Method and system for creating video channels for delivery of content from multiple platforms

• US 8,826,347 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: aioTV Inc.
• Original Assignee: aioTV Inc.
• Inventors: Earle, Michael Everett
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US13/973,915
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 725/87, 725 91- 92, 725109-110, 725114-115
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• 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

Abstract

A system for managing delivery of content from multiple platforms maintains data for various video channels. Some of the video channels are television channels, while others are over-the-top (OTT) video content sources such as video streaming websites. The system includes a package generation module by which a service provider may define a package of both traditional and OTT channels to offer to subscribers in a unified programming interface. When a user uses the interface to select a set of video channels, the system compiles the set of the video channels in a subscriber package of both television and OTT channels. The system assigns a name to the subscriber package, and it stores the defined package and name, along with other information about the package, in a data storage facility for offering to a subscriber of content from the service provider.

Claims

1. A method for managing channels for delivery of video content from multiple platforms, comprising:

maintaining a data storage facility comprising data for a plurality of available video channels, wherein a first portion of video channels are video content sources that are controlled by a service provider and a second portion of the video channels are over-the-top video content sources that are not under any control of the service provider;

by a processor, implementing a package generation module provides a service provider user interface that, in operation;

displays data relating to the plurality of video channels,

receives a selection of a set of video channels from the displayed data, wherein the set includes at least one channel from the first portion and at least one channel from the second portion,

compiles the set of the video channels into a subscriber package,

assigns a name to the subscriber package, and

stores the defined package and name in a data storage facility for offering to a subscriber of content from the service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the service provider user interface also comprises a channel ordering interface by which the service provider may order channels in the subscriber package so that, in operation, the module;

receives, via the channel ordering interface, a request to move a first channel in the subscriber package to a new order location in the subscriber package;

identifies an adjacency rule that applies to the first channel and one or more channels that would be adjacent to the first channel if the first channel were moved to the

new order location; and

permits movement of the first channel to the new order location only if the movement would satisfy the adjacency rule.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by a processor, presenting a channel definition interface configured to enable the service provider to define a new channel or modify an existing channel by:

receiving a selection one or more sources of over-the-top video content;

for each source, associating a delivery address with a subscriber device type;

defining one or more rules for selecting and ordering content from the one or more sources in a playlist to be presented via the new channel; and

when content is presented to a subscriber on the associated channel, offering the content to the subscriber in accordance with the defined rules and sourced from the delivery address that is associated with the presented content'"'"'s source.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, from the channel definition interface, a user definition of an advertisement delivery rule set, wherein the advertisement delivery rule set comprises instructions as to where to place one or more advertisements in the playlist and how many ads to place at any location in the playlist; and

when presenting content to a subscriber on the associated channel, placing one or more advertisements in the playlist in accordance with the advertisement delivery rule set.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, by a processor:

presenting, via the channel definition interface, a plurality of user-selectable filters, wherein each filter assigns a weight to one or more categories of content information;

receiving a user-selected adjustment of one or more of the filters; and

when presenting content to the user for selection, omitting some content based at least one of the user-adjusted filters.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising by a processor, presenting a content management interface configured to enable the service provider to manage available content by:

receiving a user selection of a content item;

retrieving metadata associated with the content item, wherein the metadata comprises a title and a delivery address;

receiving, via the content management interface, descriptive information of the content item; and

saving the metadata and descriptive information as a record of the content item.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by a processor, presenting a content management interface configured to enable the service provider to manage available content by:

receiving a user selection of a video source;

receiving a rule set comprising a frequency;

periodically accessing the video source according to the frequency to determine whether the video source has posted any new content since a prior time that the processor accessed the video source;

retrieving metadata for the new content, wherein the metadata comprises a title and a delivery address; and

storing the metadata in a content data storage facility.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the video source corresponds to a social media feed for a subscriber;

periodically accessing the video source comprises accessing the subscriber'"'"'s social media feed and retrieving metadata for new posts to the subscriber'"'"'s social media feed; and

the system automatically adds the new content to a playlist that is presented to the subscriber in the package as a channel from the second portion.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the video source corresponds to a playlist of content;

storing the metadata comprises storing the metadata in association with the playlist; and

the method further comprises, in response to retrieving the metadata, removing metadata for a prior content item from being associated with the playlist in the data storage facility so that the prior content item will no longer be displayed to a subscriber on a first page of the playlist.

10. A system for managing channels of video content from multiple platforms, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising programming instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a multi-channel video service provider to generate and display a service provider user interface; and

a data storage facility comprising data for a plurality of available video channels, wherein a first portion of video channels are associated with video content sources that are controlled by the service provider and a second portion of the video channels are associated with over-the-top video content sources that are not under any control of the service provider;

wherein the programming instructions that cause the processor to generate and display the service provider user interface comprise instructions to;

display data relating to the plurality of video channels,

define a package by receiving a selection of a set of video channels to include in a package, wherein the set includes at least one channel from the first portion and at least one channel from the second portion,

assign a name to the package, and

store the defined package and name in a data storage facility for offering to a subscriber of content from the service provider.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the programming instructions that cause the processor to generate and display the service provider user interface also comprise instructions to:

receive, via the channel ordering interface, a request to move a first channel in the defined package to a new order location in the defined package;

identify an adjacency rule that applies to the first channel and one or more channels that would be adjacent to the first channel if the first channel were moved to the new order location; and

permit movement of the first channel to the new order location only if the movement would satisfy the adjacency rule.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the programming instructions that cause the processor to generate and display the service provider user interface also comprise instructions to present a channel definition interface configured to enable the service provider to define a new channel or modify an existing channel by:

receiving a selection one or more sources of over-the-top video content;

for each source, associating a delivery address with a subscriber device type;

defining one or more rules for selecting and ordering content from the one or more sources in a playlist to be presented via the new channel; and

when content is presented to a subscriber on the associated channel, offering the content to the subscriber in accordance with the defined rules and sourced from the delivery address that is associated with the presented content'"'"'s source.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions that enable a service provider to define one or more rules comprise instructions to implement one or more of the following:

receive an advertisement delivery rule set, wherein the advertisement delivery rule set comprises instructions as to where to place one or more advertisements in the playlist and how many ads to place at any location in the playlist;

or

adjust a plurality of filters, wherein each filter assigns a weight to one or more categories of user profile data, wherein the categories comprise one or more of the following for a user;

previous viewing history, recent viewing history, or one or more genre preferences.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to present a content management interface configured to enable the service provider to manage available content by:

receiving a user selection of a content item;

retrieving metadata associated with the content item, wherein the metadata comprises a title and a delivery address;

receiving, via the content management interface, descriptive information of the content item; and

saving the metadata and descriptive information as a record of the content item.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising further comprising instructions that cause the processor to present a content management interface configured to enable the service provider to manage available content by:

receiving a user selection of a video source;

receiving a rule set comprising a frequency;

periodically accessing the video source according to the frequency to determine whether the video source has posted any new content since a prior time that the processor accessed the video source;

retrieving metadata for the new content, wherein the metadata comprises a title and a delivery address; and

storing the metadata in a content data storage facility.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the video source corresponds to a social media feed for a subscriber;

periodically accessing the video source comprises accessing the subscriber'"'"'s social media feed and retrieving metadata for new posts to the subscriber'"'"'s social media feed; and

the system automatically adds the new content to a playlist that is presented to the subscriber in the package as a channel from the second portion.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the video source corresponds to a playlist of content;

storing the metadata comprises storing the metadata in association with the playlist; and

the system further comprises instructions to, in response to retrieving the metadata, remove metadata for a prior content item from being associated with the playlist in the data storage facility so that the prior content item will no longer be displayed to a subscriber on a first page of the playlist.