Systems and methods for loading more than one video content at a time

• US 20130259442A1
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JBF Interlude 2009 Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Jonathan Bloch
• Inventors: Rotbard, Kfir Y., Bloch, Jonathan, Feldman, Barak, Zubalsky, Tal
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8541 involving branching, e.g. to different story endings

Abstract

A system for loading videos includes an interactive video player is with a loader. A product configuration file in operation configures files for a user in creation of a custom video. External assets are configured for a design of an interactive layer of the video. The interactive video player in operation creates in real-time a custom video that includes a plurality of video segments.

Claims

1-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A system for facilitating the selective presentation of video content, wherein the video content is comprised of a collection of segments, the system comprising:

a video loading manager for selectively determining a subset of the collection of segments to download, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on a download priority.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the collection of segments is organized according to a tree structure comprising decision points at which one of a plurality of segments may be selected for downloading and viewing such that only certain segments remain potentially viewable.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the download priority is based at least in part on the location of the currently viewed segment in the tree structure and which subsequent segments are connected to the currently viewed segment within the tree structure.

49. The system of claim 46 wherein the download priority is based at least in part on the popularity of the subsequent segments among previous viewers of the video content.

50. The system of claim 46 wherein the download priority is based on one or more user characteristics.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein the user characteristics comprise one or more of a gender, an age, a location, and a prior viewing history.

52. The system of claim 46 wherein the video loading manager further initiates downloading of the subset of video segments prior to the completion of a currently viewed segment according to the download priority.

53. The system of claim 52 further comprising a video appender module for appending downloaded segments to each other, thereby creating a seamless stream of the video content.

54. The system of claim 52 wherein the video loading manager further initiates downloading of more than one video segment simultaneously.

55. The system of claim 52 further comprising a pre-loader module for starting downloading prior to the playing of the first segment.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein the pre-loader module varies downloading speeds of each of the subset of video segments based at least in part on a bandwidth statistic.

57. The system of claim 52 further comprising a video player, wherein the downloaded video segments are rendered in the video player for presentation to a user.

58. A method for selectively presenting video content, wherein the video content is comprised of a collection of segments, the method comprising the steps of:

selectively determining a subset of the collection of segments to download, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on a download priority; and

initiating downloading of the subset of video segments prior to the completion of a currently viewed segment according to the download priority.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the collection of segments is organized according to a tree structure comprising decision points at which one of a plurality of segments may be selected for downloading and viewing such that only certain segments remain potentially viewable.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein the download priority is based at least in part on the location of the currently viewed segment in the tree structure and which subsequent segments are connected to the currently viewed segment within the tree structure.

61. The method of claim 58 wherein the download priority is based at least in part on the popularity of the subsequent segments among previous viewers of the video content.

62. The method of claim 58 wherein the download priority is based on one or more user characteristics.

63. The system of claim 62 wherein the user characteristics comprise one or more of a gender, an age, a location, and a prior viewing history.

64. The method of claim 58 further appending the downloaded segments to each other, thereby creating a seamless stream of the video content.

65. The method of claim 58 wherein more than one video segment are downloaded simultaneously.

66. The method of claim 58 further comprising varying downloading speeds of each of the subset of video segments based at least in part on a bandwidth statistic.