Method and apparatus for callback supplementation of media program metadata

• US 8,914,409 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Yang, Ting-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US13/660,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 707/665, 707/769, 707/770, 707/796, 707/E17.014, 707/E17.028, 707/E17.108, 707/755, 707/756, 707/624, 725/32, 725/82, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/237
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for obtaining media program metadata is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving a media program callback message in a content delivery system from a client device displaying a webpage retrieved from a host server, the media program embedded in the retrieved webpage, the callback message comprising a callback address to the webpage, and storing the address as metadata associated with the media program in the database.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining metadata associated with a media program, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a media program callback message to request the media program at a content delivery system from a client device displaying a webpage retrieved from a host server, wherein;

the media program is embedded in the retrieved webpage,

the callback message is generated by the client device executing coded instructions in a source code for the webpage, and

a callback address to the webpage is included in the callback message by virtue of the callback message being generated;

determining, by the computing device, the callback address from the callback message; and

storing, by the computing device, the callback address as metadata associated with the media program in the database in response to determining the callback address, wherein the metadata indicates the media program is embedded in the webpage identified by the callback address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for instructions for embedding the media program in the webpage; and

transmitting the instructions for embedding the media program in the webpage hosted by the host server, the instructions including a callback to the media program provider.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a search request implicating the media program; and

transmitting a search request result, the search request result including the callback address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content delivery system comprises a media server for streaming the media program to the client device and a media program provider for providing an address to the media program stored on the media server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request to the callback address;

receiving the webpage;

scraping the webpage to identify further metadata associated with the media program; and

storing the further metadata in the database.

6. An apparatus for obtaining metadata associated with a media program, comprising:

a content delivery system comprising;

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for;

receiving a media program callback message to request the media program from a client device displaying a webpage retrieved from a host server, wherein;

the media program is embedded in the retrieved webpage,

the callback message is generated by the client device executing coded instructions in a source code for the webpage, and

a callback address to the webpage is included in the callback message by virtue of the callback message being generated;

determining the callback address from the callback message; and

a database for storing the callback address as metadata associated with the media program in response to determining the callback address, wherein the metadata indicates the media program is embedded in the webpage identified by the callback address.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the content delivery system is further configured for receiving a request for instructions for embedding the media program in the webpage, and transmitting the instructions for embedding the media program in the webpage hosted by the host server, the instructions including a callback to the media program provider.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the content delivery system is further configured for receiving a search request implicating the media program and transmitting a search request result, the search request result including the callback address.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the content delivery system comprises a media server for streaming the media program to the client device and a media program provider for providing an address to the media program stored on the media server.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein:

the content delivery system is further configured for transmitting a request to the callback address and receives the webpage;

the apparatus further comprises a metadata module for scraping the webpage to identify further metadata associated with the media program; and

the database further stores the further metadata in the database.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:

receiving a media program callback message to request the media program at a content delivery system from a client device displaying a webpage retrieved from a host server, wherein;

the media program is embedded in the retrieved webpage,

the callback message is generated by the client device executing coded instructions in a source code for the webpage, and

a callback address to the webpage is included in the callback message by virtue of the callback message being generated;

determining the callback address from the callback message; and

storing the callback address as metadata associated with the media program in the database in response to determining the callback address, wherein the metadata indicates the media program is embedded in the webpage identified by the callback address.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further configured for:

receiving a request for instructions for embedding the media program in the webpage; and

transmitting the instructions for embedding the media program in the webpage hosted by the host server, the instructions including a callback to the media program provider.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further configured for:

receiving a search request implicating the media program; and

transmitting a search request result, the search request result including the callback address.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the content delivery system comprises a media server for streaming the media program to the client device and a media program provider for providing an address to the media program stored on the media server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further configured for:

transmitting a request to the callback address;

receiving the webpage;

scraping the webpage to identify further metadata associated with the media program; and

storing the further metadata in the database.