Method and system for managing and distributing digital media

• US 8,812,672 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Theplatform For Media, Inc. (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaley, Alan, Sodt, Andrew, Sonnad, Rahul, Blaine, Ian, Olson, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, DUYEN MY
• Application Number:
  US11/499,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20060271683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,934 Days
• Field of Search: 709/226, 709/231, 709/203, 709/223, 709/246, 707/10, 707/101, 707/104.1, 725/47, 725/87
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1108 Web based protocols, e.g. webRTC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method that integrates a plurality of media service systems offering different multimedia services such as media storage, syndication, delivery, and billing services. The system and method also provides automated file transcoding. In embodiment, a method of the present invention includes receiving a plurality of physical media files, organizing the plurality of physical media files so that different bit-rates and formats of a single source material are organized into a media database entity, receiving user specified delivery settings for the distribution of the physical media file, generating a release database entity storing the delivery settings of the physical media file, generating an address indicating the storage location of the release, and transmitting the address to a remote computing device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, through a user interface;

a user selection of a plurality of delivery settings each identifying a manner in which content of a media file is to be delivered,

a plurality of service providers; and

login information for each of the service providers;

using the login information and the plurality of service providers to process a plurality of derivative media files, each of the derivative media files being processed based on the media file and a respective one of the delivery settings; and

generating, by at least one computing device, a plurality of different release database entries, each of the release database entries identifying a relationship between a different one of the derivative media files and the media file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of service providers comprises a storage service provider and a streaming service provider, and wherein at least one of the release database entries for the media file identifies the storage service provider and the streaming service provider, and wherein the using the login information and the plurality of service providers comprises using the storage service provider to store one of the derivative media files and the streaming service provider to stream the one of the derivative media files.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of service providers further comprises a transcoding service provider, wherein the at least one of the release database entries for the media file further identifies the transcoding service provider, and wherein the using the login information and the plurality of service providers comprises using the transcoding service provider to transcode the media file into the one of the derivative media files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of delivery settings comprises a plurality of different bit rates for different ones of the derivative media files.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of delivery settings comprises a plurality of different file formats for different ones of the derivative media files.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving a user request to upload a media file over a network;

receiving a user selection of a plurality of delivery settings, each of the delivery settings identifying a different manner in which content of the media file is to be delivered;

generating, by at least one computing device;

a first database entry comprising information about the media file;

a plurality of derivative media files based on the media file and the plurality of delivery settings;

a plurality of second database entries, each identifying a relationship between a different one of the delivery settings and the first database entry; and

a plurality of third database entries, each identifying a relationship between one of the plurality of second database entries and a location of one of the derivative media files.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a request for the media file in a requested delivery format;

determining, based on at least the plurality of second database entries, whether one of the derivative media files exists in the requested delivery format; and

responsive to determining that none of the derivative media files exists in the requested delivery format, creating a further derivative media file based on the media file and the requested delivery format.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, over the network, an indication of a service provider;

determining a storage location based on the service provider; and

sending at least one of the derivative media files to a remote computing device at the storage location.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of delivery settings comprises a plurality of bit rates.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, through a user interface, a user selection of a transcoding service provider, a streaming service provider, a storage service provider, and login information for each of the transcoding service provider, the streaming service provider, and the storage service provider; and

performing at least the following by at least one computing device;

using the login information for the transcoding service provider and at least one delivery setting to cause the transcoding service provider to transcode a media file into at least one derivative media file;

using the login information for the storage service provider to cause the storage service provider to store the at least one derivative media file; and

using the login information for the streaming service provider and information associated with the at least one derivative media file to cause the streaming service provider to stream the at least one derivative media file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the using the login information for the transcoding service provider and the at least one delivery setting comprises sending the login information for the transcoding service provider and the at least one delivery setting to the transcoding service provider over a network.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining at least one storage location at which the storage service provider stored the at least one derivative media file; and

storing an indication of the at least one storage location in at least one database entry, the database entry comprising the information associated with the at least one derivative media file.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the using the login information for the streaming service provider and the information associated with the at least one derivative media file comprises using the at least one database entry to indicate to the streaming service provider the at least one storage location of the at least one derivative media file.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, through the user interface, a user selection of an advertisement service provider for the at least one media file.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the user interface and sending the user interface to a user device as a web page over an Internet Protocol based network.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the media file comprises both audio and video content.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the information associated with the at least one derivative media file identifies a relationship between the at least one derivative media file, the at least one delivery setting, at least one storage location of the at least one derivative media file, and the media file.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one delivery setting comprises at least one bit rate of the at least one derivative media file.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one delivery setting comprises at least one file format of the at least one derivative media file.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the transcoding service provider, the streaming service provider, and the storage service provider is separate from and coupled through an Internet Protocol based network to the at least one computing device.