Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC

Comcast Cable Communications, LLC

Theplatform for Media, Inc.

Theplatform for Media, Inc., a Washington Corporation

Alan Aitken Ramaley

Thomas W Olsen

Sean Erik McAteer

Suresh Tharamal

Gabriel J Hall

Brian Burkhart

David M Buchthal

Valerie D Serdy

George Lester

Andrew Olson

Andrew Sodt

Rahul Sonnad

Darrell L Aldrich

Ian Blaine

Noah Benjamin Edelstein

Erik Rucker

Michael A Schmidt

Sankar Ramasubramanian

Eric Wendell Johnson

Piero Sierra

Ethan Joseph Bernsten

Methods and systems for redirecting content players are described. A request for content may be received by a network device from a user device. A session ID may be generated to track both the current and subsequent request for the content. The network device may redirect the user device to an initial segment of an advertisement. For an initial request by the content player that requests a segment of the content not associated with an initial segment of the advertisement, the content player can be redirected to the initial segment of the advertisement. For subsequent request for the content, the content player can be provided the particular segment of the content initially requested without redirection.

Methods and systems for redirecting content players

Methods and systems are described for generating content identification files, such as manifest files, for ensuring content and advertising continuity when changes occur during playback. A user device can request content at a particular bitrate, and a first manifest file comprising references to the content and selected associated content such as advertisements can be created in response to the request. While one of the advertisements is being displayed, the user device can request a change, such as for a different bitrate. A computing device, such as a manifest server can access the first manifest file to determine the content and the associated content, such as the advertisements, that were intended for the user. The manifest server can then create a second manifest file in response to the request, where the second manifest file can be created with the associated content, for example, the advertisements in the first manifest file.

Systems and methods for advertising continuity

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.

Enhanced service compatibility with clients

Methods and systems are described for generating content identification files, such as manifest files, for ensuring content and advertising continuity when changes occur during playback. A user device can request content at a particular bitrate, and a first manifest file comprising references to the content and selected associated content such as advertisements can be created in response to the request. While one of the advertisements is being displayed, the user device can request a change, such as for a different bitrate. A computing device, such as a manifest server can access the first manifest file to determine the content and the associated content, such the advertisements, that were intended for the user. The manifest server can then create a second manifest file in response to the request, where second manifest file can be created with the associated content, for example, the advertisements in the first manifest file.

A system and method that integrates a plurality of media service systems offering different multimedia services such as media storage, syndication, delivery, and billing services. The system and method also provides automated file transcoding. In embodiment, a method of the present invention includes receiving a plurality of physical media files, organizing the plurality of physical media files so that different bit-rates and formats of a single source material are organized into a media database entity, receiving user specified delivery settings for the distribution of the physical media file, generating a release database entity storing the delivery settings of the physical media file, generating an address indicating the storage location of the release, and transmitting the address to a remote computing device.

Method and system for managing and distributing digital media

Methods and systems are described for generating content identification tiles, such as manifest files, for ensuring content and advertising continuity when changes occur during playback. A user device can request content at a particular bitrate, and a first manifest file comprising references to the content and selected associated content such as advertisements can be created in response to the request. While one of the advertisements is being displayed, the user device can request a change, such as for a different bitrate. A computing device, such as a manifest server can access the first manifest file to determine the content and the associated content, such the advertisements, that were intended for the user. The manifest server can then create a second manifest file in response to the request, where second manifest file can be created with the associated content, for example, the advertisements in the first manifest file.

A document management system and method are provided to support simultaneous multi-user editing of a single document. The system and method do not require the use of a new file format or the use of a central document repository to limit user access to the document. When a user attempts to open the document and a determination is made that the document is in use, then an alert is presented to the user that informs the user that the document is locked for editing. The user may select to receive a notification when the original document is no longer in use. If the user selects to make a local copy and subsequently merge the changes, the local copy will be made and the path of the original document will be stored so that the original document location can be determined at the time that the changes are merged. When the original document becomes available, the user's changes can be merged into the original document. The original document is located using the original path that was stored when the local copy was created. Of course, any time that a merge is attempted, and a conflict exists (i.e., the changes in the local document are inconsistent with the changes made to the original document), an alert can be generated to inform the user of the conflict and the user can be prompted to reconcile the conflict to complete the merge.

System and method for enabling simultaneous multi-user electronic document editing

A computer-implemented process for replacing old files having old names on a permanent storage medium with new files in volatile memory. Some of these files may be opaque files, which are old files that have become new files without undergoing any changes, other than possibly name changes. The primary steps of this replacement can comprise first saving the non-opaque new files onto the permanent storage medium and assigning them temporary filenames. An opaque recovery file listing the old name and a temporary name for each opaque file is created. A primary recovery file listing the temporary name and a final name for each new file is created. After the names of the opaque files are changed to their temporary names, the names of the non-opaque old files are changed from their old names to backup names. Then, the names of the new files are changed from their temporary names to their final names. The recovery files and the old files can be deleted. If an event leaves the program performing the primary steps in control but unable to complete the replacement, then the old files can be restored to the permanent storage medium. If an event prevents completion of either a replacement attempt or a restoration of the old files, completion of the replacement can again be attempted at a later time using the recovery files. The described processes can be applied to saving HTML documents, each of which typically comprises multiple files.

File save method for HTML files using recovery files including a list with temporary and final names for replacement files

A method for packing the multiple files and folders of an HTML Web page into a single MHTML file. The packing process begins by determining whether the user has write privileges to the current location. If not, the user is prompted to save the MHTML file in an alternate location (e.g., the desktop). If the user has write privileges to the current location, the process opens the main HTML Web page and searches for supporting resource files. In short, the supporting resource files are identified by searching for known, common resource file references in the main HTML source file. When the resource file references have been identified, the process packages the main HTML document and all of the supporting resource files into a single file in MHTML format. The unpacking process opens the MHTML file and identifies the main HTML document portion, as well as the portions of the MHTML file containing the supporting resource files. Once all of the components have been identified, the Web page's folder structure is determined by referring to the content location field contained in each separate portion of the MHTML file. The individual MHTML components are converted into files and the main HTML file is stored. The resource files are stored in locations relative to the main HTML file, as identified by the unpacked folder structure.

Method and system for packing and unpacking web pages

A system and method for reviewing an electronic document. A copy of an electronic document is sent to a reviewer, the copy of the electronic document having a first property identifying the location of the electronic document in the memory and indicating that review of the copy has been requested. The reviewer uses an application program to open the copy of the electronic document. The application program detects properties and in response to the first property, automatically displays a review toolbar. The edited electronic document is then sent back to the author having at least a first property. The application program executed by the author detects the properties and in response to the first property, retrieves the original electronic document from the memory and automatically prompts the author to merge the edited electronic document into the electronic document.

Reviewing and merging electronic documents

An email client is configured to watch for attachment events and to automatically package a web page as a single-file attachment to an email note. When an attachment event is recognized by the email client, a determination is made as to whether the attached file is an HTML document. If the attached document is an HTML document, then a determination is made as to whether the HTML document has supporting resource files. If the HTML file has supporting resource files, then the registry is checked to see if the user has specified to include all supporting resource files with any HTML attachment. If not, then the user is prompted by a dialog box to select whether the supporting resource files should be attached. If the user expresses a desire to have the supporting resource files attached then the web page and all supporting resource files are packaged into a single file in Web Archive (e.g., MHTML) format. This single file is attached to the email note and transmitted with the email note to the recipient. The recipient will be able to unpack the attachment so that the web page can be displayed in its original form.

System and method for sending a web page via electronic mail

An automated review cycle automatically merges changes in a reviewed document into an original document and by provides reviewing tools on a context-sensitive basis. The automated review cycle can operate within the environments of a document management system, a link-based document collaboration system (e.g., common server), or an attachment-based collaboration system. By generating a review cycle identification number (RCID) and by maintaining other information about the review cycle in a configuration file, an original author and a reviewer of a document can be distinguished and can be provided the appropriate prompts and tools to facilitate the document review process.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Alan Aitken Ramaley