Method and apparatus for creating a connection speed detecting movie and rich media player customization on the fly

• US 7,178,161 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2001
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tentoe Surfing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tentoe Surfing Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Ming-Horng, Fristoe, Tom, Capece, Cary
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoye; Michael W.
• Application Number:
  US09/765,926
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/36, 725/37, 725 40- 44, 725/51, 725 54- 55, 725/109, 725112-116, 725/86, 345/716, 345719-722, 345/730, 345/749, 345/760, 345/762, 715/716, 715719-722, 715/730, 715/749, 715/760, 715/762, 709/228, 709/231
• US Class Current: 725/86
• 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 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A master movie and player are created on the fly. The master movie is created based on characteristics of a movie or other asset to be viewed by the player. The player is constructed from a template having rudimentary player capabilities for a predetermined connection speed. Tracks selected by suppliers and user/e-tailers are added to customize the player. Different players are constructed for various predetermined connection speeds. When an asset is to be viewed, a server downloads the master movie matching a content viewer'"'"'s request to the content viewer'"'"'s machine. The master movie determines the connection speed and send a message back to the server. The server then downloads the player for the asset requested by the content viewer and matching the content viewer'"'"'s connection speed. The requested asset is then streamed to the content viewer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

after receipt of a rich media request from a consumer web browser invoking a link on an e-tailer web page, building a set of rich media players on-the-fly at a third party server, comprising,

accessing a predefined template comprising a basic movie player having track locations and designed to operate at a predetermined connection speed,

applying a set of selected tracks to the track locations of said template,

saving the player in a place accessible on the third party server, and

repeating the steps of accessing, applying and saving for a each of a set of predefined templates designed to operate at different predefined connection speeds;

receiving a connection speed identifier;

uploading one of the built on-the-fly players corresponding to the connection speed identifier from the third party server to the consumer web browser; and

serving the requested rich media content to the uploaded player.

2. The player according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the track locations of said template is at least one of a promotional track location and a track location that may be used as a promotional track location;

at least one of said selected tracks is a promotional track; and

said method further comprises the steps of,

placing said promotional track in said promotional track location;

receiving a page or other asset to associate with said promotional track; and

linking said promotional track with said page or other asset.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said method further comprises the steps of:

receiving a set of parameters indicating when said promotion track is to be active;

building the players consistent with said set of parameters;

rebuilding said players to include promotional tracks when said promotional tracks have become active; and

rebuilding said players to remove promotional tracks when said promotional tracks have become inactive.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

checking the validity of a promotional track used in a player when the player is requested to play; and

performing said steps of re-building if the promotional track has become active or inactive.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

building additional sets of rich media players, each additional movie player set having a different set of selected tracks applied to the track locations;

checking validity of the set of selected tracks in the rich media player prior to uploading the rich media player and only uploading the rich media player if it does not have invalid tracks.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of applying comprises:

applying a set of supplier selected tracks to the track locations of said template; and

applying a set of user/e-tailer selected tracks to the track locations of said template.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

after receipt of the rich media request,

downloading a master movie to the consumer web browser corresponding to the rich media content requested, and

receiving a request from the master movie indicating rich media content matching the rich media request and a connection speed of the content viewer.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said connection speed is determined by said master movie by reading a profile on a host machine used by said content viewer.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said connection speed is determined by said master movie by performing the steps of:

downloading a predetermined file from a server; and

calculating the connection speed using the file size and time required to download the file.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said track location is a buy button track location; and

said method further comprises the steps of,

applying a buy button track to said buy button track location, and linking a back end application configured to add an item to a content viewer'"'"'s shopping cart to said buy button track.

11. A computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, that, when loaded and executed by a computer, performs the method of claim 1.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the saved player comprises an entire solution for playing the movie and displaying the applied tracks on a computer without reference to movie players resident on the same computer or elsewhere.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the connection speed identifier comprises a communication from a built on-the-fly master movie built and then uploaded to the end user computer system after receipt of the rich media request.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the master movie determines the connection speed to identify without interaction with the user of the end user computer system.