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Patent 2660350 Summary

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Claims and Abstract availability

Any discrepancies in the text and image of the Claims and Abstract are due to differing posting times. Text of the Claims and Abstract are posted:

  • At the time the application is open to public inspection;
  • At the time of issue of the patent (grant).
(12) Patent: (11) CA 2660350
(54) English Title: CAPTURING AND SHARING MEDIA CONTENT AND MANAGEMENT OF SHARED MEDIA CONTENT
(54) French Title: CAPTURE ET PARTAGE DE CONTENU MULTIMEDIA, ET GESTION DU CONTENU MULTIMEDIA PARTAGE
Status: Granted
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • H04N 21/80 (2011.01)
  • H04N 21/2743 (2011.01)
  • H04N 21/43 (2011.01)
  • H04N 21/433 (2011.01)
  • H04N 21/854 (2011.01)
  • H04L 12/16 (2006.01)
  • G06Q 30/02 (2012.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • KRIKORIAN, JASON (United States of America)
  • KRIKORIAN, BLAKE (United States of America)
  • MECKLER, BRIAN (United States of America)
(73) Owners :
  • SLING MEDIA L.L.C. (United States of America)
(71) Applicants :
  • SLING MEDIA, INC. (United States of America)
(74) Agent: MARKS & CLERK
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued: 2015-04-28
(86) PCT Filing Date: 2007-08-20
(87) Open to Public Inspection: 2008-02-28
Examination requested: 2009-02-06
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): Yes
(86) PCT Filing Number: PCT/US2007/076337
(87) International Publication Number: WO2008/024723
(85) National Entry: 2009-02-06

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
60/823,066 United States of America 2006-08-21
11/620,711 United States of America 2007-01-07
11/620,707 United States of America 2007-01-07

Abstracts

English Abstract

A media device allows users to watch and capture portions from a media broadcast. The media device receives a media stream, plays the media stream, and caches a portion of the media stream as it is being played. A user can define a media clip by selecting its boundaries in the cached portion of the media stream. The media device creates the media clip based on the user's input and enables the user to transmit the media clip to another system, such as a website. Before providing requested media content, the website may combine it with advertisements. The website may receive advertising revenue from advertisers and may share it with owners of the media content in exchange for their permission to provide the media content. The advertisers may provide restrictions on how the advertisements are combined. The content owners may provide restrictions on how the media content items are provided.


French Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif multimédia permettant à des utilisateurs de regarder et de capter des portions d'une diffusion multimédia. Le dispositif multimédia reçoit un flux multimédia, lit le flux multimédia, et cache une portion du flux multimédia pendant sa diffusion. Un utilisateur peut definir un clip multimédia en sélectionnant ses limites dans la partie cachée du flux multimédia. Le dispositif multimédia crée le clip multimédia à partir de l'entrée de l'utilisateur, et permet à l'utilisateur de transmettre le clip multimédia vers un autre système, un site Web, par exemple. Avant d'acheminer le contenu multimédia demandé, le site Web peut y combiner des messages publicitaires. Le site Web peut percevoir des revenus publicitaires des annonceurs, et peut les partager avec des propriétaires du contenu multimédia contre la permission d'utiliser le contenu multimédia. Les annonceurs peuvent limiter la combinaison des messages publicitaires. Les propriétaires du contenu peuvent limiter concernant l'acheminement des articles de contenu multimédia.

Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


What is claimed is:
1. A computer-implemented method for sharing media content from a first
device
over a digital network, the method comprising:
receiving at the first device a media stream from a remote media source;
caching at least a portion of the received media stream in a memory of the
first
device as the media stream is received from the remote media source;
receiving, at least one user command to create a clip of the media stream via
a user
interface while the cached portion of the media stream is being output for
display, the at
least one user command comprising a start point and an end point for defining
boundaries
of the clip within the media stream;
responsive to receiving the at least one user command, creating the clip at
the first
device by copying data from the cached portion of the media stream as the
media stream is
received from the remote media source, wherein the copied data comprises a
portion of the
media stream bounded by the start point and the end point; and
responsive to creating the clip, transmitting the clip to a second device via
the
digital network.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media source is a place-shifting
media system.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one user command is
received via
a graphical interface that allows a review of the media stream.
4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:
receiving information that describes the content of the clip; and
associating the information with the clip.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is received at least in
part from a
user input.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is received at least in
part from an
automatic process for obtaining information about the clip.
23

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is received at least in
part by
extracting meta data embedded in the media stream.
8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein transmitting the clip
comprises
uploading the clip to a media content sharing website.
9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the media stream is a
digital media
stream transmitted over the digital network from a media broadcaster.
10. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the media stream is a
broadcast
television signal.
11. The method of any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the media source is
configured to
receive a television signal from a source, to convert the television signal to
the media
stream, and to transmit the media stream on the digital network.
12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the outputting for
presentation
comprises playing the media stream from the cached portion of the media
stream, and
wherein the captured portion of the media stream used to create the clip is
obtained from
the same cached portion of the media stream used to play the media stream.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the media source is a placeshifting
device that
receives media content in a television format, creates the media stream from
the media
content, and transmits the media stream over the digital network.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the clip is captured from the cached
portion of the
media stream that is received from the placeshifting device.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the outputting for presentation
comprises
presenting the media content on the display of the first device as the media
stream is
received from the placeshifting device.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the outputting for presentation
comprises
24

presenting the media content on the display of the first device from the
cached portion of
the media stream, and wherein the captured portion of the media stream used to
create the
clip is obtained from the same cached portion of the media stream used to play
the media
stream.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program
code
for execution by a computer to perform a method for sharing media content from
a first
device to a second device, the method comprising:
receiving at the first device a media stream from a remote media source;
caching at least a portion of the media stream at the first device as the
media
stream is received from the remote media source;
outputting the cached portion of the media stream for presentation on a
display
associated with the first device as the media stream is received from the
remote media
source;
receiving at least one user command at the first device to create a clip of
the media
stream, wherein the at least one user command is received via a user interface
while the
cached portion of the media stream is playing, and wherein the at least one
user command
identifies a start point and an end point for defining boundaries of the clip
within the
media stream;
responsive to receiving the at least one user command, creating the clip at
the first
device by copying data from the cached portion of the media stream as the
media stream
from the remote media source, wherein the copied data comprises a portion of
the media
stream bounded by the start point and the end point; and
transmitting the clip to the second device.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the
media
stream is received from a place-shifting media system.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 or 18, wherein
the
caching further comprises caching the received media stream in a memory of the
first
device.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the at
least

one user command is received via a graphical interface that allows a review of
the media
stream.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of claims 17 to
20,
further comprising:
receiving information related to the clip; and
associating the information with the clip.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the
information is received at least in part from a user input.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the
information is received at least in part from an automatic process for
obtaining information
about the clip.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the
information is received at least in part by extracting meta data embedded in
the media
stream.
25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of claims 17 to
24,
wherein transmitting the clip comprises uploading the clip to a media content
sharing
website.
26. An integrated media system for sharing media content, the system
comprising
computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable
medium,
wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise:
a module for receiving a media stream from a remote media broadcaster by the
integrated media system;
a module for caching at least a portion of the media stream as the media
stream is
received from the remote media broadcaster;
a media player module for outputting the cached portion of the media stream
for
presentation as the media stream is received from the remote media
broadcaster;
26

a media editor module for accessing the cached portion of the media stream as
the
media stream is received from the remote media broadcaster receiving at least
one user
selection to create a clip of the media stream while the cached portion of the
media stream
is being output for presentation, wherein the at least one user selection
comprises a start
point and an end point for defining boundaries of the clip within the media
stream, and
creating the clip of the media stream by copying data from the cached portion
of the media
stream as the media stream is received from the remote media broadcaster,
wherein the
copied data comprises a portion of the media stream bounded by the start point
and the
end point; and
a network client module for transmitting the clip to a remote computing
device.
27. A
method for sharing media content on a digital network, the method comprising:
receiving a media stream from a remote media source on a local computing
device
via the digital network;
storing at least a portion of the media stream in a cache at the local
computing
device as the media stream is received from the remote media source;
playing the cached portion of the media stream on an integrated user interface
at
the local computing device as the media stream is received from the remote
media source;
receiving a first user command via the integrated user interface as the media
stream
is played;
responsive to receiving the first user command, displaying a media edit window

via the integrated user interface;
receiving a first user command via the integrated user interface as the media
stream
is played;
responsive to receiving the first user command, displaying a media edit window

via the integrated user interface;
receiving a user selection for creating a clip of the cached portion of the
media
stream via the media edit window while the cached portion of the media stream
is being
played, the user selection defining a start point and an end point of the clip
within the
media stream;
responsive to receiving the user selection, creating the clip at the local
computing
device by copying data from the cached portion of the media stream as the
media stream is
27

received from the remote media source, wherein the copied data comprises a
portion of the
media stream bounded by the start point and the end point;
receiving a second user command to transmit the clip to a computing system via

the integrated user interface; and
responsive to receiving the second user command, transmitting the clip to the
computer system via the digital network.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:
receiving information related to the clip via the integrated user interface;
and
associating the received information with the clip.
29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program
code
for execution by a computer to perform a method for sharing media content, the
method
comprising:
receiving a media stream on a local computing device from a remote media
source
over a digital network;
storing at least a portion of the media stream at the local computing device
as the
media stream is received from the remote media source;
playing the cached portion of the media stream on an integrated user interface
at
the local computing device as the media stream is received from the remote
media source;
responsive to receiving a first user command, displaying a media edit window
via
the integrated user interface;
receiving a user selection to create a clip of the media stream via the media
edit
window while the cached portion of the media stream is playing, the user
selection
defining a start point and an end point for defining boundaries of the clip
within the media
stream;
creating the clip at the local computing device by copying data from the
cached
portion of the media stream as the media stream is received from the remote
media source,
wherein the copied data comprises a portion of the media stream bounded by the
start
point and the end point;
receiving a second user command to transmit the clip to a computing system via

the integrated user interface; and
28

responsive to receiving the second user command, transmitting the clip to the
computing system via the digital network.
30. A computer-implemented method for sharing media content from a first
device, the
method comprising:
receiving a digital media stream at the first device from a remote media
source;
caching at least a portion of the digital stream in a cache at the first
device as the
digital media stream is received from the remote media source;
outputting the cached portion of the digital media stream for presentation on
a
display associated with the first device as the digital media stream is
received from the
remote media source;
receiving at least one user command to create a clip of the digital media
stream via
a user interface while the cached portion of the media stream is being output
for
presentation, wherein the at least one user command comprises a start point
and an end
point defining boundaries of the clip within the digital media stream;
creating the clip at the first device by copying data from the cached portion
of the
media stream as the media stream is received from the remote media source,
wherein the
copied data comprises a portion of the media stream bounded by the start point
and the
end point; and
transmitting the clip to a second device over a digital network.
31. A media player device comprising:
a memory;
a display;
an interface to a digital network configured to receive a digital media stream
from
a remote media source; and
a processor configured to receive cache at least a portion of the digital
media
stream in a memory as the digital media stream is received from the remote
media source,
to play the cached portion of the digital media stream on the display as the
digital stream is
received from the remote media source, and to generate a user interface on the
display that
is configured to receive at least one user command to create a clip of the
digital media
stream while the cached portion of the digital media stream is playing, the at
least one user
command comprising a start point and an end point for defining boundaries of
the clip
29




within the media stream, wherein the processor is further configured to create
the clip by
copying data from the cached portion of the digital media stream as the media
stream is
received from the remote media source, wherein the copied data comprises a
portion of the
digital media stream bounded by the start point and the end point.

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02660350 2009-02-06
WO 2008/024723
PCT/US2007/076337
CAPTURING AND SHARING MEDIA CONTENT AND N1ANAGEMENT OF
SHARED MEDIA CONTENT
INVENTORS:
JASON KRIKORIAN
BLAKE KRIKORIAN
BRIAN IVIKKIER
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention.relates generally to media player and media content
management, and in particular to capturing and Sharing media content among
users,
distributing shared media content with advertisements, and financial
arrangements among
distributors, advertisers, and content Owners.
Background of the Invention
[00021 Television and other video content, as. well as a myriad of other
multimedia.,
are increasingly finding a home on new devices. For example, television
programming is no
longer found solely on the television. Through computer networks, as well as
other delivery
mechanisms, television and other media content are increasingly becoming
available on other
devices, such as personal computers, mobile phones, PDAs, and other portable
computing
devices. The increasing availability of the media content also enables viewers
to record and.
share them with others.
f00031 The process of recording and sharing media content is
cumbersome and time
consuming Platforms upon Which consumers watch video, and the sources of such
video,
such as televisions, DVR.s, personal computers, and mobile phones, do not
provide for a
sufficiently integrated and easy to use solution for content viewing, capture,
edit, and upload.
/0004j For example, a user who is watching a television show via a
DVR (such as
TiVo) connected their living room television may see something that catches
his interest.
Furthermore, he may have a desire to share what he just saw with a friend or a
community of
individuals. If so, he must engage in a multistep process, which likely
involves multiple
applications using multiple devices to accomplish the task of capture., edit,
and upload. First,
the user must connect the DVR to another device, such as a PC, in order to
capture in a
format for upload. This likely involves connecting. the DVR via analog cables
to a PC with a
video capture card. The user would use an application such as Windows Media
Encoder to

CA 02660350 2009-02-06
WO 2008/024723
PCT/US2007/076337
digitize the content to create compressed digital file. Once that file is
created, the user can
then visit a community web site, which may have its own tools for allowing the
consumer to
upload the video. As part of this process, the video may need to be transcoded
into atbrmat
compatible with the Web site, which would add additional time to the process.
This process
is both user unfriendly and inefficient.
10005] If the. consumer does not have a DVR which allows him to
revisit a clip for
later formatting, editing, and upload, an additional problem is encountered.
That is, the user
will need to anticipate that an upcoming video segment will be of interest and
worth
recording and. sharing;. A user must start recording the media steam in
advance. For
example, in order to record the latest news on TV, the user can learn the
scheduled
broadcasting time of the news from TV Guide and start recording the TV
broadcasting before
that time. Therefore, if
user notices something interesting in the media stream that he or
She did not expect, it is already too late for the user to record the
interesting content.
190061 Thus, from the above, there is a need for an. improved system
and process for
users to record media content and share the recorded media content with other
users,
100071 One conventional approach for people to share media content is
through a peer
to peer (P2P). computer network, such as Napster. A P2P computer network is a
network that
relies primarily on the computing power and bandwidth of the participants in
the network
rather than concentrating them in a relatively low number of servers. Users of
the P2P
computer network can share media content stored in computers on the network.
However,
because much of the media content shared includes copies of copyrighted
popular multimedia
content (e.g, music and movies), sharing of the media content without
copyright owners'
permissions is illegal in most jurisdictions. Copyright owners (also known as
content
owners) tend not to grant such permissions because they do not receive any
benefit in return.
Also, PZP computer network does not provide content owners with the ability to
control the
distribution of their media content.
I904)81 Another conventional approach to share media content is lbr
the content
owners to provide mechanisms for users to share their media content. For
example, the
content owners can provide their media content in their websites. People who
want to access
the media content can visit these websites to access them. However, this
approach is
inconvenient for the users because there is no central place to access .media
content. Also,
not all content owners have the financial capacity to provide mechanisms for
users to access
their media content,
2

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WO 2008/024723
PCT/US2007/076337
100091 Thus, from the above, there is also a need for a system and
process allowing
users to share media content, granting the content owners rights to control
the use of their
media content, and enabling operators of the system and process to generate
advertisement
revenue.
SUMMARY
[00101 Embodiments of one disclosed invention allow users to capture
media content
from a media source or stream While playing it and then share the captured
media content
with other users through an integrated user interface in a media device.
10011] In one embodiment, within a single interface, the media device
receives a
media stream, plays the media stream, and caches a portion of the media stream
as it is being
played. While viewing the media, a user provides a user interface with a
command to capture
a segment of the media stream being played on the device. The captured segment
may
comprise, for example, a video clip In one embodiment, the user can use the
user interface
to define the Clip by selecting start and end boundaries in the cached
.portion of the media
stream and to input meta. data describing the clip. The media device creates
the media clip
based on the user's input and transmits the clip to another system, such as a
community
website for sharing the clip with other users.
1Q011.2/ Another embodiment enables users of a community website to
share media
content with other users of the website while grant rights to owners of the
shared media
content to control the use of their .content. Embodiments of the invention
also enable the
operator of the website to generate advertising revenue and share the revenue
with the content
owners for the. sharing of their content.
100131 in one embodiment, the community website receives media
content from users
and combines the media content with advertisements. Upon users request for the
media.
content, the community website provides the combined media content and
advertisements to
the users. The community website receives advertisement fees from advertisers
in exchange
for providing the combined media content and advertisements to the users. The
community
website provides a. portion of the advertisement fees to owners of the media
content in
exchange for permission to provide the combined media content and
advertisements to the.
users.
10014] In another embodiment, owners of media content can set
restrictions on their
media content to control the use of their media content. In exchange for the
.website's
enforcement of the restrictions the content owners may give permission to
distribute the
3

CA 02660350 2014-03-03
content items. In yet another embodiment, advertisers can set restrictions on
their
advertisements to control the combination of the advertisements with the media
content.
[1400a] Accordingly, in one aspect there is provided a computer-
implemented
method for sharing media content from a first device over a digital network,
the method
comprising:
receiving at the first device a media stream from a remote media source;
caching at least a portion of the received media stream in a memory of the
first device as the media stream is received from the remote media source;
receiving, at least one user command to create a clip of the media stream
via a user interface while the cached portion of the media stream is being
output for
display, the at least one user command comprising a start point and an end
point for
defining boundaries of the clip within the media stream;
responsive to receiving the at least one user command, creating the clip at
the first device by copying data from the cached portion of the media stream
as the media
stream is received from the remote media source, wherein the copied data
comprises a
portion of the media stream bounded by the start point and the end point; and
responsive to creating the clip, transmitting the clip to a second device via
the digital network.
[1400b] According to another aspect there is provided a non-transitory
computer-
readable medium containing computer program code for execution by a computer
to
perform a method for sharing media content from a first device to a second
device, the
method comprising:
receiving at the first device a media stream from a remote media source;
caching at least a portion of the media stream at the first device as the
media stream is received from the remote media source;
outputting the cached portion of the media stream for presentation on a
display associated with the first device as the media stream is received from
the remote
media source;
receiving at least one user command at the first device to create a clip of
the
media stream, wherein the at least one user command is received via a user
interface while
the cached portion of the media stream is playing, and wherein the at least
one user
command identifies a start point and an end point for defining boundaries of
the clip
within the media stream;
4

CA 02660350 2014-03-03
responsive to receiving the at least one user command, creating the clip at
the first device by copying data from the cached portion of the media stream
as the media
stream from the remote media source, wherein the copied data comprises a
portion of the
media stream bounded by the start point and the end point; and
transmitting the clip to the second device.
[1400c] According to another aspect there is provided an integrated media
system
for sharing media content, the system comprising computer-executable
instructions stored
on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-executable
instructions comprise:
a module for receiving a media stream from a remote media broadcaster by
the integrated media system;
a module for caching at least a portion of the media stream as the media
stream is received from the remote media broadcaster;
a media player module for outputting the cached portion of the media
stream for presentation as the media stream is received from the remote media
broadcaster;
a media editor module for accessing the cached portion of the media stream
as the media stream is received from the remote media broadcaster receiving at
least one
user selection to create a clip of the media stream while the cached portion
of the media
stream is being output for presentation, wherein the at least one user
selection comprises a
start point and an end point for defining boundaries of the clip within the
media stream,
and creating the clip of the media stream by copying data from the cached
portion of the
media stream as the media stream is received from the remote media
broadcaster, wherein
the copied data comprises a portion of the media stream bounded by the start
point and the
end point; and
a network client module for transmitting the clip to a remote computing
device.
11400(11 According to another aspect there is provided a method for sharing
media
content on a digital network, the method comprising:
receiving a media stream from a remote media source on a local computing
device via the digital network;
storing at least a portion of the media stream in a cache at the local
computing device as the media stream is received from the remote media source;
4a

CA 02660350 2014-03-03
playing the cached portion of the media stream on an integrated user
interface at the local computing device as the media stream is received from
the remote
media source;
receiving a first user command via the integrated user interface as the
media stream is played;
responsive to receiving the first user command, displaying a media edit
window via the integrated user interface;
receiving a first user command via the integrated user interface as the
media stream is played;
responsive to receiving the first user command, displaying a media edit
window via the integrated user interface;
receiving a user selection for creating a clip of the cached portion of the
media stream via the media edit window while the cached portion of the media
stream is
being played, the user selection defining a start point and an end point of
the clip within
the media stream;
responsive to receiving the user selection, creating the clip at the local
computing device by copying data from the cached portion of the media stream
as the
media stream is received from the remote media source, wherein the copied data

comprises a portion of the media stream bounded by the start point and the end
point;
receiving a second user command to transmit the clip to a computing
system via the integrated user interface; and
responsive to receiving the second user command, transmitting the clip to
the computer system via the digital network.
[1400e] According to yet another aspect there is provided a non-transitory
computer-readable medium containing computer program code for execution by a
computer to perform a method for sharing media content, the method comprising:
receiving a media stream on a local computing device from a remote media
source over a digital network;
storing at least a portion of the media stream at the local computing device
as the media stream is received from the remote media source;
playing the cached portion of the media stream on an integrated user
interface at the local computing device as the media stream is received from
the remote
media source;
4b

CA 02660350 2014-03-03
responsive to receiving a first user command, displaying a media edit
window via the integrated user interface;
receiving a user selection to create a clip of the media stream via the media
edit window while the cached portion of the media stream is playing, the user
selection
defining a start point and an end point for defining boundaries of the clip
within the media
stream;
creating the clip at the local computing device by copying data from the
cached portion of the media stream as the media stream is received from the
remote media
source, wherein the copied data comprises a portion of the media stream
bounded by the
start point and the end point;
receiving a second user command to transmit the clip to a computing
system via the integrated user interface; and
responsive to receiving the second user command, transmitting the clip to
the computing system via the digital network.
[14001]
According to yet another aspect there is provided a computer-implemented
method for sharing media content from a first device, the method comprising:
receiving a digital media stream at the first device from a remote media
source;
caching at least a portion of the digital stream in a cache at the first
device
as the digital media stream is received from the remote media source;
outputting the cached portion of the digital media stream for presentation
on a display associated with the first device as the digital media stream is
received from
the remote media source;
receiving at least one user command to create a clip of the digital media
stream via a user interface while the cached portion of the media stream is
being output for
presentation, wherein the at least one user command comprises a start point
and an end
point defining boundaries of the clip within the digital media stream;
creating the clip at the first device by copying data from the cached portion
of the media stream as the media stream is received from the remote media
source,
wherein the copied data comprises a portion of the media stream bounded by the
start
point and the end point; and
transmitting the clip to a second device over a digital network.
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11400g1 According to still yet another aspect there is provided a media
player
device comprising:
a memory;
a display;
an interface to a digital network configured to receive a digital media
stream from a remote media source; and
a processor configured to receive cache at least a portion of the digital
media stream in a memory as the digital media stream is received from the
remote media
source, to play the cached portion of the digital media stream on the display
as the digital
stream is received from the remote media source, and to generate a user
interface on the
display that is configured to receive at least one user command to create a
clip of the
digital media stream while the cached portion of the digital media stream is
playing, the at
least one user command comprising a start point and an end point for defining
boundaries
of the clip within the media stream, wherein the processor is further
configured to create
the clip by copying data from the cached portion of the digital media stream
as the media
stream is received from the remote media source, wherein the copied data
comprises a
portion of the digital media stream bounded by the start point and the end
point.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an architecture of a media
device, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0016] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of a process for recording and sharing media
clips, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0017] Figs. 3(a)-(c) illustrate examples of user interfaces for
recording and
sharing media clips, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0018] Fig. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an architecture of a media
content
management system, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0019] Fig. 5 is an interaction diagram of a process for sharing media
content, in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
[0020] Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the interactions among the
website, users,
advertisers, and content owners in a business model using the media content
management
system, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
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100211 One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following
discussion
that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein
may be
employed without departing from the principles of the invention described
herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Overview
100221 Embodiments of the invention provide an integrated user interface
to users
of a media device to view media content, record media clips, edit the clips,
associate the
clips with relevant meta data, and share the processed media clips with
others. As used
herein, media content and media clips may include any type of media content,
including
audio or video content, or both. Users can view a media stream, record a
portion of the
media stream they deemed interesting into a media clip, and send the media
clip to others
using the integrated user interface.
100231 Embodiments of the invention allow users of a media content
management
system to share media content with other users of the system. Users of the
media content
management system can upload media content (e.g., media clips) to the system
to share
the uploaded media content to others, who can download that media content from
the
system.
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Alternativelyõ the media may ultimately he distributed to viewers via a peer
to peer
distributed system. 'That is, the content may be alternatively stored on the
computers and
other devices of the end users of the system. When a user wishes to view a
clip from the
system, the clip is sourced from one or more of the other users, or peers.
100241 Embodiments of the invention allow owners of the shared media
content
("content owners') to control the use of their content. Content owners can set
a broad range
of restrictions on their media content limiting the use of their media content
Examples of the
restrictions include the duration, the quality (e.g., resolution, frame rate
of a video content, bit
rate of an audio content), and the number of people allowed to access the
media content:
100251 Embodiments of the invention may also enable the operator of the
media
content management system to generate advertising revenue. The .system
combines media
content with advertisements and provides the combined media content and
advertisements to
users upon their requests for the media content. The advertising revenue
includes advertising
fees paid by advertisers for providing their advertisements to the users. The
advertising
revenue can be Shared with the content owners for their permission to share
their content with
the users of the system. Advertisements may be Sold by the operator of the
media content
management system or the content owners. Advertisements may also be sold via
the use of
an automated ad purchase system using key .words or other meta data available
which is
associated with a clip. That is, a small business may want to place an ad
opposite any clip of
a specific show. Perhaps through a web interface, the small business owner
could purchase
the ad and upload the creative content which would be shown as an
advertisement whenever
a clip of the desired show is viewed by a user.
100261 The media content management system described herein can also
promote the
lawful sharing of copyrighted media content by giving the copyright .owners
right to control
the use of their media content and sharing the advertising revenue generated
by distributing
advertisement with their media content.
Media Device. Architecture
100271 Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the architecture of a media
device 100 in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As illustrated, the media
device 100
includes a media player module 110, :a media editor module I 20, and a network
client module
1.30. The media device 100 is communicatively connected to a media broadcaster
140 and a
Wryer 150.
[00281 The media device 100 includes hardware and/or software
devices, that are
configured to enable users to view media content; record, edit, and associate
meta data with.
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the media clip ("clipping"); and .share the recorded media Clip with others
through Et single,
integrated user interface.. The media device 100 is adapted to execute
computer program
modules. As used herein, the term "module refers to computer program logic
and/or data
.for providing the specified functionality. A module can be implemented in.,
hardware,
firmware, andior. software.
10029] In one embodiment, the media device 100 is a software
application running on
any general or multi-purpose device (such as a personal computer, mobile
device, cellular
phone; .or any other computing device with sufficient capabilities for these
tasks), beneficially
avoiding the need for users to carry special equipment to transmit media
content to and/or
receive: media content from the media management server 410. Alternatively,
the media
device .100 can be a dedicated appliance, such as a place-shifting system or a
personal video
recorder (1) WO. In the case of a placeshifting system. (an example of which
is the Slingbox
from Sling Media), the placeshifting appliance interacts with software located
on another
device such as a PC or mobile phone by streaming content from the
placcshifting appliance to
the client device.
100301. The media player module 110 is configured to play media
content received
from the media broadcaster 140, which may be any source of media, including a
placeshifting
device. The media content may be delivered to the media device 100 in a
variety of ways,
including over the air transmission (analog and digital), via cable
infrastructure, IP transport
(via wired and wireless means), satellite transmission, as well as through
many other
methods. The models for delivery of content to the media device 100 may vary,
including
pay-per-view, linear programming, on demand streaming, download and playback,
and live
streaming from another location, placeShifting, among many others.
10031] The media editor module 120 is configured to provide users
with functionality
of recording (or capturing) the media content played by the media player
module 110. In one
embodiment, the media editor module 120 can cache the media content played and
provide
users with an editing window to define a media clip from the cached content.
This allows
user to capture, process, edit, and upload easily a clip that they recently
viewed. The media
editor module 120 can be further configured to converting the defined media
clip from one
media format to another or perform any other transcoding, encoding; or other
processing on
the clip as desired,
100321 The network client module 130 is configured to transmit the
recorded media.
clip to the. server 150, or alternatively, to other end users in a distributed
storage and
distribution architecture. The network client module 130 can be configured to
connect with
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the server 150 through a wired or wireless network. Examples of the network
include the
internet, an intranet, a cellular network, or a combination thereof. The
server 150 can be a
web server, on email server, or other computing devices with network eapacity,
0033 The media broadcaster 140 transmits the media content to the
media device
100. It can be a. central server at a. remote broadcasting location, or a
computer at a user's
home In one embodiment, the media broadcaster 14() can be a time-shifting
device (e.g., a
personal video recorder) or a placeshifting device (e.g, a personal
broadcaster). In.
placeshifting, a user can watch or listen to live, recorded or stored media on
a remote device
via a data network. For example, a. user May stream content from a device at
home (such as a
satellite receiver, cable box, or digital video recorder) to a cellular phone,
which can receive
the media from across the house, across town, or across the world. This
transmission may
use public or private networks. A product that currently provides such a
placeshifting
application is. the .SLINGBOXI'm from Sling Media, Inc,, and described in co-
pending U.S.
Application No. 11/147,664, filed June 7, 2005, the content of which are
incorporated. by
reference in its entirety.
4:beration of the Media DeViCe
100341 Fig 2 is a. flowchart of a process of the media device 100 tbr
recording (or
clipping) and sharing media clips in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention. The
process illustrated in Fig. 2 maybe implemented in software, hardware, or a
combination of
'hardware and software..
100351 The process illustrated in Fig. 2 starts with the media device
100 receiving 21.0
media content from the media broadcaster 140. The media content can be in the
form of a
media stream
television broadcasting). In one embodiment, the media player module
110 plays the media stream on the integrated user interface. One example of
this user
interface is illustrated in Fig, 3(a), The user interface in Fig. 3(a)
includes a media display
window 310 to display the received video stream live, which includes controls
for users to
control the video play (e.g., volume control 312, record button 314) and
indicators indicating
the status of video stream (e.g., network transmission speed, video stream
status, and
video stream title).
100361 Referring bit& to Fig. 2,. the media device 100 receives 220 a
command from
a user to clip or otherwise capture a portion of the media. The user may
submit the command
by interacting with the integrated user interface. For example, the user can
trigger a
designated Control (e.g., the record button .314) using anointing device
(e.g., a mouse or
touch sensitive screen) or using a keypad. Alternatively, the user may submit
the command
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using devices such as. a remote control (e.g., a remote control for a MR,
cable box, satellite
receiver, or other media source).
[00371 Once the device 100 receives the command, the media editor
module 120 may
bring up a media editing window in the integrated user interface. The media
editing window
al lok,vs the user to. select the starting point and the ending point of the
media content that the
user would like to capture. In one embodiment, as the media player module 110
plays the
media stream, the media editor module 120 continually captures and caches the
last five
minutes (or some other designated time period) of media content played. The
media editor
module 110 may he configured to discard the earliest recorded content when the
cached
stream hits= five minutes (or some other designated time period) so that the
media that is
cached is always the most recentmedia that has been played. This allows the
user to select a
portion of what is currently in the cache. In another embodiment, such as with
a PVR, the
media stream being played by the device. 100 may already be stored in a
memory, so there is
no need to cache a portion of the media being played. In such a case, the
captured clip is just
a cropped version of a larger media file already stored in. memory.
10038) One example of this user interface is illustrated in Fig.
3(b), The user
interface in Fig. 3(h) displays the media editing window 320 adjacent to the
.media play
window 310. The media editing window includes a video window 322 displaying
the cached
media content. The video editing window also includes a slider 324 below the
video window
representing the duration of the Cached portion of the video stream. .As shown
in Fig. 3(13),
the media editing window 320 is displayed adjacent to the media play window
31.0; however,
the media editing window 320 may be displayed as a separate window or by any
other
method as desired for the user interface..
100391 Referring back to Fig. 2, the media device 100 receives 230
user selections for
defining a desired media clip. In one embodiment, a user can select the
desired start point
and end point through the media editing window.. For example, in the user
interface.
illustrated in Fig. 3(b), a user can make the selection by marking the start
and end points on
the slider 324. In one embodiment, the media device 100 checks and enforces
restrictions
contained in the metadata of the media stream or otherwise associated
therewith. For
example, if the restrictions limit the duration of a clip, the media device
100 will not allow
the media clip to exceed that limit. The user may also select a frame within
the media clip as
a representative thumbnail image for the media clip. The media device 100
creates a media
clip based on the user selection.
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100401 The media device 100 may also tag 240 information to the media
clip, such as
meta data that describes the clip. The information to be tagged can be
manually input by the
user and/or it may be automatically associated with the clip. For example,
once the clip is
captured, the user may input words, phrases, pictures, URI,s, titles, actors,
networks,
channels, or other meta data that the user believes should be associated with
the clip.
Alternatively or additionally, other methods for automated tagging may be
used, such as
methods that automatically determine information about the content of the.
clip and tag the
clip with that intimation.. This information may be retrieved from a number of
sources,
including an electronic program guide (EPG) or the settings on the computing
devices, Other
observed information may also be a source for tagging information, including
the time of day,
time zone or location, channel number, title o.f show episode, network, etc..
The information
may further include information 'expressly associated with the video clip,
which may be
delivered via the VI31, over an EP network, or by some other means. Other
information, such
as the closed captioning, may also be a. source for automatic tagging. The
information tabbed
to the media clip can be stored in its metadata. It some embodiments the user
can, also
change the format of the media clip and set other encoding .parameters, such.
as bit rate.
100411 The media device 100 can transmit 250 the media. clip as the
user instructs.
The user can submit the instruction through the integrated user interface. For
example, the
media edit window eat include a designated button for uploading the media clip
to a
2.0 community website. The user can configure the button to send
automatically, manually post,
or otherwise upload the media clip to the community website Or other online
location. The
user can configure. the button to link with his account in the website. The
user can click the
button and the network client tnodule 130 will upload the media client.
Altematively,The
media edit window can include a drop-down menu allowing the. user to select
recipients of an
email notification. After the media clip is uploaded, a notice will be sent to
the email
addresses of the selected recipients, noticing them that the user has uploaded
a clip, with a
pointer reference to the clip stored on the. website. This allows the user to
share content with
a community of users rather than a particular selected person or persons. The
community
sharing model also enables certain business and advertising schemes, described
in greater
detail below. In other embodiments, the user can also instruct the media
device 100 to save
the media clip in a local or remote location.
0042 Alternatively, rather than uploading the media clip, the media
device 100 may
call an email Client (or other local communication client) to create a new
email message and
attach the media cup to the message. The user can then select the intended
recipients of the
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message and send, the message. The media device 100 can also automatically
send out the
message if the recipient or destination of the video clip has already been
determined. The
address book databases can be those. available from email clients such as
Microsoft Outlook,
Lotus Notes, and others, as well as any Internet based messaging services;
such as MSN
Messenger and .A0.1õ Instant 'Messenger.
Exam.* Process for the N,ledia Device
100431 Theprocess described above can be further illustrated through
an. example of
an operation of the media device 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
In this example, themedia device 100 is a laptop computer. The media device
100 receives a
video stream from a placeshifting system a
SLINGROXTM) and plays the video stream
in an integrated user interface on the computer screen to a user.
100441 When watching the video stream, the user sees something he
would like to
share with friends. The user presses the record button on the integrated user
interface, which
immediately launches a media editing window within the application. Within the
media
.15 editing window, the user has access to last five minutes (or some other
duration) of video
viewed, which was cached on the hard drive of the laptop computer. The user
sets the start
point and end point, adds a title to the clip, and presses a recipient button,
which brings up a
list of friends. The user selects the intended friends. Meta data associated
with the clip may
also be added manually or automatically. Then the user clicks an upload button
on the
'integrated user interface. The media device 100 uploads the video clip to a
community
websne, and sends a notification email with a pointer reference to the
uploaded video clip to
the selected friends.
100451 After receiving the notification email, the user's friends can
click the pointer
and view the video clip in the community website.
[0046] Similar experiences are also possible with other devices and
solutions. For
example, a similar experience can be had on a mobile phone that receives a
video stream
from .a placeshilling device. Alternatively, the interface can be integrated
into a DV.12.
connected to the Internet, with the clipping experience presented to the user
via a television
.set and controlled via a remote control. In yet another alternative, the
interface may be used
on a PC that is not receiving content via a placeshifting device but rather
directly via an audio
video input (e.g., cable coax) into the PC. Accordingly, the process of
viewing, clipping, and
.sending clips can be advantageously used in &number of different contexts.

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Media Content Management System Architecture
100471 Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the architecture of a media
content. management
system 400 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. In this
embodiment, the
system 400 includes a media management server 410, an advertisement server
420, and three
Client devices 430A-C. The media management server 410, the advertisement
server 420,
and the client devices 430 arc communicatively coupled through a network- 440.
[00481 The media management server 410 includes a hardware and/or
software
device that is configured to receive media content .from and/or provide the
received media
content to the client devices 430 through the network 440. Media .content may
include data
in medium such as text, audio, still images, video, and graphics, and a
combination thereof.
Media content can be in different formats. For example, audio content can be
encoded in
Windows Media Audio (WMA) format et hi MPEG-I Audio 1.ayer-3 (MP3) format. ID
one
embodiment,. the media management server 410 includes a web server 412, an
application
server 414, a. payment server 416., and a media store 418. The media
management server 410
Can also include other components (e.g,, an email server), although Fig. 4
omits such
components for clarity.
100491 The. web server 41.2. is a front end of the media management.
server 410 and
functions as a communication gateway of the media management server 410. The
web server
412 receives media content transmitted to the media management server 410 from
the client
devices 430 through the network 440 and stores the received media content in
the media store
418. The web server 412 also receives requests for specific media content
units from the
client devices 430, retrieves the requested media content units from the media
store 418, and
provides them to the client devices 430. In one embodiment, the web server 412
is an
Internet web server hosting one or more websites.
[0050] The web server 412 can support multiple communication protocols for
the
client devices 430 to send and request media content. For example, the web
server 41.2 can
be configured to support file transfer protocol (FTP) such that the client
devices 430 can
provide and/or access media content using FTP. As another example, the web
server 412
may host webpages for users to upload and/or download .media content. The web
server 412
can provide media content to the client devices 430 in the form of media files
or media
.streams that are Suitable -for transmission over the network 440, where the
media streams can
be viewed by end users at the client device 430
100511 The application server 414 is configured to combine media
content with
advertisements and provide the combined media content and advertisement to the
web server
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412. Like media eontent, advertisements can include data in medium such as
texts, audio and
video. In some embodiments, instead of advertisements, the application server
414 combines
media content with. other information (e.g., information about the subject
matter of the:rnedia
content).
190521 The payment server 416 is configured to track balances of related
.parties
advertisers, copyright owners, users) based on a payment model. The payment.
server 416
can also work with the web server 412 to provide the related parties online
access to their
accounts. The related parties can check account balance, make payments, and
transfer funds
to their other accounts by accessing their accounts. The payment server 416
can also
periodically send invoices and account balance reports to the related parties.
In one.
embodiment., the payment server 416 can he configured to enable the related
parties to
connect their accounts with their bank accounts and authorize the payment
server 416 to
automatically deposit money to and/or withdraw money from their bank accounts.
100531 In one embodiment, the payment server 416 is also configured
to keep track of
the relationships between the media content and the related parties. The
relationships include
content owners and their media content, advertisers and their advertisements,
and Users and
the media content that they uploaded and/or downloaded. Multiple parties can
have
ownership interests in one media content unit. For example, a video clip can
have multiple
copyright holders and multiple licensees.. The. identities of these content
owners can be
provided in the metadata accompanying the media content unit. In one
embodiment, the
payment server 416 creates an account for each content owner and links the
account with
media content units the content owner has interests in. For example, the
account for the Walt
Disney Studios can be associated with afi video content and graphical content
having the
image of Mickey Mouse along with other media content owned by the Wait Disney
Studios.
Similarly, the payment server 416 can also create an account for each
advertiser and associate
the account with its advertisements, and create an account for each user and
associate the
account with media content units the user uploaded and/or downloaded. This
inforniation Can
be used to determine balances of the parties. The account information can be
saved in the
media store 418 together with the media content.
10054] The media store 418 stores the data received from the web server
412, the
application server 414 and the payment server 416. These data include media
content
received from the client devices 430, information associated with the media
content (e.g.,
ownership information), and information about the related parties (e.g,
account information).
The media store 418 may be a relational database or any other type of database
that stores the
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above-described data. The media store:418 may be accessible by the web server
412, the
application server 414, and the payment server 416. The web server 412, the
application
:server 414, the payment server 416, and the media store 418 may be stored and
operated on a
single computer or on separate computer systems communicating with each other
through a
network.
[0055/ The advertisement. server 420 includes a hardware and/or
software device that
is configured to provide adveitisements to the media management server 410
and/or the client
devices 430. In one embodiment, the advertisement server 420 includes an
advertisement.
application server 422 and an advertisement store 424,
100561 The advertisement application server 422, similar to the web server
412 in the
media management server 410, is configured to receive advertisements
transmitted to the
advertisement server 420 and stores the received advertisements in the
advertisement store
424õ The received advertisements may include associated ownership information.
10.0571 The advertisement store 424 stores the advertisements and
associated
ownership information received from the advertisement application server 422..
Similar to
the media store 418, the advertisement store 424 may be a relational database
or any other
type of database The advertisement store 424 may be stored centrally and
operated on a
single computer. Alternatively, the advertisement store 424 can include
multiple databases,
each individually .maintained by an adveitiser.
100581 In one embodiment,. the advertisement server 420 can be combined
with the
media management server 410. For example, the application server 414 and the
web server
412 can be configured to implement the functions of the advertisement
application server
422, and the media store 418 can be configured to store the advertisements and
associated
ownership information that would otherwise be stored in the advertisement
store 424,
100591 The client devices 430A-C include hardware and/or software devices
that are
configured to transmit media content to and/or receive media content from the
media
management server 410 and/or the advertisement server 420. The client devices
430 can
optionally include displays (e.g., an LCD screen) and speakers. In one
embodiment, one or
more of the client devices 430 can be a media device 100. There can be many
client devices
39 430 in the system 400. Fig. 4 displays only three client devices 430 for
clarity.
100601 In one embodiment, the client device 430 is configured to play
the combined
media content and advertisements received from the media management server 410
andlOr
the advertisement server 420. For example, the client device 430 can include
the media
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player client as described above, which can play video clips received from the
media.
management server 410 to end users.
100611 In one embodiment, the media management server 410, the
advertisement
server 420 and the client devices 430A-C are structured to include a
processor, memory,
storage, network interfaces, and. applicable operating system and other
functional software
(e.g., network drivers, communication protocols).
100621 The network 440 is configured to connect the media management
server 41.0;
theadvertisement server 420, and the client devices 430A-C. The network 440
may be a
wired or wireless network. Examples of the network 440 include the. Internet,
an intranet, a
cellular network, or a combination thereof
Operation of the Media Content Management System
[0063) Fig. 5 is an interaction diagram of a process of the media
content management
system 400 for sharing media content in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
in this process, the media management server 410 hosts a community website
where users of
the website can upload, download, Share, and exchange media content (e,g.,
video clips). The
process illustrated in Fig, 5 may be implemented in software, hardware, or a
combination of
hardware and software..
[00641 The process illustrated in Fig. 5 starts with a client device
430A receiving 510
a media stream. As described above with reference to Fig. 5, the client device
430A can
include a media device 100 receiving media content and/or media stream from
&plurality of
sources, such as a TV broadcasting network, The client device 430A can be
configured to
play the media stream to a user as the stream is received.
100651 The client device 430A captures 520 a media clip in the
received media
stream, in one embodiment, the client device 430A continually captures and
caches the most
recently received media stream.. The user can use a graphical interface
provided by the Client
device 430A to select the beginning and end of the clip in the cached portion
of the media
stream that the user would like to capture.
[99661 The client device 430:A sends 530 the captured media clip to
the community
website using a communication protocol. supported by the web server 412. The
web. server
412 can require the user to firsthecorne a community member by registering an
account
before they can upload any media content in the community website. The client
device 430A
can be configured to send 530 the media clip to the community website using
the user's
account.
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100671 After receiving the media clip from the client device 430A,
the web server 412
Stores it in the media store 418. In one embodiment, the web server 412 also
receives
identification information related to the received media clip, and stores it
in the media store
418 along with the media clip. The web server 412 can provide the received
media clips on
the community website for members to access. One example of the community
website
listing the received media clips is illustrated in Fig. 3(c). The
webpage.shown in Fig. 3(c)
lists media clips received from members of the community website. Users
accessing this
webpage can access the listed media clips by clicking on them.
[00681 The application server 414 combines 540 advertisements with
the received
media clip. As described above with reference to Fig, 4, the application
server 414 Can
receive advertisements from the advertisement server 420 through the web
server 412 and the
network 440.
10069] The application server 414 can combine 540 the media clip and
the
advertisements in different manners. As described above, media content and
advertisements
can include data in medium such as text, audio, still images, video, and
graphics. The
application server 414 can determine a Manner to combine a media clip and an
advertisement.
based on the forms of information included in the media clip and the
advertisement. For
example, if both include video and/or audio, the application server 414 can
join them
together, so that the advertisement leads into or follows the media clip. As
another example,
the application server 414 can. present the advertisement alongside the media
clip in a web
page, such that interested users can access the web page for the media clip,
and thereby view
the advertisement. As still another example, the application server 414 can
place the
.advertisement as an overlay to the video portion of the media clip. The
application server
414 tan combine the advertisements with the media clip when the web server 412
first
receiving the media clip or after receiving a request for the media clip.
Alternatively, the
application server 414 can conduct the combination 540 periodically,
[00701 In one embodiment, the application server 414 can be
configured to enforce
restrictions associated with the media content and the advertisements. The
advertisements
can have restrictions limiting the media content that can be associated with
them. For
example, an advertiser can prohibit its advertisements from being associated
with media
content including adult material. As another example, an advertisement (e.g.,
an automobile
advertisement) can require the associated media content to include content
relevant to the
subject matter of the advertisement (e.g.., video clips about car race). Media
content can also
have restrictions limiting the advertisements that can be associated with the
media content.

CA 02660350 2012-08-16
[0071] In one embodiment, the application server 414 identifies
restrictions
associated with the media clip and/or the advertisements and combines 540 the
media clip
and the advertisements only if the associated restrictions are satisfied. For
example, the
application server 414 can combine 540 the media clip with advertisements by
first
identifying advertisements that satisfy restrictions associated with the media
clip, then
selecting one or more of the identified advertisements where the combination
does not
violate the restrictions associated with the selected advertisements, and
combining 540 the
media clip with the selected advertisements.
[0072] Another user of the community website sends 550 a request for the
media
clip to the community website using a client device 430B. After receiving the
request, the
web server 412 provides 560 the combined media clip and advertisements to the
client
device 430B through the network 440. The web server 412 can provide the
combined
media clip and advertisements in different manners. For example, the web
server 412 can
send an email to the user containing the associated advertisement and a
pointer reference
to the media clip. The user can access the media clip by clicking the pointer
reference.
Alternatively, the web server 412 can provide the user with a webpage
including the
combined media clip and the advertisements. After receiving the combined media
clip
and advertisements, the client device 430B can play 570 it to the user.
[0073] The operator of the community website may receive 580 an
advertisement
fee from an advertiser in exchange for providing 560 the combined media clip
and
advertisement to the user. As described above with reference to Fig. 4, the
payment server
416 keeps track of the relationship between the advertisers and their
advertisements.
Therefore, the payment server 416 can identify the advertisers associated with
the
combined advertisements, determine the advertisement fees for the advertisers
to pay, and
charge the advertisers accordingly.
100741 In one embodiment, the advertisement fees are determined by a
standard
advertising model (e.g., Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC), Pay Per Thousand
Advertising
(PPM), Fixed Rate) deteimined by the operator and the advertisers. Various
advertising
models may be used with the system 400. The advertising model can provide a
range of
advertising fees based on multiple factors, such as the nature of the
advertisement (e.g.,
video, audio, or text) and the manner of the association (e.g., the
advertisement is joined
with a video clip). The
16

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payment server 416 can charge the advertising fees from the advertisers by
debiting their
accounts.
10075] The operator Of the community website may also provide 590 a
portion of the
advertising fees to a. content owner in exchange for permission to provide 560
the combined
media clip and advertisement to the users. As described above with reference
to Fig. 4, the
payment server 416 keeps track of the ownership information of the media
content.
Therefore, the payment server 416 can identify the content owners of the media
clip,
determine the portion of the advertising. fees to the content owners, and
credit the content
owners accordingly.
I 0 100761 In one embodiment4 the payment is deteiliiined by a
royalty rate determined
by the operator and the content owners. Similar to the advertising model, the
royalty rate can
provide a. range of royalty payments based on factors such as the nature of
the media content.
In one embodiment, the royalty is a .fixed percentage of the advertisement
revenue generated
by providing advertisements with media content owned by the content owner. The
content
owners can also set a fixed fee for their media content. For example; the
owner of a home
video clip can require 50 per access to the video clip. The payment server 416
can provide
590 the royalty payment to the content owners by crediting their accounts.
pusiness Model tbr the Media Content Management System
100771 Fig. 6 is a diagram depicting the interactions among entities
involved in the
operation of the media content management system 400 (hereinafter called "the
system 400")
according to a= business model. The interactions illustrated in Fig. 6 may be.
implemented in
software, hardware, or a. combination of hardware and software.
[0078] As illustrated in Fig: 6, the system 400 can operate to enable
users to share and
exchange media content, generate advertising revenue by distributing
advertisements with the
media .content, and share the revenue with content owners in exchange for
permissions to
provide the media content to users with the advertisements. In stead of or in
addition to
sharing the revenue with the content owners, the system 400 can enables the
content owners
to control the .use of their media content by providing restrictions for
permissions to provide.
their media content to users with the advertisements.
10079] Entities involved in the operation of the system 400 include an
operator of the
community website 610, advertisers 620, content owners 630, and users 640. The
operator
runs the media management server 410 to provide a community website 610 tbr
the users 640
to store, share, and exchange media content, and distribute advertisements
with the media.
content to the users 640. The advertisers 620 provide advertisements to the
community
17

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website 610 to be provided to the users 640 together with the media content in
exchange for
payments. The users 640 share media content through the community website 610.
The
content owners 630 give the community website 610 rights to distribute their
media content
to the users 640 in exchange for payments and/or control,
[00801 The community website 610 receives media content from the users 640.
As
described above with reference to Fig. 4, the community website 610 can
require the users
640 to become registered members to upload Media content to andlor download
media
content from the community website 610. The received media content include
media content
that the users 640 are interested in themselves and/or feel will have a wide
appeal to a large
audience. The users 640 can also provide descriptive information about the
media. content to
the community website 610.
(00811 The community website 6.10 receives restrictions of the media
content from
the content owners 630.. In one embodiment, a media content unit can have one
or more.
associated restrictions limiting the use of the media content unit. In one
embodiment, these
restrictions can be provided in the metadata of the associated media content.
For example,
restrictions associated with a.video clip can be transmitted during the
Vertical 'Blanking
Interval (VBI) when the video clip is transmitted to the media management
server 410. V131
is the period of time between frames 41 a video transmission when information
is still being
transmitted but when the information is not being displayed on the. screen.
Alternatively, the
web server 412 can be configured to accept these restrictions separately from
the associated
media content. For example, the content owners 630 can set restrictions
applicable to all or a
portion of their media content by interacting with the web server 412. The
content owners
630 can. also set restrictions applicable to their media content not yet in
the media
management server 410.
.25 [0082.1 In one embodiment, the community website 610 can enable
the content
owners to set abroad range of restrictions to their media content, such as:
the duration, the
quality (resolution, .fratrie rate of a video content, bit rate of an audio
content), and the
number of people allowed to access the media content. For example, a content
owner can set
a generic rule like: "All Seinfeld video clips display at lower resolution and
may be no longer
than 2,5 minutes." After identifying a piece of media content containing a
Seinfeid. video
Clip, the community server 610 may allow .access to the media content only if
the restriction
is not violated. The community website 610 .can he configured to modify the
media content
.(e.gõ reduce the duration andlor resolution of a video) to enforce the
associated restrictions.
18.

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Alternatively, the. modification can be conducted on the user side (e.g., the
client devices 430
can be configured to enforce the restrictions).
[0083] Content owners 630 may also restrict the access to their media
content. For
example, the content owners 630 can restrict the access to a media content
unit to be by
invitation only (e.g., sharing video clips with friends and acquaintances) or
available only to
registeredenembers. Therefore, the community website 610 will allow users 640
to access a
media content unit only if the associated restrictions set by the content
owners are satisfied.
[0084] Content owners 630 may also restrict the advertisements that
can be associated
with their media content. For example, a media content unit can have a
restriction
prohibiting any association with automobile advertisements. As another
example, a piece of
media content can have a restriction limiting the duration of the associated
video.
advertisement.
[00851 Under this business model; content owners .630 may have.
strong incentives to
allow sharing: of their media content with the public to promote the
popularity of the media
content and generate more royalty income, even without receiving a portion of
any
.advertising revenue. For example, Walt Disney Studios may specify in the
restrictions that
its Mickey Mouse media content are publicly available to promote a re-release
of a Mickey
Mouse movie or to promote visiting its theme parks. The content owners may
have
additional incentives by allowing third-party advertisers to attach their own
advertisements to
the clipped video content, by then receiving a portion of or the entire
advertising fee.
100861 The. community website 610 receives advertisements from the
advertisers 620.
The community website 610 can also receive restrictions from the advertisers
620.. Similar to
the restrictions provided by the content owners 630, these restrictions limit
the media content
to be combined with the advertisements, and thereby enable the advertisers 620
to better
target their advertisements to the right audience.
100871 The community website 610 combines, the media content with the
advertisements. This combination normally must satisfy the restrictions
provided by both the
content Owners 630 and the advertisers 620. The community website 610 then
provides the
combined media content and the advertisements to the users 640.
f00.881 The operator receives advertising fees from the advertisers 620 for
distributing
the advertisements to the users 640. The operator can share this revenue with
the content
owners 630 for permissions to provide the media content to the users .640 with
the
advertisements, to the extent the content owners 630 have rights in the media
content:
19

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u)089
in one embodiment, the community website 610 distributes the advertising
revenue among all entities involved in the operation of the system 410,
including the
operator, the content owners 630, and even the users 640 that uploaded and/or
downloaded
the media content. In other embodiments, the advertising fees may be shared
just between a
subset of the parties, such as the content owners 630 and the operator. In
still other
embodiments, the advertising fees. may be shared with other participants in
the distribution.
chain of the media content, such as the operator of the originating television
service (such as
a cable provider, especially if the media content originate from content
served by an
associated set top box), an Internet service provider (ISP) that provides the
bandwidth used
by the source (such as a place-shifting device), and/6r the =ISP that provides
the bandwidth
used by the client device 430 (such as a wireless network provider in the case
where the
client device 430 is a portable device using a wireless network).
100901 As described above, the operator can operate the system 400 to
generate
advertising revenue by distributing user-supplied media content with
advertisements. The
IS operator can share the revenue with the content owners 630 in exchange
for permissions to
provide the media content to the users 640 with the advertisements. The system
400 also
provides the content owners 630 with the ability to control the use of their
media content to
address their fears of losing control over their media content.
Example Process for. the. Media Content Management System
1.009.1] The principles described herein can be further illustrated through
an example
of an operation of the media content management system 400 (hereinafter called
"the system
400") in accordance with one embodiment of invention. In this example, the
system 400
hosts a community website 610 where users of the website can share
.audio/video clips.
100921 The example commences with. a user 640 Watching a TV program
Seinfdd
previously captured by a. Personal Video Recorder (PVR, client device 430).
The user 640
finds a section of the video interesting, and invokes a graphical interface of
the PVR to
capture the video section by selecting the beginning and end of the section.
The PVR. creates
a video clip (Seinfeld clip) containing the captured video section and upload
the Seinfeld clip
to the community website 610 using the user's account.
[00931 The application server 414 identifies the subject matter of the
received clip
using the metadata stored during the VI31 of the video clip, associates the
clip with the
content owner, Sony Pictures Digital inc, and stores the clip and the related
information in
the media store 41.8.

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(00941 A second user 640 of the community website 610 subsequently
conducts
searches in. the website 610 tbr video clips related to Seinfeld using a
computer (client device
430), and locates the Seinfeld clip previously received. The second user 640
then submits .a
request for the Seinfeld clip.
10095] In response to the second user 640's request, the community website
610
checks the restrictions applicable to the Seinfeld clip. The content owner,
Sony Pictures
Digital Inc,, has set a restriction applicable to all Seinfeid video clips
limiting their duration
to be no more than 2.5 minutes. After confirming that the Seinfeld clip lasts
no more than 25
minutes, the community website 610 identifies an advertisement for eBay
promoting its
Seinfeld related auction items (eBay .advertisement). Advertiser eBay sets a
restriction
limiting the eBay advertisement to be combined only with video clips related
to Miffed.
The application server 414 confirms that combining the Seinfeld clip and the
eBay
advertisement does not violate the restrictions associated with either the
clip or the
advertisement, then joins the advertisement and the clip into a combined clip,
such that the
eBay advertisement leads into the Seinfeld clip. Subsequently, the community
website 610
generates a webpag,e including a pointer reference to the combined clip, and
redirects the
second user 640 to the generated webpage, where the second user 640 downloads
the
combined clip.
100961 After the combined clip is downloaded in the second user 640's
computer, the
computer plays the eBay advertisement and the Seinfeld clip to the second user
640k The
payment server 416 calculates an advertisement fee for the advertiser eBay and
deducts the
fee from its account. The payment server 416 also calculates a royalty payment
for the
content owner, Sony Pictures Digital Inc., and credits the payment to its
account.
Summary
/009.71 Embodiments of the invention can provide a. web portal for users to
share and
exchange media contents, while Want content owners rights to control the use
of their media
content: Operator of the web portal can generate advertising revenue by
distributing
advertisements together with media contents to the users, and share the
revenue with the
content owners to compensate them for their permissions to provide their media
content to
the users.
(00981 Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein
can he performed
or implemented with one or more hardware or software modules, alone or in
combination
with other devices. In one embodiment, a. software module is implemented with
a computer
program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer
program

CA 02660350 2009-02-06
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code, which can be executed by a. computer processor for performing any or all
of the steps
operations, or processes described. For example, the physical components used
in the system
may depend on the method in which the media content is delivered to one or
more users of
that media content.
10099] The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has
been
presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive
or to limit the
invention to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art
can appreciate
that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above
teachings. It is
therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this
detailed description,
hut rather by the claims appended hereto,
1001 00 Finally, it should be noted that the language used in the
specification has been
principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not
have been
selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subjeamatter. Accordingly,
the
disclosure of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting,
of the scope of the
invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
22

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

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Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date 2015-04-28
(86) PCT Filing Date 2007-08-20
(87) PCT Publication Date 2008-02-28
(85) National Entry 2009-02-06
Examination Requested 2009-02-06
(45) Issued 2015-04-28

Abandonment History

There is no abandonment history.

Maintenance Fee

Last Payment of $473.65 was received on 2023-06-28


 Upcoming maintenance fee amounts

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Next Payment if small entity fee 2024-08-20 $253.00
Next Payment if standard fee 2024-08-20 $624.00

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Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Request for Examination $800.00 2009-02-06
Application Fee $400.00 2009-02-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 2009-08-20 $100.00 2009-02-06
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 2010-08-20 $100.00 2010-08-12
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2010-10-28
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2010-10-28
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2011-08-22 $100.00 2011-08-09
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 2012-08-20 $200.00 2012-08-10
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 6 2013-08-20 $200.00 2013-08-15
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 7 2014-08-20 $200.00 2014-08-11
Final Fee $300.00 2015-02-03
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 8 2015-08-20 $200.00 2015-07-22
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 9 2016-08-22 $200.00 2016-08-04
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 10 2017-08-21 $250.00 2017-07-26
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 11 2018-08-20 $250.00 2018-07-25
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2019-03-14
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 12 2019-08-20 $250.00 2019-08-01
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 13 2020-08-20 $250.00 2020-07-29
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 14 2021-08-20 $255.00 2021-07-28
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 15 2022-08-22 $458.08 2022-06-29
Maintenance Fee - Patent - New Act 16 2023-08-21 $473.65 2023-06-28
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
SLING MEDIA L.L.C.
Past Owners on Record
KRIKORIAN, BLAKE
KRIKORIAN, JASON
MECKLER, BRIAN
SLING MEDIA, INC.
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Abstract 2009-02-06 2 75
Claims 2009-02-06 8 532
Drawings 2009-02-06 6 530
Description 2009-02-06 22 2,000
Representative Drawing 2009-02-06 1 9
Cover Page 2009-06-16 1 47
Description 2012-08-16 25 2,032
Claims 2012-08-16 4 144
Description 2014-03-03 27 2,180
Claims 2014-03-03 8 335
Representative Drawing 2015-03-25 1 10
Cover Page 2015-03-25 1 51
Correspondence 2009-05-14 1 21
PCT 2009-02-06 3 111
Assignment 2009-02-06 4 129
Correspondence 2009-04-23 2 65
Correspondence 2010-06-23 1 21
Correspondence 2010-07-21 3 69
Fees 2010-08-12 1 67
Assignment 2010-10-28 9 316
Prosecution-Amendment 2012-02-16 2 75
Prosecution-Amendment 2012-08-16 11 399
Prosecution-Amendment 2013-09-03 2 74
Prosecution-Amendment 2014-03-03 17 779
Correspondence 2015-02-03 1 48