WO2009085725A1 - Method and apparatus to facilitate providing on-demand access to internet media content with other televised content - Google Patents
Method and apparatus to facilitate providing on-demand access to internet media content with other televised content Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2009085725A1 WO2009085725A1 PCT/US2008/086922 US2008086922W WO2009085725A1 WO 2009085725 A1 WO2009085725 A1 WO 2009085725A1 US 2008086922 W US2008086922 W US 2008086922W WO 2009085725 A1 WO2009085725 A1 WO 2009085725A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- audio
- media content
- service provider
- internet media
- content
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
- H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
- H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
- H04N21/238—Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams
- H04N21/2385—Channel allocation; Bandwidth allocation
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
- H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
- H04N21/47—End-user applications
- H04N21/478—Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
- H04N21/4782—Web browsing, e.g. WebTV
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to audio-visual content-based services and more particularly to the provision of audio-visual content to service provider end users.
- Audio-visual materials of various kinds are well known in the art as are various ways of conveying such content to an end user to facilitate the consumption of the former by the latter.
- an audio-visual content service provider obtains such audio-visual content from one or more content providers and arranges for the distribution of that content to one or more end users.
- such an audio-visual content service provider often comprises, for example, a Community Access Television (CATV) service provider, an Internet Provider Television (IPTV) service provider, a mobile device service provider (such as a cellular telephony service provider), or the like.
- CATV Community Access Television
- IPTV Internet Provider Television
- mobile device service provider such as a cellular telephony service provider
- the audio-visual content service provider provides such audio-visual content to its end users via any of a plurality of selectable channels.
- a given channel will carry a previously scheduled multipoint broadcast that is simultaneously receivable by all subscribing end users.
- some channels will carry so-called video on demand (VOD) content intended for only a specific requesting end user.
- VOD video on demand
- the content is ordinarily provided by any of a number of audio-visual content sources using (in many cases) dedicated carriers/networks to convey such content to the audio-visual content service provider.
- FIG. 1 comprises a flow diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 2 comprises a block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 3 comprises a block diagram as configured in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
- an audiovisual content service provider processor receives an end user selection of at least one particular Internet media content channel via an audio-visual content service provider- end user interface.
- the audio-visual content service provider then provides on- demand access to this at least one particular Internet media content channel to this end user as a selectable viewing channel along with other televised audio-visual content channels.
- the audio-visual content service provider can receive the described end user selection via a browser-based interface.
- selected Internet media content can be locally stored by the audio-visual content service provider processor to thereby provide that stored content in readiness for being recalled and provided to a given end user via the referred to on-demand service.
- These teachings will also accommodate combining such Internet-based media content with supplemental content of choice when providing this on-demand access via the audio-visual content service provider's channels.
- these teachings provide a flexible and highly scalable mechanism for permitting a wide variety of Internet-based media content to be offered by an audio-visual content service provider processor to end users via a corresponding channel-based video on- demand process.
- these teachings provide an efficient and effective way of permitting Internet media sources to be registered with the audio-visual content service provider and for end users to identify specific Internet-based media content that they wish to receive via an on-demand channel to accompany their other existing channel-based viewing options.
- This process 100 can be carried out at an audio-visual content service provider such as, but not limited to, a Community Access Television (CATV) service provider (which can comprise, for example, a cable-based service provider or a satellite-based service provider), a mobile device service provider such as a cellular telephony service provider, and so forth. More particularly, this process 100 can be effectuated at the head end facilities of the audio-visual content service provider as versus, for example, at the facilities of the content providers or at the facilities of the end users.
- CATV Community Access Television
- this process 100 will be understood to be carried out by a processor.
- a processor can comprise a fixed-purpose hardwired platform or can comprise a partially or wholly programmable platform. It will also be understood that such a "processor" can comprise a single platform or can comprise a logical architecture wherein the described functionality is distributed over two or more supporting platforms. All of these architectural options are well known and understood in the art and require no further description here.
- This process 100 optionally provides for this processor pre-registering
- this pre-registration process can be enabled using a standard browser-based and/or client-server methodology via, for example, the Internet.
- client-server methodology via, for example, the Internet.
- the Internet media content source can provide information as posed by the audio-visual content service provider in order to complete this pre-registration activity.
- the precise information gleaned by the audio-visual content service provider via this approach will of course vary from one audio-visual content service provider and/or application setting to another.
- the pre-registration process can serve to permit the audio-visual content service provider to vet the Internet media content source with respect to various criteria of interest and concern and to ensure that the Internet media content source is able to effect at least a minimal level of service with respect to the audio-visual content service provider's requirements.
- This pre-registration activity can also provide the vehicle whereby the specific content to be provided by the Internet media content source is specified.
- the content can vary widely from source to source.
- a content source such as YouTube might make itself available to support, at any given time, a channel that offers the top twenty most popular video clips at YouTube at any given moment.
- a content source such as NFL.com might make itself available to support a channel that offers highlights from each National Football League football game during a given period of time of interest.
- this process 100 then provides for the audio-visual content service provider processor receiving 102 an end user selection of at least one particular Internet media content channel (for example, from amongst a plurality of candidate pre-registered Internet media content sources as described above).
- This can comprise, by one approach, receiving this selection via an audio-visual content service provider-end user interface of choice.
- the latter might comprise, for example, a browser-based end user interface.
- the end user can direct their computer's browser of choice (such as Firefox or Explorer) to a website operated by the audio-visual content service provider.
- This website can be configured and arranged to display the available candidate Internet media content channels for the end user.
- Such a display can readily comprise, if desired, actual sample content (live or pre-recorded) to illustrate the kind of material that the end user could expect to receive from each such channel.
- a simple point-and-click approach could be used, if desired, to permit the end user to make their channel selections.
- the audio-visual content service provider can permit the end user to select any number of candidate Internet media content channels if desired, or can impose such limits as may be appropriate (based upon, for example, subscription terms and expectations as between the audio-visual content service provider and the end user), bandwidth considerations, limitations as may be imposed by the corresponding Internet media content sources themselves, and so forth).
- these Internet media content channels can be as numerous and as varied as desired as these teachings are readily scalable in this regard.
- at least some of the available Internet media content channels can comprise channels that provide access to a particular genre of streaming audio-visual content.
- Illustrative examples in this regard would include a channel dedicated to a genre comprising most popular video clips, a sports-based genre, a comedy -based genre, a celebrity-based genre, or a news-based genre, to note but a few.
- Those skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoing examples are intended to serve only in an illustrative capacity and are not intended to comprise an exhaustive presentation in this regard or to otherwise serve as a limitation by example.
- the audio-visual content service provider processor can then provide 103 on-demand access to those selected Internet media content channels to the end user as selectable viewing channels that supplement the other more traditional televised audio-visual content channels as are also provided by the audio-visual content service provider to the end user.
- the audio-visual content service provider could provide a given end user with the ability to select a fishing-based Internet media content stream of content as has been assigned by the audio-visual content service provider to channel number 453 within the audio-visual content service provider's television broadcast system.
- such channels can comprise a live stream of content from the Internet media content source.
- these channels can comprise content that the audio-visual content service provider has locally recorded and/or otherwise locally stored upon receiving such content from the corresponding Internet media content source. This stored content can then be recalled as necessary to provide the described on-demand access to the end user.
- the service provider may cache a single copy of the Internet content and then distribute it simultaneously to multiple end users.
- a service provider may decide to cache a small set of content from many of the Internet channels to ensure that the audio-visual content is quickly available upon request by an end user.
- the processor can simply arrange a direct mapping of each feed to a corresponding channel. It would also be possible to create a channel by applying a filter to corresponding content metadata (such as specific keywords or the like) to yield the content to be channelized. It would also be possible to create a channel by re-organizing the metadata or to prioritize the metadata (using, for example, corresponding input from a social network of choice). Other possibilities also likely exist in this regard or may be developed going forward.
- supplemental content can vary as desired.
- this supplemental content can comprise advertising or promotional content.
- this supplemental content can comprise information regarding other related content that is available to the end user via the audio-visual content service provider that the end user may be interested in viewing.
- an audio-visual content service provider provides audio-visual content to the user.
- a processor 201 that can operably couple to a memory 202 as desired.
- a memory can serve, for example, to store audio-visual content from one or more Internet media content sources that has been recorded by the audio-visual content service provider pursuant to these teachings.
- These audio-visual content service provider facilities 200 can operably couple to one or more audio-visual content publishers 203 that source traditional audio-visual content such as movies, sporting events, episodes of various television programs, and so forth.
- the audiovisual content service provider's facilities 200 then further operably couple to one or more end users 204 (such as a plurality of residential facilities such as homes, condominiums, apartments, and so forth) via one or more intervening networks 205.
- this network 205 can comprise a cable-based or a satellite-based television broadcasting distribution system as are well known in the art.
- This audio-visual content service provider facility 200 (and in particular the processor 201) are further configured and arranged to couple to one or more Internet media content sources 206 via the Internet 207.
- Internet will be understood to refer to the worldwide, publicly accessible series of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet switching using the standard Internet Protocol (IP) including, today, both IPv4 (as specified at RFC-791) and IPv6 as specified by the Internet Engineering Taskforce (IETF). So configured, the Internet media content source(s) 206 can effect the above described pre-registration activity and/or can provide the Internet-based media content to the audio-visual content service provider in support of these teachings.
- IP Internet Protocol
- IETF Internet Engineering Taskforce
- the end users 204 can also interface with the audio-visual content service provider processor via the Internet 207 (using an end user interface, for example, that supports a browser experience) to thereby make the above-described selection of Internet media content channels.
- the aforementioned processor 201 can be configured and arranged, via, for example, corresponding programming as will be well understood by those skilled in the art, to carry out one or more of the aforementioned steps, actions, and functions. This can comprise, for example, receiving the aforementioned end user selection of one or more particular Internet media content channels via the audio-visual content service provider-end user interface and providing the aforementioned on-demand access to the at least one particular Internet media content channel to the end user as a selectable viewing channel along with other televised audio-visual content channels.
- a facility 200 may be comprised of a plurality of physically distinct elements as is suggested by the illustration shown in FIG. 2. It is also possible, however, to view this illustration as comprising a logical view, in which case one or more of these elements can be enabled and realized via a shared platform. It will also be understood that such a shared platform may comprise a wholly or at least partially programmable platform as are known in the art.
- Internet media content and metadata publication occurs via the facilities of an Internet portal 301.
- Content loading and metadata consumption occurs via the facilities (described below) of an audio-visual content service provider's service provider facility 302.
- the content and metadata makes its way from the former to the latter via the Internet 303.
- the Internet portal 301 can generally comprise a content server 304 and a feed metadata server 305.
- the content server 304 can comprise, for example, a storage facility (or access to a storage facility) having the Internet-sourced audiovisual content of interest and a processing capability to effect the transmission of the audio-visual content via the Internet 303 to the service provider facility 302.
- the feed metadata server 305 provides metadata comprising information (using, for example, extensible Markup Language (XML)) about these audio-visual contents. This information can comprise such data as the total duration of the content during playback, information regarding clip titles, information regarding clip content, information regarding persons viewable in the clip, information regarding popularity ratings, and so forth.
- XML extensible Markup Language
- the service provider facility 30 includes storage facilities
- the feed metadata from the feed metadata server 305 is received by a read feed metadata capability 307 which parses and otherwise extracts useful content from the received feed metadata and provides the interpreted results to a feed metadata store 308.
- this feed metadata need only be stored once for each portal/feed, thereby allowing these processes to re-use such information for many different end users and thereby avoiding a need to return to the portal in this regard for each end user.
- This stored feed metadata is then accessed by a guide creation capability 309.
- This guide creation capability 309 serves to provide an electronic viewing guide 310 that is accessible to end users via their so-called set-top boxes 311.
- set-top box will be understood to comprise a device that connects to a television and an external source of signal and converts the signal into content which is then displayed on the television display screen.
- these guides 310 can be highly customized.
- the guide creation capability 309 can refer to stored information regarding an end user's identifying information and their corresponding set-top box identifier (as recovered, for example, from a corresponding memory 312 and which may comprise, for example, a Media Access Control (MAC) address as is known in the art) to provide information to a given end user regarding only their own selected Internet media content channels (along with their usual television broadcasting channels) and not all possible Internet media content channels as may be available, in the aggregate, to all end users.
- MAC Media Access Control
- the service provider facility 302 has access to Internet media content from corresponding portals 301 and can provide that content to given end users as selectable on-demand Internet media content channels.
- This can comprise, as shown, moving the corresponding Internet media content from the content store 306 to a cache and transfer capability which then transfers the Internet media content via the audio-visual content service provider's access network 314 and a corresponding assigned channel for rendering 315 via the end user's set-top box 311.
- These actions in turn, can be taken in response to receiving a specific request from the end user via the set-top box 311 (which request can itself be based upon information contained in the aforementioned guide 310).
- the illustrated architecture will also support the above-described pre- registration process.
- the Internet portal 301 can become registered with the service provider facility 302 via a pre-registration capability 316.
- the registered status of the Internet portal 301 can then be stored in a corresponding memory 317.
- this registration can comprise a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to a list of feeds that the portal supports.
- URL Uniform Resource Locator
- the illustrated architecture will also support the above- described Internet media content channel selection process.
- an end user can be informed (via a browser 318 of choice) through the Internet of a listing 319 of candidate available Internet media content channels. Using this information, the end user can then select one or more particular Internet media content channels.
- An add feed capability 320 can accept these selections and associate the identified channels with the end user themselves in a corresponding memory 321. The latter can then be accessed by the aforementioned guide creation capability 309 to ensure that the guide 310 provided to the end user correctly and timely reflects their Internet media content channel selections.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
- Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
BRPI0821536-7A BRPI0821536A2 (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2008-12-16 | Method and apparatus for facilitating the provision of internet access upon request for internet media content with other televised content |
CN2008801232193A CN101911051A (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2008-12-16 | Promotion provides the method and apparatus to the on-demand access of the internet media content of the content with other television broadcasting |
EP08868433A EP2240868A1 (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2008-12-16 | Method and apparatus to facilitate providing on-demand access to internet media content with other televised content |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/965,062 | 2007-12-27 | ||
US11/965,062 US20090172753A1 (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2007-12-27 | Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Providing On-Demand Access to Internet Media Content with Other Televised Content |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2009085725A1 true WO2009085725A1 (en) | 2009-07-09 |
Family
ID=40800365
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2008/086922 WO2009085725A1 (en) | 2007-12-27 | 2008-12-16 | Method and apparatus to facilitate providing on-demand access to internet media content with other televised content |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20090172753A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2240868A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101911051A (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI0821536A2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2009085725A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
KR101512321B1 (en) * | 2007-08-22 | 2015-04-16 | 삼성전자주식회사 | / Method and apparatus for providing/receiving service of plurality of service providers |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2001035658A1 (en) * | 1999-11-08 | 2001-05-17 | Gentor.Com Inc. | Broadcast portal service system |
KR20020026707A (en) * | 2000-10-02 | 2002-04-12 | 구자홍 | Method for using internet service of tv |
KR20020092519A (en) * | 2001-06-04 | 2002-12-12 | (주)이너베이 | System and method for watching and reservation for Internet TV program |
KR20070044517A (en) * | 2005-10-25 | 2007-04-30 | 넥스소프트(주) | Method for transmitting contents in broadcasting system, broadcasting system implementing the same |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2003096669A2 (en) * | 2002-05-10 | 2003-11-20 | Reisman Richard R | Method and apparatus for browsing using multiple coordinated device |
US7590997B2 (en) * | 2004-07-30 | 2009-09-15 | Broadband Itv, Inc. | System and method for managing, converting and displaying video content on a video-on-demand platform, including ads used for drill-down navigation and consumer-generated classified ads |
-
2007
- 2007-12-27 US US11/965,062 patent/US20090172753A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2008
- 2008-12-16 BR BRPI0821536-7A patent/BRPI0821536A2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2008-12-16 EP EP08868433A patent/EP2240868A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2008-12-16 CN CN2008801232193A patent/CN101911051A/en active Pending
- 2008-12-16 WO PCT/US2008/086922 patent/WO2009085725A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2001035658A1 (en) * | 1999-11-08 | 2001-05-17 | Gentor.Com Inc. | Broadcast portal service system |
KR20020026707A (en) * | 2000-10-02 | 2002-04-12 | 구자홍 | Method for using internet service of tv |
KR20020092519A (en) * | 2001-06-04 | 2002-12-12 | (주)이너베이 | System and method for watching and reservation for Internet TV program |
KR20070044517A (en) * | 2005-10-25 | 2007-04-30 | 넥스소프트(주) | Method for transmitting contents in broadcasting system, broadcasting system implementing the same |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP2240868A1 (en) | 2010-10-20 |
CN101911051A (en) | 2010-12-08 |
US20090172753A1 (en) | 2009-07-02 |
BRPI0821536A2 (en) | 2015-06-16 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US9451295B2 (en) | Meta channel media system control and advertisement technology | |
US8640176B2 (en) | Apparatus and method for providing television services using an aggregator | |
US8769582B2 (en) | Meta channel based media system control technology | |
US8601512B2 (en) | Meta channel network-based content download technology | |
US8065696B2 (en) | Control-based content pricing | |
EP2139237B1 (en) | An IPTV receiver and method for controlling contents viewing in the IPTV receiver | |
US20120096499A1 (en) | Apparatus and method for facilitating video-on-demand catalog search and content distribution | |
CN101217642A (en) | Method of transmitting preview content and method and apparatus for receiving preview content | |
CN1428046A (en) | Personal versatile recorder and method of implementing and using same | |
US8458746B2 (en) | Meta channel caching and instant viewing related technology | |
KR20130080777A (en) | Purchase transaction method for iptv product and iptv receiver thereof | |
WO2010091089A1 (en) | Meta channel based media system control technology | |
KR100926705B1 (en) | Apparatus and method for providing customized advertisement service | |
US20090172753A1 (en) | Method and Apparatus to Facilitate Providing On-Demand Access to Internet Media Content with Other Televised Content | |
Harte | IPTV Basics, Technology, Operation and Services | |
KR20110007799A (en) | Shopping vod data proffering system for iptv and method of the same | |
KR101009410B1 (en) | Method and apparatus for providing total search service while broadcasting program | |
EP2227779A2 (en) | Method and apparatus to facilitate the local recording of audio-visual content, in the absence of end user requests, for subsequent re-broadcasting | |
Solla et al. | TV-anytime: Paving the way for personalized TV | |
US20090172760A1 (en) | Method and Apparatus for Metadata-Based Conditioned Use of Audio-Visual Content | |
Arat et al. | Development of Internet Television Broadcasting and Satisfaction in Internet Broadcasting | |
US20170238066A1 (en) | Method and computer program product for selectively displaying advertisments during media playback | |
KR20080075824A (en) | Personal contents producing and providing system for iptv | |
EP2587828A1 (en) | Media access | |
Solla et al. | TV-Anytime |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 200880123219.3 Country of ref document: CN |
|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 08868433 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2249/KOLNP/2010 Country of ref document: IN |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: MX/A/2010/007180 Country of ref document: MX |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
WWE | Wipo information: entry into national phase |
Ref document number: 2008868433 Country of ref document: EP |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: PI0821536 Country of ref document: BR Kind code of ref document: A2 Effective date: 20100624 |