System and method for enhanced media distribution

• US 7,685,204 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/361,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20060195462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,488 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/100, 707/102, 707/104.1, 709/3, 709/203
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0038 System on Chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/01 Automatic library building
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 : Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 : Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 : applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 : Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 : Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 : Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 : Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 : for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 : Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 : The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 : using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 : Multimedia

Abstract

A method and a computer readable medium for searching for media items from a network of users using a media management application and an instant messenger platform and a system for handling searches such searches. In one aspect, the method comprises receiving from a user having a group of messenger friends, a search request for a media item, identifying other users of the instant messaging service to form a list of candidate users, searching media items associated with each candidate user to develop a search result that fulfills the search request, and returning to the searching user the search result comprising information identifying which candidate user is associated with a media item source that can act as a source of a media item identified in the search result.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving via a media application and an instant messaging platform, from a first user having a group of messenger friends that said first user communicates with, a search request for a media item;

identifying a plurality of other users of said instant messaging platform to form a list of candidate users that comprises at least one user from said group of messenger friends, each user in said candidate list utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time the identification takes place;

searching media items associated with each candidate user to develop a search result that fulfills said search request; and

returning to said first user said search result comprising information identifying which candidate user is associated with a media item source that can act as a source of a media item identified in said search result and a location of said media item source on a network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of identifying further comprises identifying a second group of messenger friends that are messenger friends of said at least one user that are in turn also utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time the identification takes place.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising passing a communication to facilitate streaming said identified media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a local computing device associated with said first user so that said first user can experience said media item at said first user'"'"'s local computing device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising making a determination as to whether said first user must have adequate rights to experience said identified media item.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said adequate rights are based on said first user'"'"'s permission level associated with a subscription to an online media service.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said adequate rights are further based on said candidate user'"'"'s permission level associated with said subscription to an online media service.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising facilitating the communication of a copy of said identified media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user so that said first user can experience said media item at said first user'"'"'s local computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said first user must have adequate rights to experience said identified media item.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said adequate rights are based on said first user'"'"'s permission level associated with a subscription to an online media service.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, based upon at least said first user'"'"'s rights, which one of said media item sources acts as a source from which said media item can be obtained or experienced.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said media item can be obtained by streaming said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said media item can be obtained by copying said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said media item source comprises a media server that is in communication with said media management application and said instant messenger platform so that said media item is streamed from said media server to a computing device associated with said first user.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said media item source comprises a computing device associated with said candidate user such that said media item is streamed from said candidate users computing device to a computing device associated with said first user.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said instant messaging platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange messages to each other.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said instant messenger platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange an id associated with said identified media item if a computing device associated with said first user and a computing device associated with said candidate user are not directly connected to each other.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said id allows said first user to obtain said media item from a media service.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said instant messenger platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange an id associated with said identified media item and a pointer associated with said media item if a computing device associated with said first user and a computing device associated with said candidate user are directly connected to each other.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said first user and said candidate user must each be logged onto said messaging platform.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, based on communication criteria, which respective computing devices associated with respective candidate users would be a preferred source of said identified media item.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said communication criteria comprises a connection speed associated with each respective computing device with respect to a computing device associated with said first user.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said communication criteria comprises whether each respective computing device is available on said network.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying a plurality of other users of said instant messaging platform to form a list of candidate users further comprises identifying a status associated with each user.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said status comprises whether each user is connected to said network.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said status comprises whether each user is actively receiving messages.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein each user is identified by a unique ID.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing profile information associated with said candidate user.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said search request comprises search criteria.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said search criteria comprises an artist related to a media item.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein said search criteria comprises an album related to a media item.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein said search criteria comprises a title related to a media item.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein said search criteria comprises a genre related to a media item.

33. A computer readable storage medium tangibly encoded with a set of instructions for performing a method, comprising:

receiving, via a media application and an instant messaging platform from a first user having a group of messenger friends that said first user communicates with, a search request for a media item;

identifying a plurality of other users of said instant messaging platform to form a list of candidate users that comprises at least one user from said group of messenger friends, each user in said candidate list utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time the identification takes place;

searching media items associated with each candidate user to develop a search result that fulfills said search request; and

returning to said first user, on a visible display, said search result comprising information identifying which candidate user is associated with a media item source that can act as a source of a media item identified in said search result and a location of said media item source on a network.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein said step of identifying further comprises identifying a second group of messenger friends that are messenger friends of said at least one user that are in turn also utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time the identification takes place.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein said functions further comprise determining, based upon at least said first user'"'"'s rights, which one of said media item sources acts as a source from which said media item can be obtained or experienced.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35 wherein said media item can be obtained by streaming said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user.

37. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35 wherein said media item can be obtained by copying said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user.

38. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35 wherein said media item source comprises a media server that is in communication with said media management application and said instant messenger platform such that said media item is streamed from said media server to a computing device associated with said first user.

39. The computer readable storage medium of claim 35 wherein said media item source comprises a computing device associated with said candidate user such that said media item is streamed from said candidate user'"'"'s computing device to a computing device associated with said first user.

40. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein said functions further comprise facilitating the communication of a copy of said identified media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user so that said first user can experience said media item at said first user'"'"'s local computing device.

41. The computer readable storage medium of claim 40 wherein said first user must have adequate rights to experience said identified media item.

42. The computer readable storage medium of claim 41 wherein said adequate rights are based on said first user'"'"'s permission level associated with a subscription to an online media service.

43. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein said instant messenger platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange an id associated with said identified media item if a computing device associated with said first user and a computing device associated with said candidate user are not directly connected to each other.

44. The computer readable storage medium of claim 43 wherein said id allows said first user to obtain said media item from an online media service.

45. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33 wherein said instant messenger platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange an id associated with said identified media item and a pointer associated with said media item if a computing device associated with said first user and a computing device associated with said candidate user are directly connected to each other.

46. A system comprising:

a media management application and an instant messaging platform implemented on at least one processor for performing functions comprising;

receiving a search request for a media item from a first user having a group of messenger friends that said first user communicates with;

identifying a plurality of other users of said instant messaging platform to form a list of candidate users that comprises at least one user from said group of messenger friends, each user in said candidate list utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time the identification takes place;

searching media items associated with each candidate user to develop a search result that fulfills said search request; and

returning to said first user said search result comprising information identifying which candidate user is associated with a media item source that can act as a source of a media item identified in said search result and a location of said media item source on a network.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein said function of identifying further comprises identifying a second group of messenger friends that are messenger friends of said at least one user that are in turn also utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time the identification takes place.

48. The system of claim 46 wherein said functions further comprise passing a communication from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a local computing device associated with said first user to facilitate streaming said identified media item so that said first user can experience said media item at said first users local computing device.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein said functions further comprise making a determination as to whether said first user must have adequate rights to experience said identified media item.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein said adequate rights are based on said first user'"'"'s permission level associated with a subscription to an online media service.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein said adequate rights are further based on said candidate user'"'"'s permission level associated with said subscription to an online media service.

52. The system of claim 46 wherein said functions further comprise facilitating the communication of a copy of said identified media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user so that said first user can experience said media item at said first user'"'"'s local computing device.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein said first user must have adequate rights to experience said identified media item.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein said adequate rights are based on said first user'"'"'s permission level associated with a subscription to an online media service.

55. The system of claim 46 wherein said functions further comprise determining, based upon at least said first user'"'"'s rights, which one of said media item sources should act as a source from which said media item can be obtained or experienced.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein said media item can be obtained by streaming said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user.

57. The system of claim 55 wherein said media item can be obtained by copying said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a computing device associated with said first user.

58. The system of claim 55 wherein said media item source comprises a media server that is in communication with said media management application and said instant messenger platform such that said media item is streamed from said media server to a computing device associated with said first user.

59. The system of claim 55 wherein said media item source comprises a computing device associated with said candidate user such that said media item is streamed from said candidate user'"'"'s computing device to a computing device associated with said first user.

60. The system of claim 46 wherein said instant messaging platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange messages to each other.

61. The system of claim 46 wherein said instant messenger platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange an id associated with said identified media item if a computing device associated with said first user and a computing device associated with said candidate user are not directly connected to each other.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein said id allows said first user to obtain said media item from an online media service.

63. The system of claim 46 wherein said instant messenger platform allows said first user and said candidate user to exchange an id associated with said identified media item and a pointer associated with said media item if a computing device associated with said first user and a computing device associated with said candidate user are directly connected to each other.

64. The system of claim 46 wherein said first user and said candidate user must each be logged onto said messaging platform.

65. The system of claim 46 wherein said functions further comprise determining, based on communication criteria, which respective computing devices associated with respective candidate users would be a preferred source of said identified media item.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein said communication criteria comprises a connection speed associated with each respective computing device with respect to a computing device associated with said first user.

67. The system of claim 65 wherein said communication criteria comprises whether each respective computing device is available on said network.

68. The system of claim 46 wherein said function of identifying a plurality of other users of said instant messaging platform to form a list of candidate users further comprises identifying a status associated with each user.

69. The system of claim 68 wherein said status comprises whether each user is connected to said network.

70. The system of claim 68 wherein said status comprises whether each user is actively receiving messages.

71. A method comprising:

sending from a first user utilizing a media application and an instant messaging platform, a search request for a media item to a server; and

receiving a search result comprising information identifying at least one candidate user associated with a media item source that can act as a source of a media item identified in said search result and a location of said media item source on a network, wherein said candidate user is selected from a list of candidate users that comprises at least one user from a group of messenger friends that said first user communicates with, each user in said candidate list utilizing another instance of said application and said instant messaging platform at the time said at least one candidate user is identified.

72. The method of claim 71 further comprising receiving further information identifying a second group of messenger friends that are messenger friends of said at least one candidate user that are in turn also utilizing another instance of said application and said messaging platform at the time said at least one candidate user is identified.

73. The method of claim 71 further comprising receiving said identified media item, said media item being streamed from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a local computing device associated with said first user so that said first user can experience said media item at said first user'"'"'s local computing device.

74. The method of claim 71 further comprising receiving said identified media item, said media item being copied from a computing device associated with said candidate user to a local computing device associated with said first user so that said first user can experience said media item at said first users local computing device.

75. The method of claim 71 wherein said media item source comprises a media server that is in communication with said media management application and said instant messenger platform so that said media item is streamed from said media server to a computing device associated with said first user.

76. The method of claim 71 wherein said media item source comprises a computing device associated with said candidate user wherein said media item is streamed from said candidate user'"'"'s computing device to a computing device associated with said first user.

77. The method of claim 71 wherein said instant messaging platform allows said first user to send to and receive from messages with said candidate user.

78. The method of claim 71 further comprising receiving an id associated with said identified media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user if a computing device associated with said first user and said computing device associated with said candidate user are not directly connected to each other.

79. The method of claim 78 wherein said id allows said first user to obtain said media item from an online media service.

80. The method of claim 71 further comprising receiving an id associated with said identified media item and a pointer associated with said media item from a computing device associated with said candidate user if a computing device associated with said first user and said computing device associated with said candidate user are directly connected to each other.

81. The method of claim 71 wherein said first user and said candidate user must each be logged onto said messaging platform.

82. The method of claim 71 further comprising accessing profile information associated with said candidate user.

83. The method of claim 71 further comprising browsing a media item collection associated with said candidate user.

84. The method of claim 71 wherein said a search request comprises search criteria.

85. The method of claim 84 wherein said search criteria comprises an artist related to a media item.

86. The method of claim 84 wherein said search criteria comprises an album related to a media item.

87. The method of claim 84 wherein said search criteria comprises a title related to a media item.

88. The method of claim 84 wherein said search criteria comprises a genre related to a media item.