Method and system for sharing video with advertisements over a network

• US 8,464,302 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Videoshare, LLC
• Original Assignee: Videoshare, LLC
• Inventors: Liwerant, Gad, Dodge, Christopher, Boissiere, Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US09/631,583
• Time in Patent Office: 4,695 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A user can create a video segment or employ an existing video segment, upload the segment to a server, indicate an advertisement to be associated with the video, and then send it to a recipient over a computer network. The user provides an indication that one or more particular video segments and advertisements are to be shared over the network. The video segment(s) is/are then automatically assessed and determined to be compatible with streaming video, or not. If the video segment(s) is/are not compatible with streaming video, it/they are converted to a compatible format automatically. An identifier for the video segment is automatically created and the segment and the identifier are automatically uploaded to a host computer over the network such as the Internet. The video segment, the identifier (optionally with other identifying material such as an identity of the sender, and an advertisement selected by the sender can be stored at the direction of the host computer. A viewer can be sent an identifier of the video, and can request that the video be served as a streaming video to the viewer'"'"'s computer. Alternatively, the viewer can be sent a location of the video such as a URL, can be served the video as an embedded portion of a Web page, or can be served the video as a consequence of being sent a link in an e-mail or as an e-mail greeting card.

Claims

1. A method of sharing a streaming video and associated advertisement over a network, comprising:

executing, by a first computer;

receiving an advertisement;

storing the advertisement;

receiving a video file;

converting the video file into a streaming video file comprising a streaming video format, independent from receiving a command to perform such conversion;

storing the streaming video file to a storage device;

generating an identification tag identifying the stored streaming video file;

associating the streaming video file with the advertisement;

embedding the identification tag into a web page accessible to a plurality of users on the network;

receiving, via a web page, a request to transmit the streaming video file; and

transmitting, via a web page, the streaming video file and the advertisement to a second computer on the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification tag comprises a video frame image selected from the streaming video file, the video frame image representing a subject matter of the streaming video file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification tag comprises a still image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the video file occurs via an upload form residing on a web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the video file occurs via one of:

an FTP upload;

an HTTP post;

an electronic mail;

or

an instant message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is a video.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer comprises a plurality of computers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises one or more of:

a cellular communication connection, a wire connection, or a wireless connection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the video file is a streaming video file in streaming video format.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the video file into multiple streaming video files comprising multiple streaming video formats.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the streaming video file into a second streaming video file comprising a second streaming video format.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second advertisement.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computer selectively associates the streaming video file with an advertisement based on pre-determined criteria.

14. A system for sharing a streaming video and associated advertisement over a network, comprising:

a first computer for receiving an advertisement;

a storage device for storing the advertisement;

a second computer for receiving a video file;

a third computer for converting the video file into a streaming video file comprising a streaming video format, independent from receiving a command to perform such conversion;

a fourth computer for storing the streaming video file to a storage device;

a fifth computer for generating an identification tag identifying the stored streaming video file;

a sixth computer for associating the streaming video file with the advertisement;

a web page accessible to a plurality of users on the network;

a seventh computer for embedding the identification tag into the web page accessible to a plurality of users on the network;

an eighth computer for receiving a request to transmit the streaming video file; and

a ninth computer for transmitting, via a web page, the streaming video file and the advertisement to a tenth computer on the network.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein two or more of the first computer, second computer, third computer, fourth computer, fifth computer, sixth computer, seventh computer, eighth computer and ninth computer are part of the same computer.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein one or more of the first computer, second computer, third computer, fourth computer, fifth computer, sixth computer, seventh computer, eighth computer and ninth computer comprise a plurality of computers.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the network comprises one or more of:

a cellular communication connection, a wire connection, or a wireless connection.