RETRIEVAL AND PLAYOUT OF MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20150269159A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gracenote Digital Ventures LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Tribune Digital Ventures, LLC (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panguluri, Venkatarama Anilkumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,599,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists

Abstract

An example method involves receiving 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 play out the media content items in accordance with the sequence defined by the playlist; making a determination of whether a condition has been satisfied, wherein the condition corresponds to a content category type; and responsive to the determination being that the condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving second data representing a media content item of the content category type, and (ii) using the retrieved second data to play out the media content item of the content category type in between playing out the first and second media content items.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving 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 play out the media content items in accordance with the sequence defined by the playlist;

making a determination of whether a condition has been satisfied, wherein the condition corresponds to a content category type; and

responsive to the determination being that the condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving second data representing a media content item of the content category type, and (ii) using the retrieved second data to play out the media content item of the content category type in between playing out the first and second media content items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein making the determination comprises making the determination while at least one of the retrieved media content items is being played out, and wherein retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type comprises retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type while at least one of the media content items represented by the retrieved first data is being played out.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein making the determination comprises making the determination while the first media content item is being played out, and wherein retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type comprises retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type while the first media content item is being played out.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a separation between the first and second media content items is in a particular position with respect to the sequence defined by the playlist.

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

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a particular time is within a particular time period range.

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

receiving 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 play out the media content items in accordance with the sequence defined by the playlist;

making a determination of whether a condition has been satisfied, wherein the condition corresponds to a content category type; and

responsive to the determination being that the condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving second data representing a media content item of the content category type, and (ii) using the retrieved second data to play out the media content item of the content category type in between playing out the first and second media content items.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein making the determination comprises making the determination while at least one of the retrieved media content items is being played out, and wherein retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type comprises retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type while at least one of the media content items represented by the retrieved first data is being played out.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein making the determination comprises making the determination while the first media content item is being played out, and wherein retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type comprises retrieving second data representing the media content item of the content category type while the first media content item is being played out.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a separation between the first and second media content items is in a particular position with respect to the sequence defined by the playlist.

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

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

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a particular time is within a particular time period range.

15. A method comprising:

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

making a determination of whether a condition has been satisfied, wherein the condition corresponds to a content category type; and

responsive to the determination being that the condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving data representing a media content item of the content category type, and (ii) transmitting to a client device, the retrieved data representing the media content item of the content category type, for playout in between playout of the first and second media content items.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the transmitted data representing the media content item of the content category type; and

using the received data representing the media content item of the content category type to play out the represented media content item of the content category type in between playing out the first and second media content items.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a separation between the first and second media content items is in a particular position with respect to the sequence defined by the playlist.

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

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a threshold number of media content items of the content category type have been played out in connection with a separation in between media content items of the playlist.

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

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

making a determination of whether a condition has been satisfied, wherein the condition corresponds to a content category type; and

responsive to the determination being that the condition has been satisfied, (i) retrieving data representing a media content item of the content category type, and (ii) transmitting to a client device, the retrieved data representing the media content item of the content category type, for playout in between playout of the first and second media content items.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, the set of functions further comprising:

receiving the transmitted data representing the media content item of the content category type; and

using the received data representing the media content item of the content category type to play out the represented media content item of the content category type in between playing out the first and second media content items.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a separation between the first and second media content items is in a particular position with respect to the sequence defined by the playlist.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the condition comprises a condition that a threshold duration has passed since another media content item of the content category type has been played out in connection with a separation between media content items of the playlist.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the condition comprises a condition that that a threshold number of media content items of the content category type have been played out in connection with a separation in between media content items of the playlist.