corresponding to the desired piece of content;

cause the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the segments to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the desired piece of content;

receive an input initiated by the user of the user device indicating that the desired piece of content should be modified;

create additional segments for the adaptive stream manifest file corresponding to the modified piece of content; and

cause the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the additional segments to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the modified piece of content.

18. The stream manager of claim 17, wherein the input from the user is an implied input.

19. The stream manager of claim 17, wherein the input from the user is an explicit input.

20. A stream manager configured to create an adaptive stream manifest file which is provided to a user device, the stream manager comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions therein where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable the following;

receive a content file with one or more descriptive labels associated with one or more scenes of the content file;

segment the content file while taking into account the one or more descriptive labels associated with the one or more scenes of the content file;

store each segment and associated one or more descriptive labels of the content file;

receive a request initiated by the user via the user device to stream the content file;

add references associated with the segments to the adaptive stream manifest file;

cause the adaptive stream manifest file containing references to the segments associated with the content file to be streamed to the user device which is configured to receive and playback the content file;

receive an input initiated by the user of the user device indicating that the content file should be modified based on at least one of the one or more descriptive labels;

modify the content file to include only the segments per the input from the user; and

cause the adaptive stream manifest file with references to the segments associated with the modified content file to be streamed to the user device which is configured to request, receive and playback the modified content file.