Hulu, LLC

Yingan Wang

Dallas Mahrt

Brandon Lonac

Hank Hwang

Stephen Brown

William Daly

Joshua Cook

Karthik Prasanna

Andres Rangel

Minlin Zhang

Ale Capistrano

Ling Lau

Richard W Tom

Jason A Kilar

Arash Nikkar

Bradley J Suter

Arthur Switalski

Haisheng Wu

Eugene C Wei

Betina J Chan-Martin

Paul Henke

Gavin F Hewitt

Damon A Young

Douglas Jimenez

In some embodiments, a method receives a distribution area identifier for media content. A distribution area is defined by one or more geographic primitives and associated with a distribution area identifier. A geographic primitive is defined by one or more location identifiers. The method determines whether the one or more geographic primitives of the media content is applicable to a geographic primitive that is determined from a location identifier associated with a request.

Geo-fencing of media content using distribution areas in a database

In one embodiment, a method receives a first bundle and a second bundle for a video based on metadata for the video. The method stores the second bundle with a dependency on the first bundle when the second bundle is associated with a first set of control data parameters found in the first bundle that control a first aspect of access to the video. The second bundle is stored with a second set of control data parameters to control a second aspect of access to the video. When the first bundle is selected, the method accesses the first set of control data parameters for the first bundle. When the second bundle is selected, the method accesses the first set of control data parameters in the first bundle via the dependency to the first bundle and the second set of control data parameters for the second bundle.

Bundling of video asset variants in a database for video delivery

In some embodiments, a method receives a plurality of distribution areas. A distribution area is defined by one or more geographic primitives and associated with a distribution area identifier. Also, a geographic primitive is defined by one or more location identifiers. The method stores distribution area identifiers for the plurality of distribution areas in a first data structure. Information for media content is received and the method generates a content bundle for the media content based on the information for the media content. The content bundle is associated with a distribution area identifier and metadata that describes characteristics of the media content. The content bundle is stored in a second data structure.

In one embodiment, a method receives a request from a user for one or more extensions to a first program. The first program is associated with a first bundle that indicates the first program starts at a first time and ends at a second time. A second program that starts before the first time or starts after the second time is selected. The second program is associated with a second bundle that indicates the second program ends at the first time or starts at the second time. The method generates an extension bundle that includes information for the one or more extensions and uses the extension bundle to record an extended program for the user that includes the first program and at least a portion of the one or more extensions from the second program.

Extension bundle generation for recording extensions in video delivery

In one embodiment, a method defines a plurality of geographic primitives. A geographic primitive is defined by one or more location identifiers. A plurality of distribution areas are generated where a distribution area is defined by one or more of the geographic primitives. The method assigns one of the distribution areas to each of a plurality of pieces of media content. Then, the method stores the assigned one of the plurality of distribution areas for each of the plurality of pieces of media content in a database. One or more of the plurality of pieces of media content are published with the assigned one of the distribution areas. The assigned one of the distribution areas is usable to determine which media content in the one or more of the plurality of pieces of media content is available to users.

Media content publication using distribution areas in a database

In one embodiment, a method uses a notification of a programming event to determine an entity of a media program and an availability pair. The availability pair identifies an entitlement and a location combination for viewing the media program. the method queries a database using the entity and the availability pair in a query to determine a first set of user profiles associated with the entity and a second set of user profiles associated with the availability pair. The first list of user profiles and the second list of user profiles are analyzed to select at least the portion of the first set of user profiles and the second set of user profiles. Then, the method performs an action for the at least the portion of the first set of user profiles and the second set of user profiles based on an occurrence of the programming event.

Database access using entity and availability pairs in a video delivery system

In one embodiment, a method defines a plurality of geographic primitives that are defined by one or more location identifiers. A plurality of distribution areas are generated where a distribution area is defined by one or more of the geographic primitives. The method assigns one of the plurality of distribution areas to each of a plurality of pieces of media content. A request is received from a client device that is associated with a location identifier. The method performs a reverse lookup query to a database using a geo-mapping service to retrieve a set of distribution areas that include a geographical primitive associated with the location identifier and selects one or more pieces of media content from the plurality of pieces of media content. Information for at least a portion of the one or more pieces of media content is then provided to the client device.

In one embodiment, a method receives information for a video entity where a video delivery system delivers the video entity as a plurality of video assets using different video delivery methods. The method generates bundles for the video assets. Also, dependencies are generated between bundles when two bundles include control data parameters that are the same. The method then stores control data parameters for the bundles for the plurality of video assets based on the dependencies. A second bundle is stored with the dependency on a first bundle and the second bundle includes a second set of control data parameters for the second bundle that is different from the first set of control data parameters included in the first bundle. When the second bundle is selected, the method accesses the first set of control data parameters and the second set of control data parameters for the second bundle.

In one embodiment, a request is received from a user to open a stream for an upcoming second live media program during a time period in which users request a manifest for the upcoming second live media program that will start after a first live media program ends. The method uses a per device stream limit for the user to determine whether to allow the request. A device identifier database is accessed to determine current device identifiers associated with devices that the user is currently using to receive media programs. The method determines whether a device identifier associated with a device that sent the request is found in the current device identifiers. In response to determining that the device identifier for the request is found in the current device identifiers, the request to open the stream is allowed based on determining that the per device stream limit is not violated.

Preload-supported concurrent video stream limiting

In one embodiment, a method receives interest indications for entities, entitlements, and location information that are indexed by user profiles in databases. The interest indications for the entities, the entitlements, and the location information are transformed from being indexed by the user profiles to indexing the entities and indexing entitlement and location information as availability pairs in an index and associating user profiles in the user profiles as entries for the index. The method receives a notification of a live programming event before the event starts and uses the notification to determine an entity of a media program and an availability pair. A second database is queried using the entity and the availability pair to determine a set of user profiles associated with the entity and the availability pair. Then, an action is performed for at least a portion of the set of user profiles before the live programming event occurs.

Live programming event query generation for recording and notification in a video delivery system

Commenting tied to user-selected times during play of audio/video content is enabled by a computer system. An apparatus detects a time that input of user comment data is received during playback of audio/video content on an electronic display device. The apparatus determines a temporal point relative to the playback of the audio/video content correlated to the user comment data, based on the time. The apparatus transmits the user comment data correlated to identifiers for the audio-video content and the temporal point to a computer server. The server may configure the video data for publishing on a website so that the comment data is displayed for a limited period based on the temporal point. Users may thereby conveniently record audio or textual comments that are output during subsequent play of the audio/video content, for sharing with friends and others.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Yingan Wang