IP Library › Granted Patent US 12701292

Granted Patent B2

US 12701292 · App. 18/894,223 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Enhanced service compatibility with clients

Inventors: Alan Ramaley (Seattle, WA); Brian Burkhart (Seattle, WA); George Lester (Philadelphia, PA)

Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC

H04N21/44226 H04L65/612 H04L65/70 H04L67/02 H04N21/2347 H04N21/26258 H04N21/44204 H04N21/472 H04N21/6543 H04N21/812 H04N21/845 H04N21/8586 H04L67/146

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12701292
App. No.: 18/894,223
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Methods and systems for enhancing service compatibility are described. A request for content can be received from a client (e.g., user device). A first resource locator for at least a portion of the content can be encoded with service information. A second resource locator indicating a redirect device can comprise the encoded first resource locator and the service information. The client can request at least the portion of the content from a redirect device using the second resource locator. The redirect device can process the request by decoding the first resource locator and service information and sending the service information to a service. The redirect device can send the first resource locator to the client. The client can request at least the portion of the content from a content device using the first resource locator.

Claims (51)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device and from a user device, a first resource locator for at least a portion of a content item;

determining, based on the first resource locator and based on a determination that the user device is unable to support a service associated with the content item, a second resource locator for the at least the portion of the content item and service information associated with the content item;

sending a redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device; and

sending the service information associated with the content item to a second computing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein determining the service information comprises decoding the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing, based on sending the redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device, the user device to send, to a third computing device associated with the second resource locator, another request for the at least the portion of the content item.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource locator indicates the at least the portion of the content item is located at the computing device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein determining the second resource locator comprises decoding the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the service information comprises one or more of information for determining an advertisement to be provided to the user device, information for tracking consumption of the content item, information for determining a recommendation, information for sending an email, information for updating user information, information for updating data in a mobile application, information for searching for related social media, information for determining an offer for a user, or a combination thereof.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least the portion of the content item comprises an advertisement.

8 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive, from a user device, a first resource locator for at least a portion of a content item;

determine, based on the first resource locator and based on a determination that the user device is unable to support a service associated with the content item, a second resource locator for the at least the portion of the content item and service information associated with the content item;

send a redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device; and

send the service information associated with the content item to a second computing device.

9 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein the processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the service information, cause the at least one processor to decode the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

10 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to cause, based on sending the redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device, the user device to send, to a third computing device associated with the second resource locator, another request for the at least the portion of the content item.

11 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first resource locator indicates the at least the portion of the content item is located at a computing device associated with the at least one processor.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein the processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to determine the second resource locator, cause the at least one processor to decode the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the service information comprises one or more of information for determining an advertisement to be provided to the user device, information for tracking consumption of the content item, information for determining a recommendation, information for sending an email, information for updating user information, information for updating data in a mobile application, information for searching for related social media, information for determining an offer for a user, or a combination thereof.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the at least the portion of the content item comprises an advertisement.

15 . An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from a user device, a first resource locator for at least a portion of a content item;

send a redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device; and

send the service information associated with the content item to a second computing device.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein the processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the service information, cause the apparatus to decode the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to cause, based on sending the redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device, the user device to send, to a third computing device associated with the second resource locator, another request for the at least the portion of the content item.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first resource locator indicates the at least the portion of the content item is located at the apparatus.

19 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein the processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to determine the second resource locator, cause the apparatus to decode the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the service information comprises one or more of information for determining an advertisement to be provided to the user device, information for tracking consumption of the content item, information for determining a recommendation, information for sending an email, information for updating user information, information for updating data in a mobile application, information for searching for related social media, information for determining an offer for a user, or a combination thereof.

21 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least the portion of the content item comprises an advertisement.

22 . A system comprising:

a computing device configured to:

receive, from a user device, a first resource locator for at least a portion of a content item;

send a redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device; and

send the service information associated with the content item to a second computing device;

the user device configured to:

receive the redirect message; and

the second computing device configured to:

receive the service information associated with the content item.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein to determine the service information, the computing device is configured to decode the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

24 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the computing device is further configured to cause, based on sending the redirect message comprising the second resource locator to the user device, the user device to send, to a third computing device associated with the second resource locator, another request for the at least the portion of the content item.

25 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the first resource locator indicates the at least the portion of the content item is located at the computing device.

26 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the first resource locator comprises encoded information and wherein to determine the second resource locator, the computing device is configured to decode the encoded information of the first resource locator to identify the service information.

27 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the service information comprises one or more of information for determining an advertisement to be provided to the user device, information for tracking consumption of the content item, information for determining a recommendation, information for sending an email, information for updating user information, information for updating data in a mobile application, information for searching for related social media, information for determining an offer for a user, or a combination thereof.

28 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the at least the portion of the content item comprises an advertisement.