Methods for transmitting multimedia files and advertisements

• US 7,565,429 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Clarity Systems
• Inventors: Fernandez, Alvaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US12/203,142
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/231, 725/34, 370/395.52
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• 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 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of transmitting a file having an advertising portion and a requested portion different from the advertising portion. The method includes receiving a request to transmit the file, via a streaming protocol allowing non-sequential access, transmitting the advertising portion of the file, receiving a request to transmit a portion of the requested portion of the file prior to completing transmitting the advertising portion of the file, completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the file, and transmitting the requested portion of the file.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of transmitting, from a streaming server, a digital file comprising an advertising portion comprising a first type of content and a requested portion comprising a second type of content which is different than the first type of content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the streaming server, via a streaming protocol, a request to transmit the digital file, wherein the streaming protocol is configured to allow non-sequential access to the digital file;

transmitting, by the streaming server, the advertising portion of the digital file in response to the request to transmit the digital file;

receiving, by the streaming server, via the streaming protocol, a request to transmit at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital file after beginning transmission of the advertising portion of the digital file and prior to completion of the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital file;

transmitting, by the streaming server, a signal comprising an indication that the signal will be followed by the at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital file prior to completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital file;

completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital file after transmitting the signal and before transmitting the at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital file; and

after completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital file, transmitting, by the streaming server, the at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises an indication that the signal immediately will be followed by the at least one portion of the requested portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming protocol comprises Real Time Streaming Protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the steps of transmitting the advertising portion, completing the transmission of the advertising portion, and transmitting the at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital file, are performed via Real-time Transport Protocol.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of generating the digital file by combining a first digital file comprising the advertising portion with a second digital file comprising the requested portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second type of content is associated with at least one of a video file, an audio file, and a multimedia file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a request for a type of content from a user before the step of receiving the request to transmit the digital file, wherein the second type of content is the type of content requested by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming server comprises a plurality of servers.

9. A computer-implemented method of transmitting, from a streaming server, digital data comprising an advertising portion comprising a first type of content and a requested portion comprising a second type of content which is different than the first type of content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the streaming server, a first request to transmit the digital data;

generating, by the streaming server, a first digital file comprising the digital data and supplemental digital data;

transmitting, by the streaming server, the advertising portion of the digital data in response to the first request;

receiving, by the streaming server, a second request to transmit at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital data after beginning transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data and prior to completion of the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data, such that a first portion of the advertising portion is transmitted prior to receiving the second request, and a second portion of the advertising portion is unstransmitted prior to receiving the second request;

generating, by the streaming server, a second digital file by positioning a portion of the supplemental digital data between the first portion of the advertising portion and the second portion of the advertising portion;

completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data after receiving the second request; and

after completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data, transmitting, by the streaming server, the at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the advertising portion of the digital data in response to the first request further comprises transmitting the first portion of the advertising portion from the first digital file.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data further comprises transmitting the second portion of the advertising portion from the second digital file.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of completing the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data further comprises transmitting the second portion of the advertising portion without transmitting the portion of the supplemental digital data positioned between the first portion of the advertising portion and the second portion of the advertising portion.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of receiving the first request and receiving the second request further comprises receiving the first request and receiving the second request via a streaming protocol, wherein the streaming protocol is configured to allow non-sequential access to the digital data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the streaming protocol comprises Real Time Streaming Protocol.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the steps of transmitting the advertising portion, completing the transmission of the advertising portion, and transmitting the at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital file, are performed via Real-time Transport Protocol.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first digital file further comprises at least one message, and the step of generating a second file further comprises positioning the at least one message between the portion of the supplemental digital data and the second portion of the advertising portion of the digital data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of transmitting the message prior to completing the transmission of the second portion of the advertising portion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the message is configured to indicate that the second portion of the advertising portion is to be transmitted prior to the transmission of the requested portion.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the message comprises a request to request the transmission of the second portion of the advertising portion prior to the transmission of the requested portion of the digital data.

20. A computer-implemented method of transmitting, from a streaming server, digital data comprising an advertising portion comprising a first type of content and a requested portion comprising a second type of content which is different than the first type of content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the streaming server, a first request to transmit the digital data;

generating, by the streaming server, a particular digital file comprising the digital data and supplemental digital data;

transmitting, by the streaming server, the advertising portion of the digital data in response to the first request;

receiving, by the streaming server, a second request to transmit at least one portion of the requested portion of the digital data after beginning transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data and prior to completion of the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data; and

terminating, by the streaming server, the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data, wherein the particular digital file further comprises at least one message indicating that the transmission of the advertising portion of the digital data subsequently will be terminated, and the method further comprises the streaming server transmitting the at least one message after receiving the second request and prior to terminating the transmission of the advertising portion.