Hulu, LLC

Mckay Salisbury

Stephen Brown

Tong Yang

Karthik Prasanna

Arkin Yetis

Peter Moore

Jeremy Cutler

Xiaoming Sun

Srivardhan Jalan

In some embodiments, a method receives a plurality of viewing policies for a media program. The plurality of viewing policies include an action to perform for the media program and an audience. The action for at least a portion of the plurality of viewing policies is reviewed to determine a first viewing policy that includes the action of sending a base content stream for the media program. The method selects a first audience associated with the base content stream in the first viewing policy and one or more second audiences associated with actions in one or more second viewing policies. An audience definition for the media program defining one or more restrictions on viewing the media program is generated. The one or more restrictions are based on the first audience and the one or more second audiences. Then, the method stores the audience definition for the media program.

Audience definition for media programs

In some embodiments, a method receives a message that identifies an asset being viewed on a video service at a timestamp. The message is associated with a profile identifier and a plurality of messages are received for the profile identifier while using the video service. The method determines a channel identifier for a channel in which the asset is offered during the timestamp and determines whether a channel change occurred based on the channel identifier and a prior channel identifier determined from a prior message in the plurality of messages. When the channel change has occurred, the method stores the channel identifier and timestamp for the profile identifier in a data structure, wherein a list of channels is generated by querying the data structure to determine a set of channel identifiers and timestamps for the profile identifier.

Recent channels pre-calculation in video delivery

In one embodiment, a method receives a first stream identifier for a video stream. The first stream identifier is received in a request from a client for the video stream. The method selects a virtual stream identifier for the first stream identifier where the virtual stream identifier is associated with a plurality of physical stream identifiers associated with a plurality of physical streams. A ranking of the plurality of physical stream identifiers is analyzed to select one of the physical stream identifiers. Then, the method outputs the one of the physical stream identifiers as the video stream to use in response to the request for the first stream identifier. The one of the physical stream identifiers is sent to the client to allow the client to request the respective physical stream.

Video stream switching service

Viewing policies are received for a media program being offered via linear programming. The viewing policies are transformed to a linear prioritized list of audiences and respective actions to perform on a per user basis for presentation via the live linear programming. The actions analyzed to determine a base action associated with sending a base content stream for the media program. An audience associated with the base content stream and previous audiences associated with previous actions that have a higher priority in the linear prioritized list than the content stream audience are selected. An audience definition for the media program is generated defining restrictions based on the base audience and the previous audiences. The audience definition is used to determine whether users may view the media program based on characteristics of the users before the media program is available via the live linear programming.

Audience location for media programs in live linear programming

In one embodiment, a method receives a request for a channel offered by a video delivery service from a user and generates user information for the user. In response to receiving the request, the method sends a query to a database to retrieve a bundle that includes an audience definition that matches the user information. A bundle identifies a source stream for a program and only one bundle for a time slot is returned for the query from multiple bundles for the channel that exist for the time slot. A manifest is constructed for the channel using the bundle where the manifest identifies content from the source stream of the bundle. The method then provides portions of the manifest to a client device for the user to allow the client device to request content from the source stream for the channel.

Generation of a manifest including a list of links for video segments in linear video communication

In one embodiment, a method receives information describing programs for a channel over multiple time slots. Audience definitions are generated for the programs defining parameters for selecting a respective source stream for delivery to users. A bundle is stored for each audience definition. A request is received for the channel from a user. The method then generates a viewer definition for the user based on a current status of the user, wherein the viewer definition includes user information for the user. In response to receiving the request, a manifest is constructed for the channel using a set of bundles that includes audience definitions that match the viewer definition. Only one bundle per time slot is selected for the manifest. Portions of the manifest are provided to a client device to allow the client device to request content from the channel.

Growing community of inventors

Culver City, CA, United States of America

Mckay Salisbury