Patent Application
20070294772
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
Referring now to the drawings,
Although described primarily in the context of video media files, aspects of the invention may be applied to various forms of digital media, including video and multimedia files (e.g., movies, movie trailers, television shows, etc.), audio files (e.g., music tracks, news reports, audio web logs, audio books, speeches, comedy routines, etc.), media broadcasts (e.g., webcasts, podcasts, audiocasts, videocasts, video blogs, blogcasts, etc.), and images.
In
Referring further to
Aspects of the invention also include communication between the media player application 116 executed on computer 102 and one or more remote media services 118. For example, the remote media service 118 is an online video or video on demand service that provides video content such as television programs, movies, video clips, and the like for downloading and viewing by the user. In one embodiment, an online media content provider such as remote media service 118 utilizes one or more servers 108 for maintaining a catalog of available media files, that is, a remote library, in database 110. Those skilled in the art are familiar with such services from which a user may download media files and/or stream them via the Internet, usually for a monthly subscription price or on a per-file basis. For example, the remote library contains the inventory of the online media content provider.
The system 100 of
A user interface 120 associated with media player application 116 communicates information to the user and receives instructions and feedback from the user. In one embodiment, media player application 116 is responsive to user input via the user interface 120 for selecting media content from remote media service 118 for downloading to computer 102 and performing one or more media player operations. In addition to playback or transport controls, typical media player operations include, for example: displaying metadata associated with the media files; rendering, copying, or downloading selected media files; rendering samples of selected media files; assigning media files to one or more playlists; searching or sorting the media files according to their metadata or content; displaying media library contents; scrolling through the media library contents; and displaying contextual menus of available media player operations. Other user interfaces different from those described above are contemplated as within the scope of the claimed invention. Those skilled in the art are familiar with a variety of input devices that may be connected to computer 102 for receiving input via user interface 120.
The media system 100 implements ad enforcement in accordance with aspects of the invention. As described above, computer 102 executes media player application 116 for rendering one or more media files. In this instance, local library 112, which may be stored on the hard drive of computer 102 or a removable storage device associated with the computer, contains one or more media files. In addition, remote library 110 contains one or more media files. Although library 110 is remote from computer 102, its media files are accessible by media player application 116 via network 104. The system 100 operates on one or more media items selected from a collection or multiple collections (e.g., library 112 and/or library 110) of media items selected for consumption by the user. Although sometimes referred to as a playback, it is to be understood that media player application 116 may render media files not only by playing but also by other means (e.g., viewing, accessing, etc.).
Referring again to
Although described in connection with an exemplary computing system environment, aspects of the invention are operational with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments or configurations. The computing system environment is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of aspects of the invention. Moreover, the computing system environment should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary operating environment. Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable for use in embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer electronics, PoP devices, mobile telephones, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, distributed computing environments that include any of the above systems or devices, and the like.
Referring next to
In one embodiment, the user selects the content file 126 from a catalog of available program media content 130 (e.g., database 110) available for download via remote media service 118. This selected content file 126 is encrypted in a manner such that a playback enforcer 132 (e.g., resident on the client) can prevent it from being played until certain conditions are met.
In addition to the selected media content 126, one or more predetermined media content files 134, such as video advertisements, are also downloaded to the user's computer 102 for rendering via playback engine 128. The ads may be randomly selected or targeted based on, for example, user information, or targeted based on the selected content. As shown in
Once the content downloads are complete, the selected media content file 126 becomes available for decrypting and rendering by the playback engine 128. When the user selects the downloaded content for playback, an event is raised to the content insertion engine 136. In response to this event, content insertion engine 136 sends predetermined content file 134 to playback engine 128 for playback or otherwise instructs playback engine 128 to begin its playback. According to aspects of the invention, content insertion engine 136 also monitors the playback of predetermined content file 134 (see
As the component responsible for decrypting selected media content file 126, playback enforcer 132 will not decrypt the content file 126 until it receives it a valid playback token 140, which includes a key for decrypting the selected content 126. Advantageously, aspects of the invention thus provide the benefits of higher quality video and the like associated with downloading media content while preventing the predetermined media content file 134 from being skipped or otherwise circumvented by the user during playback. Those skilled in the art are familiar with several encryption/decryption schemes that are suitable for implementing aspects of the invention.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, content insertion engine 136 can interrupt the playback of content file 126 at any time to schedule an interstitial ad or the like. This causes the process to repeat from the selection and scheduling of predetermined content file 134. In other words, playback engine 128 is responsive to content insertion engine 136 for interrupting the rendering of the encrypted media content file 126 to render additional predetermined media content 134 to the user. The content insertion engine 136 generates another token 140 in response to the rendering of the additional predetermined media content 134 and playback enforcer 132 is responsive to receiving this other token 140 to permit the playback engine 128 to resume rendering the encrypted media content file 126.
It is to be understood that one or more ads or other predetermined media content files 134 may be scheduled for playback at any time relative to playback of selected media content file 126 (e.g., as bumper ads, interstitial ads, or both). In the context of audio files, for example, predetermined ad entry points may occur at selected song boundaries to enable a listening experience similar to radio.
In yet another alternative embodiment of the invention, playback token 140 may be implemented as a DRM license (see
Referring now to
It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that aspects of the invention may be implemented in a variety of software models, including an HTML application or a software add-in to an existing media player application 116. For example, the software add-in may provide a managed code plugin that has access to an object model by which it can invoke media player functions. Likewise, the HTML application may provide access to media player functions via an object model. In the HTML example, a MediaCenter.PlayMediaEx( ) method allows playback or queuing of a media file and a MediaCenter.Experience object allows the application to query and set the play rate of media. In the add-in example, a HostControl.PlayMedia( ) method and a MediaProperties class perform similar functions. This control includes the ability to set the playback rate and receive events related to reaching the end of media.
Referring further to
In another embodiment, the client enforces playback by disabling the transport controls of media player application 116 or simply requiring playback for a certain amount of time.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the client may poll the playback engine for playback rate and playback position at some frequency (e.g., every second). If the polling reveals that the playback rate or position has changed, the client resets the rate or position to what it should be to ensure ad playback.
Aspects of the invention may also employ a time enforcement mechanism in which content insertion engine 136 does not provide the playback token 140 until a certain amount of time has elapsed (e.g., the duration of an ad being played). This effectively negates the benefits of skipping or fast forwarding through the ad.
Each time an ad plays, playback engine 128 executes an ad enforcement state machine, for example, to report this event to content insertion engine 136. The insertion engine 136, in turn, periodically reports the ad playback to a web service (e.g. externally to remote media service 118) for use in rotating the ads, generating tracking statistics, etc. Upon completion of the playback of predetermined media content 134 (or a few seconds before it ends), the client acquires token 140 in response to the playback event and queues the selected media content 126 for playback at 164 using, for example, the MediaCenter.PlayMediaEx method. The flow diagram of
As described above, content insertion engine 136 can interrupt the playback of content file 126 at any time to schedule additional, interstitial ads according to an alternative embodiment of the invention. This causes the process to repeat from the selection and scheduling of predetermined content file 134. As shown at 170 in
Referring further to
The semantics described above may be enforced using, for example, a state machine that executes in the background while playback is in progress.
Referring now to
In operation, computer 102 executes computer-executable instructions such as those illustrated in the figures to implement aspects of the invention. In one embodiment, computer 102 receives a request via user interface 120 for the selected media content 126 to be rendered. Executing media player application 116 (or another playback engine 128), computer 102 first renders predetermined media content 134. In response, a token associated with the playback of predetermined media content 134 is generated, which, in turn, permits the selected media content 126 to be rendered. In an alternative embodiment, computer 102 acquires a DRM license associated with predetermined media content 134 and executes the acquired DRM license to permit playback of selected media content 126.
The exemplary operating environment illustrated in
Communication media typically embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. Those skilled in the art are familiar with the modulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media, are examples of communication media. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media. The computing device includes or has access to computer storage media in the form of removable and/or non-removable, volatile and/or nonvolatile memory.
Moreover, embodiments of the invention may be implemented with computer-executable instructions organized into one or more computer-executable components or program modules. Generally, these components or modules include, but are not limited to, routines, programs, objects, components, and data structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Aspects of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices. For example, aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific computer-executable instructions or the specific components or modules illustrated in the figures and described herein. Other embodiments of the invention may include different computer-executable instructions or components having more or less functionality than illustrated and described herein.
The order of execution or performance of the methods illustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwise specified. That is, it is contemplated by the inventors that elements of the methods may be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and that the methods may include more or less elements than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particular element before, contemporaneously with, or after another element is within the scope of the invention.
When introducing elements of the present invention or the embodiments thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
