System and method for sending and/or receiving digital content based on a delivery specification

• US 9,692,799 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signiant Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Signiant Incorporated
• Inventors: Hamilton, Ian Kennedy, Nash, Michael Gregory, Vasile, Tony
• Primary Examiner(s): OWYANG, MICHELLE N
• Application Number:
  US13/561,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20140032503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 707705-780, 709201-203, 725 1-153
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A plurality of users may interact with a content distribution system in order to share digital media content. The system may receive, store, and/or publish a delivery specification that includes requirements relating to digital content that a first user wishes to receive. The delivery specification for the digital content may include one or more requirements of the digital content to be received. A second user who wishes to provide the digital content may access the delivery specification. The system provides for flexible validation of the media content from the second user. For example, validation may occur at device of the first user, at a device of the second user, and/or at a device of the content distribution system. Upon validation of the media content from the second user, the system may facilitate transfer of the media content from the second user to the first user.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating communication of a delivery specification that specifies requirements of one or more media files to be provided from a sending device to a recipient device over a network, the system comprising:

a computing device comprising one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions, which when executed by the one or more physical processors cause the computing device to;

receive, from the recipient device associated with a first user, the delivery specification that includes a plurality of requirements, specified by the first user, of a media file to be delivered to the first user, wherein the delivery specification is used to determine whether the media file is acceptable to the first user, wherein the plurality of requirements include at least a file type requirement that specifies a type of file format required by the first user and a file size requirement that specifies a maximum and/or minimum size of file required by the first user, and wherein the media file comprises an executable multi-media file;

receive, from the sending device associated with a second user that is to provide the media file to the first user, a request for the delivery specification;

communicate the delivery specification to the sending device responsive to the request to provide the second user with the plurality of requirements specified by the first user;

receive, from the sending device, the media file;

validate, using the delivery specification, the media file based on the plurality of requirements; and

responsive to an indication that the media file is validated, and without sending the media file to the recipient device, provide a notification to the sending device that the media file has been validated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

facilitate communication of the media file to the first user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein to facilitate communication of the media file to the first user, the computing device is further programmed to:

cause the second user to communicate the media file to the first user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein to validate the media file, the computing device is further programmed to:

receive the media file from the second user;

perform an analysis of the received media file based on the plurality of requirements;

determine that the media file is validated based on the analysis; and

communicate an indication to the second user that the media file is validated responsive to the determination that the media file is validated.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

cause the first user to receive the media file responsive to a determination that the media file is validated.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein to validate the media file, the computing device is further programmed to:

receive metadata relating to the media file, separate from the media file, from the second user;

perform an analysis of the received metadata based on the plurality of requirements;

determine that the media file is validated based on the analysis; and

communicate an indication to the second user that the media file is validated responsive to the determination that the media file is validated.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

cause the first user to receive the media file responsive to the determination that the media file is validated.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

identify the second user based on an access of the delivery specification by the second user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

identify the second user based on a request from the second user for the delivery specification.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

identify the second user based on a subscription of the second user to receive delivery specifications for one or more media files to be delivered to the first user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to receive the delivery specification from the first user via a third user.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery specification is a first type of delivery specification that is specific to a first type of content, and wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

receive, from the first user, a second delivery specification that includes a second plurality of requirements, specified by the first user, of a second media file to be delivered to the first user, wherein the second delivery specification is a second type of delivery specification that is specific to a second type of content different from the first type of content, and wherein the second plurality of requirements are different from the plurality of requirements.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first type of content relates to high-definition content such that the delivery specification specifies requirements for high-definition types of content, and wherein the second type of content relates to standard-definition content such that the second delivery specification specifies requirements for standard-definition types of content.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first type of content comprises a first type of programming and the second type of content comprises a second type of programming.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user is associated with a television channel or network, and wherein the delivery specification relates to content to be displayed on the television channel or network.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the request from the second user for the delivery specification is received via one or more of:

a webpage, a web portal, an agent on a device associated with the second user, and an electronic mail.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

receive, from the second user, a request to subscribe to one or more delivery specifications associated with the first user;

store subscription information that indicates that the second user is a subscriber to one or more delivery specifications associated with the first user;

identify one or more subscribers, including the second user, of the one or more delivery specifications associated with the first user based on the subscription information responsive to a receipt of a delivery specification from the first user; and

communicate an indication to the one or more subscribers that the delivery specification has been received from the first user.

18. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

communicate an indication to the second user that the media file is denied responsive to a determination that the media file is not validated.

19. The system of claim 4, wherein to perform the analysis of the received media file based on the plurality of requirements, the computing device is further programmed to:

determine whether the received media file satisfies the file type requirement; and

determine whether the received media file satisfies the file size requirement.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein to perform the analysis of the received information based on the plurality of requirements, the computing device is further programmed to:

determine whether the received information indicates that the media file satisfies the file type requirement; and

determine whether the received information indicates that the media file satisfies the file size requirement.

21. A method for facilitating communication of delivery specifications that specifies requirements of one or more media files to be provided from a sending device to a recipient device over a network, the method being implemented on a computing device comprising one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions, which when executed by the one or more physical processors cause the computing device to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, from the recipient device associated with a first user, the delivery specification that includes a plurality of requirements, specified by the first user, of a media file to be delivered to the first user, wherein the delivery specification is used to determine whether the media file is acceptable to the first user, wherein the plurality of requirements include at least a file type requirement that specifies a type of file format required by the first user and a file size requirement that specifies a maximum and/or minimum size of file required by the first user, and wherein the media file comprises an executable multi-media file;

receiving, by the computing device, from the sending device associated with a second user that is to provide the media file to the first user, a request for the delivery specification;

communicating, by the computing device, to the sending device, the delivery specification responsive to the request to provide the second user with the plurality of requirements specified by the first user;

receiving, by the computing device, from the sending device, the media file;

validating, by the computing device, using the delivery specification, the media file based on the plurality of requirements; and

responsive to an indication that the media file is validated, and without sending the media file to the recipient device, providing, by the computing device, a notification to the sending device that the media file has been validated.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

facilitating, by the computing device, communication of the media file to the first user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein facilitating communication of the media file comprises:

causing, by the computing device, the second user to communicate the media file to the first user.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein validating the media file comprises:

receiving, by the computing device, the media file from second user;

performing, by the computing device, an analysis of the media file based on the plurality of requirements;

determining, by the computing device, that the media file is validated based on the analysis; and

communicating, by the computing device, that the media file is validated responsive to the determination that the media file is validated.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, the first user to receive the media file responsive to a determination that the media file is validated.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein validating the media file comprises:

receiving, by the computing device, metadata relating to the media file separate from the media file;

performing, by the computing device, an analysis of the received metadata based on the plurality of requirements;

determining, by the computing device, that the media file is validated based on the analysis; and

communicating, by the computing device, an indication that the media file is validated responsive to the determination that the media file is validated.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

causing, by the computing device, the first user to receive the media file responsive to a determination that the media file is validated.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying, by the computing device, the second user based on an access of the delivery specification by the second user.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying, by the computing device, the second user based on the request by the second user for the delivery specification.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying, by the computing device, the second user based on a subscription of the second user to receive delivery specifications of one or more media files to be delivered to the first user.

31. The method of claim 21, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, the delivery specification from the first user via a third user.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the delivery specification is a first type of delivery specification that is specific to a first type of content, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device from the first user, a second delivery specification that includes a second plurality of requirements, specified by the first user, of a second media file to be delivered to the first user, wherein the second delivery specification is a second type of delivery specification that is specific to a second type of content different from the first type of content, and wherein the second plurality of requirements are different from the plurality of requirements.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first type of content relates to high-definition content such that the delivery specification specifies requirements for high-definition types of content, and wherein the second type of content relates to standard-definition content such that the second delivery specification specifies requirements for standard-definition types of content.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first type of content comprises a first type of programming and the second type of content comprises a second type of programming.

35. The method of claim 21, wherein the first user is associated with a television channel or network, and wherein the delivery specification relates to content to be displayed on the television channel or network.

36. The method of claim 21, wherein the request from the second user for the delivery specification is received by the computing device via one or more of:

a webpage, a web portal, an agent on a device associated with the second user, and an electronic mail.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein the computing device is further programmed to:

receiving, by the computing device from the second user, a request to subscribe to one or more delivery specifications associated with the first user;

storing, by the computing device, subscription information that indicates that the second user is a subscriber to one or more delivery specifications associated with the first user;

identifying, by the computing device, one or more subscribers, including the second user, of the one or more delivery specifications associated with the first user based on the subscription information responsive to a receipt of a delivery specification from the first user; and

communicating, by the computing device, an indication to the one or more subscribers that the delivery specification has been received from the first user.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein performing the analysis of the received media file based on the plurality of requirements comprises:

determining, by the computing device, whether the received media file satisfies the file type requirement; and

determining, by the computing device, whether the received media file satisfies the file size requirement.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein performing the analysis of the received information based on the plurality of requirements comprises:

determining, by the computing device, whether the received information indicates that the media file satisfies the file type requirement; and

determining, by the computing device, whether the received information indicates that the media file satisfies the file size requirement.

40. A system for facilitating communication of digital media content, the system comprising:

a computing device comprising one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions, which when executed by the one or more physical processors cause the computing device to;

receive, from a sending device associated with a providing user, a media file and identifying information that identifies a recipient user to receive the media file, wherein the media file comprises an executable multi-media file;

obtain, based on the identifying information, a delivery specification relating to the recipient user, wherein the delivery specification includes a plurality of requirements, specified by the recipient user, of one or more files to be delivered to the recipient user, and wherein the delivery specification is used to determine whether the media file is acceptable to the recipient user, and wherein the plurality of requirements include at least a file type requirement that specifies a type of file format required by the recipient user and a file size requirement that specifies a maximum and/or minimum size of file required by the recipient user;

determine one or more attributes of the media file;

validate the media file based on the delivery specification and the one or more attributes of the media file; and

responsive to an indication that the media file is validated, and without sending the media file to a recipient device associated with the recipient user, provide a notification to the sending device that the media file has been validated.

41. A method for facilitating communication of digital media content, the method being implemented on a computing device comprising one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions, which when executed by the one or more physical processors cause the computing device to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, from a sending device associated with a providing user, a media file and identifying information that identifies a recipient user to receive the media file, wherein the media file comprises an executable multi-media file;

obtaining, by the computing device, based on the identifying information, a delivery specification relating to the recipient user, wherein the delivery specification includes a plurality of requirements, specified by the recipient user, of one or more files to be delivered to the recipient user, and wherein the delivery specification is used to determine whether the media file is acceptable to the recipient user, and wherein the plurality of requirements include at least a file type requirement that specifies a type of file format required by the recipient user and a file size requirement that specifies a maximum and/or minimum size of file required by the recipient user;

determining, by the computing device, one or more attributes of the media file;

validating, by the computing device, the media file based on the delivery specification and the one or more attributes of the media file; and

responsive to an indication that the media file is validated, and without sending the media file to a recipient device associated with the recipient user, providing, by the computing device, a notification to the sending device that the media file has been validated.