US 11,785,268 B1
System for managing video playback using a server generated manifest/playlist
Ismail R. Haritaoglu, Palo Alto, CA (US); and Oztan Harmanci, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Google LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/13,370.
Application 17/013,370 is a continuation of application No. 15/590,955, filed on May 9, 2017, granted, now 10,771,824.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/334,157, filed on May 10, 2016.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 7/173 (2011.01); H04N 21/234 (2011.01); H04N 21/232 (2011.01); H04N 21/2387 (2011.01)
CPC H04N 21/23424 (2013.01) [H04N 21/232 (2013.01); H04N 21/2387 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for managing video playback comprising:
a manifest server configured to communicate with a plurality of video players and a content delivery network (CDN), the manifest server to:
(a) receive a request from a first video player of the plurality of video players for playing a video stream, wherein the video stream is associated with a first manifest file for the video stream and distributed to the CDN along with the video stream;
(b) upon receiving the request, communicate with the CDN to request, from the CDN, the first manifest file previously stored at the CDN, the first manifest file containing information to allow any of the plurality of video players to play the video stream;
(c) receive the first manifest file from the CDN;
(d) modify the first manifest file previously stored at and received from the CDN to produce a second manifest file unique to the first video player having the request,
wherein to modify the first manifest file to produce the second manifest file unique to the first video player, the manifest server is further to:
determine at least one rule associated with a connection between the manifest server and the first video player,
determine a view history of a user of the first video player, the view history comprising an indication of a total viewing time of the user with respect to the video stream, and an indication of a total viewing time of the user with respect to alternative content, and
modify a playlist of the first manifest file to specify a combination of segments of the video stream and segments of the alternative content in a modified video stream, wherein a number of segments of the alternative content is added to the segments of the video stream in the combination in accordance with the rule and the view history comprising the indication of the total viewing time of the user with respect to the video stream, and the indication of the total viewing time of the user with respect to the alternative content,
(e) transmit the second manifest file to the first video player, the second manifest file including the modified playlist to allow the first video player to play the combination of segments of the video stream and the segments of alternative content in the modified video stream according to the rule and the view history of the user of the first video player; and
(f) in response to a second request of the user with respect to the modified video stream, create an updated second manifest file based on (i) the rule associated with the connection between the manifest server and the first video player and (ii) recent view history of the user.