System, method, and computer program product for remotely determining the configuration of a multi-media content user

• US 7,730,165 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Jody J
• Primary Examiner(s): ISMAIL, SHAWKI SAIF
• Application Number:
  US09/986,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,126 Days
• Field of Search: 709/222, 709/228, 709231-233, 709217-219, 709/220, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for determining the configuration of an end user'"'"'s computer system. In particular, the media players and network connection speed of the user are determined. This configuration information is then received by a delivery management server. The configuration information is used to format multi-media content for delivery to the user. Because the content is formatted according to the configuration information, the content is compatible with the user'"'"'s configuration. The configuration determination process involves server contact code placed in the web page of the content provider. When the web page is loaded by the user, the server contact code directs the browser to retrieve code from the delivery management server. When the code is executed by the user, the media player of the user is determined. This information is saved in cookies at the user and is sent to the delivery management server. If the configuration information is indeterminate or incomplete, the user is presented with a preferences page in which the user can indicate the configuration. The preferences page also contains a mechanism for determining the connection speed of the user. The preferences page can also make specific recommendations to the user, e.g., recommend that the user choose a specific media player. The preferences page contains a block of data having a known size. The time required to transfer the block is measured, and the connection speed is then calculated and provided to the delivery management server.

Claims

1. A method of transferring requested media data over a network comprising:

downloading, by a client device from a content provider, a web page containing a server contact code;

executing the server contact code at the client device to direct a browser of the client device to a delivery management server;

receiving a request for a detection code from the client device at the delivery management server;

sending the detection code to the client device;

executing the received detection code, at the client device, to detect the media player information available on the client device, including determining browser type, and selecting one of plural methods for finding the media player information based upon the determined browser type and the received detection code, wherein the methods include at least (a) a string search and (b) trying to instantiate object for media players;

storing, at the client device, the media player information in one or more cookies;

sending the one or more cookies from the client device to the delivery management server;

verifying at the delivery management server said one or more cookies to have valid settings and sending an acknowledgement to the client device indicating that said one or more cookies are sufficient to format the requested media data;

sending a request to fetch the requested media data of the web page including sending said one or more cookies under a fetch request from said client device to the delivery management server; and

formatting the requested media data suitable for the detected media player information and transferring thereof to the client device over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, where in the media player information includes one or more media player types available on the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player detection code comprises logic for a string search of mimetype.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the detected media player information on the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising conducting bandwidth measurement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the suitable media data is transcoded based on the detected media player information.