Methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing media content analysis, distribution, and re-allocation services

• US 7,890,552 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reichman, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): LODHI, ANDALIB FT
• Application Number:
  US11/537,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/821
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for implementing media content analysis, distribution, and re-allocation services across a network are provided. The method includes analyzing factors that impact access to, and quality of, the media content provided over the network. The method also includes identifying a current storage location of the media content, creating decision criteria and metrics for re-allocating selected media content to an alternate storage location in response to the analyzing, and re-allocating the selected media content to the alternate storage location. The method further includes updating an inventory database to reflect the alternate storage of the selected media content.

Claims

1. A method for implementing media content analysis, distribution, and re-allocation across a network, comprising:

configuring tiered storage locations for the media content based upon proximity of the storage locations to an Internet Protocol device;

analyzing factors that impact access to, and quality of, the media content provided over the network, the factors comprising

popularity of the media content,

costs of transporting the media content through the network,

timing of demand for the media content, and

costs of storage space;

identifying a current storage location of the media content;

creating decision criteria and metrics for re-allocating selected media content to alternate storage locations in response to the analyzing, the alternate storage locations forming at least a portion of the tiered storage locations;

re-allocating the selected media content to at least one of the alternate storage locations in response to the analyzing; and

updating an inventory database to reflect the at least one of the alternate storage locations of the selected media content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

iteratively reviewing the factors over a period of time to determine whether the media content continues to be impacted;

re-allocating the media content to another of the alternate storage locations in response to determining that the media content continues to be impacted; and

updating the inventory database to reflect the other of the alternate storage locations of the media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an Internet Protocol television-enabled network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet Protocol device is a television.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content includes at least one of:

music;

video; and

data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storage locations for the media content include:

an Internet Protocol television;

a central office storage facility;

a serving office storage facility;

a content provider facility; and

a video head end facility.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning the media content to its original storage location upon determining the factors no longer impact access to, and quality of, the media content.

8. A system for implementing media content analysis, distribution, and re-allocation across a network, comprising, comprising:

a computer processing device; and

a neural network analyzer and reallocation application executing on the computer processing device;

the neural network analyzer and the reallocation application cooperatively implementing a method, comprising;

configuring tiered storage locations for the media content based upon proximity of the storage locations to an Internet Protocol device;

analyzing factors that impact access to, and quality of, the media content provided over the network, the factors comprising

popularity of the media content,

costs of transporting the media content through the network,

timing of demand for the media content, and

costs of storage space;

identifying a current storage location of the media content;

creating decision criteria and metrics for re-allocating selected media content to alternate storage locations in response to the analyzing, the alternate storage locations forming at least a portion of the tiered storage locations;

re-allocating the selected media content to at least one of the alternate storage locations in response to the analyzing; and

updating an inventory database to reflect the at least one of the alternate storage locations of the selected media content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the neural network analyzer and reallocation application further perform:

iteratively reviewing the factors over a period of time to determine whether the media content continues to be impacted;

re-allocating the media content to another of the alternate storage locations in response to determining that the media content continues to be impacted; and

updating the inventory database to reflect the other of the alternate storage locations of the media content.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the network is an Internet Protocol television-enabled network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the Internet Protocol device is a television and the media content includes at least one of:

music;

video; and

data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein storage locations for the media content include:

an Internet Protocol television;

a central office storage facility;

a serving office storage facility;

a content provider facility; and

a video head end facility.

13. A computer program product for implementing media content analysis, distribution, and re-allocation across a network, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium including instructions embodied thereon, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

configuring tiered storage locations for the media content based upon proximity of the storage locations to an Internet Protocol device;

analyzing factors that impact access to, and quality of, the media content provided over the network, the factors comprising

popularity of the media content,

costs of transporting the media content through the network,

timing of demand for the media content, and

costs of storage space;

identifying a current storage location of the media content;

creating decision criteria and metrics for re-allocating selected media content to alternate storage locations in response to the analyzing, the alternate storage locations forming at least a portion of the tiered storage locations;

re-allocating the selected media content to at least one of the alternate storage locations in response to the analyzing; and

updating an inventory database to reflect the at least one of the alternate storage locations of the selected media content.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for performing:

iteratively reviewing the factors over a period of time to determine whether the media content continues to be impacted;

re-allocating the media content to another of the alternate storage locations in response to determining that the media content continues to be impacted; and

updating the inventory database to reflect the other of the alternate storage locations of the media content.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the media content includes at least one of:

music;

video; and

data; and

wherein further, storage locations for the media content include;

an Internet Protocol television;

a central office storage facility;

a serving office storage facility;

a content provider facility; and

a video head end facility.