Apparatus and method for content playback utilizing crowd sourced statistics

Abstract

A server includes a processor and a memory connected to the processor to store instructions executed by the processor to collect playback statistics from network connected content players, perform an evaluation of the playback statistics, and establish a playback configuration for specified content based upon the evaluation of the playback statistics. A request for the playback configuration for the specified content is received from a network connected content player. The playback configuration for the specified content is transferred to the network connected player.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory connected to the processor to store instructions executed by the processor to:
 retrieve playback statistics from a plurality of different network connected content players, 
 perform an evaluation of the playback statistics, 
 establish a playback configuration for individual instances of content based upon the evaluation of the playback statistics, 
 receive, from a first network connected content player of the plurality of different network connected content players, a request to select a playback configuration corresponding to a specified instance of the content, the selected playback configuration including an aggregate of the playback statistics, and 
 transfer the selected playback configuration corresponding to the specified instance of the content to the first network connected player. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein the playback statistics characterize audio attributes or video attributes of the content. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2  wherein audio attributes are selected from volume level, peak volume, equalization, dynamic range, speaker configuration, room acoustics and codec used. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 2  wherein video attributes are selected from video histogram, colorimetry information, scene changes detected, codec used, container format, raw video data and metadata. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the specified content and aggregated playback configuration information for the specified content. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores instructions executed by the processor to:
 aggregate different playback statistics from the plurality of different network connected content players to form a distribution for different characteristics associated with playback the individual instances of content. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the memory stores instructions executed by the processor to:
 generate a value for each of the different characteristics, wherein the value is used as a playback configuration parameter for future individual instances of the content. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the specified instance of content and aggregated play configuration information for an entirety of the specified instance of content. 
     
     
       9. A content player, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory connected to the processor to store instructions executed by the processor to:
 receive content over a network, 
 receive, from a crowdsourcing server, an indication to collect statistics in response to an inquiry about whether to collect statistics, 
 play the content, and 
 upload, in response to the indication, content statistics collected during playback to the crowdsourcing server, wherein the content statistics characterize audio or video attributes of the content and are used by the crowdsourcing server to generate a playback configuration for the content player and different content players connected to the crowdsourcing server, the playback configuration including an aggregate of playback statistics from the different content players. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The content player of  claim 9  wherein the memory stores instructions executed by the processor to:
 fetch a playback configuration from the crowdsourcing server, wherein the playback configuration includes playback parameters calculated based on an aggregated analysis of playback statistics from the different content players, and 
 play content in accordance with the playback configuration. 
 
     
     
       11. The content player of  claim 9  wherein audio attributes are selected from volume level, peak volume, equalization, dynamic range, speaker configuration, room acoustics, and codec used. 
     
     
       12. The content player of  claim 9  wherein video attributes are selected from video histogram, colorimetry information, scene changes detected, codec used, container format, raw video data and metadata. 
     
     
       13. The content player of  claim 9  wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the content and aggregated playback configuration information for the content. 
     
     
       14. A method comprising:
 retrieving, by a computing device, playback statistics from a plurality of different network connected content players; 
 performing, by the computing device, an evaluation of the playback statistics; 
 establishing, by a computing device, a playback configuration for individual instances of content based upon the evaluation of the playback statistics; 
 receiving, by the computing device, from a first network connected content player of the plurality of different network connected content players, a request to select a playback configuration corresponding to a specified instance of the content, content, the selected playback configuration including an aggregate of the playback statistics; and 
 transferring, by the computing device, the selected playback configuration corresponding to the specified instance of the content to the first network connected player. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the establishing comprises:
 aggregating different playback statistics from the plurality of different network connected content players to form a distribution for different characteristics associated with playback the individual instances of content. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the establishing further comprises:
 generating a value for each of the different characteristics, wherein the value is used as a playback configuration parameter for future individual instances of the content. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the specified instance of content and aggregated play configuration information for an entirety of the specified instance of content. 
     
     
       18. A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, content over a network; 
 receiving, from a crowdsourcing server, an indication to collect statistics in response to an inquiry about whether to collect statistics; 
 playing, by the computing device, the content; and 
 uploading, by the computing device, in response to the indication, content statistics collected during playback to the crowdsourcing server, wherein the content statistics characterize audio or video attributes of the content and are used by the crowdsourcing server to generate a playback configuration for the content player and different content players connected to the crowdsourcing server, the playback configuration including an aggregate of playback statistics from the different content players. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 fetching a playback configuration from the crowdsourcing server, wherein the playback configuration includes playback parameters calculated based on an aggregated analysis of playback statistics from the different content players; and 
 playing content in accordance with the playback configuration. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the playback configuration includes playback configuration information for individual segments of the content and aggregated playback configuration information for the content.