System, method, and computer program product for remotely determining the configuration of a multi-media content user

• US 8,843,589 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2008
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shapiro, Jody
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, BRYAN Y
• Application Number:
  US12/069,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20080281943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,416 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user includes sending player detection code the user'"'"'s computer and receiving configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer. A method of determining a connection speed of a computer includes determining a size of a timing block based on an estimated bandwidth and retrieving the timing block. The connection speed is determined based on the timing block size and the times at which transfer begins and ends.

Claims

1. A method executed by a processor for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, comprising:

instructing the computer of the multimedia content user to request a dummy image from a server, wherein the dummy image is directed to a script that associates the server with a cookie of the computer, the cookie having configuration information of the computer;

detecting a bandwidth used by the computer to access a network,

wherein a timing block is used for detecting the bandwidth, and a size of the timing block is determined based on previously estimated bandwidth information, a resolution for detecting the bandwidth, and an estimated measuring time of detecting the bandwidth, the timing block is included as an HTML comment in a webpage presented to the user and is used to determine connection speed of the computer, and the timing block comprises random data;

sending a player detection code to the user'"'"'s computer; and

receiving configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer, said configuration information comprising;

a version of operation system of the user'"'"'s computer;

a web browser version of the user'"'"'s computer;

a hardware platform of the user'"'"'s computer;

a user interface language type of the user'"'"'s computer;

an encoding format of the user'"'"'s computer;

a compression algorithm of the user'"'"'s computer;

or combinations thereof,

wherein the method further includes detecting a type of a media player and a version of codecs installed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a cookie at the user'"'"'s computer to a domain of a delivery management server, performed before said receiving, and wherein the configuration information is received in the cookie.

3. One or more processor readable non-transitory storage media having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, the method comprising:

instructing the computer of the multimedia content user to request a dummy image from a server, wherein the dummy image is directed to a script that associates the server with a cookie of the computer, the cookie having configuration information of the computer;

detecting a bandwidth used by the computer to access a network,

wherein a timing block is used for detecting the bandwidth, and a size of the timing block is determined based on previously estimated bandwidth information, a resolution for detecting the bandwidth, and an estimated measuring time of detecting the bandwidth, the timing block is included as an HTML comment in a webpage presented to the user and is used to determine connection speed of the computer, and the timing block comprises random data;

sending a player detection code to the user'"'"'s computer; and

receiving configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer, said configuration information comprising;

a version of operation system of the user'"'"'s computer;

a web browser version of the user'"'"'s computer;

a hardware platform of the user'"'"'s computer;

a user interface language type of the user'"'"'s computer;

an encoding format of the user'"'"'s computer;

a compression algorithm of the user'"'"'s computer;

or combinations thereof,

wherein the method further includes detecting a type of a media player and a version of codecs installed.

4. The one or more storage media of claim 3, the method further comprising setting a cookie at the user'"'"'s computer to a domain of a delivery management server, performed before said receiving, and wherein the configuration information is received in the cookie.

5. A method executed by a processor for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, comprising:

instructing the computer of the multimedia content user to request a dummy image from a server, wherein the dummy image is directed to a script that associates the server with a cookie of the computer, the cookie having configuration information of the computer;

receiving a timing block for detecting a bandwidth used by the computer to access a network,

wherein a size of the timing block is determined based on previously estimated bandwidth information, a resolution for detecting the bandwidth, and an estimated measuring time of detecting the bandwidth, the timing block is included as an HTML comment in a webpage presented to the user and is used to determine connection speed of the computer, and the timing block comprises random data;

receiving a user'"'"'s computer player detection code from a second computer;

sending to the second computer configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer; and

receiving a modified information header instruction for modified information,

wherein the method further includes detecting a type of a media player and a version of codecs installed.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving a unique client ID.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising appending a client ID pointer address with configuration information for sending to the second computer.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising preparing modified header information based on the received header instruction.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending to the second computer the modified header information with appended client ID.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a configuration information request prior to the sending of the modified header information.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the modified information header instruction occurs after sending the configuration information, and the modified information includes some information that is not included in the configuration information that is sent.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the modified information header instruction occurs after sending the configuration information, and the modified information excludes some information that is included in the configuration information that is sent.

13. The method of claim 5, the modified information header instruction being received prior to the sending, and the configuration information sent being prepared according to the modified information header instruction.

14. The method of claim 5, the sent configuration information including one or more adaptations.

15. The method of claim 14, the one or more adaptations comprising a hardware adaptation.

16. The method of claim 14, the one or more adaptations comprising a user interface version adaptation.

17. The method of claim 14, the modified header information instruction being prepared according to the adaptation information.

18. One or more processor readable non-transitory storage media having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for remotely determining the configuration of a computer of a multimedia content user, the method comprising:

instructing the computer of the multimedia content user to request a dummy image from a server, wherein the dummy image is directed to a script that associates the server with a cookie of the computer, the cookie having configuration information of the computer;

receiving a timing block for detecting a bandwidth used by the computer to access a network,

wherein a size of the timing block is determined based on previously estimated bandwidth information, a resolution for detecting the bandwidth, and an estimated measuring time of detecting the bandwidth, the timing block is included as an HTML comment in a webpage presented to the user and is used to determine the connection speed of the computer, and the timing block comprises random data;

receiving a user'"'"'s computer player detection code from a second computer;

sending to the second computer configuration information regarding the user'"'"'s computer; and

receiving a modified information header instruction,

wherein the method further includes detecting a type of a media player and a version of codecs installed.

19. The one or more storage media of claim 18, the method further comprising receiving a unique client ID.

20. The one or more storage media of claim 19, the method further comprising appending a client ID pointer address with configuration information for sending to the second computer.

21. The one or more storage media of claim 18, the method further comprising preparing modified header information based on the received header instruction.

22. The one or more storage media of claim 21, the method further comprising sending to the second computer the modified header information with appended client ID.

23. The one or more storage media of claim 22, the method further comprising receiving a configuration information request prior to the sending of the modified header information.

24. The one or more storage media of claim 18, wherein receiving the modified information header instruction occurs after sending the configuration information, and the modified information includes some information that was not included in the configuration information that is sent.

25. The one or more storage media of claim 18, wherein receiving the modified information header instruction occurs after sending the configuration information, and the modified information excludes some information that is included in the configuration information that is sent.

26. The one or more storage media of claim 18, the modified information header instruction being received prior to the sending, and the configuration information sent being prepared according to the modified information header instruction.

27. The one or more storage media of claim 18, the sent configuration information including one or more adaptations.

28. The one or more storage media of claim 27, the one or more adaptations comprising a hardware adaptation.

29. The one or more storage media of claim 27, the one or more adaptations comprising a user interface version adaptation.

30. The one or more storage media of claim 27, the modified header information instruction being prepared according to the adaptation information.