U.S. patent application number 15/344780 was filed with the patent office on 2017-02-23 for method and system for delivering video content from multiple platforms to subscribers.
The applicant listed for this patent is AIOTV, Inc.. Invention is credited to Michael Everett Earle.
Application Number | 20170055039 15/344780 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51702485 |
Filed Date | 2017-02-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170055039 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Earle; Michael Everett |
February 23, 2017 |
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING VIDEO CONTENT FROM MULTIPLE
PLATFORMS TO SUBSCRIBERS
Abstract
An integrated content delivery interface enables a user to
access content from a multi-channel service provider (such as a
cable television service) and over-the-top sources. The system
displays a set of cable channels and over-the-top channels based on
a combination of the user's subscription status for the various
services, personalization criteria, and device type. The system may
provide the user with a playlist of available videos for each
channel. For videos from over-the-top sources, when a user selects
the video for on-demand play the user's device will directly access
the video as served by the over-the-top source. Before including
any video in the playlist, the system will ensure that the video is
available to the user based on subscription status and/or device
type, and it will ensure that the over-the-top source serves the
video in a format that is compatible with the user's device.
Inventors: |
Earle; Michael Everett;
(Centennial, CO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AIOTV, Inc. |
Centennial |
CO |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51702485 |
Appl. No.: |
15/344780 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
13973902 |
Aug 22, 2013 |
9521459 |
|
|
15344780 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 21/4782 20130101;
H04N 21/6175 20130101; H04N 21/25891 20130101; H04N 21/4622
20130101; H04N 21/4828 20130101; H04N 21/2665 20130101; H04N
21/25875 20130101; H04N 21/25841 20130101; H04N 21/26258 20130101;
H04N 21/25808 20130101; H04N 21/4821 20130101; H04N 21/4825
20130101; H04N 21/44222 20130101; H04N 21/6125 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 21/482 20060101
H04N021/482; H04N 21/258 20060101 H04N021/258; H04N 21/4782
20060101 H04N021/4782; H04N 21/61 20060101 H04N021/61; H04N 21/462
20060101 H04N021/462 |
Claims
1. A method for providing video content to a user, comprising:
presenting an identifying symbol for each user-selectable channel
of a set of user-selectable channels in a first row of a content
delivery interface of an electronic device, the user-selectable
channels being served by a plurality of different over-the-top
("OTT") video content sources to which the user subscribes and are
not under any control of a service provider; presenting a first
playlist of first identifying information for video assets
available from a first channel of the user-selectable channels in a
second row of the content delivery interface concurrently with the
presentation of the identifying symbols for the set of
user-selectable channels in the first row of the content delivery
interface; receiving a user input selecting the identifying symbol
associated with a second channel from the set of user-selectable
channels in the first row of the content delivery interface that is
of interest to the user; and in response to the reception of the
user input, dynamically replacing the first playlist with a second
playlist of second identifying information for video assets
exclusively available from the selected second channel, the second
playlist being presented in the second row of the content delivery
interface concurrently with the presentation of the identifying
symbols for the set of user-selectable channels in the first row of
the content delivery interface; wherein each of the first and
second identifying information comprises at least one visual image
or graphic symbol.
2. A method for providing media content to a user, comprising:
presenting an identifying symbol for each user-selectable channel
of a first set of user-selectable channels in a first section of a
content delivery interface of an electronic device, the
user-selectable channels being served by a plurality of different
over-the-top ("OTT") video content sources to which a user
subscribes and which are not under any control of a service
provider; presenting a first playlist of first identifying
information for video assets available from a first channel of the
user-selectable channels in a second section of the content
delivery interface concurrently with the presentation of the
identifying symbols for the first set of user-selectable channels
in the first section of the content delivery interface; receiving
at least a portion of a first media item of a first type that is
playing within reach of the electronic device; processing the first
media item to determine second identifying information therefore;
using the second identifying information to search the plurality of
different OTT content sources for purposes of identifying at least
one first OTT content source from which a plurality of second media
items related to the first media item is made available, each
second media item being of a second type that is different than the
first type of the first media item; automatically generating a
second playlist of third identifying information for the plurality
of second media items available from a second channel of the
user-selectable channels being served by the at least one first OTT
content source; and dynamically replacing the first playlist with
the second playlist so that the second playlist is presented in the
second section of the content delivery interface.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first type is
audio, the second type is video, and said processing the first
media item means identifying the audio playing within reach of the
electronic device.
4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first and third
identifying information comprises at least one visual image or
graphic symbol.
5. The method according to claim 2, wherein a second set of
user-selectable channels is also presented in the first section of
the content delivery interface along with the first set of
user-selectable channels, the user-selectable channels of the
second set being served by the service provider.
6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the third identifying
information is selected to exclusively identify media assets in a
format compatible with that supported by the electronic device.
7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the third identifying
information is selected to exclusively identify media assets for
whom the electronic device's current location does not violate a
geographic restriction.
8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising updating the
second playlist to include fourth identifying information for new
media items available from the second channel of the
user-selectable channels being served by the at least one first OTT
content source.
9. The method according to claim 2, further comprising updating the
second playlist to remove at least some of the third identifying
information for media items that are no longer available from the
second channel of the user-selectable channels being served by the
at least one first OTT content source.
10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second playlist is
displayed in the second section of the content delivery interface
concurrently with the presentation of user-selectable identifying
symbols for the different OTT content sources in the first section
of the content delivery interface.
11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first section of
the content delivery interface is a first row and the second
section of the content delivery interface is a second row located
below the first row.
12. A system, comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable
medium comprising programming instructions that are configured to
cause the processor to implement a content delivery interface at an
electronic device, wherein the programming instructions comprise
instructions to: present an identifying symbol for each
user-selectable channel of a first set of user-selectable channels
in a first section of a content delivery interface of an electronic
device, the user-selectable channels being served by a plurality of
different over-the-top ("OTT") video content sources to which a
user subscribes and which are not under any control of a service
provider; present a first playlist of first identifying information
for video assets available from a first channel of the
user-selectable channels in a second section of the content
delivery interface concurrently with the presentation of the
identifying symbols for the first set of user-selectable channels
in the first section of the content delivery interface; receive at
least a portion of a first media item of a first type that is
playing within reach of the electronic device; process the first
media item to determine second identifying information therefore;
use the second identifying information to search the plurality of
different OTT content sources for purposes of identifying at least
one first OTT content source from which a plurality of second media
items related to the first media item is made available, each
second media item being of a second type that is different than the
first type of the first media item; automatically generate a second
playlist of third identifying information for the plurality of
second media items available from a second channel of the
user-selectable channels being served by the at least one first OTT
content source; and dynamically replace the first playlist with the
second playlist so that the second playlist is presented in the
second section of the content delivery interface.
13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the first type is
audio, the second type is video, and said processing the first
media item means identifying the audio playing within reach of the
electronic device.
14. The system according to claim 12, wherein each of the first and
third identifying information comprises at least one visual image
or graphic symbol.
15. The system according to claim 12, wherein a second set of
user-selectable channels is also presented in the first section of
the content delivery interface along with the first set of
user-selectable channels, the user-selectable channels of the
second set being served by the service provider.
16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the third identifying
information is selected to exclusively identify media assets in a
format compatible with that supported by the electronic device.
17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the third identifying
information is selected to exclusively identify media assets for
whom the electronic device's current location does not violate a
geographic restriction.
18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the programming
instructions further comprise instructions to update the second
playlist to include fourth identifying information for new media
items available from the second channel of the user-selectable
channels being served by the at least one first OTT content
source.
19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the programming
instructions further comprise instructions to update the second
playlist to remove at least some of the third identifying
information for media items that are no longer available from the
second channel of the user-selectable channels being served by the
at least one first OTT content source.
20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second playlist
is displayed in the second section of the content delivery
interface concurrently with the presentation of user-selectable
identifying symbols for the different OTT content sources in the
first section of the content delivery interface.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This patent document is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/973,902, titled "Method and System for
Delivering Video Content from Multiple Platforms to Subscribers,"
filed Aug. 22, 2013.
[0002] This patent document is also related to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/973,887, titled "Integrated Cable and
Over-The-Top Video Content Delivery System;" U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 13/973,915, (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,826,347)
titled "Method and System for Creating Video Channels for Delivery
of Content from Multiple Platforms;" each of which was filed on
Aug. 22, 2013.
[0003] This patent document is also related to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/218,272, titled "Integrated Cable and
Over-The-Top Video Content Delivery System"; and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/218,285, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,027,065)
titled "Method and System for Creating Video Channels for Delivery
of Content from Multiple Platforms"; each of which was filed on
Mar. 18, 2014.
[0004] This patent document is also related to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/703,640, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,241,179)
titled "Method and System for Creating Video Channels for Delivery
of Content From Multiple Platforms" which was filed on May 4,
2015.
[0005] This patent document is also related to U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 14/218,262, (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,869,207)
titled "Method and System for Delivering Video Content from
Multiple Platforms to Subscribers" which was filed on Mar. 18,
2014.
[0006] The disclosures of each document listed above are fully
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0007] Consumers of on-demand video content today have an
ever-growing number of content sources available to them, and they
want to receive that content easily on a wide variety of devices.
Content providers such as cable television service providers want
to reach these consumers, but content licensing restrictions may
prohibit the service providers from providing their subscribers
with all content in any location on any device. Depending on the
owner of the content, the provider may only be able to make the
content available for on-demand viewing in certain geographic
regions, via licensed devices. However, because of an inability to
manage the licensing rights, cable television service providers may
limit the content and/or the means of access that they make
available to their subscribers.
[0008] In addition, various Internet-based video sources may
deliver content in a manner that is optimized for one device (such
as a smart phone), but whose viewing quality is not optimal for
another device (such as an Internet-connected gaming device that is
connected to a high definition television). This can lead to
frustration for consumers, as well as loss of customers by cable
service providers.
[0009] This document describes improved methods and systems for
delivering video content from multiple platforms to
subscribers.
SUMMARY
[0010] In an embodiment, a method and system for providing both
cable and over-the-top videos to a subscriber includes a processor,
one or more data storage facilities containing data about available
video assets, and memory containing programming instructions that
cause a content delivery interface to be presented to a subscriber
on a display of an electronic device. The content delivery
interface includes a first set of user-selectable channels that are
served by a multi-channel video service provider and a second set
of user-selectable channels that are served by over-the-top video
content sources that are not under any control of the service
provider. When the system receives a user selection of a channel,
it may select (either based on programming instructions or in
response to a user selection) a first video asset from a playlist
of available video assets for the channel, and it may present the
video asset to the user via the interface such as by including a
thumbnail image, a title, or other identification information for
the asset. If the user desires to watch the video asset, the system
may identify a device type for the electronic device, determine a
delivery address for an over-the-top video source from which the
first video asset may be served in a format that is compatible with
the device type, and enable the first video as served from the
over-the-top source's delivery address to be presented to the user
via the interface.
[0011] In some embodiments, the system may generate the playlist by
identifying a set of available video assets to be candidates for
inclusion in the playlist while filtering any assets that are not
available from any delivery address in a format that is compatible
with the device type. The system also may determine a geographic
location for the device and, for any asset associated with a
geographic rule, it may determine whether the current location
satisfies the rule, and include the asset in the playlist only if
the device's current location satisfies the asset's associated
geographic rule. In addition, if personalization data is available
for the user, then when selecting videos for inclusion in the
playlist the system may access a video content database containing
metadata for candidate video assets and select those assets that
satisfy one or more personalization criteria.
[0012] Optionally, the system may receive new content on a periodic
basis from one or more of the over-the-top video sources, and it
may update the playlist to replace older content with the new
content.
[0013] In some embodiments, the user may provide the system with
connection information for a social media feed. If so, the system
may monitor the social media feed to identify any video assets that
are linked in the feed and create a playlist comprising identifying
information for the recently-linked video assets from the feed. In
response to a user selection of a channel that contains the
playlist, the system may cause the sequence of recently-linked
video assets as served by over-the-top video content sources to be
presented to the user via the interface. Similarly, the system may
receive user subscription information for a third party video
content source, monitor the third party video content source to
identify any new video assets that are made available to the user,
and create a playlist comprising identifying information for new
video assets from the third party video source. In response to a
user selection of a channel that contains the playlist, the system
may cause the sequence of new video assets as served by the third
party video content source to be presented to the user via the
interface.
[0014] In some embodiments, the system may present a search field
to a user, receive a search query via the search field, cause a
search service to identify responsive video assets from
over-the-top content sources, and create a playlist comprising
identifying information for a sequence of the responsive video
assets from the feed. When a user selects a channel that contains
the playlist, the system may cause information identifying the
sequence of the responsive video assets as served by over-the-top
video content sources to be presented to the user via the user
interface.
[0015] In some embodiments, the system may select the first set of
user-selectable channels by accessing a profile for the user,
identifying a package of channels to which the user subscribes, and
designating the first set of channels as those channels served by
the multi-channel service provider as part of the package. The
system may select the second set of user-selectable channels based
on user profile data so that at least one of the second set of
user-selectable channels includes an over-the-top content source
for which the user profile includes an authentication
credential.
[0016] In an alternate embodiment, a system for providing video
content to a subscriber includes a computer-readable medium
comprising programming instructions that, when executed, cause a
processor to implement a content delivery interface at an
electronic device. The interface presents a user with a first set
of user-selectable channels that are served by a multi-channel
video service provider and a second set of user-selectable channels
that are served by over-the-top video content sources that are not
under any control of the service provider. The system receives a
user selection of a channel, identifies a device type for the
electronic device and generates a playlist. Playlist generation may
include: identifying a set of video assets that are available for
the channel; selecting, from the set of video assets, a subset of
the video assets that satisfy one or more personalization criteria;
and removing from the subset any video assets that are not
available from any delivery address in a format that is compatible
with the device type. The system may include any remaining video
assets in the subset in the playlist and present the playlist to
the user. When the system identifies a video from the playlist to
present to the user via the electronic device, it will determine a
delivery address from which the video may be served in a format
that is compatible with the device type, and it will cause the
first video as served from the delivery address to be presented to
the user via the interface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates various elements
that may be included in an integrated video content delivery
system.
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a home screen for an
integrated video content delivery system.
[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a programming guide screen
for an integrated video content delivery system.
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates an additional example of a programming
guide screen for an integrated video content delivery system.
[0021] FIG. 5 is an example of a process flow for a video content
delivery system.
[0022] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating various hardware
components that may be included in or be used with an integrated
content delivery system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] As used in this document, the singular forms "a," "an," and
"the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific
terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by
one of ordinary skill in the art. As used in this document, the
term "comprising" means "including, but not limited to."
[0024] This document describes a system that integrates video
content from a cable television service provider and one or more
over-the-top sources. This document uses the term "cable television
service provider" or simply "service provider" to refer to a
service provider that distributes multiple broadcast and
subscription-based video channels to subscribers. The cable
television service provider may supply the channels via radio
frequency (RF) signals transmitted through a network of coaxial
and/or fiber optic cables, via direct broadcast satellite
transmissions, or by other delivery means. Thus, when this document
uses the term "cable television service provider," it is intended
to include all such subscription-based providers including
traditional cable television providers, satellite television
providers and the like.
[0025] An "over the top" (OTT) source is a common term used to
refer to a source of video content that is not affiliated with the
cable television service provider, but the service provider may
facilitate access to the OTT source by its subscribers. OTT sources
typically provide digital video signals via digital communication
networks such as the Internet.
[0026] When this document uses the term "electronic device" or
"media player," it refers to any device having a processor and a
display that is capable of receiving digital signals and displaying
video that corresponds to the signals. Examples include
televisions, smartphones, tablet computers, desktop computers,
laptop computers, media players, networked projection devices,
electronic gaming systems and the like.
[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of various components of a
system for integrating cable and OTT content. Video content is made
available to the consumer via one or more communications networks
123 such as the Internet and/or a cable television service provider
network. The video content may be served by a cable service
provider data server 120 and any number of OTT content sources 130
through the communications network 123.
[0028] The consumer may receive the content delivered through the
networks via any number of devices. For example, the consumer may
receive content via a computer 111 that is connected to the network
via a modem 103 or equivalent communication interface. The consumer
also may receive content served to a content delivery device 105
such as a television, computing device or other electronic device
having a display. The cable service provider may deliver the
content to the consumer's device via a cable set-top box 101. The
set-top box 101 may be a separate device from the content delivery
device 105, or it may comprise one more hardware components that
are integrated into the content delivery device 105. The consumer
also may view OTT content on the display 105, and a media player
box 110 may provide the consumer with a display interface that
integrates the cable service provider's content and the OTT
content. In addition, the consumer may receive content via any
number of wired or wireless electronic video player devices such as
a tablet 106, smartphone 107, laptop computer 109 or any other
video player such as a gaming machine or wireless-enabled
television. Any or all of the electronic communication provided to
any of the devices described above may be via a wired connection
and/or a wireless connection such as a mobile phone network, wi-fi
or other long range, short range or near field communications
network.
[0029] The system also may include a data storage facility
containing profile data 140 for one or more subscribers of a
service, such as cable television service providers. The profile
data 140 may include information such as subscriber authentication
information that can be used to verify that a user who accesses the
system is actually a subscriber, user preference information such
as services and/or playlists that the user has selected to display
on various screens (as will be described below). The profile data
140 also may include subscription details such as authentication
information or a service provider subscription confirmation token
for one or more OTT sources. The OTT sources may be, for example,
video streaming services or social media services that may or may
not be affiliated with the cable television service provider.
Although FIG. 1 illustrates the profile data 140 as being directly
accessed by the cable service provider server 120, any or all of
the profile data 140 may be additionally or alternatively stored on
any of the subscriber's electronic devices and/or on any remote
data storage facility.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a home screen 200 that may
be served to a display of a consumer's electronic device via an
integrated video content delivery system such as that described
above. Optionally, the home screen may include a background portion
210 and a foreground portion 220 that obscures at least a portion
of the background portion. The background portion, if provided, may
display a feed of a broadcast or subscription-based channel from
the cable television service provider. The feed displayed in the
background may correspond to the channel to which the cable service
provider set top box (element 110 in FIG. 1) is set, or it may be a
default channel such as a designated "home" channel that is used in
a closed circuit system such as a hotel or entertainment venue. The
media center set top box may be programmed to process the
background feed so that it is displayed with low brightness or in
another muted format that is not as clear or as bright as the
original feed.
[0031] The foreground portion or another portion of the home screen
displays a menu 240 of user-selectable inputs applications (apps)
that connect or otherwise relate to for various programming
services, at least some of which are provided by OTT sources. The
services may be presented as icons, as shown, with various icons
corresponding to an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a website or
to a software application (sometimes referred to as an app)
installed on the set-top box. At least some of the services will be
associated with third party content available via an IP address.
The available apps may include OTT service apps 230 that provide
addresses for, and/or which facilitate access to, various sites
where video content is available. Examples include social media
apps (e.g., Facebook, Vine or Instagram), video sharing apps (e.g.,
YouTube and/or apps for broadcast network sites such as NBC.com and
ABC.com), and subscription-based video content delivery apps (e.g.,
Netflix or Hulu). The icons or other channel representations
included in the user-selectable menu may correspond to a package of
content to which the user has purchased a subscription from the
cable service provider, to one or more OTT content sources or cable
channels that the user has designated as being a favorite channel,
and/or to one or more cable channels or OTT sources that the cable
service provider desires to promote to the user.
[0032] In addition, at least one of the user-selectable inputs may,
when selected, launch an integrated programming guide app 220 that
displays a programming guide screen rather than an external source.
An example programming guide screen will be discussed below in the
context of FIG. 3. When the user turns on the display of an
electronic device and/or media player pass through box, the system
may retrieve the content menu from the cable service provider via
the communications network and display it in the foreground or
otherwise to the user.
[0033] The consumer's media player and/or the cable provider's
server may include computer-readable instructions that, when
executed, cause the electronic device to display the home screen as
described above. The instructions may include, for example, a
launcher application that implements a rule set to retrieve the
menu of user-selectable icons from the cable service provider
server and present them on the home screen. The rule set may
include a rule to always apply one or more default app icons (such
as a programming guide icon, or an icon for one or more preferred
sources), along with one or more app icons that correspond to
user-selected settings. Example icons include icons for apps that
the user of the media player box wants to integrate with the cable
service; icons corresponding to channels, packages or other
services to which the user subscribes; or icons corresponding to
apps, channels or other services that the cable service provider
designates for promotion to the user. The instructions also may
include a programming guide application that generates an
integrated programming guide for the cable service provider content
and OTT content.
[0034] Optionally, the app icons displayed by the launcher
application may vary based on the device on which the home screen
is displayed and/or the subscriber's subscription status for the
various services associated with the apps. For example, to access
the content delivery system, the user of the device may be required
to log into the device or app using an authentication credential
such as a user name and password. Once logged in, the user may
enter profile data, or the launcher application may cause the
device to access locally or remotely stored profile data, that
includes information that identifies the type of device being used.
Alternatively, the launcher application may include instructions
that cause the system to identify device information by reading
locally stored profile information that is embedded in the device
itself. Before selecting an icon to display on the home screen, the
launcher application may identify a service (such as a content
source) associated with the icon, identify the user, and identify
the device. Before permitting an icon to be displayed on the home
screen, the application may access a local or remote authorization
service that compares the identified data to authentication
credentials to ensure that the user and/or the device are
authorized for the service. If the device and/or user lack
authorization for the service, then the launcher application will
not permit that service's icon to be displayed.
[0035] If, from the home screen, the user selects the programming
guide app icon 220, a programming guide application on the user's
device and/or a remote server may cause the user's device to
display a unified programming guide interface. FIG. 3 illustrates
an example of a unified programming guide interface 300. A first
portion of the interface is a media player 301 that displays video
corresponding to a cable television channel to which the user's
cable service provider set top box is set or which the cable
service is serving to the user via a remote server. Alternatively,
the media player may display video from an OTT source that the user
has selected. If the user implements a command via the interface or
via a connected set top box to change the cable channel, or if the
user or selects another OTT source via the programming guide, then
the media player 301 may update and display the video that is being
transmitted on the newly-selected channel or received from the
newly-selected OTT source. Alternatively, the media player may
display a thumbnail or other fixed image or text corresponding to
such content. A second portion of the interface will include a
channel selector 303 that displays identifying information for a
set of channels that are available for the viewer to view. The
channels will include broadcast and/or subscription-based channels
from the cable service provider, as well as one or more channels
from OTT sources, in a seamless format that does not require the
user to change the interface other than to scroll or otherwise move
among the channels. The available channels may correspond to a
package of channels that the cable service provider provides to the
user, along with channels of OTT content that the user is permitted
to access.
[0036] As the user scrolls through the available channels, the
programming guide interface will also include an asset listing
interface 310 that displays a set of available content on a
featured one of the available channels. The featured channel whose
content is displayed in the asset listing interface 310 may
correspond to the channel that is in a first position in the
channel selector 303, at a different standard position, or at a
position corresponding to a user selection. Each OTT content asset
may be associated with metadata that includes an address of an OTT
source where the content asset (i.e., video) is available. When a
user selects an asset from the asset listing interface, the box or
another part of the system may use the address to identify the OTT
source, retrieve the asset from the asset's corresponding OTT
source or connect to an external media player that is available at
the asset's corresponding delivery address, and cause the video
asset to be displayed via the media player 301 or in a full screen
format.
[0037] The example of FIG. 3 shows an example programming guide
where the asset listing interface lists available on-demand assets
305a . . . 305n (i.e., videos) from a selected OTT source. FIG. 4
shows an embodiment of the programming guide interface 400 in which
the user has selected a cable broadcast channel 413 from the
channel selector 403. In this situation, when a user selects a
channel 413, the asset listing interface 410 will display a menu of
upcoming programs 405a . . . 405n on the selected channel in
chronological order, optionally with start, stop and/or run length
times. Optionally, in the asset listing interface 410, the menu
listing for the program that is currently being broadcast on the
selected channel may include a play input that a user may select to
cause the program to be displayed via the media player 401 or in a
full screen format.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating various steps that a
multi-platform video content delivery system may implement. A data
storage facility of the system will hold data for a set of
available video channels 501 and one or more video assets that are
available via the channel. Some or all of the data storage facility
may be maintained on a local electronic device of a consumer, while
some or all of the data storage facility may be maintained on a
remote memory device, such as a cable television service provider
data storage facility. Some of the video channels will be content
sources that are controlled by a multi-channel video service
provider, such as a cable television service provider, such as
traditional broadcast and cable channels whose delivery to the
consumer is part of a cable television service package. Other video
channels in the set will be OTT content sources that are not under
any control of the service provider, such as third party audio or
video streaming services, on-demand video sharing websites, and
social media sites on which members may share video content.
[0039] The system will generate and cause a display of the
consumer's electronic device to display a content delivery
interface 505, such as the interface 300 illustrated in FIG. 3. To
determine which channels to include in the content delivery
interface, the system may determine a set of channels that are
available to the consumer 503. The identification of these channels
may be maintained by the video service provider in a user profile
in the data storage facility, and/or a portion of it may be
maintained in a memory of the user's electronic device. To be
available to the consumer, the user's profile data may include data
indicating that the user has subscribed to a package of channels,
and some or all channels that are included in the package may be
listed in the content delivery interface. For OTT sources, if the
OTT source requires an authentication credential in order to serve
videos, the system's rule set may require that the user profile
data include the authentication credential. Before including the
channel in the listing, the system also may send a signal to the
OTT source to verify that the authentication credential is valid
and will actually provide access to the videos at the OTT source.
In this way, the content delivery interface will only include
channels that the user is actually permitted to view, whether it be
because the user has subscribed to the channels via the video
service provider or because the user has subscribed to the relevant
OTT service.
[0040] The consumer may use the content delivery interface to
select channels for viewing on the display. The available channels
may be presented in channel selector interface, such as interface
303 of FIG. 3. The channels will include some channels that are
served by the multi-channel video service provider, while others
channels will be served by OTT sources.
[0041] Referring again to FIG. 5, when the system receives a
consumer's selection of one of the available channels 507, the
system will access a playlist of available video assets for the
channel and select a video asset 509 to present to the consumer via
the user interface. The data storage facility may include the data
for available video assets on each channel. This data will not
necessarily include the video assets themselves, but rather will
include programming guide data describing the video asset such as
title, run time and genre. For video assets available from OTT
sources, the data will also include one or more delivery addresses
where the video assets are available to be served by the OTT
source. The delivery address may be, for example, an IP address
where the OTT source makes the video asset available for streaming.
The data storage facility also may include compatibility data, such
as a file type or rights management data, that the content delivery
system may use to assess whether the asset as served by the OTT
source at the delivery address is compatible with the device on
which the consumer is attempting to view the asset. For example,
the compatibility data may include a device type, a resolution
capability of the device, or an authentication credential for a
user of the device.
[0042] Optionally, before the consumer selects a video asset, and
before the consumer selects a channel or when the system displays a
channel listing to the consumer, the system may generate the
playlist of available video assets 515 such that the playlist only
includes assets that are compatible with the user's electronic
device. As a precursor to or as part of generating the playlist
515, the system may identify available video assets on the channel
to be candidates for inclusion in the playlist, while filtering any
assets that are not available from any known, trusted, authorized
or otherwise available delivery address that do not serve the asset
in a format that is compatible with the user's device type 511. The
system may do this with any suitable method, such as by applying a
compatibility rule to metadata for a candidate asset and
identifying data for the user or the user's device. For example,
the metadata for the video asset may include a file or media player
type, and the compatibility rule may state that the system should
only include the asset in the playlist if the user's device is able
to play the file/player type. As another example, if the user's
device is capable of playing videos at a certain format (such as
720p or 1080p), then if multiple sources are available the system
may select the asset and delivery address that provides the asset
in a format matching a format that the device is capable of
playing. The device's format may be known based on system knowledge
of the device, or it may be stored in the user's profile data.
[0043] Optionally, to determine whether to include a video asset in
the playlist, if the system's data for a candidate video asset
includes a geographic restriction, the system may determine a
current location for the user's device using geographic positioning
system (GPS) or equivalent data that it retrieves from the user's
device, and the system may filter any candidate assets whose
geographic data dues not meet the criteria of the restriction. In
this way, only those assets for whom the device's current location
does not violate the geographic restriction will be included in the
playlist.
[0044] Before the device will actually display the video asset to
the consumer, the system may identify a device type for the user's
device, and use the device type data to determine (based on
information in the data storage facility) a delivery address from
which the first video asset may be served in a format that is
compatible with the user's device type. The user's electronic
device may then access the video as served by the determined
delivery address and display the video to the user via the user
interface 519. In this way, the video service provider can ensure
that the consumer only views videos that are compatible with the
consumer's device, and that OTT videos are served directly by the
OTT source.
[0045] Optionally, to expedite the generation and display of
playlists, when the system generates a playlist of available
content for any channel, the system may store that playlist in the
user's device's memory and/or in a remote data storage facility.
The system may then make this stored playlist available the next
time that the user selects the channel that is associated with the
playlist. Upon user selection of a channel, or periodically when
the user is online or offline, the system may determine whether new
content is available for the channel 521. The system may do this
using any suitable means, such as by periodically accessing and
analyzing the content available at an OTT source's website, or by
receiving a notification from an OTT source via a syndication
service or other content feed. If new content is available, the
system may add the new content to the playlist 523 and optionally
remove older content from the playlist 525 to generate an updated
playlist 515. For example, the system may apply a rule to include a
specified number of video assets in the playlist, and when new
content is available it will add the new content while deleting
older content so that only the specified number of assets remains
in the playlist. If new content is not available, or if the system
has already identified the new content, then the system may
generate the playlist using stored content data for the channel
527.
[0046] In many situations, when selecting videos for inclusion in a
playlist for a channel 509, a wide variety of videos may be
available from the channel's source. If so, the system may apply
rules that include one or more personalization criteria to
determine which of the available videos to include in a playlist.
The personalization criteria may include stored data relating to
the user's preference for certain titles, genres, actors, producers
or other characteristics of videos; data relating to the user's
prior viewing habits; or data relating to certain videos or types
of videos that the video service provider designates for promotion
to the consumer. For example, if the OTT source is a subscription
based video service such as Netflix or Hulu, and if the stored data
includes that the user has watched an episode or sequence of
episodes of a certain program via that service or another service,
then the system may select the next episode in the sequence for
inclusion in the playlist. The system may monitor the OTT source to
determine when new videos are posted at the OTT source. If so, then
when creating the playlist the system may include a sequence of the
new videos in the playlist. As another example, if the video
service provider desires to promote an upcoming episode of a
program on a cable channel, the playlist may include previous
episodes of that program that are available via an OTT source.
[0047] As another example, if the OTT source is a social media
sharing site, the personalization criteria may include rules to
show videos that are posted by particular individuals who are
connected to the user on the social media sharing site. The user
may provide the system with connection information--such as an
authentication credential and/or feed address--for a social media
feed. If so, the system may monitor the social media feed to
identify any video assets that are linked in the feed. The video
assets may be served by the social media service, or the social
media service may merely publish links to the videos as served by
one or more other OTT sources. When creating the playlist 515, the
system may create the playlist to include a sequence of
recently-linked video assets from the feed. When the user selects a
channel that contains the playlist, it may present, via the user
interface, a playlist that includes the sequence of recently-linked
video assets as served by over-the-top video content sources
[0048] As another option, the system may present a search field
that the user may use to enter one or more criteria to search for
available videos from multiple sources. The search field may accept
any information such as title, genre, actors, producers, OTT source
identifiers or other criteria. The search function may be provided
by the video service provider, or it may be a third party search
function that is made available via the content delivery interface.
When the system generates or receives search results, if the search
results include links to video assets then when selecting video
assets to include in a playlist 509 it may include some or all of
the assets that are linked in the search results. To determine
which of the search results' videos to include in the playlist, the
system may apply any suitable criteria, such as the compatibility
rules, geographic restrictions and/or personalization criteria
discussed above.
[0049] In another embodiment, the system may automatically search
for relevant videos from one or more OTT sources based on
information provided by a subscriber via a control device. For
example, a subscriber's mobile electronic device may include any
now or hereafter known audio recognition service to identify a
song, television show, or movie that is playing within an audial
reach of the device. When the device detects the sound, it may
recognize the audio content and determine identifying information
for it (such as by song title and artist). Such recognition
services are known and not new. However, in a novel feature, the
device may send this information to the system's search engine, and
the system may search for OTT sources that contain videos that are
related to the audio content. The system may then return a menu of
these OTT-sourced videos, and it may automatically generate a
playlist of the videos for the subscriber to view via the
programming interface.
[0050] When displaying videos in a playlist, if the channel is a
real-time broadcast then the playlist may include start times, stop
times, and/or run times for the videos. An example of this is shown
in FIG. 4, where start times and end times are shown for each video
in the playlist 410. In contrast, on-demand channels comprising
videos served by OTT sources may be arranged in any order, such as
newest to oldest (or vice versa), or ordered based on any
personalization criteria. An example of a playlist of on-demand
videos from OTT sources 310 is shown in FIG. 3. In the example of
FIG. 3, the playlist 310 is a personalized playlist for a
multi-source channel that includes videos available from multiple
OTT sources. The system may generate the personalized playlist for
the multi-source channel based on any suitable personalization
criteria, such as those described above.
[0051] FIG. 6 depicts an example of internal hardware that may be
used to contain or implement the various computer processes and
systems as discussed above. For example, the user electronic device
and/or multi-channel video content service provider system as
discussed above may include hardware architecture such as that
illustrated in FIG. 6. An electrical bus 600 serves as an
information highway interconnecting the other illustrated
components of the hardware. CPU 605 is a central processing unit of
the system, performing calculations and logic operations required
to execute a program. CPU 605, alone or in conjunction with one or
more of the other elements disclosed in FIG. 6, is a processing
device, computing device or processor as such terms are used within
this disclosure. When this disclosure and the associated claims use
the term "processor," unless specifically stated otherwise it is
intended to include all embodiments having either a single
processor or a group of processors that collectively perform
various functions. Read only memory (ROM) 610 and random access
memory (RAM) 615 constitute examples of memory devices.
[0052] A controller 620 interfaces with one or more optional memory
devices 625 that service as date storage facilities to the system
bus 600. These memory devices 625 may include, for example, an
external disk drive, a hard drive, flash memory, a USB drive or
another type of device that serves as a data storage facility. As
indicated previously, these various drives and controllers are
optional devices. Additionally, the memory devices 625 may be
configured to include individual files for storing any software
modules or instructions, auxiliary data, incident data, common
files for storing groups of contingency tables and/or regression
models, or one or more databases for storing the information as
discussed above.
[0053] Program instructions, software or interactive modules for
performing any of the functional steps associated with the
processes as described above may be stored in the ROM 610 and/or
the RAM 615. Optionally, the program instructions may be stored on
a tangible computer readable medium such as a compact disk, a
digital disk, flash memory, a memory card, a USB drive, an optical
disc storage medium, such as a Blu-ray.TM. disc, and/or other
recording medium.
[0054] A display interface 640 may permit information from the bus
600 to be displayed on the display 645 in audio, visual, graphic or
alphanumeric format. Communication with external devices may occur
using various communication ports 650. A communication port 650 may
be attached to a communications network, such as the Internet, a
local area network or a cellular telephone data network.
[0055] The hardware may also include an interface 655 which allows
for receipt of data from input devices such as a keyboard 660 or
other input device 665 such as a remote control, a pointing device,
a video input device and/or an audio input device.
[0056] The above-disclosed features and functions, as well as
alternatives, may be combined into many other different systems or
applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated
alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements may be made
by those skilled in the art, each of which is also intended to be
encompassed by the disclosed embodiments.
* * * * *