Streaming media delivery on multicast networks for network and server bandwidth minimization and enhanced personalization

• US 7,020,710 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Weber, Barry Jay, Calvert, Kerry Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US10/177,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 709230-232, 709/236, 709/224, 725/105, 725/135, 725 86-103
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for personalizing received transmissions includes a content source that provides multiple transmission streams over a transmission media. A plurality of receivers is included wherein each receiver selects portions of one or more of the transmission streams in accordance with a playlist for each user. The receiver renders the portions of the received transmissions in accordance with a schedule.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting content to a plurality of users based on user profile information, comprising the steps of:

using said user profile information to select at least one of audio and video files to be transmitted over a plurality multicast channels,

selecting at least two multicast channels from said plurality of multicast channels to transmit said at least one audio and video files, wherein

said selecting step considers available bandwidth and number of users to which said at least one audio and video files are to be transmitted in order to determine how many multicast channels are to be selected; and

said number of users is greater than one; and

transmitting said at least one said audio and video where each file is being transmitted at a frequency over a same or a different content stream such that a given file is made available, in accordance with a schedule, to satisfy a playlist associated with a user from said number of users.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content of said playlist is selected by said user.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of directing advertisements to said user based on demographic information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of computing schedules for said number of users based on playlists associated with each user of said number of users.