Providing data feeds for video programs

• US 8,990,418 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2012
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bragg, Richard William, Koh, Justin, Laligand, Pierre-Yves, McGrath, Katherine Grace
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US13/486,975
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/230, 709/231, 725/46, 725/53, 725/110, 725/35, 725/105
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing data feeds for video programs is presented. A request is received from a client device of a user to obtain a data feed for a set of video programs in a plurality of video programs, where the set of video programs includes video programs having at least one common attribute. In response to receiving the request, a data feed for the set of video programs is generated using metadata for the plurality of video programs and a profile for the user, where a respective data item in the data feed corresponds to a respective video program in the set of video programs and includes at least one link to at least one content source from which the respective video program is available. The data feed is then provided to the client device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing data feeds for video programs, performed on a server having at least one processor and memory storing at least one program for execution by the at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a client device of a user to obtain a data feed for a set of video programs in a plurality of video programs, the set of video programs including video programs having at least one common attribute;

in response to receiving the request, generating a data feed for the set of video programs using metadata for the plurality of video programs and a profile for the user, a respective data item in the data feed corresponding to a respective video program in the set of video programs and including at least one link to at least one content source from which the respective video program is available, wherein the data feed includes at least one data item corresponding to a first video program in the set of video programs, wherein the at least one data item includes a first link to a first instance of the first video program that is available from a first content source and a second link to a second instance of the first video program that is available on a second content source, and wherein the first content source and the second content source are different types of content sources; and

providing the data feed to the client device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the data feed for the set of video programs using metadata for the plurality of video programs and the profile for the user includes:

obtaining the profile for the user;

identifying the set of video programs that have the at least one common attribute using the metadata for the plurality of video programs;

generating data items for the data feed based on the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs; and

filtering out data items in the data feed based on the profile of the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating data items for the data feed based on the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs includes:

for each respective video program in the set of video programs,

identifying instances of the respective video program using the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs; and

for each respective instance of the respective video program, generating a respective data item in the data feed for the respective instance of the respective video program using the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein generating data items for the data feed based on the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs includes:

for each respective video program in the set of video programs,

identifying instances of the respective video program using the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs; and

generating a respective data item in the data feed for the respective video program using the metadata for the video programs in the set of video programs, wherein the respective data item for the respective video program includes a link to each instance of the respective video program.

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

identifying at least one related data feed based on the metadata for the set of video programs and the profile for the user; and

providing a link to the at least one related data feed.

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

receiving a second request from the client device to filter the data feed based on at least one filtering criteria;

filtering the data feed based on the at least one filtering criteria, wherein the filtering criteria include criteria that filters based on one or more of;

dates, times, channels, identifiers for series, identifiers for episodes, directors, actors, identifiers for content providers, and identifiers for content sources; and

providing the filtered data feed to the client device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one common attribute is specified in the request received from the client device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a link corresponding to the data feed, and wherein the link includes the at least one common attribute.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one link is usable by the client device to perform a predetermined action with respect to the respective video program.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data items included in the data feed for the set of video programs are not generated until the request is received from the client device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request is a URL corresponding to the data feed, wherein the URL includes a domain name of the server and at least one common attribute that is included in the path portion of the URL.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data feed is an RSS data feed.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data feed is an Atom data feed.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user includes video programs that the user has previously accessed.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user includes video programs in which the user has shown an interest.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user includes categories of video programs in which the user is interested.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user includes channels that the user has previously accessed.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user includes content sources to which the user has access, wherein the content sources include at least one local content source, wherein the at least one local content source is selected from a group consisting of:

a digital video recorder, a hard disk drive, and a network storage device.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile for the user includes states of items in data feeds for the user.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the profile for the user includes video resolution preferences for the user;

and

filtering out data items in the data feed based on the profile of the user comprises filtering out data items in the data feed based on the video resolution preferences for the user.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the data feed includes at least one data item corresponding to a second video program in the set of video programs, wherein the at least one data item corresponding to the second video program includes a first link to a first instance of the second video program that is available at a first time and a second link to a second instance of the second video program that is available at a second time, and wherein the first time and the second time are different times.

21. A system to provide data feeds for video programs, comprising:

at least one processor;

memory; and

at least one program stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processor, the at least one program comprising instructions to;

receive a request from a client device of a user to obtain a data feed for a set of video programs in a plurality of video programs, the set of video programs including video programs having at least one common attribute;

in response to receiving the request, generate a data feed for the set of video programs using metadata for the plurality of video programs and a profile for the user, a respective data item in the data feed corresponding to a respective video program in the set of video programs and including at least one link to at least one content source from which the respective video program is available, wherein the data feed includes at least one data item corresponding to a first video program in the set of video programs, wherein the at least one data item includes a first link to a first instance of the first video program that is available from a first content source and a second link to a second instance of the first video program that is available on a second content source, and wherein the first content source and the second content source are different types of content sources; and

provide the data feed to the client device.

22. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing at least one program configured for execution by at least one processor of a computer system, the at least one program comprising instructions to:

receive a request from a client device of a user to obtain a data feed for a set of video programs in a plurality of video programs, the set of video programs including video programs having at least one common attribute;

in response to receiving the request, generate a data feed for the set of video programs using metadata for the plurality of video programs and a profile for the user, a respective data item in the data feed corresponding to a respective video program in the set of video programs and including at least one link to at least one content source from which the respective video program is available, wherein the data feed includes at least one data item corresponding to a first video program in the set of video programs, wherein the at least one data item includes a first link to a first instance of the first video program that is available from a first content source and a second link to a second instance of the first video program that is available on a second content source, and wherein the first content source and the second content source are different types of content sources; and

provide the data feed to the client device.