SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CREATING CUSTOMIZED, MULTI-PLATFORM VIDEO PROGRAMMING

• US 20140143806A1
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arthur H. Muir, John D. Steinberg
• Original Assignee: Arthur H. Muir, John D. Steinberg
• Inventors: Steinberg, John D., Muir, Arthur H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,432,711 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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 21/2668 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

Systems and methods for representing video and audio media files as workflows are disclosed. In some cases, the systems and methods combine segments of the media files into larger compilations in the workflows, and using the workflows to individually optimize both the viewing experience for and the advertising presented to viewers based upon the circumstances of each viewer and parameters described with the workflow.

Claims

1. A method for creating video and audio content to be subsequently viewed over a network, said method comprising:

representing source identifiers of one or more media files accessed over the network as uniform resource indicators corresponding to the location of said media files on said network;

representing timing aspects of at least one said media file, including the portions that are and are not to be presented as part said subsequent playback, as at least strings of characters comprising a system of tags and at least numerical values indicating at least the point within said media file at which playback is to begin and the point within said media file at which playback is to end;

representing at least a transitional aspect of how a plurality of said media files are to be presented, such as a fade-in or a fade-out, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and at least an alphanumeric value indicating at least a parameter describing the transitional effect to be presented;

representing at least a textual aspect of said video content, such as a title or subtitle, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and alphanumerical values indicating at least the type of textual element to be presented and the point within said media file at which presentation of said textual aspect is to begin and the point within said media file when presentation of said textual element is to end;

creating a master file containing all of said representations relating to said video and audio content;

assigning a uniform resource indicator to said master file;

storing said file on a computer attached to said network; and

making said file accessible over said network by one or more viewers of said content.

2. The method of claim 1 in which said media files are located on a plurality of servers.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said tags are in XML format.

4. The method of in claim 1 in which said network is the Internet.

5. The method of claim 1 in which said master file is created on a personal computer.

6. The method of claim 1 in which said master file is created on a smart phone.

7. The method of claim 1 in which said master file is created on a tablet computer.

8. The method of claim 1 in which said representation of said transitional aspects includes specification of z-layer values for a plurality of said media files, where said z-layer values determine whether one of said media files should appear in front of another of said media files.

9. The method of claim 1 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a television.

10. The method of claim 1 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a mobile device.

11. A system for creating video and audio content to be subsequently viewed over a network, said system comprising:

an application running on a first device comprising computer hardware, wherein said device is in communication with a network;

wherein said application represents the source identifiers of one or more media files accessed over the network as uniform resource indicators corresponding to the location of said media files on said network;

wherein said application represents timing aspects of at least one said media file, including the portions that are and are not to be presented as part said subsequent playback, as at least strings of characters comprising a system of tags and at least numerical values indicating at least the point within said media file at which playback is to begin and the point within said media file at which playback is to end;

wherein said application represents at least a transitional aspect of how a plurality of said media files are to be presented, such as a fade-in or a fade-out, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and at least an alphanumeric value indicating at least a parameter describing the transitional effect to be presented;

wherein said application represents at least a textual aspect of said video content, such as a title or subtitle, as at least a string of characters comprising a system of tags and alphanumerical values indicating at least the type of textual element to be presented and the point within said media file at which presentation of said textual aspect is to begin and the point within said media file when presentation of said textual element is to end;

wherein said application creates a master file containing all of said representations relating to said video and audio content;

wherein said application assigns a uniform resource indicator to said master file;

wherein said application stores said file on one or more computers attached to said network; and

and wherein said application makes said file accessible over said network by one or more viewers of said content.

12. The system of claim 11 in which said media files are located on a plurality of servers.

13. The system of claim 11 in which said tags are in XML format.

14. The system of claim 11 in which said network is the Internet.

15. The system of claim 11 in which said master file is created on a personal computer.

16. The system of claim 11 in which said master file is created on a smart phone.

17. The system of claim 11 in which said master file is created on a tablet computer.

18. The system of claim 11 in which said representation of said transitional aspects includes specification of z-layer values for a plurality of said media files, where said z-layer values determine whether one of said media files should appear in front of another of said media files.

19. The system of claim 11 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a television.

20. The system of claim 11 in which said viewers of said content view said content on a mobile device.