System and method for creating customized, multi-platform video programming

• US 9,432,711 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthur H. Muir, John D. Steinberg
• Original Assignee: Arthur H. Muir, John D. Steinberg
• Inventors: Steinberg, John D., Muir, Arthur H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US14/082,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• 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 21/6125 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for representing video and audio media files as workflows are disclosed. In some cases, the systems and methods combine segments of the media files into larger compilations in the workflows, and using the workflows to individually optimize both the viewing experience for and the advertising presented to viewers based upon the circumstances of each viewer and parameters described with the workflow.

Claims

1. A method for creating video and audio content to be subsequently viewed over a network on a first computer or other device capable of playing such audio and video content, said method comprising:

representing at least a source identifier of at least a first media file comprising both audio and video stored on at least a second computer accessed over the network as at least a uniform resource indicator corresponding to the location of said media file on a first server on said network;

representing at least a source identifier of at least a second media file comprising only audio stored on at least a third computer accessed over the network as at least a uniform resource indicator corresponding to the location of said second media file on said network;

representing timing aspects of at least one of said first and second media files, including the portions that are and are not to be presented as part of said subsequent playback, as at least strings of characters comprising a system of tags and at least numerical values indicating at least the point within at least one of said first and second media files at which playback is to begin and the point within at least one of said first and second media files at which playback is to end, where at least said first media file is specified to begin playback at a point other than and after a beginning of said first media file, and at least said first media file is specified to stop playing prior to an end of said first media file;

representing at least a transitional aspect of how at least one of said first and second media files is to be presented comprising a fade-in or a fade-out, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and at least an alphanumeric value indicating at least a parameter describing the transitional effect to be presented, where said fade-in or fade-out is not present in at least said first media file in the manner or at the time said transitional aspect is to be presented in said video and audio content;

representing at least a textual aspect of said video content comprising a title or subtitle, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and alphanumerical values indicating at least the type of textual element to be presented and the point within at least one of said first and second media files at which presentation of said textual aspect is to begin and the point within at least one of said first and second media files when presentation of said textual element is to end, where said textual aspect is not present in at least said first media file in the manner or at the time said textual aspect is to be presented in said video and audio content;

creating a master file containing all of said representations relating to said video and audio content;

assigning a uniform resource indicator to said master file;

storing said master file on at least a third computer attached to said network;

making said master file accessible over said network by one or more viewers of said content using said first computer or other playback device capable of playing back said media files;

initiating playback of said video and audio content on said first computer or other device by transmitting from said first computer or other device a plurality of requests to at least said second computer instructing said second computer to transmit to said first computer said first media file beginning at the point specified in said master file, where said point is not the beginning of said entire first media file, and ending at the point specified in said master file, where said point is not the end of said entire media file;

combining said first media file and said second media file so that the video from said first media file and audio from said second media file are reproduced simultaneously; and

combining said first and second media files, said transitional aspects and said textual aspects on said first computer or other playback device as specified in said master file when said viewer initiates execution of said master file.

2. The method of claim 1 in which portions of said first media file are located on a plurality of servers.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said tags are in XML format.

4. The method of in claim 1 in which said network is the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said master file is accessed on a personal computer.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said master file is accessed on a smart phone.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said master file is accessed on a tablet computer.

8. The method of claim 1 in which said representation of said transitional aspects includes specification of z-layer values for at least one of said first and second media files, where said z-layer values determine whether at least one of said first and second media files should appear in front.

9. The method of claim 1 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a television.

10. The method of claim 1 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a mobile device.

11. A system for creating video and audio content to be subsequently viewed over a network on a first computer or other device capable of playing such audio and video content, said system comprising:

computer memory that stores a plurality of computer instructions;

one or more computer processors in communication with the computer memory, the one or more computer processors configured to execute the plurality of instructions to;

represent at least a source identifier of at least a first media file comprising both audio and video stored on at least a second computer accessed over the network as at least a uniform resource indicator corresponding to the location of said first media file on said network;

represent at least a source identifier of at least a second media file comprising only audio stored on at least a third computer accessed over the network as at least a uniform resource indicator corresponding to the location of said second media file on said network;

represent timing aspects of at least said first media file, including the portions that are and are not to be presented as part said subsequent playback, as at least strings of characters comprising a system of tags and at least numerical values indicating at least the point within said first media file at which playback is to begin and the point within said first media file at which playback is to end, where at least said first media file is specified to begin playback at a point other than and after a beginning of said first media file, and at least said first media file is specified to stop playing prior to an end of said first media file;

represent at least a transitional aspect of how at least one of said first and second media files are to be presented comprising a fade-in or a fade-out, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and at least an alphanumeric value indicating at least a parameter describing the transitional effect to be presented, where said fade-in or fade-out is not present in said first media file in the manner or at the time said transitional aspect is to be presented in said video and audio content;

represent at least a textual aspect of said video content comprising a title or subtitle, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and alphanumerical values indicating at least the type of textual element to be presented and the point within at least of said first and second media files at which presentation of said textual aspect is to begin and the point within said media file when presentation of said textual element is to end, where said textual aspect is not present in said first media file in the manner or at the time said textual aspect is to be presented in said video and audio content;

create a master file containing all of said representations relating to said video and audio content;

assign a uniform resource indicator to said master file;

storing said master file on at least a third computer attached to said network;

make said master file accessible over said network by one or more viewers of said content using a playback device capable of playing back said media files;

initiate playback of said video and audio content on said first computer or other device by transmitting from said first computer or other device a plurality of requests to at least said second computer instructing said second computer to transmit to said first computer said first media file beginning at the point specified in said master file, where said point is not the beginning of said first media file, and ending at the point specified in said master file, where said point is not the end of said first media file;

combine said first media file and said second media file so that the video from said first media file and audio from said second media file are reproduced simultaneously; and

combine said first and second media files, said transitional aspects and said textual aspects on said first computer or other playback device as specified in said master file when said viewer initiates execution of said master file.

12. The system of claim 11 in which portions of said first media file are located on a plurality of servers.

13. The system of claim 11 in which said tags are in XML format.

14. The system of claim 11 in which said network is the Internet.

15. The system of claim 11 in which said master file is created on a personal computer.

16. The system of claim 11 in which said master file is created on a smart phone.

17. The system of claim 11 in which said master file is created on a tablet computer.

18. The system of claim 11 in which said representation of said transitional aspects includes specification of z-layer values for at least one of said first and second media files, where said z-layer values determine whether at least one of said first and second media files should appear in front.

19. The system of claim 11 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a television.

20. The system of claim 11 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a mobile device.