Content segment detection and replacement

• US 9,967,301 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: O'Hare, David Andrew, Mao, Weidong, Nafshi, Elad, Vickers, Mark Andrew, Broome, Gregory Allen, Kotay, Sree
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US15/065,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• 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: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing content are disclosed. One method can comprise receiving a request for content comprising at least a first segment. The method can also comprise determining an expiration condition of the first segment, and replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition. The method can also comprise providing the second segment to a user or a device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for playback of content comprising at least a first segment, the first segment comprising one or more segment markers;

storing the one or more segment markers in a metadata file associated with the content;

determining an expiration condition of the first segment based on the one or more segment markers, wherein the expiration condition specifies a condition that, if satisfied, causes the first segment to no longer be valid;

replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition; and

transmitting the content comprising the second segment in response to the request for playback.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to replacing the first segment with the second segment, updating the metadata file associated with the content.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, maintaining a manifest file associated with the metadata file and updating the manifest file with information related to accessing the second segment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the expiration condition of the first segment based on the one or more segment markers comprises identifying the one or more segment markers of the first segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more segment markers comprises a time expiration marker comprising an associated expiration condition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the associated expiration condition comprises an expiration time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein replacing the first segment with the second segment comprises replacing the first segment with the second segment in response to determining that a time at which the request for playback was received is after the expiration time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the content on a computing device configured to allow access to the content through a cloud computing service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing user demographics, wherein the expiration condition is based on a change in the user demographics.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user demographics comprise at least one of a geographic location, a type of user device, or a user preference.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more segment markers comprises an identifier marker of the first segment and wherein determining the expiration condition further comprises:

receiving an expiration notification from a content provider, the expiration notification comprising an identifier of the first segment; and

associating the identifier marker of the first segment with the identifier of the first segment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier comprises at least one of a number of instances that the first segment has been replaced or a number of instances that the first segment has been played.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the content from the content provider and storing the content on a user device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving the second segment from the content provider through an internet protocol stream, and wherein receiving the content from the content provider comprises receiving the content through a quadrature amplitude modulation based content distribution network.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for content, the content comprising at least a first segment, the first segment comprising one or more identifiers;

determining an expiration condition of the first segment based on the one or more identifiers;

replacing the first segment with a second segment based on the expiration condition of the first segment; and

transmitting the content comprising the second segment in response to a request for playback.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the expiration condition comprises identifying the one or more identifiers of the first segment.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more identifiers comprises at least one of a number of instances that the first segment has been authorized to be played for a user or a rating value of the first segment.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising storing the one or more identifiers in a metadata file associated with the content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising updating the metadata file associated with the content in response to replacing the first segment with the second segment.

20. A method, comprising:

recording content comprising at least a first segment comprising one or more segment markers;

receiving a request for playback of the content;

determining, in response to the request for playback, whether an expiration condition of the first segment is satisfied based on the one or more segment markers;

replacing the first segment with a second segment in response to determining that the expiration condition is satisfied; and

transmitting the content comprising the second segment in response to the request for playback.