NUMERIC CHANNEL TUNER AND DIRECTORY SERVER FOR MEDIA AND SERVICES

• US 20140351870A1
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WorldRelay, Inc.
• Original Assignee: WorldRelay, Inc.
• Inventors: Cojocaru, Andrei, Amine, Gilbert A, Coward, Joseph Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,305,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/00 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/414 Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein describe an apparatus, method and system for indexing online media content and services into numeric channel numbers and enabling a user device to access such content and services by entering the channel numbers. Embodiments may include a media and services tuner software module that resides on a user device and a directory server. The directory server may include a request module configured to receive a request including instructions to provide users access to content or services. Embodiments may also include a database module configured to determine a uniform resource locator for a server associated with the channel number within the received request.

Claims

1. A system for a numeric directory server, comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a directory server request module configured to receive a request including instructions to provide user devices access to media content or online services, the request including a channel number;

a database module configured to determine a uniform resource locator for a server associated with the channel number within the received request; and

a data communication module configured to communicate data associated with at least one of the media content and the online services.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a database configured to store a mapping of a plurality of channel numbers and uniform resource locators, wherein the channel number is one of the plurality of channel numbers; and

a logic module being configured to determine the uniform resource locator for the server associated with the channel number within the received request based on comparing the channel number within the received request and the plurality of channel numbers stored within the database.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the data communication module is further configured to transmit the information from the database, the transmitted information being configured to be stored locally at a user device at a location associated with the received request, wherein the user device is configured to query the locally stored information to determine uniform resource locations associated with corresponding channel numbers being generated in response to receiving inputs by the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the content includes at least one of streaming media, a stream from a device with a camera configured to acquire and transmit pictures and video, an advertisement, a video infomercial, and interactive communication or media.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the online services include at least one of an interactive gaming, video telephony, telemedicine, and interaction with an intelligent personal assistant.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the channel number is associated with a telephone number.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the directory server request module is configured to receive a content provider request from a second server to broadcast content or services to the user, the content provider request including a second uniform resource locator associated with the second server;

the database module is configured to map a second channel number and the second uniform resource locator within the database to associate the second server with the second channel number.

8. A method for a numeric directory server, comprising:

receiving a request to provide access to user devices to content or services, the request including a channel number and a user identifier;

determining a uniform resource locator for a server associated with the channel number within the received request;

transmitting a notification indicating the uniform resource locator for the server associated with the channel number; and

communicating data associated with at least one of the content and the services.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

mapping of a plurality of channel numbers and uniform resource locators within a database, wherein the channel number is one of the plurality of channel numbers; and

determining the uniform resource locator for the server associated with the channel number within the received request based on comparing the channel number within the received request and the plurality of channel numbers stored within the database.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the information contained in the database, wherein the transmitted information is configured to be locally stored at a user device associated with the received request, wherein the user device is configured to query the locally stored information to determine uniform resource locations associated with corresponding channel numbers.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the content includes at least one of streaming media, a stream from a device with a camera configured to acquire and transmit pictures and video, an advertisement, a video infomercial, and interactive communication or media.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the online services include at least one of an interactive gaming, video telephony, telemedicine, and interaction with an intelligent personal assistant.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the channel number is associated with a telephone number.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a content provider request from a second server to broadcast content or services to the user, the content provider request including a second uniform resource locator associated with the second server,

mapping a second channel number and the second uniform resource locator within the database to associate the second server with the second channel number.

15. An apparatus for a user side device utilizing a numeric directory server, comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an interface configured to receive commands from a user associated with a channel number;

a communications module configured to transmit a request including the channel number and a user identifier to a first server to receive access to media content or online services from a second server, and the communications module being configured to receive the media content or the online services over a broadband communications network associated with the request, wherein the media content or the online services are received as determined by the uniform resource locator associated with the channel number within the transmitted request; and

a display configured to present media to the user associated with the received content or the received services.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the communications module is configured to transmit a user status notification including the channel number associated with the media content or the online services currently being received by the user side device, and the communications module being configured to receive a broadcast status notification from the first server indicating a broadcast status of the media content or the online services associated with the uniform resource located from the second server.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user side device is one of a smart TV, a tablet computer, or a smart phone.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the display is configured to be disposed externally from the user side device.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user side device is one of a streaming media player, a blu-ray player, a game console, a set-top box, an Over-the-Top box, or a personal computer.

20. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a subscriber profile services module configured to track a user status of a user, the user status being responsive to content or services currently being broadcast by a server to the user associated with a uniform resource locator for the server;

a broadcast server module configured to track a broadcast status of the server, the broadcast status being responsive to the content or the services currently being broadcast by the server to the user associated with the uniform resource locator for the server; and

a communication module being configured to transmit a notification to at least one of the server or the user, the notification including at least one of the user status or the broadcast status.

21. A method comprising:

tracking a user status of a user responsive to content or services currently being broadcast by a server to the user associated with a uniform resource locator for the server;

tracking a broadcast status of the server responsive to the content or the services currently being broadcast by the server to the user associated with the uniform resource locator for the server; and

transmitting a notification to at least one of the server or the user, the notification including at least one of the user status or the broadcast status.

22. A method for assigning channel numbers, the method comprising:

crawling one or more websites to identify a first set of websites providing content or services by parsing objects found in markup languages for the one or more websites;

analyzing the parsed objects using one or more policies to identify a second set of websites to be further processed, the second set of websites being a subset of the first set of websites;

selecting content and uniform resource locators from the second set of websites configured to be presented to users;

performing compatibility testing on the content or the services and uniform resource locators associated with the second set of websites;

creating channels for the selected content associated with the second set of websites; and

transmitting information associated with the created channels, the transmitted information including a channel number and uniform resource locator corresponding to each created channels.

23. The method of claim 22 comprising:

converting the content from a first format to a second format, the second form being compatible with client software residing on user side devices.

24. The method of claim 22 comprising:

adding content and uniform resource locators derived from directories, other websites, online services or other channels.

25. The method of claim 22 comprising:

analyzing the information associated with the created channels; and

accepting or editing the information prior to transmitting the information associated with the created channels.