System and method for routing media

• US 9,450,996 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SITO Mobile R&D IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: SITO Mobile R&D IP, LLC
• Inventors: Jennings, Charles A., Bate, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Keehn, Richard G
• Application Number:
  US14/819,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20150341405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0274 Split fees
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/724 at intermediate nodes, e.g. resource reservation protocol [RSVP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• 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 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• 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 21/4623 : Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The system and method for streaming media to a viewer and managing the media comprises an enhanced service routing processor (ESRP), a real time switch management system (RTSMS), a name routing processor (NRP), and a managed media switch (MMS). The RTSMS has a reservation system. The ESRP receives media from an owner, manages the media according to media rules and order rules defined by the owner, and distributes the media to one or more switches, such as the MMS, according to the media rules and the order rules. The RTSMS is configured to receive the media rules and to receive a viewer'"'"'s media request via the reservation server. The reservation system of the RTSMS processes the media request according to the media rules and builds a reservation for the requested media. The RTSMS generates the reservation to the viewer and to the NRP. The NRP receives the reservation data from the viewer and from the RTSMS. The NRP processes the reservation data and locates an MMS that can stream the media to the viewer. The NRP transmits the IP address of the MMS to the viewer and transmits the reservation data to the MMS. The viewer initiates a session or connection with the MMS using the reservation number. If the reservation data from the viewer matches the reservation data from the NRP, the MMS streams the media to the viewer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor, memory, and a packet-based network interface to:

transmit, to a management system via a packet-based telecommunication network, a request associated with a user of the apparatus to have media streamed to the apparatus;

process one or more files received from the management system via the packet-based telecommunication network, each of the one or more files including an indication of a plurality of segments of the requested media, an identification of a resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the apparatus, an indication that an advertisement is to be played by the apparatus, and a unique identifier associated with the request; and

for each of the one or more files processed, communicate via the packet-based telecommunication network with the resource identified in the file, including by transmitting to the resource the unique identifier associated with the request, receive from the resource identified in the file an identification of one or more media servers associated with the resource identified in the file, communicate via the packet-based telecommunication network with the one or more media servers, including by transmitting to the one or more media servers the unique identifier associated with the request, to cause the plurality of segments indicated by the file to be streamed to the apparatus, and communicate via the packet-based telecommunication network with an advertising media server to cause the advertisement to be transmitted to the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is a number.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus communicates with the resource identified in the file and the one or more media servers using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is created in response to the request.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is assigned by the management system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more files further includes a unique identifier associated with (i) the plurality of segments indicated by the file and (ii) rules for streaming the plurality of segments.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier associated with the plurality of segments indicated by the file and the rules for streaming the plurality of segments is a presentation identification.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the rules for streaming the plurality of segments include at least one of a program creation rule, a program routing rule, and a network distribution rule.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus communicates with the resource identified in the file and the one or more media servers through one or more internet protocol sessions.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is one of a computer and a digital appliance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the digital appliance is a set top box.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more files is a play script.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indication of the plurality of segments of the requested media, the identification of the resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the apparatus, and the unique identifier associated with the request are included in one or more universal resource locators.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification of the resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the apparatus is one of a host name and an IP address of the resource.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the host name is in a DNS protocol format.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the advertising media server is identified to the apparatus by the resource identified in the file.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the advertising media server is one of the one or more media servers identified by the resource identified in the file.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the apparatus communicates with the advertising media server, the apparatus transmits to the advertising media server the unique identifier associated with the request.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is streamed to the apparatus by the advertising media server as an advertising media clip.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the advertisement is displayed by the apparatus as a banner advertisement.

21. The apparatus 1, wherein the advertisement is selected based on a viewer profile.

22. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and executable by a processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

transmitting, to a management system via a packet-based telecommunication network, a request associated with a user of the apparatus to have media streamed to the apparatus;

processing one or more files received from the management system via the packet-based telecommunication network, each of the one or more files including an indication of a plurality of segments of the requested media, an identification of a resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the apparatus, an indication that an advertisement is to be played by the apparatus, and a unique identifier associated with the request; and

for each of the one or more files processed, communicating via the packet-based telecommunication network with resource identified in the file, including by transmitting to the resource the unique identifier associated with the request, receiving from the resource identified in the file an identification of one or more media servers associated with the resource identified in the file, communicating via the packet-based telecommunication network with the one or more media servers, including by transmitting to the one or more media servers the unique identifier associated with the request, to cause the plurality of segments indicated by the file to be streamed to the apparatus, and communicating via the packet-based telecommunication network with an advertising media server to cause the advertisement to be transmitted to the apparatus.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is a number.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the processing apparatus communicates with the resource identified in the file and the one or more media servers using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is created in response to the request.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is assigned by the management system.

27. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein each of the one or more files further includes a unique identifier associated with (i) the plurality of segments indicated by the file and (ii) rules for streaming the plurality of segments.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the unique identifier associated with the plurality of segments indicated by the file and the rules for streaming the plurality of segments is a presentation identification.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the rules for streaming the plurality of segments include at least one of a program creation rule, a program routing rule, and a network distribution rule.

30. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the processing apparatus communicates with the resource identified in the file and the one or more media servers through one or more internet protocol sessions.

31. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the processing apparatus is one of a computer and a digital appliance.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the digital appliance is a set top box.

33. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein each of the one or more files is a play script.

34. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the indication of the plurality of segments of the requested media, the identification of the resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the processing apparatus, and the unique identifier associated with the request are included in one or more universal resource locators.

35. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the identification of the resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the processing apparatus is one of a host name and an IP address of the resource.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the host name is in a DNS protocol format.

37. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the advertising media server is identified to the processing apparatus by the resource identified in the file.

38. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the advertising media server is one of the one or more media servers identified by the resource identified in the file.

39. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein when the processing apparatus communicates with the advertising media server, the processing apparatus transmits to the advertising media server the unique identifier associated with the request.

40. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the advertisement is streamed to the apparatus by the advertising media server as an advertising media clip.

41. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the advertisement is displayed by the processing apparatus as a banner advertisement.

42. The computer program product 22, wherein the advertisement is selected based on a viewer profile.

43. A method performed by an apparatus having a processor, memory, and a packet-based network interface, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a management system via a packet-based telecommunication network, a request associated with a user of the apparatus to have media streamed to the apparatus;

processing one or more files received from the management system via the packet-based telecommunication network, each of the one or more files including an indication of a plurality of segments of the requested media, an identification of a resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the apparatus, an indication that an advertisement is to be played by the apparatus, and a unique identifier associated with the request; and

for each of the one or more files processed, communicating via the packet-based telecommunication network with resource identified in the file, including by transmitting to the resource the unique identifier associated with the request, receiving from the resource identified in the file an identification of one or more media servers associated with the resource identified in the file, communicating via the packet-based telecommunication network with the one or more media servers, including by transmitting to the one or more media servers the unique identifier associated with the request, to cause the plurality of segments indicated by the file to be streamed to the apparatus, and communicating via the packet-based telecommunication network with an advertising media server to cause the advertisement to be transmitted to the apparatus.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is a number.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the processing apparatus communicates with the resource identified in the file and the one or more media servers using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is created in response to the request.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the unique identifier associated with the request is assigned by the management system.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein each of the one or more files further includes a unique identifier associated with (i) the plurality of segments indicated by the file and (ii) rules for streaming the plurality of segments.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the unique identifier associated with the plurality of segments indicated by the file and the rules for streaming the plurality of segments is a presentation identification.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein the rules for streaming the plurality of segments include at least one of a program creation rule, a program routing rule, and a network distribution rule.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the processing apparatus communicates with the resource identified in the file and the one or more media servers through one or more internet protocol sessions.

52. The method of claim 43, wherein the processing apparatus is one of a computer and a digital appliance.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the digital appliance is a set top box.

54. The method of claim 43, wherein each of the one or more files is a play script.

55. The method of claim 43, wherein the indication of the plurality of segments of the requested media, the identification of the resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the processing apparatus, and the unique identifier associated with the request are included in one or more universal resource locators.

56. The method of claim 43, wherein the identification of the resource available to facilitate streaming of the plurality of segments to the processing apparatus is one of a host name and an IP address of the resource.

57. The method of claim 43, wherein the host name is in a DNS protocol format.

58. The method of claim 43, wherein the advertising media server is identified to the processing apparatus by the resource identified in the file.

59. The method of claim 43, wherein the advertising media server is one of the one or more media servers identified by the resource identified in the file.

60. The method of claim 43, wherein when the processing apparatus communicates with the advertising media server, the processing apparatus transmits to the advertising media server the unique identifier associated with the request.

61. The method of claim 43, wherein the advertisement is streamed to the apparatus by the advertising media server as an advertising media clip.

62. The method of claim 43, wherein the advertisement is displayed by the processing apparatus as a banner advertisement.

63. The method of claim 43, wherein the advertisement is selected based on a viewer profile.