Method and apparatus for generating and distributing personalized media clips

• US 7,123,696 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Baker
• Original Assignee: GSI Health LLC (Health Care Service Corporation)
• Inventors: Lowe, Frederick
• Primary Examiner(s): Escalante, Ovidio
• Application Number:
  US10/605,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20040107169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67.1, 379/88.13, 379/88.16, 379/88.19, 379/88.22, 379/373.02, 705/59, 707/9, 713/202, 709/231
• US Class Current: 379/88.16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

The invention has many different applications and implementations. One or more embodiments of the invention, however, are directed to a software program and/or computer hardware configured to enable users to select one or more master clips having predefined gaps, obtain insert data (e.g., an insert clip), seamlessly merge the insert data into the selected master clip to generate a media clip, and distribute the media clip having the insert data to one or more receiving users for playback. The method of distribution can vary, but in one or more embodiments of the invention the system is configured to obtain user information from a server, assemble personalized media clips (e.g., file(s)) based on that user information, and distribute the personalized media file to one or more users associated with that user information. Embodiments of the invention may utilize scaleable architectures to process any number of users and/or recipients.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an insert clip comprising personalized media;

a master clip comprising having an insertion point;

a network interface;

a computer coupled with said network interface wherein said computer further comprises a memory device comprising said insert clip and said master clip;

a process executing on said computer wherein said process is configured to encode said insert clip into insert clip packets and encode said master clip into master clip packets wherein said insert clip packets and said master clip packets are encoded into a degraded frequency response compressed format wherein each racket selected from said insert clip packets and from said master clip packets holds information only for a time duration of each respective packet and wherein said process is further configured to combine said insert clip with said master clip at said insertion point to create an output clip with undetectable transitions at said insertion point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said process is further configured to create said output clip via seamless splicing at said insertion point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said personalized media is associated with a username and password combination.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said personalized media is associated with a browser cookie.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said personalized media is associated with a PASSPORT®

credential.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said personalized media comprises a name.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said personalized media comprises a gender.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said personalized media comprises a product name.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said process comprises a controller thread, a listener thread, a cache management thread and a request processor thread.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a server farm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a load balancer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a web server, a cache and a wherein said memory device further comprises a database.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said database comprises a database mirror.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said cache comprises compressed media.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said compressed media comprises MP3 data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said MP3 data is encoded for seamless splicing.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said compressed media comprises OGG data.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said compressed media comprises Flash data.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said compressed media comprises video data.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said cache comprises uncompressed media.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a context clip comprising context information wherein said master clip further comprises a second insertion point and wherein said computer is further configured to combine said context clip with said master clip at said second insertion point with undetectable transitions at said second insertion point.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said process is further configured to create said output clip via seamless splicing at said first and said second insertion points.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information specifies the timing of a dispatch of said output clip.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information is utilized in determining a delivery mechanism.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information is utilized in determining a destination media player type.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information is utilized in determining when to avoid dispatching said output media clip.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information comprises time information.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information comprises calendar information.

29. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said context information comprises location information.

30. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said insert clip, said master clip and said context clip comprise a celebrity voice.

31. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said insert clip, said master clip and said context clip further comprise metadata.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said metadata further comprises classification data.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said metadata further comprises identification data.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein said metadata further comprises a variable name.

35. The apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a network capable playback device.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device comprises a browser.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device comprises a PDA.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device comprises a phone.

39. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is configured to ring with a personalized ring media clip.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein said personalized ring media clip uses a celebrity voice.

41. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said phone is configured to send a personalized media clip to a group of users.

42. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device identifies a user via RFID.

43. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device comprises a credit card reader and said playback device identifies a user via a credit card.

44. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is an ATM machine.

45. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is a GPS enabled device.

46. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is a slot machine.

47. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is a loyalty card reader.

48. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is a kiosk.

49. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is a toy.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said toy is modified at a factory.

51. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said toy is modified outside of a factory.

52. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is a digital cable set-top box.

53. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein said playback device is an hotel electronic door.

54. A method comprising:

recording a master clip;

recording a plurality of insert clips;

encoding an insert clip selected from said plurality of insert clips into insert clip packets;

encoding said master clip into master clip packets wherein said insert clip packets and said master clip packets are encoded into a degraded frequency response compressed format wherein each packet selected from said insert clip rackets and from said master clip packets holds information only for a time duration of each respective packet;

saving metadata for said master clip wherein said metadata comprises an insertion point in said master clip; and

,

combining said insert clip with said master clip at said insertion point to create an output clip with undetectable transitions at said insertion point.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein said metadata comprises a variable name.

56. The method of claim 54 further comprising:

identifying a user by an identifier.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

identifying context information for said user.

58. The method of claim 57 further comprising:

recording a context clip.

59. The method of claim 58 further comprising:

encoding said context clip into context clip packets wherein said context clip packets are encoded into a degraded frequency response compressed format wherein each packet selected from said context clip packets holds information only for a time duration of each respective packet; and

,

combining said context clip with said master clip at a context insertion point to create an output clip with undetectable transitions at said context insertion point.

60. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

obtaining delivery mechanism information.

61. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

obtaining destination media player configuration.

62. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

accessing a database.

63. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

delivering an output clip.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein delivering comprises alerting a user to incoming mail.

65. The method of claim 63 further comprising:

streaming the media clip to a media player.

66. The method of claim 63 wherein said delivering further comprises dialing a phone.

67. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

branching in order to select an alternate clip based on said identifier.

68. The method of claim 56 further comprising:

branching in order to select an alternate clip based on said context information.