Connected-media end user experience using an overlay network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10237334-B2
Application number	US-201414148849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2014
Priority date	Jan 7, 2013
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

An Internet infrastructure delivery platform (e.g., operated by a service provider) provides an overlay network (a server infrastructure) that is used to facilitate “second screen” end user media experiences. In this approach, first media content, which is typically either live on-demand, is being rendered on a first content device (e.g., a television, Blu-Ray disk or other source). That first media content may be delivered by servers in the overlay network. One or multiple end user second content devices are then adapted to be associated with the first content source, preferably, via the overlay network, to facilitate second screen end user experiences (on the second content devices).

First claim

What is claimed is as follows:

1. Apparatus associated with an overlay network, comprising:
one or more hardware processors;
computer memory associated with the one or more hardware processors and in which are stored computer program instructions executed by the one or more hardware processors, the computer program instructions comprising:
first program code to receive updates from a first content source, at least one update identifying first media content, and data identifying a temporal location within the first media content, wherein an update is generated at the first content source based on an entry in a second content source event manifest previously delivered to the first content source via the overlay network, the second content source event manifest comprising a set of event boundaries that are equally spaced based on a play length of the first media content, the update indicating that the temporal location within the first media content has been reached and an event boundary in the set of event boundaries is crossed; and
second program code (i) to receive one or more event requests from a second content source distinct from the first content source, at least one event request seeking an event identifier associated with second content capable of being rendered at the second content source in synchronization with the first media content being rendered on the first content source, and (ii) in response, to return to the second content source the event identifier, the event identifier being an instruction to the second content source to obtain and render the second content on the second content source at a given time that corresponds to the event boundary in the first media content set of event boundaries being crossed;

wherein the first program code and the second program code operate autonomously from one another such that the updates are uncorrelated with the event requests;
wherein the first content source is a media player, and the second content source is one of: an Internet browser, a browser plug-in, and a mobile application.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the computer program instructions further include:
third program code to receive from the second content source a content request that includes the event identifier and, in response, to serve the second content to the second content source for rendering at the second content source in synchronization with rendering of the first media content on the first content source.

3. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the computer program instructions further include:
fourth program code to serve the first media content to the first content source.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the media player is a software-based media player that includes program code to generate updates that are synchronous.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the first program code and the second program code are co-located in an edge server of the overlay network.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the first program code and the second program code are executed in first and second distinct edge servers of the overlay network.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the at least one update is passed as a set of parameters in a request.

8. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the at least one event request is passed as a set of parameters in a request.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 1 , wherein the at least one event request also includes data associated with a role.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 9 , wherein the role is one of: an authenticated user, and an unauthenticated guest.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10 , wherein the at least one event request that includes data associated with an authenticated user role includes a content change request with respect to the first content source.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 11 , wherein the computer program instructions further include:
fifth program code to receive and store the content change request, and to selectively serve the content change request to the first content source upon receipt of a next update from the first content source.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 12 wherein the content change request is served to the first content source as a response payload to the next synchronous update.

14. The apparatus as described claim 11 wherein the content change request is one of: an instruction to alter the temporal location within the first media content, an instruction to pause, resume, fast-forward, rewind or terminate rendering of the first media content, and an instruction to initiate rendering of new media content.

15. A method, operative in association with an overlay network, comprising:
receiving updates from a first content source, at least one update identifying first media content, and data identifying a temporal location within the first media content, wherein an update is generated at the first content source based on an entry in a second content source event manifest previously delivered to the first content source via the overlay network, the second content source event manifest comprising a set of event boundaries that are equally spaced based on a play length of the first media content, the update indicating that the temporal location within the first media content has been reached and an event boundary in the first media content set of event boundaries is crossed;
receiving one or more event requests from a second content source distinct from the first content source, at least one event request seeking an event identifier associated with second content capable of being rendered at the second content source in synchronization with the first media content being rendered on the first content source;
wherein the updates are uncorrelated with the event requests;
in response to receipt of the at least event request, returning to the second content source the event identifier, the event identifier being an instruction to the second content source to obtain and render the second content on the second content source at a given time that corresponds to the event boundary in the set of event boundaries being crossed;
wherein the first content source is a media player, and the second content source is one of: an Internet browser, a browser plug-in, and a mobile application;
wherein at least one of the receiving and returning steps is carried out in software executing in a hardware element.

16. The method as described in claim 15 further including receiving from the second content source a content request that includes the event identifier and, in response, serving the second content to the second content source for rendering at the second content source in synchronization with rendering of the first media content on the first content source.

17. The method as described in claim 15 further including serving the first media content to the first content source.

18. The method as described in claim 15 wherein the first media content is one of: live, and on-demand content, and further including associating multiple second content sources with the first content source.

19. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer-readable medium to:
receive updates from a first content source, at least one update identifying first media content, and data identifying a temporal location within the first media content, wherein an update is generated at the first content source based on an entry in a second

Assignees

• Akamai Tech Inc

Inventors

• Alexander Kristofer
• Champagne Andrew F
• Leighton F Thomson
• Neville Robert
• Law William

Classifications

• H04N21/2365

  Multiplexing of several video streams · CPC title

• H04N21/2181

  comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers (distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• H04N21/2225

  Local VOD servers · CPC title

• H04L67/10 Primary

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04N21/4347

  Demultiplexing of several video streams · CPC title