Associative media architecture and platform

• US 8,151,178 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: G. W. Hannaway & Associates
• Original Assignee: G. W. Hannaway & Associates
• Inventors: Ross, Jennifer, Snyder, William, McClain, Ned, Hein, Trent R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutledge, Amelia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc A
• Application Number:
  US10/871,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,846 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/500.1, 715201-204, 705 51- 59, 709/232
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

An associative media architecture and platform that enables communication of media objects between participants using a variety of communication infrastructures and media presentation devices as determined by the users and owners of the media assets. Media assets formatted as media representations are associated with a globally unique identifier to form a media object. The media object can contain any media representation irrespective of format. The media object is an elemental entity having characteristics that are preferably retained throughout the life of the media object. The media object may be owned by one or more participants. The media object may be associated with owner preferences that can influence the context in which the media object is presented. The media object may exist in multiple storage locations, although each stored instance of the media object retains its unique identification and remains associated with the owner preferences.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for managing transfer of media assets formatted as media representations over digital communications networks to users, comprising:

storing a plurality of media objects in a datastore accessible via a communications network, wherein each of the media objects comprises a media representation, a unique identifier, and a media descriptor defining preferences of an owner of the media representation for use of the media representation;

storing a plurality of user objects in a datastore accessible via the communications network, wherein each of the user objects comprises a unique identifier for a user of media representations and a participant descriptor defining preferences of the user for using media representations;

receiving a request for one of the media objects from a network device operated by one of the users;

with a server, processing the request to identify a matching one of the user objects linked to the requesting one of the users and to identify a matching one of the media objects in the datastore;

operating the server to determine whether to fulfill the request by comparing the owner preferences for the media representation of the matching one of the media objects with the user preferences for using media representations; and

when no restrictions associated with the media representations are determined to exist in the operating step based on the comparing, transmitting with an object gateway linked to the communications network the matching one of the media objects to the network device operated by the requesting one of the users, wherein the comparing of the owner preferences with the user preferences comprises determining whether the media representation of the matching one of the media objects is compatible with a presentation context defined by the user preferences.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the user preferences comprises a specification of a device used for presenting media representation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a rating with the media objects defining a recommended user of a media representation, wherein each of the user preferences comprises a rating requirement, and wherein the comparing further includes determining whether the rating requirement in the owner preferences is satisfied by the rating associated with the matching one of the media objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the user preferences comprises an intended use for the requested one of the media objects and wherein the comparing includes determining whether the intended use is allowed by the owner preferences.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to the transmitting of the matching one, delivering to the network device a listing of restrictions associated with the matching one and receiving an indication of acceptance from the one of the users of the restrictions at the server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising after the receiving of the indication of acceptance, operating the server to transmit a ticket comprising license terms and prior to the transmitting of the media object, transferring the ticket to an object gateway that responds by performing the transmitting of the media object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a time the requested one of the media objects is scheduled for presentation and further comprising determining with the server whether the scheduled presentation time is compatible with the owner preferences for the matching one of the media objects.

8. A method of assembling media representations for a particular instance of a presentation of media, comprising:

providing a media object datastore linked to a digital communications network storing in memory a plurality of media objects, wherein each media object is uniquely identified and is associated with transaction information indicating a manner in which the media object can be incorporated in an instance of a media representation;

operating a server linked to the network to author a media product recipe making reference to one or more of the media objects;

obtaining with the server a set of user preferences associated with a user identifier for a user of a device operable to access the network;

constructing a transaction context using the set of user preferences and the transaction information associated with the one or more media objects, wherein the transaction context dynamically affects how the media representation will be presented at a presentation time on the user device;

instantiating the media representation on the user device in accordance with the transaction context to create a particular instance of a presentation; and

storing in memory accessible via the network a transaction document describing transaction details of the constructed transaction context.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction document is created after constructing the transaction context and before instantiating the media objects of the media representation.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the media product recipe is formed such that at least some of the one or more of the media objects are selected based on the set of user preferences.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the set of user preferences comprises one or more preferences from the set of preferences consisting of type of device for displaying media objects, rating requirements, level of service, physical address of the user, billing or payment preferences, and intended use of the media representation.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising prior to the operating the server to author the media product recipe, receiving a media request from the user, selecting providers of the one or more media objects based on the set of user preferences, and negotiating the transaction document between the user and the providers.

13. A computer-based method for managing transfer of media assets formatted as media representations over digital communications networks to users, comprising:

storing a plurality of media objects in a datastore accessible via a communications network, wherein each of the media objects comprises a media representation, a unique identifier, and a media descriptor defining preferences of an owner of the media representation for use of the media representation;

storing a plurality of user objects in a datastore accessible via the communications network, wherein each of the user objects comprises a unique identifier for a user of media representations and a participant descriptor defining preferences of the user for using media representations;

receiving a request for one of the media objects from a network device operated by one of the users;

with a server, processing the request to identify a matching one of the user objects linked to the requesting one of the users and to identify a matching one of the media objects in the datastore;

operating the server to determine whether to fulfill the request by comparing the owner preferences for the media representation of the matching one of the media objects with the user preferences for using media representations; and

based on the comparing, transmitting with an object gateway linked to the communications network the matching one of the media objects to the network device operated by the requesting one of the users;

wherein each of the user preferences comprises a specification of a device used for presenting media representation and the operating of the server comprises verifying the matching one of the media objects has a corresponding specification of devices in the preferences of an owner of the media representation.

14. A computer-based method for managing transfer of media assets formatted as media representations over digital communications networks to users, comprising:

storing a plurality of media objects in a datastore accessible via a communications network, wherein each of the media objects comprises a media representation, a unique identifier, and a media descriptor defining preferences of an owner of the media representation for use of the media representation;

storing a plurality of user objects in a datastore accessible via the communications network, wherein each of the user objects comprises a unique identifier for a user of media representations and a participant descriptor defining preferences of the user for using media representations;

associating a rating with the media objects defining a recommended user of a media representation, wherein each of the user preferences comprises a rating requirement;

receiving a request for one of the media objects from a network device operated by one of the users;

with a server, processing the request to identify a matching one of the user objects linked to the requesting one of the users and to identify a matching one of the media objects in the datastore;

operating the server to determine whether to fulfill the request by comparing the owner preferences for the media representation of the matching one of the media objects with the user preferences for using media representations;

based on the comparing, transmitting with an object gateway linked to the communications network the matching one of the media objects to the network device operated by the requesting one of the users;

wherein the comparing further includes determining whether the rating requirement in the owner preferences is satisfied by the rating associated with the matching one of the media objects.