System and method for optimizing distribution of media files with transmission based on recipient site requirements

• US 8,880,733 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vubiquity Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vubiquity Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Stasi, Christopher, Perdue, Kelly, Stasi, Dom
• Primary Examiner(s): Murray, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US12/407,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 709/240, 709/246, 705/26.5, 707/636, 725/34, 725/146
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1108 Web based protocols, e.g. webRTC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

There is disclosed a media file distribution system and method. An asset management and delivery system and method for the distribution of digital files and data is provided. There are two major functions, with sub-functions within each. The system first serves as a fully automated management system for a company involved in video/file distribution, such as in video on demand (VOD) or other digital file industries. The system can ingest, prepare, schedule, transmit, track and report on any aspect of the business chain. Secondly, it also serves as a product for both content providers and recipients to be able to view, manage and run their entire content offering remotely from anywhere through the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing distribution of a media file to a plurality of recipient sites over a communication network, the method comprising:

checking a receive status of a first recipient site, thereby to produce a first status check result;

checking a receive status of a second recipient site, thereby to produce a second status check result;

adding to the media file, wherein the media file is received from a first source, a first set of control data specific to requirements of the first recipient site and adding to the media file received from the first source a second set of control data specific to requirements of the second recipient site, wherein each set of control data contains editable parameters and editable values of each parameter;

based on the first check result, the second check result, the first set of control data, the second set of control data, properties of the media file, and a state of the communication network, applying a set of rules to determine a priority for distributing an aggregated media file to the first recipient site and the second recipient site;

transmitting the media file to which the first set of control data and second set of control data was added to the first recipient site and the second recipient site over said communication network, according to the determined priority;

determining a percentage of the plurality of recipient sites that are ready to receive the media file to which the plurality of control data was added;

transmitting the media file to which the plurality of control data was added to all of the recipient sites over said communication network, if the determined percentage is higher than a set value; and

delaying the transmission of the media file to which the plurality of control data was added to a portion of the recipient sites based on respective control data specific to requirements of said portion of the recipient sites, if the determined percentage is lower than or equal to said set value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of rules includes one or more rules from the group consisting of data range, time range, and communication channel requirements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receive statuses are equipment statuses located in the first and second recipient sites.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of control data include data regarding an earliest or latest time that the media file can be transmitted to said first recipient site.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication network is the Internet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication network is a satellite link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said media file is for use in a video play back.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said media file is for use in gaming.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said delaying the transmission of the media file to which the plurality of control data was added comprises delaying the transmission of the aggregated media file to those recipient sites not ready to receive the aggregated media file.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the media file to which the plurality of control data was added from loading to a recipient computer at a first recipient site, according to control data specific to requirements of said first recipient site.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the received media file by a recipient computer at a first recipient site, according to control data specific to requirements of said first recipient site.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing one or more of the control data according to one or more of the receive statuses of the plurality of recipient sites.

13. A system for optimizing distribution of a media file to a plurality of recipient sites over a communication network, the system comprising a hardware processor executing program instructions to perform:

checking a receive status of a first recipient site, thereby to produce a first status check result;

checking a receive status of a second recipient site, thereby to produce a second status check result;

adding to the media file, wherein the media file is received from a first source, a first set of control data specific to requirements of the first recipient site and adding to the media file received from the first source a second set of control data specific to requirements of the second recipient site, wherein each set of control data contains editable parameters and editable values of each parameter;

based on the first check result, the second check result, the first set of control data, the second set of control data, properties of the media file, and a state of the communication network, applying a set of rules to determine a priority for distributing an aggregated media file to the first recipient site and the second recipient site;

transmitting the media file to which the first set of control data and second set of control data was added to the first recipient site and the second recipient site over said communication network, according to the determined priority;

determining a percentage of the plurality of recipient sites that are ready to receive the media file to which the plurality of control data was added;

transmitting the media file to which the plurality of control data was added to all of the recipient sites over said communication network, if the determined percentage is higher than a set value; and

delaying the transmission of the media file to which the plurality of control data was added to a portion of the recipient sites based on respective control data specific to requirements of said portion of the recipient sites, if the determined percentage is lower than or equal to said set value.

14. A computer program product for optimizing distribution of a media file to a plurality of recipient sites over a communication network, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform:

checking a receive status of a first recipient site, thereby to produce a first status check result;

checking a receive status of a second recipient site, thereby to produce a second status check result;

adding to the media file, wherein the media file is received from a first source, a first set of control data specific to requirements of the first recipient site and adding to the media file received from the first source a second set of control data specific to requirements of the second recipient site, wherein each set of control data contains editable parameters and editable values of each parameter;

based on the first check result, the second check result, the first set of control data, the second set of control data, properties of the media file, and a state of the communication network, applying a set of rules to determine a priority for distributing an aggregated media file to the first recipient site and the second recipient site;

transmitting the media file to which the first set of control data and second set of control data was added to the first recipient site and the second recipient site over said communication network, according to the determined priority;

determining a percentage of the plurality of recipient sites that are ready to receive the media file to which the plurality of control data was added;

transmitting the media file to which the plurality of control data was added to all of the recipient sites over said communication network, if the determined percentage is higher than a set value; and

delaying the transmission of the media file to which the plurality of control data was added to a portion of the recipient sites based on respective control data specific to requirements of said portion of the recipient sites, if the determined percentage is lower than or equal to said set value.