Systems and methods for media packaging
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a method for packaging media and data for transmission over a broadband communications network link for display at a terminal destination. Features of the method included creating desired media segments for transmission to the terminal destination and for creating targeting information, for example in whole or in part in the form of metadata, for transmission to the terminal destination. Other features include packaging the created media segments and the created targeting information in a single package and unpacking the single package for display of the targeted media at the terminal destination. In another aspect, the invention can provide a method for unpacking media and data for display at a terminal destination implementing, at the terminal destination, receiving a single package containing media segments and instructions regarding handling of the media segments, quickly unpacking the media segments and the instructions from the single package and, based on the unpacked instructions, assembling one or more of the media segments for display at the terminal destination.
1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
collecting a plurality of media segments for transmission to a device, each of said media segments comprising a fragment of a content message;
creating targeting information for transmission to said device, said targeting information defining a plurality of versions of said content message formed from two or more of the plurality of media segments and a target segment audience;
packaging said plurality of media segments and said targeting information defining the plurality of versions of said content message in a single file; and
transmitting the single file and instructions to unpack said single file, the instructions being configured to instruct said device to determine which one of the plurality of versions of said content message to assemble based on the target segment audience, assemble one or more of the collected plurality of media segments to generate said content message, and present for display said assembled content message at said device in accordance with said targeting information.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said unpacking occurs substantially on-demand.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising using an optimizing procedure during said packaging to optimize the size of said package.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said media segments are segments of advertisements.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said device is a set-top box.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said packaging comprises:
creating a plurality of first video files in a first format;
creating a plurality of first audio files in a second format;
converting said first video files to a third format compatible with use at said device;
converting said first audio files to a fourth format compatible with use at said device; and
multiplexing said converted files into a packaging file for transmission to an intermediate cache server.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further wherein said unpacking comprises:
de-packaging, at said intermediate cache server, said transmitted package file to generate video media and audio media assets;
concatenating said audio and video assets at said intermediate cache server; and
outputting from said intermediate cache server said concatenated files to a unique signal path to the device.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said third and fourth formats are formats directly usable by said device.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said unpacking occurs at said device.
10. A device comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform operations comprising:
receiving over a network a single file containing a plurality of media segments comprising a fragment of a content message and targeting information defining a plurality of versions of the content message formed from two or more of the plurality of media segments and a target segment audience for each of the plurality of versions of the content message;
unpacking said plurality of media segments and said targeting information defining the plurality of versions of said content message from said single file;
identifying one of said plurality of versions of said content message based upon said targeting information; and
assembling said one of said plurality of versions of said content message from two or more of the plurality of media segments using said targeting information into an assembled content message for display at said device.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein said unpacking takes place substantially on-demand.
12. The device of claim 11 , wherein said media segments include audio and video segments, and said assembling comprises:
concatenating audio segments;
concatenating video segments;
combining the concatenated audio and video segments; and
forwarding the combined concatenated segments for display.
13. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
collecting a plurality of media segments for transmission to an intermediate cache server from which a unique transmission path exists to a device, each of said media segments comprising a fragment of a content message;
creating targeting information for transmission to said intermediate cache server, said targeting information defining a plurality of versions of said content message formed from two or more of the plurality of media segments and a target segment audience;
packaging the collected plurality of media segments and targeting information defining the plurality of versions of said content message at a source location into a single file;
transmitting said single file from said source location to said cache server over a broadband network link; and
transmitting instructions to de-package said single file at said intermediate cache server substantially on-demand, the instructions being configured to instruct said device to determine which one of the plurality of versions of said content message to assemble based on the target segment audience, assemble one or more of the plurality of media segments to generate said content message, and present for display said assembled content message at said device in accordance with said targeting information.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising preprocessing said media segments prior to said transmitting for enabling substantially on-demand de-packaging of said single package at said intermediate cache server.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said preprocessing comprises converting said media segments at said source to a format compatible with a format required at the device.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said packaging comprises creating a package file having at least an index table, media assets, and an assembly table.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said index table comprises at least pointers to the location and lengths of identified media segments in the package file and their type.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , further wherein said assembly table comprises at least instructions regarding a concatenation of media segments for display in different demographic episodes.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said demographic episodes are time periods.