Web-based video broadcasting system having multiple channels

• US 8,667,540 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Partners of Iowa LLC
• Original Assignee: Apple Partners of Iowa LLC
• Inventors: Hoshall, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Application Number:
  US11/825,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: 725/5, 725/37, 725 51- 53, 725/56, 725/57, 725113-115, 715/738
• US Class Current: 725/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• 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 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A web-based video broadcast system, comprising at least one web page in communication with a host system to permit a plurality of users and a plurality of content providers to access the host system. The host system is programmed to register a plurality of channels, each associated with a unique channel identifier, and to associate each of at least a portion of the plurality of channels with at least one content provider responsive to a request by the at least one content provider. The host system is further programmed to permit the at least one content provider associated with a channel to selectively upload to the host system at least one video file and associate the at least one video file with the channel. The host system is further programmed to store the at least one video file and continuously display the at least one video file responsive to a user selecting the channel via the at least one web page.

Claims

1. A web-based video broadcast system, comprising:

at least one web page in communication with a host system to permit a plurality of users and a plurality of content providers to access the host system, in which the host system is programmed to register a plurality of channels, each registered channel of the plurality of channels is associated with a title listing and a unique channel identifier;

wherein in response to an electronic request made to the host system by a requesting content provider for an assignment of a channel to the content provider, the host system is programmed to assign and assigns the channel to the requesting content provider whereupon the channel becomes the requesting content provider'"'"'s registered channel, and to permit user selection of the registered channels using the title listings and the unique channel identifiers;

wherein upon assignment of a registered channel to the content provider, the host system is further programmed to permit the content provider to selectively upload to the host system a video file and associate the video file with the content provider'"'"'s registered channel; and

,

wherein the host system is further programmed to store the video file and display the video file in response to a user selecting the content provider'"'"'s registered channel using a search field area to receive the unique channel identifier via the at least one web page, where the search field area comprises two different search areas having a title search field and a channel search field to search for the content provider'"'"'s registered channel.

2. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of channels is provided with a plurality of portions and wherein the host system is further programmed to associate at least one of the portions of the at least one channel with at least one content provider responsive to a request by the at least one content provider for a portion of the plurality of portions of the channel of the plurality of channels.

3. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein the unique channel identifier for each of the plurality of channels comprises at least one digit selected from the group consisting of numeric, alphabetical, and symbolic digits.

4. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein the host system is further programmed to permit the content provider to selectively define at least one display parameter for the content provider'"'"'s registered channel, the display parameter determining the manner in which the registered channel is displayed to users.

5. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of channels is only accessible to a user responsive to payment of an access fee.

6. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein the host system is further programmed to display at least one secondary video file automatically in conjunction with the video file associated with the content provider'"'"'s registered channel.

7. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein the host system is programmed to associate each of at least a portion of the plurality of channels with the content provider responsive to payment of an initial fee.

8. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 7, wherein payment of the initial fee is accomplished via the at least one web page.

9. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 7, wherein the host system is further programmed to record in real-time the number of users accessing each of the plurality of channels.

10. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 9, wherein the host system is further programmed to periodically renew status of a maintenance fee balance for the content provider assigned the registered channel.

11. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 10, wherein the maintenance fee for the content provider'"'"'s registered channel is determined in relation to the number of users that have accessed the content provider'"'"'s registered channel over a predetermined period of time.

12. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 7, wherein the host system is further programmed to associate each of at least a portion of the plurality of channels with at least one channel parameter.

13. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 12, wherein the host system is further programmed to permit each of the plurality of users to selectively search at least a portion of the plurality of channels in relation to the at least one channel parameter.

14. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 12, wherein the host system is further programmed to permit a content provider associated with a channel to selectively define the at least one channel parameter associated with the channel.

15. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 14, wherein the host system is programmed to permit the content provider to selectively define the at least one channel parameter responsive to payment of a selection fee.

16. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 14, wherein the at least one channel parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

country, region, state, area, city, neighborhood, zip code, area code, subject, topic, business type, keyword, price range, keyword, and search priority.

17. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 12, wherein the host system is further programmed to register at least one user parameter for each user accessing the host system.

18. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the host system registers the at least one user parameter for at least one user by transmitting a cookie to a user device associated with the user, the cookie containing data indicative of the at least one user parameter for the user.

19. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the at least one user parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

user location, channel preference, channels viewed, total time viewed, time viewed per day, time viewed per channel, preferred subject, preferred topic, preferred business type, preferred price range, and preferred keyword.

20. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 17, wherein the host system is further programmed to selectively display to at least one of the plurality of users via the at least one web page a customized list of hyperlinks corresponding to a plurality of registered channels, each of the hyperlinks corresponding to a registered channel having at least one channel parameter related to at least one user parameter for the user.

21. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein the host system is further programmed to display via the at least one web page the at least one video file simultaneously with at least one hyperlink corresponding to at least one product depicted in the at least one video file.

22. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 21, wherein the at least one hyperlink is disposed in at least a portion of a substantially transparent layer overlying the at least one video file such that a user is permitted to select the hyperlink by selecting a portion of the at least one video file, the hyperlink corresponding to a product at least partially depicted within the portion of the at least one video file.

23. The web-based video broadcast system of claim 1, wherein the host system is further programmed to permit the content provider assigned the registered channel to associate the video file with the registered channel in substantially real-time such that the video file is displayed to users accessing the registered channel as the video file is generated.