Method and system for limiting video watching times

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for limiting video watching times, and the method comprises the steps: a user requests to play a video at a client, and the client obtains the current watching times of the video by the user from a server, and judges whether the user is allowed to watch the video or not; in the video playing process, the client side reports the starting moment and the ending moment of watching the video by the user to the server side according to the reporting rule; and the server side accumulates the effective progress of the current user according to the reported data, when the effective progress is gradually increased until the effective progress is greater than a set threshold value, 1 is added to the watching times, and after the video playing is finished, the effective progress is initialized to be 0. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the concept of the video coverage duration is provided, the effectiveness of video watching frequency statistics is achieved, a video publisher can set the statistical standard of one-time watching by himself / herself, the watching frequency of a viewer is restrained through the set statistical standard of each-time video watching, and the legitimate rights and interests of creators are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of video playback, and in particular relates to a method and system for limiting the number of times a video is viewed. Background Art

[0002] Currently, if videos are not permanently available, they are usually available for viewing at a limited time or with a limited number of views. In the field of online education, there is often a need to record the number of times a video is viewed.

[0003] There are usually several ways to record the number of playbacks:

[0004] The first method is to count user views by device and IP. If the same device and IP are used to watch the same video repeatedly within a short period of time, it will be counted as one view. This method of recording the number of times does not take into account the actual length of the video watched by the user. If the user watches the video multiple times but only watches the first half of the video, then the number of views should not be recorded.

[0005] The second method is to count each time a user clicks play as a view. This method of recording the number of times is simpler and cannot reflect the actual viewing situation.

[0006] The third method: Calculate by cumulative viewing time. For example, if a video is 10 minutes long, and the user repeatedly watches 0 to 5 minutes of the video, it will be counted as one viewing when it reaches 10 minutes. This method has the same flaws as the first method. In addition, if the user uses double-speed playback, he has actually watched the video, but the playback time does not meet the standard, and the record is not accurate.

[0007] The above is a common method for counting video views. If the video is sold as a commodity, it is impossible to limit the number of times consumers watch it through the above method. For example, consumers can watch it unlimited times. During this process, users can share the video with other users, and the dissemination of the video cannot be controlled, which will cause damage to the interests of the business. In the field of online education, if it is impossible to accurately record the length of time users watch the video, it is impossible to ensure good teaching results. Summary of the invention

[0008] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defect that the existing video playback system records the unreasonable number of times a user plays a video.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes a method for limiting the number of video viewing times, the method comprising:

[0010] Step 1: The client receives a video playback request from the user and obtains the number of views of the video from the server. If the number of views is less than the set maximum number of views, the video is played; otherwise, the video is refused to be played.

[0011] Step 2: During video playback, the client reports the start and end times of the video being viewed by the user to the server according to the reporting rules;

[0012] Step 3: The server accumulates the effective progress of the current user based on the reported data. When the effective progress gradually increases until it exceeds the set threshold, the number of views is increased by 1. After the video is played, the effective progress is initialized to 0.

[0013] As an improvement of the above method, the reporting rules include timed reporting, reporting by dragging the progress bar, and reporting by exiting playback.

[0014] As an improvement of the above method, the timed reporting is specifically as follows: during video playback, the client reports the start time and end time of user playback at set intervals; the set time is specified by the video publisher on the server.

[0015] As an improvement to the above method, the dragging progress bar reporting is specifically as follows: when the client detects that the user has finished dragging the video progress bar, the start time and end time of the video watched by the user before dragging are reported to the server, and the start time of the current viewing is set as the time scale of the video when the dragging ends.

[0016] As an improvement of the above method, the exit playback reporting is specifically: when the client detects that the user exits the current video playback, the start time and end time of the user playback are reported.

[0017] As an improvement of the above method, the effective progress is:

[0018] Effective progress = video coverage time / total video length * 100%

[0019] The video coverage duration is specifically: the actual coverage duration of the video watched by the user, and the overlapping time periods in the watched video are not recorded repeatedly.

[0020] The present invention also provides a system for limiting the number of video viewing times, which is implemented based on the above method, and the system includes:

[0021] A client, used to play videos, control whether a user can play videos according to the number of times the user has watched the video, and report the start and end time of the user watching the video according to the reporting rules; and

[0022] The server is used to publish videos, record the number of times users have viewed the videos, and calculate the effective progress of the user's video viewing based on the start and end times of the video viewing reported by the client.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are:

[0024] The technical solution of the present invention proposes the concept of video coverage duration, and realizes the effectiveness of video viewing statistics. Creators can set the statistical standard for a viewing by themselves. By setting the statistical standard for each video viewing, the number of views of viewers is restricted, thereby ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of creators. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of video coverage duration;

[0026] Figure 2 The following is a schematic diagram of client reporting rules;

[0027] Figure 3 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the effective progress of the server recording;

[0028] Figure 4 The following is a sequence diagram of the method for limiting the number of times a video is viewed;

[0029] Figure 5 Shown is a flow chart of a method for limiting the number of times a video is viewed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] The present application provides a method and system for limiting the number of times a video is viewed. By introducing the concept of "video coverage duration" and recording the video coverage duration, the number of times a user views a video is calculated. This can accurately reflect the situation of the user watching the video, and the number of times the video is viewed is more in line with the actual situation.

[0032] Video coverage time refers to the actual coverage time of the videos watched by users. Overlapping time periods in the videos watched are not recorded repeatedly. It is neither the actual time spent by users watching the videos nor the number of times users open the videos.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown in the figure, it is a video with a length of 31 seconds. Each number from 1 to 31 represents a video with a length of 1 second. The figure shows a total of 4 playbacks. The first playback was for the 1st to 5th seconds of the video, the second playback was for the 15th to 20th seconds of the video, the third playback was for the 8th to 10th seconds of the video, and the fourth playback was for the 13th to 25th seconds of the video. The last reported coverage duration of this video is 20 seconds, which is the gray-background number part in the figure.

[0034] In another case, there is a 10-minute video. If the user plays it at 2x speed, the coverage time is equal to 10 minutes, while the actual time taken is 5 minutes.

[0035] Video online viewing is usually divided into two parts: client and server. The video is stored on the server, and the user opens the video on the client to play it. When recording the video coverage time, the client reports the start and end time of the user's playback to the server at a fixed time or at a specific time, and the server calculates the video coverage time based on the data reported by the client.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the client reports the start and end time of the user's playback to the server in the following situations:

[0037] 1. Timed reporting: When a user plays a video, the client reports the start and end time of the user's playback at set intervals. The set time can be specified by the video publisher on the server, for example, reporting once every 10 seconds.

[0038] 2. Report when the user drags the video progress bar; report when the user drags the video progress bar and selects the video segment to be viewed. When the user finishes dragging, the client reports the start and end time of the video that the user was watching before dragging to the server, and sets the start time of the current viewing as the time scale of the video when dragging ends.

[0039] 3. Report when the user exits playback; when the user closes the video, the client reports once.

[0040] The server records the video coverage duration in an effective progress manner:

[0041] Effective progress = video coverage time / total video length * 100%

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown in Figure 1, for a 10-second video, the user watched 8 seconds of the video for the first time, with an effective progress of 80%; and watched 9 seconds of the video for the second time, with an effective progress of 90%.

[0043] The video publisher can set a threshold on the server side for how much effective progress is counted as one video viewing. For example, when the effective progress reaches 75%, it means that the user has watched the video once. Figure 3 As shown, the user watched the video twice, one time with an effective progress of 80% and one time with an effective progress of 90%, both exceeding 75%, so it is recorded that the user watched the video twice.

[0044] When the user exits the video, if the effective progress reaches the set threshold, it will be recorded as having been watched once and the effective progress will be cleared. When the user watches the video again, the effective progress will be counted from 0.

[0045] like Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown in the figure, the method of limiting the number of video views includes:

[0046] Step 1: The user requests to play a video on the client, and the client obtains the number of times the current user has played the video from the server to determine whether the user is allowed to watch the video;

[0047] Step 2: During video playback, the client reports the start and end times of the video being viewed by the user to the server according to the reporting rules;

[0048] Step 3: The server accumulates the effective progress of the current user based on the reported data. When the effective progress gradually increases until it exceeds the set threshold, the number of views is increased by 1. After the video is played, the effective progress is initialized to 0.

[0049] By introducing the concept of video coverage time, the proportion of the total length of the video watched by the user is converted into effective progress. The method of the present application can accurately record the number of times the user actually watches the video, reasonably judge the number of times the user watches the video, and protect the interests of the video publisher.

[0050] The present invention also provides a system for limiting the number of video viewing times, which is implemented based on the above method, and the system includes:

[0051] A client, used to play videos, control whether a user can play videos according to the number of times the user has watched the video, and report the start and end time of the user watching the video according to the reporting rules; and

[0052] The server is used to publish videos, record the number of times users have viewed the videos, and calculate the effective progress of the user's video viewing based on the start and end times of the video viewing reported by the client.

[0053] The present invention may also provide a computer device, comprising: at least one processor, a memory, at least one network interface and a user interface. The various components in the device are coupled together through a bus system. It is understood that the bus system is used to achieve connection and communication between these components. In addition to the data bus, the bus system also includes a power bus, a control bus and a status signal bus.

[0054] The user interface may include a display, a keyboard or a pointing device, such as a mouse, a trackball, a touch pad or a touch screen.

[0055] It is understood that the memory in the embodiments disclosed in the present application may be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or may include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory may be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile memory may be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct memory bus random access memory (DRRAM). The memories described herein are intended to include, but are not limited to, these and any other suitable types of memories.

[0056] In some embodiments, the memory stores the following elements, executable modules or data structures, or a subset thereof, or an extended set thereof: an operating system and applications.

[0057] The operating system includes various system programs, such as a framework layer, a core library layer, a driver layer, etc., which are used to implement various basic services and process hardware-based tasks. The application includes various application programs, such as a media player (Media Player), a browser (Browser), etc., which are used to implement various application services. The program for implementing the method of the embodiment of the present disclosure can be included in the application.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the processor may also call a program or instruction stored in the memory, specifically, a program or instruction stored in an application program, and is used to:

[0059] Execute the steps of the above method.

[0060] The above method can be applied to a processor or implemented by a processor. The processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In the implementation process, each step of the above method can be completed by an integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor or an instruction in the form of software. The above processor may be a general processor, a digital signal processor (Digital Signal Processor, DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC), a field programmable gate array (Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components. The above-disclosed methods, steps and logic block diagrams can be implemented or executed. The general processor may be a microprocessor or the processor may also be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the above-disclosed method can be directly embodied as a hardware decoding processor to execute, or the hardware and software modules in the decoding processor are combined to execute. The software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the field such as a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and completes the steps of the above method in combination with its hardware.

[0061] It is understood that the embodiments described in the present invention can be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the processing unit can be implemented in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processors (DSP), digital signal processing devices (DSPD), programmable logic devices (PLD), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), general processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units for performing the functions described in the present application or a combination thereof.

[0062] For software implementation, the technology of the present invention can be implemented by executing the functional modules (such as procedures, functions, etc.) of the present invention. The software code can be stored in a memory and executed by a processor. The memory can be implemented in the processor or outside the processor.

[0063] The present invention may also provide a non-volatile storage medium for storing a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, each step in the above method embodiment can be implemented.

[0064] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to the embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that any modification or equivalent replacement of the technical solutions of the present invention does not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention and should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for limiting the number of times a video is viewed, the method comprising: Step 1: The client receives a video playback request from the user and obtains the number of views of the video from the server. If the number of views is less than the set maximum number of views, the video is played; otherwise, the video is refused to be played. Step 2: During video playback, the client reports the start and end times of the video being viewed by the user to the server according to the reporting rules; Step 3: The server accumulates the effective progress of the current user based on the reported data. When the effective progress gradually increases until it exceeds the set threshold, the number of views is increased by 1. After the video is played, the effective progress is initialized to 0.

2. The method for limiting the number of video viewings according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reporting rules include timed reporting, reporting by dragging the progress bar, and reporting by exiting playback.

3. The method for limiting the number of video viewings according to claim 2, characterized in that: The timed reporting specifically includes: during the video playback process, the client reports the start time and end time of the user's playback at set intervals; the set time is specified by the video publisher on the server.

4. The method for limiting the number of video viewings according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drag progress bar reporting is specifically as follows: when the client detects that the user has finished dragging the video progress bar, the start time and end time of the video watched by the user before dragging are reported to the server, and the start time of the current viewing is set as the time scale of the video when the dragging ends.

5. The method for limiting the number of times a video is viewed according to claim 2, characterized in that: The exit playback reporting is specifically: when the client detects that the user exits the current video playback, the start time and end time of the user playback are reported.

6. The method for limiting the number of times a video is viewed according to claim 1, characterized in that: The effective progress is: Effective progress = video coverage time / total video length * 100% The video coverage duration is specifically: the actual coverage duration of the video watched by the user, and the overlapping time periods in the watched video are not recorded repeatedly.

7. A system for limiting the number of video viewing times, implemented based on any method described in claims 1-6, characterized in that: The system comprises: A client, used to play videos, control whether a user can play videos according to the number of times the user has watched the video, and report the start and end time of the user watching the video according to the reporting rules; and The server is used to publish videos, record the number of times users have viewed the videos, and calculate the effective progress of the user's video viewing based on the start and end times of the video viewing reported by the client.

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