Transcodeless on-the-fly ad insertion

• US 8,429,250 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2011
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brightcove Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unicorn Media, Inc. (Brightcove Incorporated)
• Inventors: McGowan, Albert John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US13/092,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20120254367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling dynamic advertisement insertion into media files without transcoding are disclosed. The techniques disclosed involve retrieving files of the media and advertisement(s) and converting the files to an MPEG-2 transport stream (MPEG-2 TS) format. The MPEG-2 TS streams are then joined to insert the advertisement at a desired point in the media file. The resulting MPEG-2 TS stream is then converted back to a media file, which can be provided for downloading, or optionally reindexed. Because it does not require transcoding, this process can be performed on-the-fly to provide dynamic insertion of advertisements into media files. Other media file manipulation, including the insertion of non-advertisement media, is contemplated.

Claims

1. A method for providing media with a data network, the method comprising:

receiving a media file request;

retrieving a first media file, wherein;

the first media file comprises media content for playback over a period of time, and

the first media file has a program stream format;

associating the first media file with a first set of metadata to create a first MPEG-2 transport stream without transcoding the first media file;

retrieving a second media file having the program stream format;

associating the second media file with a second set of metadata to create to a second MPEG-2 transport stream without transcoding the second media file;

joining the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream to create a third MPEG-2 transport stream, the third MPEG-2 transport stream having a third set of metadata;

removing at least a portion of the third set of metadata from the third MPEG-2 transport stream to create a third media file in the program stream format; and

providing the third media file.

2. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, further comprising splitting the first MPEG-2 transport stream into two portions, wherein:

each of the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream corresponds to a separate portion of the first media file;

the joining the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream comprises inserting the second MPEG-2 transport stream between the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream.

3. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 2, wherein the inserting the second MPEG-2 transport stream between the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream comprises:

concatenating the second MPEG-2 transport stream to the end of a first portion of the first MPEG-2 transport stream to form an intermediate MPEG-2 transport stream; and

concatenating a second portion of the first MPEG-2 transport stream the end of the intermediate MPEG-2 transport stream.

4. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, further comprising reindexing the third media file.

5. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein the program stream format comprises an audio compression format, a video compression format, or both.

6. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein providing the third media file comprises delivering the third media file as a progressive download or as a media stream.

7. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein the media file request is received from a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

8. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 7, wherein the third media file is provided to the CDN.

9. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving insertion data, wherein the joining is based, at least in part, on the insertion data.

10. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 9, wherein the insertion data includes data indicative of an identity of the second media file.

11. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 9, wherein the insertion data includes data indicative of an insertion point of the first media file at which content corresponding to the second media file is to be inserted.

12. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing a Universal Resource Indicator (URI) of the requested media file.

13. The method for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein the program stream format includes at least one format from the group consisting of:

MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3 (MP3),

Third Generation Partnership Project (3GP), and

MPEG-4 (MP4).

14. A system for communicating media over a network, the system comprising:

a data storage configured to store a first media file, having content for playback over a period of time, in a program stream format;

a processing server having a network interface and being communicatively coupled with the data storage, the processing server configured to;

receive, using the network interface, a media file request;

retrieve the first media file from the data storage;

associate the first media file with a first set of metadata to create a first MPEG-2 transport stream without transcoding the first media file;

retrieve a second media file;

associate the second media file with a second set of metadata to create a second MPEG-2 transport stream without transcoding the second media file;

join the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream to create a third MPEG-2 transport stream, the third MPEG-2 transport stream having a third set of metadata;

remove at least a portion of the third set of metadata from the third MPEG-2 transport stream to create a third media file in the program stream format; and

provide, using the network interface, the third media file.

15. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 14, wherein the processing server further is configured to:

split the first MPEG-2 transport stream into two portions such that each of the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream corresponds to a separate portion of the first media file; and

join the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream by inserting the second MPEG-2 transport stream between the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream.

16. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 14, wherein the processing server is configured to retrieve, using the network interface, the second media file from a source other than the data storage.

17. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 14, wherein the processing server further is configured to reindex the third media file.

18. The system for communicating the media having content for playback over a period of time recited in claim 14, further comprising a media caching server having a memory and being communicatively coupled with the processing server, the media caching server configured to:

send the media file request, using the network, to the processing server;

receive the third media file, using the network, from the processing server; and

store the third media file in the memory.

19. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 18, wherein the media caching server further is configured to provide the third media file to a device communicatively coupled with the media caching server.

20. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the media file request comprises a first media file request for the third media file; and

the media caching server will not send a second media file request for the third media file to the processing server if the media caching server has the third media file stored in the memory.

21. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 14, wherein the processing server further is configured to provide the third media file to a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

22. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 14, wherein the processing server further is configured to:

receive insertion data; and

join the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream based, at least in part, on the insertion data.

23. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 22, wherein the processing server further is configured to determine, based on the insertion data, a point of the first media file at which content corresponding to the second media file is to be inserted.

24. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 22, wherein joining the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream includes performing at least one action from the group of actions consisting of:

concatenating the second MPEG-2 transport stream to the end of the first MPEG-2 transport stream,

concatenating the first MPEG-2 transport stream to the end of the second MPEG-2 transport stream,

inserting the first MPEG-2 transport stream into the second MPEG-2 transport stream, and

inserting the second MPEG-2 transport stream into the first MPEG-2 transport stream.

25. The system for communicating media over the network as recited in claim 14, wherein the processing server further is configured to provide a Universal Resource Indicator (URI) of the requested media file.

26. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating a requested media file over a network, the storage medium having a plurality of instructions embedded thereon, which, when executed by one or more machines, cause the one or more machines to:

receive, using a network interface, instructions for manipulating a first media file to create the requested media file, wherein the requested media file includes content for playback over a period of time;

retrieve the first media file, the first media file having a program stream format;

associate the first media file with a first set of metadata to create a first MPEG-2 transport stream without transcoding the first media file;

manipulate the first MPEG-2 transport stream, using the instructions for manipulating the first media file, to create a manipulated MPEG-2 transport stream;

create the requested media file, wherein;

creating the requested media file includes removing at least a portion of metadata of the manipulated MPEG-2 transport stream, and

the requested media file has the program stream format; and

provide, using the network interface, the requested media file.

27. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 26, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more machines, further cause the one or more machines to:

retrieve a second media file having the program stream format; and

associate the second media file with a second set of metadata to create a second MPEG-2 transport stream without transcoding the second media file;

wherein;

manipulating the first MPEG-2 transport stream includes joining the first MPEG-2 transport stream and the second MPEG-2 transport stream to create the manipulated MPEG-2 transport stream.

28. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 27, wherein manipulating the first MPEG-2 transport stream includes:

splitting the first MPEG-2 transport stream into two portions such that each of the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream corresponds to a separate portion of the first media file; and

inserting the second MPEG-2 transport stream between the two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream such that.

29. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 28, wherein the instructions for manipulating a first media file include information indicative of an identity of the second media file.

30. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 28, wherein the instructions for manipulating a first media file include information indicative of a point at which the first MPEG-2 transport stream is to be split.

31. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 26, wherein manipulating the first MPEG-2 transport stream includes:

splitting the first MPEG-2 transport stream into at least two portions such that each of the at least two portions of the first MPEG-2 transport stream corresponds to a separate portion of the first media file; and

removing a portion such that the manipulated MPEG-2 transport stream does not include the removed portion of the first MPEG-2 transport stream.

32. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 26, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more machines, further cause the one or more machines to reindex the requested media file.

33. The non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium for communicating the requested media file over the network as recited in claim 26, the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more machines, further cause the one or more machines to provide a Universal Resource Indicator (URI) of the requested media file.