Content Segment Detection And Replacement

• US 20150006752A1
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mao, Weidong, Nafshi, Elad, Vickers, Mark Andrew, Broome, Gregory Allen, Kotay, Sree, O'Hare, David Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• 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: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing content are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a request for content comprising at least a first segment. The method can also comprise determining an expiration condition of the first segment, and replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition. The method can also comprise providing the second segment to a user or a device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for content comprising at least a first segment;

determining an expiration condition of the first segment;

replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition; and

providing the second segment in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the content from a content provider and storing the content on a user device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving the second segment from the content provider through an internet protocol stream, and wherein receiving the content from the content provider comprises receiving the content through a quadrature amplitude modulation based content distribution network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the content from the content provider comprises receiving the content to a digital video recorder.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the content on a computer configured to allow access to the content through a cloud computing service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an expiration condition comprises identifying one or more segment markers in the content configured to identify the first segment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more segment markers comprise a time expiration marker, the time expiration marker comprises the expiration condition of the first segment and the expiration condition is an expiration time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein replacing the first segment comprises replacing the first segment with the second segment if a request time is after the expiration time, the request time is a time associated with the request for the content.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more segment markers comprise an identifier marker and determining the expiration condition comprises:

receiving an expiration notification from a content provider, the expiration notification comprising an identifier of the first segment; and

associating the identifier marker of the first segment with the identifier of the first segment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing user demographics, wherein the expiration condition is based on a change in user demographics.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein user demographics comprises at least one of geographic location, type of the user device, or user preference.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving user data, wherein the user data indicates first content scheduled to be recorded on a user device;

inserting a segment into second content based on the user data; and

providing the second content having the segment to the user device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein inserting a segment comprises replacing a first segment in the second content with a second segment.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first segment is an advertisement related to the first content.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user data is received through at least one of a session initiation protocol message, a simple network management protocol message, or a hypertext transfer protocol message.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the user data comprises at least one of a user identifier, a program identifier of the first content, and a time scheduled for recording the first content on the user device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising requesting the user data from the user device.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the user data in a database configured to store user data of a plurality of subscribers.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the second content is provided through a quadrature amplitude modulation based content delivery network.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the first content and the second content are the same.