Methods and systems for selecting media content based on technical environment information

• US 8,417,820 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Armstrong, Brooke Allysoun, Behrens, John Robert, Hadjitarkhani, Abie, Ireland, Alexander Blair, Muller, Stephen John, Narimatsu, Nancy Kiyoko
• Primary Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/057,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/156 Query results presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

The present disclosure includes methods and systems for selecting media content based on technical environment information. A connection over a network between a server and a client is established. The e connection is associated with the technical environment information and the technical environment information is associated with an the ability of the client to playback media content locally. The method includes selecting, at the server, a version of media content appropriate for playback at the client locally based on the ability of the client.

Claims

1. A method for selecting media content, the method comprising:

receiving a request at a server from a client, the request requests establishment of a connection over a particular network between the client and the server;

establishing the connection over the particular network between the client and the server based on the request;

identifying, at the server, a first network type from a plurality of network types based on the particular network utilized to establish the connection;

identifying, at the server, technical environment information at the client based on the first network type;

identifying an ability of the client to playback media content locally based on the technical environment information at the client as identified by the server based on the first network type;

comparing, at the server, the ability of the client to playback the media content locally against a predefined schedule including a plurality of media file formats available for the media content, the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking of the plurality of media file formats available for the media content; and

selecting, at the server, a version of media content appropriate for playback at the client locally based on the ability of the client that is identified based on the technical environment information at the client that is identified by the server based on the first network type that is identified at the server based on the particular network that is utilized to connect the client to the server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network type includes a physical network and wherein the physical network includes the Internet, and wherein the client includes a browser, and wherein the connection is over the Internet to the browser, the method including sending the version of the media content appropriate for playback at the browser locally over the Internet to the browser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network type includes a wireless network, and wherein the client includes a first wireless device, and wherein the connection is over the wireless network to the first wireless device, the method including sending the version of the media content appropriate for playback at the first wireless device over the wireless network to the first wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3, further including forwarding the version of the media content appropriate for playback at the first wireless device from the first wireless device to a second wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the version of the media content comprises a media file with a media file format that is selected from the plurality of media file formats available for the media content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the media file format is at least one of a video quality media file format, an audio quality media file format, a speed of download media file format, a RealAudio file format, an audio interchange file format, a handheld device markup language format, a wireless markup language format, an image file format or a format associated with the Wireless Communications Association.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is at least one of a software client, a hardware client, or a network appliance client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the version of the media content comprises rich media content and wherein the version rich media content comprises a video clip.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the version of the media content comprises rich media content and wherein the rich media content comprises an advertisement.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network type includes a physical network that includes the Internet.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network type includes a wireless network.

10. A system for selecting media content, the system comprising:

a server comprising;

a processor; and

control logic executable by the processor,

the control logic to receive a request at the server from a client, the request requests establishment of a connection over a particular network between the client and the server,

the control logic to establish the connection over the particular network between the control logic and the client based on the request,

the control logic to identify, at the server, a first network type from a plurality of network types based on the particular network utilized to establish the connection,

the control logic to identify, at the server, technical environment information at the client based on the first network type,

the control logic to compare the ability of the client to playback the media content locally against a predefined schedule that includes a plurality of media file formats available for the media content, the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking of the plurality of media file formats available for the media content,

the control logic to identify an ability of the client to playback media content locally based on the technical environment information at the client as identified by the server based on the first network type,

the control logic to compare the ability if the client to playback the media content locally against a predefined schedule that in includes a plurality of media file formats available for the media content, the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking of the plurality of media file formats available for the media content, and

the control logic to select a version of media content appropriate for playback at the client locally based on the ability of the client that is identified based on the technical environment information at the client that is identified by the server based on the first network type that is identified at the server based on the particular network that is utilized to connect the client to the server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network type includes a physical network and wherein the physical network includes the Internet, and wherein the client includes a browser, wherein the connection is over the Internet to the browser and wherein the control logic is to send the version of the media content appropriate for playback at the browser locally over the Internet to the browser.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first network type includes a wireless network, and wherein the client includes a first wireless device, wherein the connection is over the wireless network to the first wireless device and wherein the control logic is to send the version of the media content appropriate for playback at the first wireless device locally over the wireless network to the first wireless device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control logic forwards the version of the media content appropriate for playback at the first wireless device from the first wireless device to a second wireless device.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the version of the media content comprises a media file with a media file format that is selected from the plurality of media file formats available for the media content.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the media file format is at least one of a video quality media file format, an audio quality media file format, a speed of download media file format, a RealAudio file format, an audio interchange file format, a handheld device markup language format, a wireless markup language format, an image file format or a format associated with the Wireless Communications Association.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the client is at least one of a software client, a hardware client, or a network appliance client.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the version of the media content comprises rich media content and wherein the version rich media content comprises a video clip.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the version of the media content comprises rich media content and wherein the rich media content comprises an advertisement.

19. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer useable medium storing control logic that, when executed by a first computer system, causes the first computer system to:

receive a request from a second computer system, the request requests establishment of a connection over a particular network between the first computer system and the second computer system;

establish the connection over the particular network between the first computer system and the second computer system;

identify, at the first computer system, a first network type from a plurality of network types based on the particular network utilized to establish the connection;

identify technical environment information at the second computer system based on the first network type;

identify an ability of the second computer system to playback media content locally based on the technical environment information at the second computer system;

compare, at the server, the ability of the client to playback the media content locally against a predefined schedule that includes a plurality of media file formats available for the media content, the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking of the plurality of media file formats available for the media content; and

select, at the first computer system, a version of media content appropriate for playback at the second computer system locally based on the ability of the second computer system that is identified based on the technical environment information at the second computer system that is identified based on the first network type that is identified at the first computer system based on the particular network that is utilized to connect the second computer system to the first computer system.

20. A system for selecting media content, the system comprising:

a server comprising;

a processor; and

a first means in communications with the processor,

the first means for receiving a request at the server from a client, the request requests establishment of a connection over a particular network between the client and the server,

the first means for establishing the connection over the particular network between the first means and the client based on the request,

the first means for identifying, at the server, a first network type from a plurality of network types based on the particular network utilized to establish the connection,

the first means for identifying the technical environment information at the client based on the first network type,

the first means for identifying an the ability of the client to playback media content locally based on the technical environment information at the client as identified by the server based on the first network type,

the first means for comparing the ability of the client to playback the media content locally against a predefined schedule including a plurality of media file formats available for the media content, the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking of the plurality of media file formats available for the media content, and

the first means for selecting a version of media content appropriate for playback at the client locally based on the ability of the client that is identified based on the technical environment information at the client that is identified by the server based on the first network type that is identified at the server based on the particular network that is utilized to connect the client to the server.