Retrieval and playout of media content

• US 10,764,358 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2019
• Issued: 09/01/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gracenote Digital Ventures LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote Digital Ventures LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Panguluri, Venkatarama Anilkumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US16/433,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20190289063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• 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: 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 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 67/306 User profiles
• 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 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies

Abstract

An example method involves accessing a playlist defining a sequence of media content items including a first media content item and a second media content item; retrieving, from one or more server devices, first data representing the media content items of the received playlist, and using the retrieved first data to playout the media content items in accordance with the sequence defined by the playlist; determining a status of an event, and using the determined status of the event as a basis to determine a condition; making a determination that the determined condition has been satisfied; and responsive to making the determination that the determined condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving second data representing a media content item related to the event, and (ii) using the retrieved second data to playout the media content item related to the event in between playing out the first and second media content items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, by a client device, a playlist defining a sequence of media content items including a first media content item and a second media content item;

using the accessed playlist, requesting and receiving, by the client device, from one or more server devices, first data representing the media content items of the accessed playlist, and using the received first data to playout the media content items; and

while playing out at least one of the media content items represented by the received first data;

(a) determining, by the client device, a status of an event, and using, by the client device, the determined status of the event as a basis to determine a condition;

(b) making, by the client device, a determination that the determined condition has been satisfied; and

(c) responsive to making the determination that the determined condition has been satisfied, (i) requesting and receiving, by the client device, from the one or more server devices, second data representing a media content item that is related to the event and that is not specified in the accessed playlist, and (ii) using, by the client device, the retrieved second data to playout the media content item related to the event in between playing out the first and second media content items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises a sporting event, and wherein determining the status of the event comprises determining whether or not the sporting event is in progress.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second media content items are immediately adjacent to each other in the defined sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition corresponds to a relationship between a content category type and respective content category types of at least one of the media content items that has been played out.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined condition comprises a condition that a threshold duration has passed since another media content item related to the event has been played out in connection with a separation between media content items of the playlist.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined condition comprises a condition that a threshold number of media content items related to the event have been played out in connection with a separation in between media content items of the playlist.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using the accessed playlist, requesting and receiving, by the client device, from one or more server devices, first data representing the media content items of the accessed playlist, and using the received first data to playout the media content items comprises:

traversing, by the client device, the accessed playlist; and

for each media content item of the media content items, requesting and receiving, by the client device, from the one or more server devices, data representing the media content item, and using the received data to playout the media content item.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by a processor cause performance of a set of acts comprising:

accessing a playlist defining a sequence of media content items including a first media content item and a second media content item;

using the accessed playlist, requesting and receiving, from one or more server devices, first data representing the media content items of the accessed playlist, and using the received first data to playout the media content items; and

while playing out at least one of the media content items represented by the received first data;

(a) determining a status of an event, and using the determined status of the event as a basis to determine a condition;

(b) making a determination that the determined condition has been satisfied; and

(c) responsive to making the determination that the determined condition has been satisfied, (i) requesting and receiving, from the one or more server devices, second data representing a media content item that is related to the event and that is not specified in the accessed playlist, and (ii) using the retrieved second data to playout the media content item related to the event in between playing out the first and second media content items.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the event comprises a sporting event, and wherein determining the status of the event comprises determining whether or not the sporting event is in progress.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the first and second media content items are immediately adjacent to each other in the defined sequence.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the condition corresponds to a relationship between a content category type and respective content category types of at least one of the media content items that has been played out.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the determined condition comprises a condition that a threshold duration has passed since another media content item related to the event has been played out in connection with a separation between media content items of the playlist.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the determined condition comprises a condition that a threshold number of media content items related to the event have been played out in connection with a separation in between media content items of the playlist.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein using the accessed playlist, requesting and receiving, from one or more server devices, first data representing the media content items of the accessed playlist, and using the received first data to playout the media content items comprises:

traversing the accessed playlist; and

for each media content item of the media content items, requesting and receiving, from the one or more server devices, data representing the media content item, and using the received data to playout the media content item.

15. A method comprising:

accessing, by a server device, a playlist defining a sequence of media content items including a first media content item and a second media content item, wherein a client device is configured to use the accessed playlist to request, from the server device, first data representing the media content items of the accessed playlist, wherein the server device is configured to transmit the first data to the client device in response to the request, and wherein the client device is further configured to use the first data received from the server device to playout the media content items; and

while the client device is playing out at least one of the media content items;

(a) determining, by the server device, a status of an event, and using, by the server device, the determined status of the event as a basis to determine a condition;

(b) making, by the server device, a determination that the determined condition has been satisfied; and

(c) responsive to making the determination that the determined condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving, by the server device, second data representing a media content item that is related to the event and that is not specified in the accessed playlist, and (ii) transmitting, by the server device, to the client device, the retrieved second data for playout of the media content item related to the event in between playing out the first and second media content items.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the event comprises a sporting event, and wherein determining the status of the event comprises determining whether or not the sporting event is in progress.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first and second media content items are immediately adjacent to each other in the defined sequence.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the condition corresponds to a relationship between a content category type and respective content category types of at least one of the media content items that has been played out.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined condition comprises a condition that a threshold duration has passed since another media content item related to the event has been played out in connection with a separation between media content items of the playlist.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the determined condition comprises a condition that a threshold number of media content items related to the event have been played out in connection with a separation in between media content items of the playlist.