Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090113253 | SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MEDIA AND METHOD FOR PLAYING STREAMING MEDIA - A media delivery system includes a media manager (MM) a central server that supports peer to peer (P2P) technology (CS-P), a request routing system that supports P2P technology (RRS-P), and an edge server that supports P2P technology (ES-P) and multiple P2P clients. A method for playing streaming media based on the above media delivery system includes: the MM publishes a live channel notification to the CS-P, RRS-P, and ES-P; the CS-P obtains streaming data packets from a live source and parses and slices the packets to generate slice data; the ES-P obtains the slice data from the CS-P and/or other ES-Ps that are able to provide slice data and caches the slice data; and the P2P client obtains the slice data from the ES-P or other P2P clients and delivers the data, or the data is played by a local player after an assembly operation by the P2P client. With the P2P technology, the present invention improves the prior media delivery network and realizes the playing of streaming media to a large number of clients. | 04-30-2009 |
20090259667 | METHOD, DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING FILE DATA - A method for distributing file data includes: obtaining a first request message of a first client for downloading a first file, and determining an autonomous system (AS) where the first client is located; searching the AS for edge servers that support peer to peer (ES-Ps), and returning the address of at least one ES-P storing the first file to the first client; and sending the first file stored in the ES-P to the first client according to the client information returned by the ES-P. Related devices and systems are also provided. The present invention may speed up the file data distribution, reduce the restriction of the file data distribution due to fixed bandwidth of the ES, and enable P2P data streams to be converged into an AS, thus reducing the impact on backbone networks. | 10-15-2009 |
20110093607 | METHOD, DEVICE, AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING MEDIA STREAM SERVICE - A method and system for providing a media stream service are provided. The method includes: receiving a request of providing a media stream service sent by a user terminal, the request carrying information of a Service Provider (SP); obtaining an ability strategy of the SP according to the SP's information carried in the request; and selecting, according to the ability strategy of the SP, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) or Peer to Peer (P2P) mode to provide the media stream service for the user. Through the technical solutions, the CDN or P2P mode can be selected, according to the ability strategy of the SP or current ability operating statuses of the CDN and the P2P, to provide the media stream service for the user. | 04-21-2011 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100169369 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING MERGED MEDIA PROGRAM METADATA - A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for generating a media program database having a plurality of media programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is comprises the steps of receiving first media program metadata from a first source, searching the Internet to find second media program metadata from a second source distinct from the first source, determining if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, merging the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, and storing the merged first media program metadata and second media program metadata in the media program database. | 07-01-2010 |
20100185646 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEARCHING MEDIA PROGRAM DATABASES - A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for providing list of a plurality of media programs responsive to a user search query is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting an general search query from a user computer, identifying a synonym for the general search query, identifying a category for the general search query according to the identified synonym, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified category to obtain a search result, and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer. | 07-22-2010 |
20100211584 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A PROGRAM GUIDE HAVING SEARCH PARAMETER AWARE THUMBNAILS - A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for presenting a program guide for a video-on-demand system describing a plurality of media programs, each media program having a plurality of video frames. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting a search request from a user, the search request comprising a search parameter having a search value; searching the media program database for the search value, the media program database having first metadata associated with a first individual video frame of the media program; and providing the program guide comprising a thumbnail depicting the first individual video frame of the media program associated with the first metadata to the user if the first metadata includes the search value. | 08-19-2010 |
20100332527 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED METADATA - A method and apparatus for providing community based metadata is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of detecting an object in a frame of media program, transmitting first data comprising the frame of the media program having the detected object to display device for presentation to a user, receiving second data comprising user entered metadata associated with the identified object, tracking the object across proximate frames of the media program, associating the entered metadata with the object in at least one of the proximate frames of the media program, and storing the associated entered metadata. | 12-30-2010 |
20110145428 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAVIGATING A MEDIA PROGRAM VIA A TRANSCRIPT OF MEDIA PROGRAM DIALOG - A method and apparatus for navigating a media program via a searchable transcript of the dialog of the media program is disclosed. In one embodiment, a textural transcript of the dialog is generated, wherein the textural transcript comprising a plurality of portions wherein each portion is associated with a segment of the media program, a command is accepted to display the transcript and in response to that command, user interface data is transmitted to the client computer for presentation in a user interface, wherein the user interface comprising a concurrently presented media program player and the textural transcript. | 06-16-2011 |
20110145726 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NAVIGATING A MEDIA PROGRAM VIA A HISTOGRAM OF POPULAR SEGMENTS - A method and apparatus for navigating a media program is disclosed. Viewing data for segments of the media program are monitored and used to compile statistics that are presented to the user in a histogram, so that popular portions of the media program can be identified and navigated to. One embodiment includes a searchable transcript of the media program that is synchronized with the histogram. | 06-16-2011 |
20120060104 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING VIEWING INFORMATION - A method and apparatus for sharing viewing information is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an designation of a second user from the first user; and transmitting the first user viewing information to the designated second user. The shared viewing information may comprise the identity of a currently viewed media program, a list of scheduled media program viewings, or the media program itself. | 03-08-2012 |
20120117074 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEARCHING MEDIA PROGRAM DATABASES - A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for providing list of a plurality of media programs responsive to a user search query is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting an general search query from a user computer, identifying a synonym for the general search query, identifying a category for the general search query according to the identified synonym, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified category to obtain a search result, and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer. | 05-10-2012 |
20120209827 | Method and Apparatus for Generating Merged Media Program Metadata - A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for generating a media program database having a plurality of media programs is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is comprises the steps of receiving first media program metadata from a first source, searching the Internet to find second media program metadata from a second source distinct from the first source, determining if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, merging the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata if the first media program metadata and the second media program metadata are associated with the same media program, and storing the merged first media program metadata and second media program metadata in the media program database. | 08-16-2012 |
20130091299 | Method and Apparatus for Navigating a Video Via a Transcript of Spoken Dialog - A method and apparatus for navigating a media program via a searchable transcript of the dialog of the media program is disclosed. In one embodiment, a textural transcript of the dialog is generated, wherein the textural transcript comprising a plurality of portions wherein each portion is associated with a segment of the media program, a command is accepted to display the transcript and in response to that command, user interface data is transmitted to the client computer for presentation in a user interface, wherein the user interface comprising a concurrently presented media program player and the textural transcript. | 04-11-2013 |
20130294642 | AUGMENTING VIDEO WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION - A video segment including interactive links to information about an actor appearing in the segment may be prepared in an automatic or semi-automatic process. A computer may detect an actor's face appearing in a frame of digital video data by processing the video file with a facial detection algorithm. A user-selectable link may be generated and activated along a track of the face through multiple frames of the video data. The user-selectable link may include a data address for obtaining additional information about an actor identified with the face. The video data may be associated with the user-selectable link and stored in a computer memory. When later viewing the video segment via a media player, a user may select the link to obtain further information about the actor. | 11-07-2013 |
20130325819 | AUGMENTING METADATA USING USER ENTERED METADATA - In one embodiment, a method obtains metadata associated with a media program. The method receives user entered metadata from a first user for an object in a frame of the media program and compares the user entered metadata from the first user with user entered metadata from second users for the object. Then, the method verifies that the user entered metadata from the first user and the second users should be associated as augmenting metadata for the object in the media program based on the comparison. Upon verifying, the method performs: determining metadata storage including metadata for one or more other objects in the media program and storing the user entered metadata for the object in the media program in the metadata storage for the media program as the augmenting metadata. | 12-05-2013 |
20140023341 | Annotating General Objects in Video - A method for annotating general objects contained in video content is provided. The method sends video data to a client device and receives a first annotation from the client device defining a boundary around a portion of a first frame of the video data. Then, the first annotation is tracked through multiple frames of the video content. Other annotations determined to be associated with annotation that match the first annotation within a threshold are determined where the other annotations are received from other client devices and located in the first frame or other frames from the first frame. The method combines the other annotations and the first annotation into an object track and associates a tag with the object track. The tag is input by at least one of the client devices. | 01-23-2014 |
20140040240 | Searching Media Program Databases - A method, apparatus, article of manufacture for providing list of a plurality of media programs responsive to a user search query is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of accepting an general search query from a user computer, identifying a synonym for the general search query, identifying a category for the general search query according to the identified synonym, performing a categorical search of a media program database using the identified synonym and the identified category to obtain a search result, and transmitting the search result to the user computer for presentation on a display communicatively coupled to the user computer. | 02-06-2014 |
20140075343 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING VIEWING INFORMATION - A method and apparatus for sharing viewing information is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving an designation of a second user from the first user; and transmitting the first user viewing information to the designated second user. The shared viewing information may comprise the identity of a currently viewed media program, a list of scheduled media program viewings, or the media program itself. | 03-13-2014 |
20140132833 | Combining Multiple Screens from Multiple Devices in Video Playback - In one embodiment, a method determines multiple screens of multiple mobile computing devices should be combined in playback of a video. A first mobile computing device receives the video and determines device characteristics based on a positioning of the first mobile computing device in relation to a second mobile computing device. Playback characteristics are determined based on the device characteristics. Then, the first mobile computing device renders a first portion of the video on a first screen based on the playback characteristics where a second portion of the video is rendered on a second screen of the second mobile computing device. | 05-15-2014 |