System and method for sharing digital images over a content-based network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9525851-B2
Application number	US-17965008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2008
Priority date	Jul 25, 2008
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A head end application server is coupled to a photo-sharing server having an Internet interface. A video content network is coupled to the head end application server, and a terminal is coupled to the video content network at a location remote from the head end application server and the photo-sharing server. The photo-sharing server is configured to accept upload of digital still images via the Internet interface, and the digital still images are in a format other than MPEG I-frames. The head end application server is configured to receive a request from the terminal and, responsive to the request, to fetch the digital still images from the photo-sharing server, transcode the digital still images into MPEG I-frames, and make the MPEG I-frames available, over the video content network, for selective display via the terminal. The system can advantageously function without use of a video-on-demand server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A video content system comprising:
a photo-sharing server having an Internet interface, said photo-sharing server comprising a first processor and a first memory;
a head end application server coupled to said photo-sharing server, said head end application server comprising a second processor and a second memory;
a video content network coupled to said head end application server; and
a terminal coupled to said video content network at a location remote from said head end application server and said photo-sharing server; wherein:
said first processor of said photo-sharing server is configured to accept upload of individual digital still images via said Internet interface, said individual digital still images being in a format other than MPEG I-frames; and
said second processor of said head end application server is configured to receive a request from said terminal and, responsive to said request, to fetch said individual digital still images from said photo-sharing server comprising said first processor, to transcode said individual digital still images into individual MPEG I-frames without use of video transcoding, and to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal;
further comprising a video-on-demand server which makes videos available on demand at said terminal over said video content network, wherein said head end application server is configured to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for said selective display via said terminal, without use of said video-on-demand server;
wherein said photo-sharing server and said head end application server are cooperatively configured to permit a person uploading said individual digital still images to said photo-sharing server to add individual additional images to already-uploaded images and are further cooperatively configured to accept said individual additional images in said format other than MPEG I-frames and to convert said individual additional images into additional individual MPEG I-frames without having to re-convert said already-uploaded images.

2. The video content system of claim 1 , further comprising a photo-sharing application stored on said terminal, wherein said request from said terminal originates from said photo-sharing application.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said terminal further comprises an MPEG-2 decoder and wherein said photo-sharing application is configured to display said individual MPEG I-frames as a slide show.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein said photo-sharing application is configured to permit a user to navigate said individual MPEG I-frames.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said head end application server and said photo-sharing server are collocated in a head end of said video content network, and wherein said terminal is located remotely from said head end of said video content network.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said head end application server and said video-on-demand server are collocated in a head end of said video content network, and wherein said photo-sharing server is located remotely from said head end of said video content network.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said head end application server is configured to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal, via out-of-band communication over said video content network.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said head end application server is configured to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal, via an Internet protocol over MPEG scheme, in-band over said video content network.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of additional terminals, wherein said terminals communicate with said head end application server via a shared session in said Internet protocol over MPEG scheme, over said video content network.

10. A video content system configured to interface with an external photo-sharing server comprising a first processor coupled to a first memory having stored thereon individual digital still images in a format other than MPEG I-frames, said system comprising:
a head end application server comprising a second processor coupled to a second memory and configured to be coupled to the external photo-sharing server;
a video content network coupled to said head end application server; and
a terminal coupled to said video content network at a location remote from said head end application server;
wherein said second processor of said head end application server is configured to:
receive a request from said terminal and,
responsive to said request:
to fetch the individual digital still images from said photo-sharing server comprising said first processor,
to transcode said individual digital still images into individual MPEG I-frames without use of video transcoding, and
to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal;

further comprising a video-on-demand server which makes videos available on demand at said terminal over said video content network, wherein said head end application server is configured to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for said selective display via said terminal, without use of said video-on-demand server;
wherein the external photo-sharing server and said head end application server are cooperatively configured to permit a person uploading said individual digital still images to the external photo-sharing server to add individual additional images to already-uploaded images and are further cooperatively configured to accept said individual additional images in said format other than MPEG I-frames and to convert said individual additional images into additional individual MPEG I-frames without having to re-convert said already-uploaded images.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein said head end application server is configured to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal, via out-of-band communication over said video content network.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein said head end application server is configured to make said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal, via an Internet protocol over MPEG scheme, in-band over said video content network.

13. A method comprising the steps of:
receiving, at a head end application server comprising a first processor coupled to a first memory, a request from a remote terminal, said request being received over a video content network;
fetching individual digital still images from a photo-sharing server comprising a second processor coupled to a second memory, said individual digital still images being in a format other than MPEG I-frames;
transcoding said individual digital still images into individual MPEG I-frames without use of video transcoding; and
responsive to said request, making said individual MPEG I-frames available from said head end application server, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal;
further comprising the additional steps of:
making videos on a video-on-demand server available on demand at said terminal over said video content network, wherein said head end application server makes said individual MPEG I-frames available, over said video content network, for selective display via said terminal, with

Assignees

• Patel Vipul
• Miller Scott
• Shah Mehul
• Chen David
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Patel Vipul
• Miller Scott
• Shah Mehul
• Chen David

Classifications

• H04N2201/0068

  Converting from still picture data · CPC title

• H04N1/00098

  via a television channel, e.g. for a series of still pictures with or without sound · CPC title

• H04N21/234336

  by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text · CPC title

• H04N1/00151

  with selective access · CPC title

• H04N7/17318 Primary

  Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests · CPC title