System and method for routing media

• US 7,191,244 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SITO Mobile R&D IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Streamworks Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Bate, Donald, Jennings, Chuck
• Primary Examiner(s): CALDWELL, ANDREW T
• Application Number:
  US10/051,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20020099842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 725/44, 725/46, 725/48, 725/49, 725/58, 725/95, 725/97
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/781 Centralised allocation of resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The system and method for streaming media to a viewer and managing the media comprises and an enhanced service routing processor (ESRP), a real time switch management system (RTSMS), a name routing processor (NRP), and a managed media switch (MMS). The RTSMS has a reservation system. The ESRP receives media from an owner, manages the media according to media rules and order rules defined by the owner, and distributes the media to one or more switches, such as the MMS, according to the media rules and the order rules. The RTSMS is configured to receive the media rules and to receive a viewer'"'"'s media request via the reservation server. The reservation system of the RTSMS processes the media request according to the media rules and builds a reservation for the requested media. The RTSMS generates the reservation to the viewer and to the NRP. The NRP receives the reservation data from the viewer and from the RTSMS. The NRP processes the reservation data and locates an MMS that can stream the media to the viewer. The NRP transmits the IP address of the MMS to the viewer and transmits the reservation data to the MMS. The viewer initiates a session or connection with the MMS using the reservation number. If the reservation data from the viewer matches the reservation data from the NRP, the MMS streams the media to the viewer.

Claims

1. A method for routing media comprising:

receiving a request for media;

determining a program in which the requested media is identified;

creating a presentation having a presentation identification based on the program;

generating a reservation comprising a reservation identification and the presentation;

generating a play script comprising the reservation identification and at least one media identification for the requested media;

receiving the reservation, the reservation identification, and the at least one media identification at a routing processor;

validating the reservation identification with the reservation at the routing processor and, at the routing processor, determining a media switch configured to stream media identified by the media identification;

generating an address for the media switch upon validating the reservation identification and determining the media switch; and

streaming the media identified by the media identification from the media switch upon a session being initiated at the address.

2. A method for routing media for reception by a viewer for a request comprising:

identifying at least one program in which at least a portion of the media is available;

processing the request with at least one program rule of the at least one program to generate a presentation identifying the at least the portion of the media;

generating a reservation associated with the presentation; and

identifying at least one resource to stream the presentation for reception by the viewer based on the reservation.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying at least one other program in which at least one other portion of the media is available;

processing the request with at least one other program rule of the at least one other program to generate at least one other presentation identifying the at least one other portion of the media;

generating at least one other reservation associated with the at least one other presentation; and

identifying, based on the at least one other reservation, if the at least one resource is configured to stream the at least one other presentation.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying at least one other program in which at least one other portion of the media is available;

processing the request with at least one other program rule of the at least one other program to generate at least one other presentation identifying the at least one other portion of the media;

generating at least one other reservation associated with the at least one other presentation; and

identifying, based on the at least one other reservation, at least one other resource to stream the at least one other presentation.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

identifying at least one other program in which at least one other portion of the media is available;

processing the request with at least one other program rule of the at least one other program; and

generating the presentation identifying the at least one portion of the media and the at least one other portion of the media.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

generating a presentation identification for the presentation and a reservation identification for the reservation; and

generating the presentation, the presentation identification, and the reservation identification as the reservation.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising applying a viewer profile to the at least one program to generate the presentation.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising generating a play script for the presentation for the viewer, the play script comprising at least one media reference identifying the at least one portion of the media.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein generating the play script further comprises generating the play script with a plurality of media references identifying a plurality of media.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating the at least one media reference to identify at least one media clip and a reservation identification for the reservation.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating the at least one media reference to comprise a universal resource locator that identifies at least one media clip and a reservation identification for the reservation.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating the at least one media reference to comprise at least one member of a group consisting of a recorded media reference, a live media reference, a media alias, and a media selector.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising formatting the play script according to a player type for the viewer.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising transmitting an address of the at least one resource to for reception by the viewer.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one resource comprises a switch and the method further comprises:

distributing the at least one program to the switch;

selecting the switch to stream the presentation for reception by the viewer; and

streaming the at least one portion of the media from the switch for reception by the viewer.

16. The method of claim 2 further comprising selecting the resource from at least one member of a group consisting of a switch, a media server software of the switch, and a stream caster of the switch.

17. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the at least one program has a program identification; and

the method further comprises tracking the program by the program identification using a management system.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising using the program identification to track at least one member of a group consisting of a number of times a selected media of the at least one program is streamed, o another number of times the at least one program is streamed, a viewer attribute associated with the viewer receiving the selected media from the at least one program, and at least one other media from at least the other program streamed with the at least one portion of the media.

19. The method of claim 2 further comprising using as the at least one program rule at least one member of a group consisting of a program creation rule and a program routing rule.

20. The method of claim 2 further comprising using at least one order comprising at least one order component associated with the at least one program to process the request and generate the presentation.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising using as the at least one order component at least one member of a group consisting of a service rule identifying how a media viewing should be paid, a storage rule identifying where the media and the program will be located for physical storage, a collection rule identifying an entity collecting a payment for services rendered, a viewing rule identifying acceptable viewers that can receive the media and the program, and a settlement rule identifying how a collection is divided among participating entities.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising using a service processor to enable entry of the at least one program and the at least one order for the at least one program.

23. A system for routing media for a request for a viewer comprising:

a management system configured to receive the request for media, to determine a program in which the requested media is identified, to create a presentation having a presentation identification based on the program, to generate a reservation comprising a reservation identification and the presentation, and to generate a play script comprising the reservation identification and at least one media identification for the requested media;

a media switch configured to stream media identified by the at least one media identification upon a session being initiated at an address; and

a routing processor configured to receive the reservation, the reservation identification, and the media identification, to validate the reservation identification with the reservation, to determine the media switch configured to stream the media identified by the at least one media identification, and to generate the address for the media switch upon validating the reservation identification.

24. A system for routing media for reception by a viewer for a request comprising:

a reservation system configured to receive the request, to identify at least one program in which at least a portion of the media is available, to process the request with at least one program rule of the at least one program to generate a presentation identifying the at least the portion of the media, and to generate a reservation associated with the presentation; and

a routing processor configured to receive the reservation from the reservation system and to identify, based on the reservation, at least one resource to stream the presentation for reception by the viewer.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein:

the reservation system further is configured to identify at least one other program in which at least one other portion of the media is available, to process the request with at least one other program rule of the at least one other program to generate at least one other presentation identifying the at least one other portion of the media, and to generate at least one other reservation associated with the at least one other presentation; and

the routing processor further is configured to receive the at least one other reservation from the reservation system and to identify, based on the at least one other reservation, if the at least one resource is configured to stream the at least one other presentation.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein:

the reservation system further is configured to identify at least one other program in which at least one other portion of the media is available, to process the request with at least one other program rule of the at least one other program to generate at least one other presentation identifying the at least one other portion of the media, and to generate at least one other reservation associated with the at least one other presentation; and

the routing processor further is configured to receive the at least one other reservation from the reservation system and to identify, based on the at least one other reservation, at least one other resource to stream the at least one other presentation.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein the reservation system is configured to identify at least one other program in which at least one other portion of the media is available, to process the request with at least one other program rule of the at least one other program, to generate the presentation, and to generate the reservation associated with the presentation, wherein the presentation identifies the at least the portion of the media and the at least one other portion of the media.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the reservation system is configured to generate a presentation identification for the presentation and a reservation identification for the reservation, and the reservation comprises the presentation, the presentation identification, and the reservation identification.

29. The system of claim 24 wherein the reservation system is configured to apply a viewer profile to the at least one program to generate the presentation.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein the reservation system further is configured to generate a play script for the presentation for the viewer, the play script comprising at least one media reference identifying the at least the portion of the media.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the play script comprises a plurality of media references identifying a plurality of media.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the media reference identifies at least one media clip and a reservation identification for the reservation.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the media reference comprises a universal resource locator that identifies at least one media clip and a reservation identification for the reservation.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein the media reference comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a recorded media reference, a live media reference, a media alias, and a media selector.

35. The system of claim 30 wherein the play script is formatted according to a player type for the viewer.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein the routing processor further is configured to transmit an address of the at least one resource for reception by the viewer.

37. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one resource comprises a switch configured to stream the at least the portion of the media for reception by the viewer, wherein the service processor further is configured to distribute the at least one program to the at least one switch, and wherein the routing processor further is configured to select the switch to stream the presentation to the viewer.

38. The system of claim 24 wherein the resource comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a switch, a media server of the switch, and a stream caster of the switch.

39. The system of claim 24 wherein:

the at least one program has a program identification; and

the system further comprises a management system configured to track the program by the program identification.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the management system is configured to use the program identification to track at least one member of a group consisting of a number of times a selected media of the at least one program is streamed, another number of times the at least one program is streamed, a viewer attribute associated with the viewer receiving the selected media of the at least one program, and at least one other media from at least one other program streamed with the at least the portion of the media.

41. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one program rule comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a program creation rule and a program routing rule.

42. The system of claim 24 wherein the at least one program further comprises at least one order consisting of at least one order component.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the at least one order component comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a service rule identifying how a media viewing should be paid, a storage rule identifying where the at least the portion of the media and the program will be located for physical storage, a collection rule identifying an entity collecting a payment for services rendered, a viewing rule identifying acceptable viewers that can receive the at least the portion of the media and the program, and a settlement rule identifying how a collection is divided among participating entities.

44. The system of claim 42 further comprising a service processor configured to enable entry of the at least one program and the at least one order for the at least one program.