System and/or method for distributing media content

• US 9,980,005 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Sidi, Ariff, Hedinsson, Skarpi, Watson, David, Mavromatis, Dionysius
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarrineh, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US14/267,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,482 Days
• Field of Search: 707722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to distribution of media content.

Claims

1. A method for use by a media device having a processor, a display and a memory storing a web browser, the method comprising:

launching, by the processor, the web browser from the memory;

contacting an application scrvcr using the web browser;

launching a rendering application using the web browser, in response to the contacting of the application server;

receiving a timeline profile including metadata, wherein the metadata indicate a temporal ordering of protected segments of a selected media content and gating media segments;

requesting, using the metadata, the gating media segments from an advertisement server;

receiving the gating media segments from the advertisement server in response to the requesting;

rendering, on the display, one or more of the gating media segments;

contacting a content server for the protected segments;

rendering, on the display, one or more of the protected segments after the rendering of the one or more of the gating media segments; and

presenting, on the display, a timeline while rendering the one or more of the protected segments and the one or more of the gating media segments on the display, wherein the timeline is partitioned according to the temporal ordering of the protected segments of the selected media content and the gating media segments, and wherein the timeline visually distinguishes between the gating media segments and the protected segments and includes a visual indicator indicating a temporal progression of one of the one or more of the protected segments and the one or more ot the gating media segments being rendered on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the selected media content from a catalog of media contents to the application server prior to receiving the timeline profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata identify the protected segments and the gating media segments.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata indicate where the gating media segments are placed in the temporal ordering.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata indicate a duration of each of the gating media segments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata indicate a location from where the gating media segments can be obtained.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is indicated using a URL.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the timeline profile is a part of a catalog of media contents.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering application is received from the application server.

10. A media device comprising:

a display;

a memory storing a web browser; and

a processor configured to;

launch the web browser from the memory;

contact an application server using the web browser;

launch a rendering application using the web browser, in response to contacting the application server;

receive a timeline profile including metadata, wherein the metadata indicate a temporal ordering of protected segments of a selected media content and gating media segments;

request, using the metadata, the gating media segments from an advertisement server;

receive the gating media segments from the advertisement server in response to the request;

render, on the display, one or more of the gating media segments;

contact a content server for the protected segments

render, on the display, one or more of the protected segments after the rendering of the one or more of the gating media segments; and

present, on the display, a timeline while rendering the one or more of the protected segments and the one or more of the gating media segments on the display, wherein the timeline is partitioned according to the temporal ordering of the protected segments of the selected media content and the gating media segments, and wherein the timeline visually distinguishes between the gating media segments and the protected segments and includes a visual indicator indicating a temporal progression of one of the one or more of the protected segments and the one or more of the gating media segments being rendered on the display.

11. The media device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to provide the selected media content from a catalog of media contents to the application server prior to receiving the timeline profile.

12. The media device of claim 10, wherein the metadata identify the protected segments and the gating media segments.

13. The media device of claim 10, wherein the metadata indicate where the gating media segments are placed in the temporal ordering.

14. The media device of claim 10, wherein the metadata indicate a duration of each of the gating media segments.

15. The media device of claim 10, wherein the metadata indicate a location from where the gating media segments can be obtained.

16. The media device of claim 10, wherein the location is indicated using a URL.

17. The media device of claim 10, wherein the timeline profile is a part of catalog of media contents.

18. The media device of claim 10, wherein the rendering application is received from the application server.