Method and system for controlling and monitoring a web-cast

• US 7,849,152 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anipindi, Sastry, Susens, Scott, Chintala, Ajay
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US10/458,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,738 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/204, 709/228, 709/231, 709/232, 709/243, 709/244, 709/217, 709/223, 709/224, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2335 involving reformatting operations of audio signals, e.g. by converting from one coding standard to another details of audio signal transcoding G10L19/173
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system of providing control by a client of a Web-cast from a telephone, the method comprising: receiving from the client Web-cast configuration data at a web server, updating Web-cast parameters in accordance with the Web-cast configuration data and storing the Web-cast parameters in a database; receiving initiation instructions at the telephony server for the Web-cast from the client via the telephone and initiating the Web-cast in accordance with the Web-cast parameters stored in the database; receiving content data at the telephony server from the telephone, formatting the content data at the telephony server, storing the content data at a file storage server and providing content pull instructions to an encoder server; receiving the content pull instructions at the encoder server, pulling the content from the file storage server based upon the content pull instructions and encoding the content into streaming content at the encoder server; and receiving the streaming content at a media server and streaming content to an end user computer.

Claims

1. A method of encoding and streaming content data to provide a Web-cast, using one or more telephones, the method comprising:

receiving information indicative of Web-cast parameters;

receiving content data from a first telephone;

encoding the received content data into streaming content, wherein said Web-cast parameters identify a scheduled start time of the Web-cast and include an automatic-live Web-cast parameter, the automatic-live Web-cast parameter is used to determine whether encoding and feeding of the received content data for broadcast of the Web-cast is to be manually initiated or is to automatically commence at-the scheduled start time of the Web-cast identified by the Web-cast parameters;

initiating broadcasting of the Web-cast'"'"'s streaming content over a network in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, said initiating is either automatic or manual as specified by said automatic-live Web-cast parameter;

automatically monitoring a status of the Web-cast with a monitoring system; and

automatically updating the Web-cast parameters based on the status.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the content data; and

in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, automatically issuing a pull instruction, the pull instruction initiating encoding of content data into streaming content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content data is received at a telephony server and stored in storage, the encoding is performed by an encoder server and the pull instruction is provided to the encoder server, thereby causing the content data to be retrieved by the encoder server from storage.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving Web-cast initiation instructions and wherein issuing the pull command is in response to receiving the initiation instructions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the Web-cast initiation instructions are received from a second telephone.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising formatting the content data by the telephony server, wherein the content data is analog data, and formatting the content data includes digitizing and packetizing the analog data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein formatting the content data includes formatting the content data into one or more WAV files.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein formatting the content data includes formatting the content data into one or more VOX files.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving initiation instructions for the Web-cast via a second telephone and in response thereto, initiating the Web-cast in accordance with the Web-cast parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving initiation instructions and the initiating the Web-cast occur before the receiving content data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving information includes receiving information via a second telephone during a first call and the receiving content data occurs during a second call, the first call being different than the second call.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving instructions includes receiving instructions via a second telephone during a first call and the receiving content data occurs during a second call, the first call being different than the second call.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving content data includes receiving content data during a call and the receiving Web-cast initiation instructions includes receiving initiation instructions via a second telephone during the call.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiation instructions include receiving instructions via a second telephone during a call and wherein the instructions include instructions to initiate the Web-cast after the call ends.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving content data includes receiving content data during a call and the receiving Web-cast initiation instructions includes receiving initiation instructions via a second telephone, the initiation instructions including one of the options of initiating the Web-cast during the call or initiating the Web-cast after the call ends.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein initiating the Web-cast after the call ends includes one of the options of initiating the Web-cast during another call, or initiating the Web-cast at a predetermined time.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating the serving of additional content in addition to the streaming content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the additional content includes a slide show presentation.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the additional content includes a video presentation.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the additional content is stored at a database.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the serving of additional content is synchronized with the streaming of streaming content.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web-cast parameters include at least one of a schedule identifier, a client identifier and a start time.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiation instructions include at least one of an instruction to initiate the Web-cast at the time the instruction is given, and an instruction to initiate the Web-cast at a time after the time that the instruction is given.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding the content data is facilitated by a file driver program disposed at the encoder server.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein an error condition of the Web-cast is detected based on the Web-cast parameters.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising automatically alerting a technician to the error condition.

27. A method of encoding and streaming content data to provide a Web-cast, by a client from one or more a telephones, the method comprising:

providing information indicative of Web-cast parameters;

providing content data from a first telephone;

initiating broadcasting of the Web-cast'"'"'s streaming content over a network in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, said initiating being one of automatic and manual as specified by an automatic-live Web-cast parameter, the streaming content being encoded content data;

automatically monitoring a status of the Web-cast with a monitoring system; and

automatically updating the Web-cast parameters based on the status,

wherein said Web-cast parameters identify a scheduled start time of the Web-cast and include the automatic-live Web-cast parameter, the automatic-live Web-cast parameter is used to determine whether encoding and feeding of the content data for broadcast of the Web-cast is to be manually initiated or is to automatically commence at the scheduled start time identified by the Web-cast parameters.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, initiating storing of content data; and

wherein initiating the streaming includes retrieval of the stored content data and initiating encoding of content data into streaming content.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the content data is provided to a telephony server and stored at a storage server, the encoding is performed by an encoder server and wherein the content data is retrieved by the encoder server from the storage server.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing Web-cast initiation instructions.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the initiation instructions are provided via a second telephone during a call and the content data is provided during the call, the Web-cast being substantially live.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the content data is provided during a first call and the initiation instructions are provided via a second telephone during a second call, the Web-cast being time-delayed.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein initiating the streaming includes providing initiation instructions for the Web-cast via a second telephone and in response thereto, initiating the Web-cast in accordance with the Web-cast parameters.

34. A system for providing control of encoding and streaming content data to provide a Web-cast from one or more telephones, the system comprising:

a Web server for receiving information indicative of Web-cast parameters;

a telephony sever for receiving content data from a first telephone;

an encoder server for encoding the received content data into streaming content, wherein the Web-cast parameters identify a scheduled start time for the Web-cast and include an automatic-live Web-cast parameter, the automatic-live Web-cast parameter is used to determine whether encoding and feeding of the received content data for broadcast of the Web-cast is to be manually initiated or is to automatically commence at-the scheduled start time identified by the Web-cast parameters;

a streaming server for broadcasting of the Web-cast'"'"'s streaming content over a network in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, wherein said broadcasting of said streaming content is initiated either automatically or manually as specified by said automatic-live Web-cast parameter; and

a monitoring system, which monitoring system automatically monitors a status of the Web-cast and automatically updates the Web-cast parameters based on the status.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

a database for storing content data; and

wherein the telephony server, in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, automatically issues a pull instruction, the pull instruction initiating encoding by the encoder server of content data into streaming content.

36. A method of encoding and streaming content data to provide a Web-cast, using one or more telephones, the method comprising:

receiving information indicative of Web-cast parameters;

receiving content data from a first telephone;

encoding the received content data into streaming content, wherein said Web-cast parameters identify a scheduled start time of the Web-cast and include an automatic-live Web-cast parameter, the automatic-live Web-cast parameter is used to determine whether encoding and feeding of the received content data for broadcast of the Web-cast is to be manually initiated or is to automatically commence at the scheduled start time, and content data other than the received content is initially fed at the scheduled start time specified by the Web-cast parameters in a case that the automatic-live Web-cast parameter indicates that encoding and feeding of the received content data for the broadcast of the Web-cast is to be manually initiated;

initiating broadcasting of the Web-cast'"'"'s streaming content over a network in accordance with said Web-cast parameters, said initiating is either automatic or manual as specified by said automatic-live Web-cast parameter;

automatically monitoring a status of the Web-cast with a monitoring system; and

automatically updating the Web-cast parameters based on the status.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the content data other than the received content comprises an advertisement.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the content data other than the received content comprises music.