Method and system for content delivery

• US 8,893,203 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linius (Aust) Pty Ltd
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Myrrh Technology Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: O'Hanlon, Finbar
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/670,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,286 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• 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 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

A method and system for providing video content on a data network connected device having a display and a device display controller including a player. The method comprises the steps of a data network connected device, accesses a reference file including a plurality of player control parameter values and linking data for one or more content sources. Play control commands are provided to the player based on the play control parameter values. Content data is acquired by the player from one or more content sources via the data network using the linking data, and the content acquired from each source played on the display in accordance with the player control commands. The reference file may be a pre-existing reference file or a reference file created in response to a request to play the video content data. A reference file compiler is provided for generating the reference file.

Claims

1. A method of receiving video content, the method comprising:

accessing, with a data network connected device having a device display controller including a native player, a reference file having a video content container file format playable by the native player, the reference file including a plurality of player control parameter values and linking data linking to a content data file from a designated content source, the content data file including at least header data and content data, and the linking data linking only to at least a portion of the content data within the content data file;

playing the reference file with the native player as a video file, wherein playing the reference file with the native player comprises;

providing compatible play control commands to the native player based on the player control parameter values from the reference file, the play control commands being configured to direct the native player to use the linking data to acquire the at least a portion of the content data from the designated content source and via a data network;

acquiring, by the native player, the at least a portion of the content data from the designated content source as directed by the linking data, in accordance with the play control commands; and

playing, by the native player, the at least a portion of the content data acquired from the designated content source, in accordance with the video content container file format of the reference file.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising generating the reference file.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein generating the reference file occurs in response to a request by a user to access the content data file from the designated content source.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising determining whether or not the content data file is stored in a format compatible with the native player, and where the content data file format is incompatible with the native player generating the reference file having a translated video structure compatible with the native player, and wherein the linking data links to codec encoded data within the content data file.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reference file includes player control parameter values configured to cause the network connected device to build a translated video structure compatible with the native player for any content data having a data file format incompatible with the native player and to use the linking data which links to codec encoded data within the content data file.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least a portion of the content data is acquired as one or more data streams wherein each data stream represents a different layer of content for presentation.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein two or more content layers are presented concurrently on a display based on the player control parameters.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein each data stream has a different data format.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein one or more data streams are provided via linking data linking to a support server wherein the support server selects the one or more data streams to be provided.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the one or more data streams selected by the support server are selected based on defined criteria including one or more of:

user data, content provider data, network service provider data, or geographic data.

11. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein at least one data stream of the one or more data streams includes layer presentation control data.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the layer presentation control data includes layer synchronization data.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the reference file is accessed via a video content provider web site.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the linking data includes at least one link to a video file accessed through the video content provider web site.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising launching the native player on the data network connected device in response to the reference file being accessed.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference file has a first video content container file format, and the content data file has a second video content container file format, the second container file format being incompatible with the native player.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the linking data links to addresses of sections of the at least a portion of the content data within the content data file based at least in part on a data file structure of the content data file.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference file does not include any video or audio data content.

19. A method of providing access to video content, the method comprising:

storing content data accessible via a data network within a content data file at a designated content source, the content data file including at least header data and the content data;

forming a reference file having a video content container file format playable as a video file by a native player of a user device, the reference file including linking data and player control parameter values, the linking data linking only to at least a portion of the content data within the content data file, the reference file being configured, when played by the native player, to provide the native player with compatible play control commands, based on the player control parameter values, configured to direct the native player of the user device to use the linking data to acquire the at least a portion of the content data from the designated content source via the data network; and

making the reference file accessible whereby access of the reference file by the user device enables the native player of the user device to link to, receive, and play the at least a portion of the content data in accordance with the video content container file format of the reference file.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein forming the reference file comprises:

providing linking data for the content data file defining the designated content source where the content data can be accessed;

defining the player control parameter values for use by a native player for playing the at least a portion of the content data; and

compiling the linking data and player control parameter values to form the reference file.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein forming the reference file further comprises:

providing linking data linking to a support server configured to selectively provide access to the content data from the designated content source.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the support server is further configured to provide additional control data for use by the native player, the additional control data including one or more of content play synchronization data, commands, or further player control parameter values.

23. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein the linking data for the content data file comprises a link to a digital rights management (DRM) portal through which the content data file is accessible.

24. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein forming a reference file includes storing the reference file on a server accessible by the user device via the data network.

25. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein forming a reference file includes generating the reference file in response to a request by the user device to access stored content data.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 further comprising determining whether or not the content data file is stored in a format compatible with the native player of the user device, and where the content data file format is incompatible with the native player, generating the reference file having a translated video structure compatible with the native player, wherein the linking data links to codec encoded data within the content data file.

27. A method as claimed in claim 19 wherein the reference file includes player control parameter values configured to cause the user device to build a translated video structure compatible with the native player for any content data having a data file format incompatible with the native player and to use linking data which links to codec encoded data within the content data file.

28. A system for providing video content comprising:

a computing device having a player interface executable by a processor of the computing device, the player interface configured to provide play control commands to a native player installed on a user device; and

a reference file having a video content container file format playable by the native player as a video file, the reference file including;

player control parameter values; and

linking data linking to at least a portion of content data within a content data file from a designated content source, the content data file including at least header data and content data, the linking data linking only to the at least a portion of content data, wherein, when the reference file is provided to the player interface, the player interface is configured to use the player control parameter values and linking data to instruct the native player to;

use the linking data to acquire the at least a portion of content data from the designated content source via a data network; and

play the at least a portion of content data with the native player on the user device in accordance with the video content container file format of the reference file.

29. A system as claimed in claim 28 further comprising a reference file compiler configured to generate the reference file in response to a request by the user device to access the content data file.

30. A system as claimed in claim 29 wherein the reference file compiler is configured to determine whether or not the content data file is stored in a format compatible with the native player, and where the content data file format is incompatible with the native player, generate the reference file having a translated video structure compatible with the native player, wherein the linking data links to codec encoded data within the content data file.

31. A system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the reference file includes player control parameter values configured to cause the user device to build a translated video structure compatible with the native player for any content data having a data file format incompatible with the native player and to use the linking data which links to codec encoded data within the content data file.

32. A system as claimed in claim 28 further comprising a support server having a content source linker, wherein the support server is configured to selectively provide access to the content data from the designated content source to the user device via the content source linker.

33. A system as claimed in claim 32 wherein the support server includes a content synchronizer configured to provide synchronization control data.

34. A system as claimed in claim 33 wherein the synchronization control data includes one or more of:

player control parameter values for storing in the reference file, a synchronization data file for download to the user device, or play control command data for the player interface.

35. A system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the computing device having the player interface is the user device.

36. A system as claimed in claim 28 wherein the computing device having the player interface is a server accessible by the user device.

37. A system as claimed in claim 32 wherein the support server further comprises a reference file compiler configured to create the reference file for designated data network accessible video content.