Multi-source bridge content distribution system and method

• US 8,191,098 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verimatrix Incorporated (Verimatrix SA)
• Original Assignee: Verimatrix Incorporated (Verimatrix SA)
• Inventors: Cooper, Robin Ross, Munro, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US11/614,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 725/119, 725/105, 725 86- 99, 725/145, 725/115
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A multi-source bridge content distribution system links multiple content owners with access network operators or content distribution providers leasing space on access networks so that multi-media content can be provided from multiple content owners to consumers through a multi-source bridge or data center. Content files and associated content owner preference settings are provided from a plurality of content sources or providers to the multi-source data center. Files stored at the data center or locally at an access network are provided to subscribers through the local access network Content files are provided if the content owner preference settings are a sufficient match with service provider access network preference settings set up by the service provider using the access network to provide content to subscribers.

Claims

1. A method of distributing content from a plurality of different content providers to subscriber devices, comprising:

receiving and storing content files from a plurality of different content providers at a multi-source data center, including storing associated data for each content file, the associated data comprising file content meta-data and content preference settings associated with the content provider of each content file at the multi-source data center;

connecting the multi-source data center to a plurality of multi-source content distribution providers over a multi-source distribution network, each multi-source content distribution provider associated with a selected group of subscriber devices for connection with the subscriber devices over at least one second network;

connecting at least one multi-source content distribution provider to a selected subscriber device in the associated group over the second network;

receiving a request for at least one content file from the subscriber device;

when the request for the content file is received from the subscriber device, comparing the content preference settings of the content provider of the requested content file with the distribution preference settings of the local content distribution provider and comparing the subscriber preference settings of the requesting subscriber device with the content meta-data of the requested file; and

providing the content of at least one requested content file from the multi-source data center to the selected subscriber device through the content distribution provider associated with the subscriber device only if a predetermined match is found between the content preference settings and distribution preference settings, and between the content meta-data and subscriber preference settings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the content distribution providers are associated with second networks comprising respective client access networks and provide content to subscriber devices over the client access networks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client access networks are selected from the group consisting of cable networks, Internet protocol television (IPTV) networks, telephone company networks, and satellite networks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one second network comprises a public network and at least some of the content distribution providers are associated with web portals to provide content to subscribers over the public network through the web portals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one second network comprises a mobile network and at least some of the content distribution providers are associated with mobile networks to provide content over a mobile network to mobile device users.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the content distribution providers are application service providers and provide content to subscriber devices through the internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content and distribution preference settings include title-level criteria based on the content of a requested content file, and the step of comparing the preference settings includes comparing content meta-data of a requested content file with the title-level criteria in the distribution preference settings, whereby a particular content file is only provided to the local content distribution provider if there is a match between the content meta-data and the title-level criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the preference settings are selected from the group consisting of geography, content ratings, pricing, parental controls, digital rights management (DRM), and localization.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising coordinating the billing systems of the content provider and the content distribution provider at a multi-source billing coordination module at the multi-source data center when a content file of the content source is requested by a subscriber of the content distribution provider, whereby a total amount billed to a requesting subscriber is shared between the content provider billing system and the distribution provider billing system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an extended program guide (EPG) of the content files available from each multi-source content distribution provider, and providing the respective content distribution provider EPG to the group of subscribers associated with the respective content distribution provider.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request for subject matter from a subscriber, searching meta-data associated with saved content files to look for the requested subject matter in the meta-data, and providing the subscriber with a list of content file titles having meta-data corresponding to the requested subject matter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing a subscriber to select a title from the list and providing the content of the file associated with the selected title to the subscriber.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising repeating the step of searching for the respected subject matter in meta-data associated with saved content files at predetermined intervals and providing the search results to the requesting subscriber after each search.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is provided to the subscriber as a video-on-demand session.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is provided to the subscriber as a broadcast session.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting content file request history for each requesting subscriber, creating a subscriber profile based on the file request history, and inserting custom advertisements in content files provided to the subscriber based on the profile created for that subscriber.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing coupons to subscribers based on the profile created for each respective subscriber.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

collecting content file request history for each requesting subscriber;

creating a subscriber profile based on the file request history;

associating each subscriber with an identification code which does not include any subscriber personal information, associating the profile of each subscriber with the subscriber identification code, and providing the profile and associated subscriber identification code only to prospective advertisers outside the multi-source network, whereby subscriber personal identification information is not provided outside the multi-source content distribution network; and

inserting custom advertisements in content files provided to the subscriber based on the profile created for that subscriber.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request at the multi-source data center from at least one content distribution provider for download of selected titles, uploading the selected titles from the multi-source data center to the requesting content distribution provider, and storing the received titles in a local multi-source data storage module at the content distribution provider.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of providing a selected content file to a subscriber device comprises checking whether the requested content file is available in the local data storage module of the content distribution provider of the requesting subscriber, searching for the content file at the multi-source data center if not available at the local data storage module, and providing the requested content file to the subscriber.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of searching for the content file at the multi-source data center comprises searching for the content file in a plurality of different locations, wherein the locations comprise data storage modules at the multi-source data center and local data storage modules of peer content distribution providers, and the step of providing the requested content file comprises providing the content from a selected one of the locations containing the content file.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing the start portions only of a selected set of content files at the local data storage module of at least one content distribution provider, providing the start portion of a requested content file in the selected set to a subscriber on request, requesting the remainder of the content file from the multi-source data center as the start portion is playing, and providing the remainder of the content file to the subscriber on receipt from the multi-source data center.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the distribution preference settings associated with each content distribution provider;

storing the subscriber preference settings associated with each subscriber in the groups associated with the content distribution providers;

storing government preference settings which apply to subscribers belonging to respective institutional bodies independent from the content provider and distribution providers;

after receiving the request for at least one content file at the multi-source data center, comparing the content meta-data of the requested file and the government preference settings of the respective institutional body to which the requesting subscriber belongs, in addition to comparing the subscriber preference settings with the content meta-data and comparing the content preference settings of the content provider and the distribution preference settings of the local content distribution provider; and

providing a requested content file to a requesting subscriber only when there is a sufficient match between the content preference settings and the distribution preference settings, between the content meta-data and the government preference settings applying to an institutional body to which the requesting subscriber belongs, and between the subscriber preference settings and the content meta-data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising establishing different government preference settings corresponding to different institutional bodies to which different multi-source system subscribers belong, at least some of the institutional bodies being selected from the group consisting of countries, states, and other geographical regions.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the file content meta-data includes content ratings.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least some of the content ratings are established by the multi-source data center.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated data further comprises trailers and promotional material.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated data further comprises digital rights management (DRM) requirements.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating multiple associated files at the multi-source data center for each received content file and storing the original content file and associated content files.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding invisible watermarks to each received content file at the multi-source data center prior to creating associated files for each received content file adapted for different subscriber devices and including the invisible watermarks, and storing the received content file and associated files.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing content sources with an option to buy, trade, or sell content files stored at the multisource data center.

32. A multi-source bridge content distribution system, comprising:

a plurality of multi-source content distribution providers each associated with a different group of subscribers for providing content to subscriber devices, each content distribution provider having a network for distributing content to the subscriber devices of the respective subscriber group, each multi-source content distribution provider having a distribution preference module containing distribution preference settings established by the multi-source content distribution provider;

a multi-source data center having a first communication module configured to communicate with a plurality of content providers, a data storage module associated with the first communication module for receiving and storing content files from the content providers, a second communication module configured to provide requested content files to the content distribution providers, and a control module configured to process content files for storage in the data storage module and to operate the communication modules to receive and distribute content files, the control module being configured to associate each content file stored in the data storage module with content preference settings of the content source including file content meta-data;

a multi-source network linking the multi-source data center to the multi-source content distribution providers, whereby content from a plurality of different content providers can be provided from the multi-source data center to any subscriber device through the associated multi-source content distribution provider and network; and

a preference control module configured to receive subscriber preference settings of a subscriber requesting a content file, and when a content file request is received, to compare the content preference settings of the content source of the requested content file with the distribution preference settings of the local content distribution provider of the requesting subscriber and to compare the subscriber preference settings of the requesting subscriber with the file content meta-data, and to control the second communication module to provide the content of a selected content file from the multi-source data center to a requesting subscriber through the local content distribution provider of the requesting subscriber only if a predetermined match is found between the content preference settings and the distribution preference settings and between the subscriber preference settings and the meta-data of the selected content file.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising a multi-source billing coordination module configured to link content provider billing systems and content distribution provider billing systems, whereby billing associated with providing a requested content file to a subscriber is shared between the provider of the content file and the distributor of the content file.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein at least some of the multi-source content distribution provider networks are client access networks.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the client access networks are selected from the group consisting of cable networks, Internet protocol television (IPTV) networks, telephone company networks, and satellite networks.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein at least some of the multi-source content distribution providers are Internet service providers (ISPs) configured to provide content to subscribers through web portals.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein at least some of the content distribution providers are configured to provide content to subscribers using mobile devices over mobile networks.

38. The system of claim 32, further comprising a government preference module for containing preference settings established by a government organization independent from the content distribution system for content of files to be provided to subscribers falling under the rules of the government organization, the preference control module being further configured to compare the government preference settings with the file content meta-data and to control the second communication module to provide the content of a selected content file to a subscriber only if a match is found between the file content meta-data and the government preference settings.

39. The system of claim 32, further comprising a content source billing system associated with each content source and a multi-source distribution billing system associated with each multi-source distribution provider, the control module at the multi-source data center including a billing module configured to coordinate the billing systems of the content source and the content distribution provider when a content file of the content source is requested by a subscriber of the content distribution provider through the multi-source data center and local access network, whereby a total amount billed for a requested content file is shared between the billing systems.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein each multi-source content distribution provider has a multi-source data base containing selected complete and partial content files downloaded from the multi-source data center.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein each multi-source content distribution provider has a multi-source data base and a multi-source control module associated with the data base configured to control supply of content to its subscriber group, the multi-source distribution provider data base having an extended program guide (EPG) of the content files available from the multi-source content distribution provider, and the multi-source distribution provider control module being configured to provide the EPG to the group of subscribers associated with the respective content distribution provider.

42. The system of claim 32, wherein the multi-source data center further comprises a search engine configured to search meta-data associated with each content file in response to a subscriber request for desired content, and to provide a list of content files containing the desired content to the subscriber through the multi-source content distribution provider.

43. The system of claim 32, wherein at least one of the multi-source data center and content distribution provider has a subscriber profile module configured to collect content file request history for each requesting subscriber, to create a subscriber profile based on the file request history, to provide subscriber profiles to prospective advertisers outside the multi-source system, and to insert custom advertisements in content files provided to the subscriber based on the profile created for that subscriber.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the subscriber profile module is further configured to associate each subscriber with an identification code which includes no subscriber personal identifying information, to associate the subscriber profile of each subscriber with the subscriber identification code, and to provide the associated subscriber identification code and corresponding subscriber profile without any subscriber personal identifying information to prospective advertisers outside the multi-source network, whereby subscriber personal identification information is not provided outside the multi-source content distribution network.

45. The system of claim 32, wherein the multi-source network includes peer-to-peer links between multi-source content distribution providers for peer-to-peer content sharing, each multi-source content distribution provider having a local data base containing selected content files downloaded from the multi-source data center, each multi-source content distribution provider having a control module configured to search for content requested by a subscriber in its own local data base, to request the content from peer content distribution providers or from the multi-source data center if not available in its own local data base, and to download the content to provide to the requesting subscriber from other local data bases or the multi-source data center data base if not available at its own local data base.

46. The system of claim 32, wherein each multi-source content distribution provider has a control module configured to provide a start portion of a selected content file to a subscriber on request, to request the remainder of the content file from the multi-source data center as the start portion is playing, and to provide the remainder of the content file to the subscriber on receipt from the multi-source data center.

47. The system of claim 32, wherein the multi-source data center further comprises a content ingestion module configured to create multiple associated files corresponding to each received content file, and to index and store the original content file and the associated files in the data base.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the associated files further comprise files localized for a plurality of different geographical regions.

49. The system of claim 32, wherein the associated files comprise files having different digital rights management (DRM) properties adapted for both a plurality of different subscriber device DRM requirements and a plurality of different subscriber device screen sizes.

50. The system of claim 32, wherein the file ingestion module is configured to add invisible watermarks to each received content file at the multi-source data center prior to creating the multiple associated files containing the invisible watermarks and storing the files.

51. The system of claim 32, wherein the first communication module is configured to communicate with content sources comprising selected web sites over the internet and the control module is configured to link content from the selected web sites to requesting subscribers through the multi-source network.