Method and system for providing rich media content over a computer network

• US 7,421,482 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Ireland, Alexander Blair, Hadjitarkhani, Abie, Behrens, John Robert, Narimatsu, Nancy Kiyoko, Armstrong, Brooke Allysoun, Muller, Stephen John
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US11/184,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20050256941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 719/328, 719/329
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/156 Query results presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The invention presented here is a method and system for providing rich media content over a computer network. In accordance with the invention, a server on a physical or wireless computer network polls the software, hardware, or appliance of an end user on the network, for the availability of software and/or hardware necessary for the display of rich media content. This polling is transparent to the end user and requires no action on the part of the end user. Based on the client'"'"'s response, the server sends an appropriately formatted version of the rich media file. The user is not necessarily aware that this transfer is taking place, as it is taking place in the background, while the user is performing other tasks or viewing content other than that which is being transferred. Once the rich media has been transferred in its entirety and stored, or cached, in the local memory of the client, the rich media content is displayed automatically in a designated display area. The user may then be able to manipulate the rich media content without affecting the other content or tasks that were being displayed prior to the display of the rich media content.

Claims

1. A method for automatically providing rich media content to a client on a computer network, comprising:

sending a query from a server to the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said sending being automatic and being initiated by the server;

receiving at the server a response from the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said receiving being responsive to said sending;

comparing at the server the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally against a predefined schedule of rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content, said schedule comprises a preference ranking of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content; and

selecting a version of said rich media content appropriate for said ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said version of said rich media content comprising a rich media file, the format of said rich media file is the highest ranked of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content that matched said ability to playback said rich media content locally.

2. The method of claim 1, further including sending the rich media file to the client.

3. The method of claim 1, further including receiving the entire contents of the rich media file into the local cache memory of the client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rich media file format is selected from a group of rich media file formats consisting of a file format for video quality, a file format for audio quality, and a file format for speed of download.

5. The method of claim 1, further including displaying the rich media file from the local cache memory of the client responsive to determining the entire contents of the rich media file are received into the local cache memory of the client.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying includes displaying the rich media file in a designated display area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the designated display area includes controls for the manipulated rich media content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the controls include a control that enables replay of the rich media content.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the controls include a control that is selected from a group of controls including a button control, a menu control, a voice command control, a menu bar control, a navigation bar control, and a tool bar control.

10. A system for automatically providing rich media content to a client on a computer network, comprising:

a processor that executes control logic to cause a send of a query from a server to the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said processor to cause said send to be automatic and initiated by the server, said processor to cause a receive, at the server, of a response from the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said receive responsive to said send; and

a memory to store rich media file formats,

said processor to cause a retrieval of the rich media file formats from the memory and to compare, at the server, the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally against a predefined schedule of rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content, said schedule comprises a preference ranking of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content, said processor to select a version of said rich media content appropriate for said ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said version of said rich media content comprising a rich media file, the format of said rich media file is the highest ranked of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content that matched said ability to playback said rich media content locally.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is to cause a send of the rich media file to the client.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the rich media file format is selected from a group of rich media file formats including a file format for video quality, a file format for audio quality, and a file format for speed of download.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the client is to receive the entire contents of the rich media file into a local cache memory of the client.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the client is to display the rich media file from the local cache memory of the client.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the client is to display the rich media file in a designated display area.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the designated display area includes controls to manipulate the rich media content.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controls include a control to enable replay of the rich media content.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controls include a control that is selected from a group of controls including a button control, a menu control, a voice command control, a menu bar control, a navigation bar control, and a tool bar control.

19. A computer program product storing control logic that, when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to:

send a query from a server to the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said send being automatic and being initiated by the server;

receive at the server a response from the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said receive being responsive to said send;

compare at the server the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally against a predefined schedule of rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content, said schedule comprises a preference ranking of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content; and

select a version of said rich media content appropriate for said ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said version of said rich media content comprising a rich media file, the format of said rich media file is the highest ranked of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content that matched said ability to playback said rich media content locally.

20. A system for automatically providing rich media content to a client on a computer network, comprising:

a first means, that executes control logic, for causing a send of a query from a server to the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said first means to cause said send to be automatic and initiated by the server, said first means to cause a receive, at the server, of a response from the client regarding the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said receive responsive to said send; and

a second means for storing rich media file formats,

said first means to cause a retrieval of the rich media file formats from the second means and to compare, at the server, the ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally against a predefined schedule of rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content, said schedule comprises a preference ranking of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content, said first means to select a version of said rich media content appropriate for said ability of the client to playback said rich media content locally, said version of said rich media content comprising a rich media file, the format of said rich media file is the highest ranked of said rich media file formats available on said network for said rich media content that matched said ability to playback said rich media content locally.