- Number
- 20240121459
- Published
- 2024-04-11
- Filed
- 2022-10-05
- Assignee
- HULU, LLC
- Inventors
- May, JR.; William B. et al.
- CPC
- H04N21/236; H04N21/26258; H04N21/23439; H04N21/8456
- Verdict
- Set aside playlist/content delivery, plumbing/business (note: assignee is Hulu, LLC, not Disney/Lucasfilm directly - affiliated-entity anomaly)
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
Abstract
In some embodiments, a method sends a playlist that includes links to segments of media content. At least a portion of the links include a variable, and a presentation of the media content that is attributable to a request for the media content is created by insertion of values for variables in the playlist. The values are associated with a first version of the media content or a second version of the media content. The method receives a request for a segment and the request contains information from a link included in the playlist. The information includes data based on a value provided for insertion into the link as a substitution for a variable included in the link. The value is associated with the first version of the media content or the second version of the media content. The segment that corresponds to the link is sent.
Background
BACKGROUND
When a content delivery network delivers a video to a client device, the client device may request segments of the video for delivery. The segments may be portions of the video (e.g., five second portions of the video). In the video delivery process, a content delivery network may provide a media playlist to a client device that includes links to the segments of the video. The client device may use each link to request a respective segment of the video. The request may retrieve a segment from the content delivery network for delivery to the client device for playback.
In some scenarios, the content delivery network may provide a unique media playlist for a unique presentation of a video to a client. For example, the content delivery network may store two versions of a video. Then, the content delivery network generates a unique media playlist for a unique presentation of the video by generating a unique sequence of segments from the two versions. Each unique media playlist would have specific links to segments from the sequence of segments from the two versions. Generating unique media playlists for a large number of requests causes the content delivery network to manage and send a large number of unique media playlists. Also, in some cases, the generation uses computing resources to generate the unique media playlists and storage to store each unique media playlist.
Claims
1. A method comprising: determining, by a computing device, a playlist that includes links to segments of media content, wherein entropy slots are defined for the playlist, the entropy slots identifying positions in a list of segments of the media content where segments selected for delivery may be from a first version of the media content or a second version of the media content; sending, by the computing device, the playlist, wherein: each link in a first portion of the links corresponding to a first portion of the entropy slots includes a variable; the playlist is created by substituting values for the variables in the first portion of the links, the values being associated with the first version of the media content or the second version of the media content; each link in a second portion of the links that do not correspond to the entropy slots is associated with the first version of the media content; and the sent playlist is attributable to an individual request for the media content and comprises links to a unique sequence of segments of the media content; receiving, by the computing device, requests for segments of the media content, the requests associated with links from the playlist, wherein: when a request is associated with a link from the first portion of the links the request includes information from the link that includes data based on a value provided as a substitution for a variable included in the link, wherein the value is associated with the first version of the media content or the second version of the media content; and when a request is associated with a link from the second portion of the links, the link is associated with the first version of the media content; and sending, by the computing device, the segments of the media content that correspond to the links. ||
13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to be operable for: determining a playlist that includes links to segments of media content, wherein entropy slots are defined for the playlist, the entropy slots identifying positions in a list of segments of the media content where segments selected for delivery may be from a first version of the media content or a second version of the media content; sending the playlist, wherein: each link in a first portion of the links corresponding to a first portion of the entropy slots includes a variable; the playlist is created by substituting values for the variables in the first portion of the links, the values being associated with the first version of the media content or the second version of the media content; each link in a second portion of the links that do not correspond to the entropy slots is associated with the first version of the media content; and the sent playlist is attributable to an individual request for the media content and comprises links to a unique sequence of segments of the media content; receiving requests for segments of the media content, the requests associated with links from the playlist, wherein: when a request is associated with a link from the first portion of the links the request includes information from the link that includes data based on a value provided as a substitution for a variable included in the link, wherein the value is associated with the first version of the media content or the second version of the media content; and when a request is associated with a link from the second portion of the links, the link is associated with the first version of the media content; and sending the segments of the media content that correspond to the links. ||
14. A method comprising: sending, by a computing device, values for substitution for variables in a first portion of links in a plurality of links, wherein: entropy slots are defined for a playlist, the entropy slots identifying positions in a list of segments of media content where segments selected for delivery may be from a first version of the media content or a second version of the media content, each of the values for variables in the first portion of links is associated with either the first version of a media content or the second version of the media content, and values for variables in a second portion of links are associated with the first version of the media content; sending, by the computing device, the playlist that includes links to segments of media content, wherein each link in at least the first portion of the links corresponding to a first portion of the entropy slots includes a variable; receiving, by the computing device, a request for a segment of the media content, the request based on a link from the playlist and a value from the values; and sending, by the computing device, the segment of the media content that corresponds to the link. ||
17. A method comprising: receiving, by a computing device, a playlist that includes links to segments of media content, wherein: entropy slots are defined for the playlist, the entropy slots identifying positions in a list of segments of the media content where segments selected for delivery may be from a first version of the media content or a second version of the media content, and each link in at least a first portion of the links corresponding to a first portion of the entropy slots includes a variable; determining, by the computing device, a value to insert into each link in the at least the first portion of the links for a variable that was included in each link, wherein the value is associated with the first version of the media content or the second version of the media content, wherein: a unique sequence of segments of the media content is created using the links, including the at least the first portion of the links in which values were inserted in place of variables, to request segments of media content; the values are associated with a first version of the media content or the second version of the media content; and each link in a second portion of the links that do not correspond to the entropy slots is associated with the first version of the media content; sending, by the computing device, a request for a segment that is associated with the link from the playlist; and receiving, by the computing device, the segment of the media content that corresponds to the link.