SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EXPEDITED DELIVERY OF MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20140280773A1
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Lovelace Jr
• Original Assignee: Kent Lovelace Jr
• Inventors: Sharp, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,990,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

The systems and methods disclosed herein are directed to making multimedia content available over a network to users on-demand. In one representative embodiment, a method of providing sponsored downloads of multimedia content to a user on-demand comprises receiving a request to sponsor one or more downloads of one or more multimedia files by one or more users. The request can originate from a sponsoring entity, and the one or more multimedia files can be available through a multimedia provider service. The method can further comprise receiving a request originating from a multimedia player to download a multimedia file from the multimedia provider service, and transmitting the multimedia file to the multimedia player. The multimedia file can be transmitted to the multimedia player with a commercial message from the sponsoring entity.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method of providing sponsored downloads of multimedia content to a user on-demand, the method comprising:

over a network,

receiving a request to sponsor one or more downloads of one or more multimedia files by one or more users, the request originating from a sponsoring entity, the one or more multimedia files being available through a multimedia provider service;

receiving a request to download a multimedia file from the multimedia provider service, the request originating from a multimedia player;

transmitting the multimedia file to the multimedia player;

wherein

the multimedia file is transmitted to the multimedia player with a commercial message from the sponsoring entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more downloads further comprise a predetermined number of downloads.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined number of downloads sponsored by the sponsoring entity corresponds to a fee paid by the sponsoring entity to the multimedia provider service.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each transmission of a multimedia file sponsored by the sponsoring entity results in a corresponding reduction in a number of remaining sponsored downloads.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia provider service comprises one or more queues corresponding to the one or more multimedia files;

and

the request to download a multimedia file is stored in the one or more queues corresponding to the multimedia file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more queues store one or more pending download requests, and the number of pending download requests can be made available to the sponsoring entity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia provider service allows a second sponsoring entity to bid against the first sponsoring entity for the right to sponsor downloads of the one or more multimedia files.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the multimedia provider service is configured to stream the one or more multimedia files to the multimedia player; and

the multimedia player comprises a download button configured to display while the multimedia file is being streamed to the multimedia player.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the multimedia provider service is configured to transmit a copy of the multimedia file to the multimedia player in response to a download request sent by the multimedia player upon activation of the download button by a user, the multimedia file being stored locally on the multimedia player.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial message is displayed to the user on a graphical user interface of the multimedia player.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial message is played back on the multimedia player when the multimedia file is played back.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sponsoring entity comprises one or more sponsoring entities, and the multimedia provider service is configured to allow a user to choose which sponsoring entity they would prefer to have sponsor the download of the multimedia file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia provider service is configured to allow the sponsoring entity to manage one or more advertisement campaigns, the one or more advertisement campaigns having one or more commercial messages associated therewith.

14. A system for providing a download of a multimedia file to a user on-demand, comprising:

a multimedia player configured to play multimedia files; and

a multimedia provider service in communication with the multimedia player over a network, the multimedia provider service including a multimedia content server having a database containing multimedia files and configured to stream multimedia files to the multimedia player over the network;

wherein the multimedia provider service is configured to receive a request from the multimedia player to download a multimedia file currently being streamed to the multimedia player, the request being sent upon activation of a download button associated with the multimedia player; and

wherein the multimedia provider service is configured to transmit a copy of the multimedia file to the multimedia player in response to the request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the download of the multimedia file by the user is sponsored by one or more sponsors.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the download of the multimedia file by the user is accompanied by one or more commercial messages from the one or more sponsors.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user is allowed to choose which sponsoring entity they would prefer to have sponsor the download of the multimedia file.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the download button is configured to display in a software application being run on the multimedia player.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the software application is a game.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the software application is a web browser.