Methods and systems for generating and providing program guides and content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11533527-B2
Application number	US-202117449076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2021
Priority date	May 9, 2018
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are configured to manage streaming video content. A first time length specification for a content pod is accessed. If a determination is made that a response to a request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the content pod includes ancillary content of insufficient duration to populate the first time length of the content pod, the content pod time length is reduced. Ancillary content items associated with the response to the request are streamed to a user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times. A primary content item, having a scheduled start time, is streamed to the user device after the items of ancillary content, and earlier than the scheduled start time of the item of primary content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system configured to dynamically control streaming of content for channels of linear, scheduled content, the system comprising:
a network interface;
at least one processing device;
non-transitory memory storing programmatic code that when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the system to:
access a specification of a first time length of a first ancillary content pod, wherein ancillary content used to populate the first ancillary content pod is configured to be displayed between items of primary content, the items of primary content comprising video content, wherein the items of primary content are associated with corresponding scheduled start play times;
transmit a first request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the first ancillary content pod;
determine whether the response to the first request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the first ancillary content pod includes ancillary content of sufficient duration to populate the first time length of the first ancillary content pod;
at least partly in response to determining that the response to the first request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the first ancillary content pod is insufficient to populate the first time length of the first ancillary content pod:
reduce the first time length of the first ancillary content pod by a first time period;
cause items of ancillary content associated with the response to the first request for ancillary content to be streamed to a first user device as part of a streaming channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times;
cause an item of primary content, associated with a corresponding scheduled start time, to be streamed immediately after the items of ancillary content associated with the response to the first request for ancillary content are streamed to the first user device, and earlier than the corresponding scheduled start time of the item of primary content;
determine respective extension time lengths for one or more ancillary content pods scheduled to be played after the first ancillary content pod;
extend the respective time lengths of the one or more ancillary content pods scheduled to be played after the first ancillary content pod by respective extension time lengths to thereby synchronize playing by the first user device of a second item of primary content to a corresponding scheduled start time associated with the second item of primary content;
cause the one or more ancillary content pods extended by respective extension time lengths to be populated with ancillary content; and
cause the ancillary content used to populate the one or more ancillary content pods extended by respective extension time lengths, to be streamed to the first user device.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
access an ancillary content load specification associated with at least a first channel comprising primary content having scheduled start times;
use the ancillary content load specification to determine a time length of one or more ancillary content pods for display between segments of at least a first item of primary content;
store timing positioning information for the one or more ancillary content pods with respect to the first item of primary content;
detect that a second user device has begun streaming the first item of primary content after a scheduled start time of the first item of primary content; and
at least partly in response to detecting that the second user device has begun streaming the first item of primary content after the scheduled start time of the first item of primary content and the accessed ancillary content load specification, reduce a time length of at least one ancillary content pod.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
transmit a second request for ancillary content of the duration corresponding to the first time length of the first ancillary content pod, wherein the second request includes one or more variables different than variables included in the first request, wherein the variables included in the second request are associated with one or more characteristics of a set of users including at least a second user;
determine whether the response to the second request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the first ancillary content pod includes ancillary content of sufficient duration to populate the first time length of the first ancillary content pod;
at least partly in response to determining that the response to the request for ancillary content of a duration corresponding to the first time length of the first ancillary content pod is sufficient to populate the first time length of the first ancillary content pod:
cause items of ancillary content associated with the response to the second request for ancillary content to be streamed to a second user device; and
cause the item of primary content, associated with the corresponding scheduled start time, to be streamed after the items of ancillary content associated with the response to the second request for ancillary content are streamed to the second user device, and at the corresponding scheduled start time of the item of primary content.

4. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
detect that a second user is accessing, during a first session, a first channel comprising a first plurality of items of primary content associated with respective scheduled start times;
determine that a first item of primary content is to be streamed to a second user device earlier by a first amount than a scheduled start time for the first item of primary content;
cause a drift value corresponding to the first amount to be stored;
detect that the second user has accessed, during the first session at a first time, a second channel comprising a second plurality of items of primary content associated with respective scheduled start times;
detect that the second user has returned to accessing, during the first session at a second time, the first channel;
determine a difference between the first time and the second time;
access the stored drift value;
based at least in part:
on the accessed drift value, and
the determined difference between the first time and the second time,
determine what content is to be streamed to the second user device.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
detect that a second user device is accessing a first channel comprising a first plurality of items of primary content associated with respective scheduled start times;
detect that the second user device has accessed a second channel comprising a second plurality of items of primary content associated with respective scheduled start times;
detect that the second user device has returned to accessing the first channel at a first time;
determine that a first item of content is scheduled to be played in the first channel beginning prior to and ending after when the second user has returned to accessing the first channel at the first time; and
at least partly in response to determining that the first item of content is scheduled to be played in the first channel beginning prior to and ending after when the second user has returned to accessing the first channel at the first time, cause the first item of content to be played by the second user device from the beginning of the first item of content.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
detect that a second user device is accessing, during a first session, a first channel comprising a first plura

Assignees

• Pluto Inc

Inventors

• Shanson Spencer
• Kalmykov Vasilievich Pavlo
• Jesperson Jonathan Michael
• Chiu Adrian
• Fish Bryan Randall
• Gwiazda Jonathan Jovan
• Hashim Sonia Priya

Classifications

• H04N21/8456

  by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments · CPC title

• H04N21/23424

  involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement · CPC title

• H04N21/251 Primary

  Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies (details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08) · CPC title

• H04N21/2407

  Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads (arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14) · CPC title

• H04N21/2668 Primary

  Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles {(information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063)} · CPC title