System and method for managing content delivered to a user over a network

• US 7,363,372 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Viacom International Incorporated (Paramount Global (f/k/a ViacomCBS Inc.))
• Original Assignee: MTVN Online Partner I, LLC
• Inventors: Potenzone, Casey S., Schwegel, Jason, Manning, Damian Franken
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/777,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/225, 709/229, 709/231, 709/203, 709/223, 455/45, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/46 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53-H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A system is provided for managing the delivery of content over a network, particularly songs or music over the Internet. A station and playlist module manages the content delivered by a number of stations over the network, the type of content that may be delivered by each of the stations being specified by a playlist for that station. Preferably, at least one station includes two or more playlists and only one of those playlists specifies the content that may be delivered by that station at any one time. A database that stores information describing the content or songs that stations can deliver may be searched by users who may also request new content when a particular song is not found. Also, preferably there are at least two categories of system users including a first user category having full access privileges and a second user category having less than full access privileges but having access privileges to create and edit at least one station playlist.

Claims

1. A system for managing the delivery of content over a network to a user comprising:

a station and playlist module for managing the content delivered by one or more stations over the network, the type of content delivered by each of the stations being specified by a playlist for that station,

wherein at least one of said stations includes two or more playlists and only one of said two or more playlists specifies the content delivered by that station at any one time,

wherein the user adds content to at least one of the two or more playlists associated with the at least one station, and

wherein the content is audio-based and each playlist includes a number of songs delivered by the station associated with that playlist; and

a playlist validation module for verifying that a playlist contains at least one combination of songs that are in compliance with a set of licensing rules.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the station and playlist module manages the content delivered by a plurality of stations.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the content is multimedia-based and each playlist includes a number of music videos delivered by the station associated with that playlist.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a promotions module for managing promotional content to be included in the playlists.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an advertisement module for managing advertising content to be included in the playlists.

7. A method for managing the delivery of content over a network to a user comprising:

managing, by a station and playlist module, the content delivered by one or more stations over the network, the type of content delivered by each of the stations being specified by a playlist for that station,

wherein at least one of said stations includes two or more playlists and only one of said two or more playlists specifies the content delivered by that station at any one time;

adding, by the user, content to at least one of the two or more playlists associated with the at least one station,

wherein the content is audio-based and each playlist includes a number of songs delivered by the station associated with that playlist; and

verifying, by a playlist validation module, that a playlist contains at least one combination of songs that are in compliance with a set of licensing rules.