Mediation and settlement for mobile media

• US 9,697,280 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2007
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quickplay Media Inc (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Torin, Maharajh, Kavi, MacNeil, Bart
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winter, John M
• Application Number:
  US11/956,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,491 Days
• Field of Search: 707602, 705 50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1011 to devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/308 Route determination based on user's profile, e.g. premium users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 : adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 : at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 : intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 : Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 : Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 : Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 : using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 : based on the service used
• 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 21/262 : 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 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 : involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 : involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 : Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In embodiments, the present invention provides a method and system for mobile media event mediation, normalizing mobile media event information from a plurality of sources, wherein at least some of the information is represented differently in each of the plurality of sources, producing a mobile media data record from the normalized information, analyzing the mobile media data record to determine a settlement arrangement, providing at least some of the participants represented in the mobile media record with relevant information from the settlement agreement.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

streaming a content item as a plurality of data packets, resulting in a streamed content item, over a wireless network to a mobile device configured with a mobile media player adapted to playback the content item through a user interface of the mobile device by which a user can control the playback, the mobile media player adapted to identify a data packet in the plurality of data packets when the mobile media player performs a user playback control action resulting in an identified data packet;

analyzing with a real-time streaming protocol (RTSP) server the plurality of data packets of the content item streamed to the mobile device to produce a mobile media streaming server log comprising a count of streamed content item data packets and at least one type of content streamed to the mobile device;

receiving over the wireless network content tag information associated with the streamed content item, user playback control action information, resulting in received information, to identify the identified data packet in the plurality of data packets from the mobile media player;

identifying a mobile media playback event for the content item that occurs within the mobile media player based on the received information from the mobile device media player resulting in an identified mobile media playback event;

gathering mediation and settlement information for the mobile media playback event with a server from a plurality of sources including a mobile media streaming server log;

normalizing the received information from the mobile device media player, the RTSP server, and the mobile media streaming server log into a format useable by a processor of a mobile media platform to determine a settlement amount responsive to the identified mobile media playback event resulting in normalized information;

recording the normalized information in at least one media data record and storing the at least one media data record in a non-transient processor accessible memory of the mobile media platform;

accessing the normalized information in the at least one media data record with the processor;

determining a portion of the streamed content item that was presented in the user interface by processing the information received from the mobile device media player with content item stream information from the RTSP server;

determining at least two participants in the media data record, wherein at least one participant is determined by processing the content tag information associated with the streamed content item;

calculating with the processor the settlement amount for the at least two participants for the portion of the streamed content item that was presented in the user interface using the processor; and

adjusting one or more financial accounts associated with at least one of the at least two participants based on the settlement amount.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the media data record is a mobile media data record.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is recorded in the media data record in a common format.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the normalized information relates to mobile content associated with the mobile media playback event.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein content associated with the mobile media playback event includes one or more advertisements.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sources may include streaming server logs, accounting systems, record keeping systems, mobile devices, mobile network providers, users and advertisers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information relates to at least one of owner, sourcing server, sponsor, length, genre, type, encoding, origination date, modification date, a count of packets streamed, a count of packets rendered and a count of packets presented through the user interface of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information is carrier-based.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information is user-based.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information is device-based.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the received information is event-based.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sources includes two or more of streaming server logs, distribution logs, advertisers, creative content providers, pause and resume activity, application logs, and user payment plans.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the mobile media data record includes one or more of content information, encoding information, content sourcing, playback duration, mobile playback device information, consumption record, user information, source affiliate information, distribution portal information, content request method, and playback start time.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile media data record is associated with one or more of media data events, transactions, interactions, user activity, automated content selection, and content serving.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the mobile media data record is a result of a user request for mobile content.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining which portion of the mobile content was streamed based on pause and resume records associated with the mobile media playback event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pause and resume records indicate a last content packet streamed prior to pausing.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the related information includes contributing the normalized information to at least one mobile media data record.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a workflow associated with the mobile media playback event, wherein the workflow represents one or more of content discovery, ingestion, encoding, transcoding, hosting, distribution, and mediation and settlement.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile media playback event includes an event associated with a stream of the plurality of sources.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile media playback event includes a replay event.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile media playback event includes a fast forward event.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the mediation and settlement may occur among content providers, dealers, affiliates, distributors, advertisers and other constituents and users of the mobile media platform.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the participants is at least one of end users, consumers, advertisers, marketers, content providers, content owners, network operators, distribution affiliates, media companies, mobile carriers, regulators, mobile device designers, mobile device suppliers, content creators, and mobile media affiliates.