Method and system for managing digital content including streaming media

• US 7,421,454 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Do, Huong Thi, Gray, Chad Ric, DeShan, Jay Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Michael
• Application Number:
  US10/789,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20050193010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention describes a system and method of managing digital content received from content providers and for facilitating access to the digital content to many subscribers. The method includes receiving from the content providers incoming feed files where each feed file contains information describing the content. The method determines if the feed files are approved by applying a template to the feed files and also receives request files from the subscribers where each request file contains search criteria. The method provides one or more answer files in response to the request files where each answer file identifies feed files that meet the search criteria of a corresponding request file. The answer files are used to access or permit access to digital content on the web. In addition, a graphical user interface is described to manage, edit, promote and delete the feed files provided to the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a plurality of content providers incoming feed files, each feed file having descriptive information describing digital content;

determining if the feed files are approved by applying one or more templates to the feed files;

receiving request files from a plurality of subscribers, each request file containing one or more search criteria; and

providing one or more answer files in response to request files, each answer file identifying one or more feed files that meet the search criteria of a corresponding request file, so as to manage digital content received from the plurality of content providers and facilitate access to the digital content to the plurality of subscribers.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining if the feed files are approved comprises:

determining that a first feed file is not approved based on comparison of the first feed file to a first template; and

the method further comprises;

identifying the first feed file as unapproved;

modifying the descriptive information of the unapproved feed file in accordance with the first template; and

identifying the first feed file as approved.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying templates to feed files comprises:

comparing the descriptive information of a first feed file with a first template, the first template containing descriptive information; and

identifying the first feed file as approved if the descriptive information of the first feed file matches the descriptive information of the first template.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein multiple items of digital content relate to an event, and wherein receiving request files include receiving a request file containing search criteria met by the event and where providing answer files includes providing an answer file identifying the multiple items of content related to the event.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying templates to feed files comprises:

identifying a first template as applicable to a first feed file, the first template having associated descriptive information;

storing descriptive information from the first template in the corresponding descriptive information of the first feed file; and

identifying the first feed file as approved.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein applying the templates comprises:

identifying a specific content provider submitting a specific feed file;

selecting a specific template based on the specific content provider; and

applying the specific template to the specific feed file.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a specific feed file describing an event and wherein applying the templates comprises:

identifying a specific category of the event;

selecting a specific template based on the specific category of the event; and

applying the specific template to the specific feed file.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a specific feed file includes multiple fields of descriptive information, and wherein applying the templates comprises:

identifying a specific field of descriptive information;

selecting a specific template based on the specific field of information; and

applying the specific template to the specific feed file.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the incoming feed file includes identifying information for locating and playing a streaming media file.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a received feed file includes identifying information for locating and displaying a digital image.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending a confirmation of receipt message to the content provider sending the feed file.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the answer files include the identified feed files.

13. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying computer program code, the computer program code when executed by a computer performing a method comprising:

receiving from a content provider an incoming feed file having fields of descriptive information describing digital content;

applying a template to the incoming feed file to determine if the feed file is approved;

storing the feed file if the feed file is approved;

receiving a request file containing one or more search criteria corresponding to one or more fields of descriptive information; and

providing an answer file containing one or more feed files that contain the search criteria of the request file.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, the method further comprising:

storing the incoming feed file in a queue;

modifying the descriptive information of the feed file; and

identifying the feed as approved.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein applying the template further comprises:

selecting a specific template having descriptive information based on the content provider; and

storing the descriptive information of the specific template to corresponding fields of descriptive information contained in the feed file.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein applying the template further comprises:

identifying a category of the digital content described by the feed file;

selecting a specific template having descriptive information according to the category of the event; and

storing the descriptive information of the specific template to the corresponding descriptive information of the feed file.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein applying the template further comprises:

comparing the descriptive information from the incoming feed file with the template, the template containing descriptive information; and

identifying the feed file as approved if the descriptive information of the feed file matches the descriptive information of the template.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium with computer program logic tangibly recorded thereon, the computer program product comprising:

means for receiving an incoming feed file having a plurality of descriptive information describing an event from a content provider;

means for applying a template to the descriptive information contained in the feed file to determine if the feed file is approved; and

means for storing the feed file in a database if approved.

19. A method comprising:

assigning a first service level to a first content provider;

assigning a second service level to a second content provider;

receiving from the content providers feed files, each feed file having descriptive information describing digital content;

determining if the feed files are approved by applying one or more templates to the feed files;

receiving a request file from the subscriber, the request file containing one or more search criteria; and

providing an answer file in response to the request file, the answer file identifying one or more feed files that meet the search criteria, wherein the feed files are identified according to a priority based on the service levels, so as to manage digital content received from the content providers and facilitate access to the digital content to the subscriber.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the service levels are based on an amount of digital content received from the content providers.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the service levels are based on fees paid by the content providers.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the priority includes excluding feed files received from the second content provider.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the priority includes identifying feed files received from the first content provider before feed files received from the second content provider.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the first content provider pays a first fee and the second content provider pays a second fee, the first fee greater than the second fee, and wherein the feed files identified by the answer file received from the first content provider receive priority over feed files received from the second content provider.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the priority includes excluding feed files received from the second content provider.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the priority includes identifying feed files received from the first content provider before feed files received from the second content provider.