Manifest re-assembler for a streaming video channel

• US 9,948,965 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: O'Malley, Meghan, Burgoon, Jeffrey D., Lev, Ron, McDonald, Ryan K., Intriligator, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah, Alina A
• Application Number:
  US15/238,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 709231, 709203, 709217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• 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 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A device is configured to receive a playlist identifying content assets to be played on a streaming video channel. Each of the content assets may include segments. The device may add segment addresses associated with a content asset into a queue. The segment addresses may identify memory locations at which the segments included in the content asset are stored. However, the segments themselves may not be stored by the device or added to the queue. The device may generate a batch of segment addresses from the segment addresses in the queue. The device may publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel including the batch of segment addresses. The content assets may be accessible via the streaming video channel through a single network address. The device may periodically update the channel manifest based on the segment addresses in the queue.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each content asset of the plurality of content assets including a respective plurality of segments;

associate status information with each content asset, of the plurality of content assets, based on the playlist,

the status information indicating whether a content asset, of the plurality of content assets, is;

ready for processing,

not ready for processing, or

already processed;

obtain a plurality of segment addresses, associated with the plurality of content assets, based on determining that each content asset of the plurality of content assets is ready for processing;

add the plurality of segment addresses to a queue,

the plurality of segment addresses identifying memory locations at which the respective plurality of segments, included in each content asset of the plurality of content assets, are stored;

generate a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue; and

publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel based on the batch of segment addresses,

the plurality of content assets being accessible, via the channel manifest for the streaming video channel, through a single network address.

2. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

receive an updated playlist; and

store the updated playlist based on receiving the updated playlist.

3. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

check the status information, based on receiving the playlist, to determine whether one or more content assets, of the plurality of content assets, are ready for processing; and

determine that the one or more content assets are ready for processing based on the status information indicating the one or more content assets are ready for processing.

4. The device of claim 1, where the playlist includes order information,

the order information indicating an order in which the plurality of content assets are to be played on the streaming video channel;

and

where the one or more processors are further to;

determine that a content asset, of the plurality of content assets, is ready for processing based on the order information.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine a content asset type based on receiving the playlist,

the content asset type being one of a live program or a recorded program; and

where the one or more processors, when obtaining the plurality of segment addresses, are to;

obtain the plurality of segment addresses based on the content asset type.

6. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of segment addresses includes a first plurality of segment addresses for an advertisement and a second plurality of segment addresses for a program;

and

where the one or more processors, when adding the plurality of segment addresses to the queue, are to;

add the first plurality of segment addresses for the advertisement to the queue in-between the second plurality of segment addresses for the program.

7. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

group the plurality of segment addresses together in order from the queue; and

where the one or more processors, when generating the batch of segment addresses, are to;

generate the batch of segment address based on grouping the plurality of segment addresses together in order from the queue.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a playlist identifying one or more content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each content asset of the one or more content assets including one or more respective segments;

associate status information with each content asset, of the one or more content assets, based on the playlist,

the status information indicating whether a content asset, of the one or more content assets, is;

ready for processing,

not ready for processing, or

already processed;

obtain one or more segment addresses, associated with the one or more content assets, based on determining that each content asset of the one or more content assets is ready for processing;

add the one or more segment addresses to a queue,

the one or more segment addresses identifying one or more memory locations at which the one or more respective segments, included in each of the one or more content assets, are stored;

generate a batch of segment addresses from the one or more segment addresses in the queue; and

publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel based on the batch of segment addresses,

the one or more content assets being accessible, via the channel manifest for the streaming video channel, through a single network address.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the plurality of instructions, that cause the one or more processors to publish the channel manifest, cause the one or more processors to:

generate a particular channel manifest file,

the particular channel manifest file including the batch of segment addresses.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide the particular channel manifest file to a server to permit a stored channel manifest file for the streaming video channel to be replaced by the particular channel manifest file.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

update the status information to indicate that the one or more content assets are already processed based on publishing the channel manifest.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive an updated playlist, and

store the updated playlist based on receiving the updated playlist.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

check the status information, based on receiving the playlist, to determine whether the one or more content assets are ready for processing; and

determine that the one or more content assets are ready for processing based on the status information indicating the one or more content assets are ready for processing.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the playlist includes order information,

the order information indicating an order in which the one or more content assets are to be played on the streaming video channel;

and

where the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to;

determine that a content asset, of the one or more content assets, is ready for processing based on the order information.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each content asset of the plurality of content assets including a respective plurality of segments;

associating, by the device, status information with each content asset, of the plurality of content assets, based on the playlist,

the status information indicating whether a content asset, of the plurality of content assets, is;

ready for processing,

not ready for processing, or

already processed;

obtaining, by the device, a plurality of segment addresses, associated with the plurality of content assets, based on determining that each content asset of the plurality of content assets is ready for processing;

adding, by the device, the plurality of segment addresses to a queue;

generating, by the device, a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue;

publishing, by the device, a channel manifest for the streaming video channel based on the batch of segment addresses,

the plurality of content assets being accessible, via the channel manifest for the streaming video channel, through a single network address; and

updating, by the device, status information for one or more content assets, of the plurality of content assets, based on publishing the channel manifest.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a content asset type based on receiving the playlist,

the content asset type being one of a live program or a recorded program; and

where obtaining the plurality of segment addresses comprises;

obtaining the plurality of segment addresses based on the content asset type.

17. The method of claim 15, where the plurality of segment addresses includes a segment address for an advertisement and a particular plurality of segment addresses for a program;

and

where adding the plurality of segment addresses to the queue comprises;

adding the segment address for the advertisement to the queue in-between the particular plurality of segment addresses for the program.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

grouping the plurality of segment addresses together in order from the queue; and

where generating the batch of segment addresses comprises;

generating the batch of segment addresses based on grouping the plurality of segment addresses together in order from the queue.

19. The method of claim 15, where publishing the channel manifest comprises:

generating a particular channel manifest file,

the particular channel manifest file including the batch of segment addresses.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing the particular channel manifest file to a server to permit a stored channel manifest file for the streaming video channel to be replaced by the particular channel manifest file.