Method of sizing an embedded media player page

• US 8,918,812 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayward, Monte Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US10/415,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20040045040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,808 Days
• Field of Search: 725/143, 725 37- 61
• US Class Current: 725/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4433 Implementing client middleware, e.g. Multimedia Home Platform [MHP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• 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
• 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 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

In a method of displaying video data using an embedded media player page, frame dimensional data for a first video file is received from a database. The database includes frame dimensional data indexed therein for a plurality of video files. The plurality of video files includes the first video file, and the plurality of video files is retrievable from at least one video server through a communications network. A media player is launched within the embedded media player page. A video display area of the media player is sized based upon the received frame dimensional data. The video data from the first video file is displayed within the video display area.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of displaying video data using a media player embedded within a web page, comprising the steps of:

receiving, using at least one processor, frame dimensional data for a first video file from a database, said database including frame dimensional data indexed therein for a plurality of video files, said plurality of video files including said first video file, said plurality of video files being retrievable from at least one video server through a network;

launching said media player within said web page; and

when a user selects to render said video file, automatically sizing said web page and a display area of said media player based upon said received frame dimensional data for said first video file.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said database further includes a respective address on said network where each of said plurality of video files is located, said method further comprising the steps of receiving address data for said first video file and retrieving using said address data said first video file for display of said video data.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said frame dimensional data include a frame width and a frame height for said first video file, said sizing step including the steps of setting a width of said display area based upon said frame width and setting a height of said display area based upon said frame height.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 said first video file is a synchronized multimedia integration language (SMIL) file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said media player is called locally from a client as an object for embedding in said web page.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of calling at least one control for said media player as an object for embedding in said web page and locating said at least one control based in part upon said frame dimensional data for said video file.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of prompting said user to select a second video file from said plurality of video files and sizing said display area using default dimensional data when said database does not include frame dimensional data for said second video file.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein said default dimensional data includes a default height value and a default width value for said display area.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said web page is displayed in a pop-up window generated by a browser.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein said web page includes content displayed adjacent to at least one edge of said display area, said method further comprising the step of sizing said pop-up window to provide sufficient margin to display said content between said at least one edge and an edge of said pop-up window.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein said content includes at least one of:

advertising content, branding content, and a search window.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein said displayed content is adjusted in accordance with said received frame dimensional data.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said video file is streamed through said network to said client from one of said at least one video server.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said sizing step is performed by executing a script file associated with said web page.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of prompting said user to select a video file from a list of video files derived from said plurality of video files, said list being displayed to said user by said client.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein said list is displayed to said user in response to a search of said database, said database further including respective description data for each of said plurality of video files.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said frame dimensional data for said first video file includes data that indicates a number of pixels in height and a number of pixels in length associated with said first video file.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an advertisement in said web page, wherein the size of said advertisement is based on said display area of said media player.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an advertisement in said web page, wherein the size of said advertisement is based on a sizing algorithm and said frame dimensional data for said first video file.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving frame dimensional data for a second video file from said database; and

sizing said web page and said display area of said media player based upon said received frame dimensional data for said second video file.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer program code for directing a processor to display video data in an embedded media player page, comprising:

a first code segment for receiving frame dimensional data for a first video file from a database, said database including frame dimensional data indexed therein for a plurality of video files, said plurality of video files including said first video file and a second video file, said plurality of video files being retrievable from at least one video server through a network, said frame dimensional data associated with said first video file and said second video file;

a second code segment for dynamically launching a media player within said embedded media player page;

a third code segment for, when a user selects to render said first video file, automatically sizing a display area of said media player based upon said received frame dimensional data for said first video file;

a fourth code segment for receiving frame dimensional data for said second video file from said database; and

a fifth code segment for resizing said embedded media player page and said display area of said media player based upon said received frame dimensional data for said second video file, wherein the display area of said media player upon sizing is different from the display area of said media player upon resizing.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said database further includes a respective address on said network where each of said plurality of video files is located, said medium further comprising a sixth code segment for receiving address data for said first video file and a seventh code segment for instructing a client to retrieve using said address data said first video file for displaying said video data.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said frame dimensional data include a pixel width and a pixel height for said first video file, said third code segment further comprising a code segment for setting a width of said display area based upon said pixel width and setting a height of said display area based upon said pixel height.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said first video file is a synchronized multimedia integration language (SMIL) file.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said embedded media player page is displayed in a pop-up window generated by a browser.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein said embedded media player page includes content displayed adjacent to at least one edge of said display area, said medium further comprising a seventh code segment for sizing said pop-up window to provide sufficient margin to display said content between said at least one edge and an edge of said pop-up window.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said first video file is streamed through said network to said client from one of said at least one video server.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising a sixth code segment for prompting said user to select said video file from a list of video files from said plurality of video files, said list being displayed to said user by said client in response to a search of said database, said database further including respective description data for each of said plurality of video files.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said frame dimensional data for said first video file includes data that indicates a number of pixels in height and a number of pixels in length associated with said first video file.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising displaying an advertisement in said embedded media player page, wherein the size of said advertisement is based on said display area of said media player upon resizing.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising displaying an advertisement in said embedded media player page, wherein the size of said advertisement is based on a sizing algorithm and said frame dimensional data for said first video file.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said second video file is an advertisement.