Techniques for analyzing commands during streaming media to confirm delivery

• US 7,917,612 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail; Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US11/138,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 709/52, 709/77, 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Techniques for determining a status of a streaming delivery of content are provided. During the streaming delivery of content between a device and a content provider, commands may be sent between the device and a content provider in order to facilitate the delivery of content. These commands may be intercepted by a command interpreter. The commands are then analyzed to determine a delivery status for the streaming delivery of content. For example, the sequence of commands may provide an indication as to whether the streaming delivery of content was successful or not. Based on the commands, the command interpreter determines if the streaming delivery of content should be considered successful from a billing standpoint. For example, a user that requested the streaming delivery of content may be billed based on whether the streaming delivery of content is considered successful or not.

Claims

1. A method for determining a status of a streaming delivery of content, the method comprising:

intercepting at a streaming proxy system instructions sent between a client system and a content provider system during a streaming delivery of content to the client system from the content provider system through the streaming proxy system, the instructions being defined according to a streaming protocol and comprising a plurality of commands used by the client system and the content provider system to manage the streaming delivery of content including at least one set up instruction, at least one tear down instruction, and at least one play or pause instruction issued by the client based on playback control of the content by a user of the client system;

analyzing with the streaming proxy system the commands used by the client system and content provider system to manage the streaming delivery of content to determine a delivery status for the streaming delivery of content to the client system based on a sequence and timing of the plurality of commands, the delivery status being determined at least in part by applying a rules base to the intercepted commands and a history of actions by a user of the client during previous streaming of content and indicating a pattern of access of content by the user of the client with the streaming proxy system, the delivery status representing at least a completeness of delivery; and

based upon the determined delivery status, determining with the streaming proxy system at least one billing action for the streaming delivery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery status is used by the streaming proxy system to determine a billing action corresponding to an amount to be billed for the streaming delivery of content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if billing for the streaming delivery of content is prepaid and the delivery status is determined to be an unsuccessful delivery, the determined billing action corresponds to crediting a user'"'"'s account that was charged for the prepaid billing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein if billing for streaming delivery of content is postpaid and the delivery status is determined to be a successful delivery, the determined billing action corresponds to billing a user'"'"'s account for the delivery of content.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein if billing for streaming delivery of content is postpaid and the delivery status is determined to be an unsuccessful delivery, the determined billing action corresponds to not billing a user'"'"'s account for the delivery of content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions comprise real time streaming protocol (RTSP) instructions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions comprise at least one play instruction and at least one pause instruction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming delivery is considered unsuccessful if a tear down instruction is not sent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming delivery is considered successful if the streaming delivery is played, paused, or resumed through a predetermined portion of the content.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining with the streaming proxy system a history of actions for the user of the client system, wherein the history is used by the streaming proxy system to determine if the streaming delivery is successful.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving with the streaming proxy system statistics provided for the streaming delivery of content by at least one of the client system and the content provider system; and

using the statistics to determine the delivery status with the streaming proxy system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the statistics comprise a quality of service.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing comprises:

determining whether an instruction is not sent; and

determining a failed delivery status if the instruction is not sent.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the instruction comprises a start, a play, or a tear down instruction.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining with the streaming proxy system if the instructions comprise at least one play, pause or resume instruction allowing streaming of at least a portion of the content; and

determining with the streaming proxy system a successful delivery status if the at least a portion of the content is streamed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining with the streaming proxy system the history of the user of the client system; and

using the history to determine the delivery status with the streaming proxy system.

17. A method for determining a billing action for a streaming delivery of content, the method comprising:

intercepting with a streaming proxy system set up instructions sent between a client and a source of content, the set up instructions being defined according to a streaming protocol and used to initiate the streaming delivery of content;

intercepting with the streaming proxy system at least one play or pause commands sent from the client to the source based on playback control of the content by a user of the client during the providing of the content;

intercepting with the streaming proxy system tear down instructions sent between the client and the source at the end of the providing of the content;

analyzing with the streaming proxy system the intercepted set up, play or pause, and tear down instructions to determine a delivery status for the streaming delivery of content to the client based on a sequence and timing of the instructions, the delivery status being determined at least in part by applying a rules base with the streaming proxy system to the intercepted instructions and a history of actions by a user of the client during previous streaming of content and indicating a pattern of access of content by the user of the client; and

based upon the determined delivery status, determining with the streaming proxy system at least one billing action for the streaming delivery.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the set up, play or pause, and tear down instructions are RTSP instructions.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the billing action corresponds to determining an amount to be billed for the streaming delivery of content.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein if billing for delivery of content is prepaid and the delivery status is determined to be an unsuccessful delivery, the determined billing action corresponds to crediting a user'"'"'s account that was charged for the prepaid billing.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein if billing for delivery of content is postpaid and the delivery status is determined to be a successful delivery, the determined billing action corresponds to billing a user'"'"'s account for the delivery of content.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein if billing for delivery of content is postpaid and the delivery status is determined to be an unsuccessful delivery, the determined billing action corresponds to not billing a user'"'"'s account for the delivery of content.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

retrieving with the streaming proxy system statistics provided for the streaming delivery of content; and

using the statistics to determine the delivery status with the streaming proxy system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the statistics comprise a quality of service.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining with the streaming proxy system if the instructions comprise at least one of play, pause or resume instructions that allow streaming of at least a portion of the content; and

determining with the streaming proxy system a successful delivery status if the at least a portion of the content is streamed.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining with the streaming proxy system a history of a user of the client; and

using the history by the streaming proxy system to determine the delivery status.

27. A platform configured to determine a status of a streaming delivery of content, the platform comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

maintain a history of actions by a user of a client during streaming of content and indicating a pattern of access of content by the user of the client

intercept set up instructions sent between the client and a source for the content, the set up instructions being defined according to a streaming protocol and used to initiate the streaming delivery of content;

intercept at least one play or pause commands sent from the client to the source based on playback control of the content by a user of the client during the providing of the content;

intercept tear down instructions sent between the client and the source at the end of the providing of the content;

analyze a sequence and timing of the intercepted set up, play or pause, and tear down commands and instructions and the history of actions by the user of the client to determine a delivery status for the streaming delivery of content to the client, the delivery status being determined at least in part by applying a rules base to the intercepted commands and instructions; and

based upon the determined delivery status, determine at least one billing action for the streaming delivery.

28. A platform configured to determine a status of a streaming delivery of content, the platform comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

intercept instructions sent between a client and a content provider during a streaming delivery of content to the client from the content provider through the streaming proxy system, the instructions being defined according to a streaming protocol and comprising a plurality of commands used by at least one of the client and the content provider to manage the streaming delivery of content, the instructions including at least two of a setup instruction, a play instruction issued by the client based on playback control of the content by a user of the client, a pause instruction issued by the client based on playback control of the content by the user of the client, and a teardown instruction;

analyze the commands used by the client and content provider to manage the streaming delivery of content to determine a delivery status for the streaming delivery of content to the client system based on a sequence and timing of the plurality of commands, the delivery status being determined at least in part by applying a rules base to the intercepted commands and a history of actions by a user of the client during previous streaming of content and indicating a pattern of access of content by the user of the client, the delivery status representing at least a completeness of delivery; and

based upon the determined delivery status, determine at least one billing action for the streaming delivery.