System and method for generating and accessing video and / or audio streams of a live event

Abstract

A system and method for providing one or more video and / or audio streams of a live event at a venue 2 (figure 1) and making said one or more streams available for use by end users 18. The system and m

Description

The invention to which this application relates is to a system which enables multiple video and / or audio streams of an event to be made available on a platform for access by one or more subscribers and, in particular, to allow attendees of a live event to upload their captured video and / or audio as streams to the platform. The event is typically any event, such as a large attendance event, such as a sports game, a music event, a public display or the like. The provision of broadcasting audio or visual content of a live event is well known. Typically, a live event such as a sporting event or public display will take place within a venue such as a stadium or arena, which will then be using equipment such as cameras or microphones positioned in fixed or movable locations about the venue. The recording equipment is often bulky and expensive, and therefore there is often a limited number of recording units, and therefore broadcast views, that may be provided to a viewer. Furthermore, it is commonplace that one view at a time is presented to a viewer, typically determined by a producer controlling the broadcasts of a sequence of views from the venue. A viewer is therefore unable to choose which view of the event they are watching. Furthermore, what views are available to the viewer are recorded by equipment which is positioned in a way such that a clear and unobstructed image may be broadcast from the venue. This is typically done by positioning the recording equipment at an elevated position above the crowd, spectators or attendees. As such, the atmosphere of the crowd is often not adequately captured in favour of the clarity of the image being broadcast. An aim of present invention is therefore to provide a means to enable an end user to access a plurality of streams broadcast from a venue of an event, such that the end user is able to select which view and / or stream and / or combination of streams to watch or listen to. A further aim of the invention is to provide a means to allow an attendee of an event to broadcast a stream of the event in a manner that is almost simultaneously made accessible to one or more end user, such that the end user or more typically a range of end users are able to access a plurality of streams that more effectively captures the atmosphere of the crowd of the event. A further aim is to allow the end user or plurality of end users to control the particular stream or combination of streams that they wish to view. A further aim is to provide a monetary or other benefit to the streamer. In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system for providing one or more streams of video and / or audio of a Eve event, and including a user interaction platform to allow said one or more streams to be available to be selected for viewing and / or Estennigby end users, the system including: one or more video and / or audio capturing devices used by one or more persons to capture video and / or audio of a Eve event and create said one or more video and / or audio streams; means for transmitting wirelessly the said one or more streams from said video and / or audio capturing devices to a user interaction platform to which the one or more streams are uploaded and made available; an event controller to provide selective adaptation and control of said video and / or audio streams and one or more video and / or audio display devices which can be used to display selected streams, said video and / or audio display devices including means to aUow end user interaction to select said one more streams and receive data for the same wherein the said one or more streams are individually accessible by an end user accessing the platform via their respective video and / or audio display device and selecting to receive the one or more of the streams to be downloaded to their video and / or audio display device to generate a video and / or audio display for the end user of said live event. In one embodiment the plurality of capturing devices are personal devices of persons in attendance at the live event. In one embodiment the streams are uploaded to the platform through a streaming interface accessible through the personal devices. Typically the streaming interface is a mobile application or a website accessible by the personal capturing device. In one embodiment the attendees and / or the personal capturing devices are situated within a predefined venue at which to observe the live event, the predefined venue defined by an event controller. In one embodiment the predefined venue is a controlled environment into which only authorised persons are permitted to enter. Typically the controller in the system is intermediate the capturing devices and the said interface. Typically the event controller monitors the network environment of the predefined venue. Typically the network environment to be monitored includes any or any combination of the signal strength, the bandwidth availability and / or the network traffic patterns. Typically the event controller selectively limits the network traffic between the one or more video and / or audio capturing devices and the platform. Typically the network traffic includes the one or more streams. Preferably the network traffic further includes advertisements to be sent to the operator of the one or more video and / or audio capturing devices. Typically the live event is any of: a performance, such as a musical, theatrical or choreographed performance; a sporting event; a display, such as a firework display or parade; speech, debate or ceremony; and / or the like. Typically the predefined venue is any of a stadium, arena, viewing gallery, cordoned area and / or the like. In the event of a display visible from a relatively large area, such as a firework display, the predefined area may be a surrounding area near the display. In one embodiment the location of a capturing device with respect to the predefined venue is determined by the event controller. Typically the location is determined as either being within the predefined venue or not. In one embodiment the location of the capturing device with respect to a venue is determined by geolocating technology. In another embodiment the capturing device is registered within the predefined venue by inputting a unique identifier of the live event and / or venue to the streaming interface. Typically the unique identifier is only accessible within the venue. Preferably the unique identifier is a computer generated quick-response (QR) code or a randomly generated text / number string displayed within the venue. In one embodiment a capturing device is prevented from uploading a stream to the platform by the event controller if it is determined that the capturing device and / or attendee is located outside of the predefined venue and / or is not authorised to upload the stream from their capturing device to the platform. In one embodiment, the location of a capturing device within a predefined zone of the predefined venue is determined by the event controller. Typically the location of the capturing device within a predefined zone is determined by geolocating technology or by inputting a unique identifier of the zone to the streaming interface. Typically the unique identifier of the zone is only accessible within the zone. Preferably the unique identifier of the zone is a computer generated quick-response (QR) code or a randomly generated text / number string displayed within the zone. In one embodiment predetermined no-upload zones or areas are input to the event controller within the predefined venues, such that the event controller prevents a capturing device from uploading a stream to the platform if it determines the capturing device and / or attendee is located within a no-upload zone. This provides the advantage that upload to the platform is restricted in predetermined no-upload zones, which may be toilets, changing rooms or the like. In one embodiment the event controller includes video analysis software including facial recognition software such that a face of a person recorded by a streamer may be identified. In one embodiment the event controller may include video analysis software including parameters to censor streams. Typically such parameters may include images identified by video recognition software. In one embodiment visual overlays may be included to a stream by video overlay software of the event controller. In one embodiment the plurality of streams for each event are labelled by the event controller before being uploaded to the platform, such that the plurality of streams may be presented as a bundle specific for the event on the platform. In one embodiment the streams are accessible on the platform by multiple users concurrently. In one embodiment the number of end users of a stream and / or event bundle is recorded by the platform. Typically, the streams and / or event bundles that are presented to an end user are prioritised by the number of views of the same at that time by the platform. This provides the advantage that, for example, the streams with the highest number of end users within an event bundle are presented first to an end user of the platform. In one embodiment, traditional broadcasts such as television broadcasts or the like are uploaded to the platform to supplement the streams available to a user. In one embodiment the streams are stored on a database of the platform, such that the streams may be available on demand to an end user and / or may be downloaded from the platform. In one embodiment the streams may be uploaded to the platform from a capturing device after the event has occurred. This provides the advantage that the streamer may upload the capturing to the platform after they have regained signal to the same if it was lost during the event. In one embodiment the streams may be compatible with virtual reality hardware. In one embodiment the event bundles and / or streams and / or streamers are labelled or tagged by the platform. Typically the tag categorises the event bundle, stream or streamer by type of event, size of event, location of event, and / or the like. In one embodiment multiple event bundles may be linked by the platform, such that the linked bundles may be presented to an end user on the platform. In one embodiment the end user and / or streamer is linked to an account by the platform. Typically the number of views, the number of streams, the cumulative stream watch time, the frequency of views and / or the like are attributed to the accounts by the platform. Typically the viewing and / or streaming behaviours of the accounts are recorded by the platform such that automated recommendations may be generated by the platform. Typically the viewing and / or streaming behaviours are determined using the labels or tags of the viewed and / or streamed events. In one embodiment metrics such as the number of views, the number of streams, the cumulative stream watch time, the frequency of views and / or the like across the platform are compiled in a database of the platform. Typically the compiled database are used to direct targeted advertisements towards specific end users of the platform. The targeted advertisements are typically selected for an end user by a targeted advertisement platform that factors user metrics, including any or any combination of the age, gender, social media influence and / or personal interests of the end user. Preferably the traffic originating from virtual private networks (VPNs) is monitored and stored in the database. Typically the compiled metrics are accessible through the platform. In one embodiment the end users accesses the platform by a viewing interface accessible on their personal devices. In one embodiment the end users and / or streamers are able to interact with other end users and / or streamers, venue representatives, event representatives, technical support staff, advertisers and / or the like through the streaming interface and / or viewing interface. In one embodiment the end users are able to share the streams with other end users through the viewing interface. In one embodiment the end user may filter, sort and / or prioritise streams, streamers, events or venues available to them on the platform through the viewing interface. In one embodiment the number of end users viewing the stream that the streamers are broadcasting to through the platform is visible to the streamer through the streaming interface. In one embodiment the accounts viewing a stream are removable and / or blockable by the streamer through the streaming interface. In one embodiment the streams may be edited by the streamer through the streaming interface. In one embodiment multiple streamers may combine streams to be sent to the platform through the streaming interface. In one embodiment the streamers may interact with end users through the streaming interface before and / or after the event has taken place. Typically the platform includes controllers to monitor the network environment between the platform and the streaming devices. Typically the network environment to be monitored includes any or any combination of the signal strength, the bandwidth availability and / or the network traffic patterns. Typically the platform controller selectively limits the network traffic between the platform and the streaming devices. Typically the network traffic includes the one or more streams. Preferably the network traffic further includes advertisements to be sent to the end user. Preferably the advertisements to be sent to the end user may be monitored by the platform controller to monitor the engagement with the advertisements by the end user in real time. In a further aspect of the invention there is a method for providing one or more streams of video and / or audio of a live event, said method comprising the steps of: using one or more video and / or audio capturing devices used by one or more persons to capture video and / or audio of a live event and create one or more video and / or audio streams; transmitting wirelessly the said one or more streams from said video and / or audio capturing devices to a user interaction platform to which the one or more streams are uploaded via an event controller to provide selective adaptation and control of said video and / or audio streams; making available said one or more video and / or audio streams for selection by one or more end users, transmitting said selected one or more video and / or audio streams to an end user display device to display said selected streams, said video and / or audio display devices including means to allow independent end user interaction with the platform to select said one more streams and receive data for the same and wherein the said one or more streams are individually accessible by an end user accessing the platform via their respective video and / or audio display device and selecting to receive the one or more of the streams to be downloaded to their video and / or audio display device to generate their selected video and / or audio of the said live event. Thus, there is provided a system that enables multiple streams of an event to be recorded and uploaded by streamers in attendance of the event to a platform. The platform may then be accessed by one or more end users who can then choose which stream to view. The streams uploaded to the platform are controlled by the event controller, such that streams outside of the venue, or from undesired locations within the venue, are blocked from being uploaded to the platform. The streams may be bundled together for a specific event and presented to an end user collectively. Metrics from the platform including watch time, retention time and the Eke are then collected by the platform and stored in a database of the platform, and may be accessed by advertisers, event organisers and the like. End user and / or streamer accounts may be attributed to different users, and the metrics of these users may also be stored by the platform database. This enables streamers to be rewarded, monetarily or otherwise, for the number of views and other metrics that have been attributed to their account by the platform. Specific embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following figures, wherein: Figure 1 illustrates a venue in which an event is recorded by a plurality of attendees in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 illustrates a schematic of a platform accessible by an end user in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 illustrates a schematic of a platform in communication with an advertising party accessible by an end user in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 illustrates a schematic of a platform in communication with an advertising party and a network provider accessible by an end user in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a venue 2 in which an event is held. The venue in this embodiment is a music venue in which is located a stage 4 on which a musical act is performed, however it is to be appreciated that the venue may be any of a stadium, arena, viewing gallery, cordoned area and / or the like. Within the venue 2 is an area 6 for spectators, represented by 8, attending the venue to observe the event 4. The spectators 8 are able to visually and / or audially record the event 4 using their personal capturing devices such as personal cameras, mobile phones, laptop devices etc. The individual captures of the event 4 are to be uploaded to a video platform 10 via an event controller 12 as streams, as indicated in Figure 2 which shows the streaming process 11. The streams may be uploaded via a streaming interface 14 which is a mobile application or a website accessible though the individual capturing devices. This provides the advantage that streams of different views or crowd locations are available on the platform 10. For example, from the streamer 8 and 8’ as seen in Figure 1. An event controller 12 controls the upload of the captures to the platform 10. Through the controller 12, an administrator is able to geographically define the venue 2 in which the event is to be held. If a spectator or streamer 8 attempts to upload a stream of the event to the platform 10 and is located outside of the venue 2 as defined by the controller, the event controller 12 blocks this upload. This provides the advantage that only streams recorded from inside the venue 2 are available to an end user 18 of the platform 10. The location of a streamer 8 with respect to the venue 2 is determined by geolocating the capturing device of the streamer 8. For example, the location of the capturing devices of streamers 8, 8’ and 8” are determined by GPS technology installed on the devices. The event controller 12 then determines that streamer 8” is located outside of the venue and the device of that streamer is prevented from uploading to the platform 10. The location of the device with respect to the venue is verified by various other means, such as the IP address of any wireless connections made by the capturing devices or the input of unique identifiers within the venue 2 to the streaming interface 14. The location of the capturing devices further is defined to determine the location of the capturing devices within predefined zones of the venue 2. These predefined zones are defined by an administrator to the controller 10 which influences the activity of the event controller 12 with regards to streams originating from these zones. For example, a nompload zone 20 may be predefined such that the event controller 12 blocks the upload of any streams to the platform 10 from devices 8”’ located within the zone 20. This is beneficial to prevent the upload of captures from within, for example, toilets or dressing rooms. In another example, a stream may be labelled or tagged by the event controller 12 if it has been uploaded from a zone 22. This allows for a streamer 8”” to upload from a predefined zone 22, such as a VIP area or fan-zone, the upload then being tagged by the event controller 12 in such a way that it is prioritised to an end user 18 on the platform 10. The event controller 12 includes video recognition software to censor the streams uploaded to the platform. For example, if the event controller 12 detects that a stream includes prohibited content, such as explicit content, that content will be blurred, or the stream will be blocked from being uploaded to the platform 10. The streams for a particular event 4 are collated on the platform and presented to an end user 18 as a bundle. In this way, the end user 18 is able to browse multiple events 4 on the platform 10, select the event bundle 4, and access the plurality of streams of that event 4 uploaded by the streamers 8. The event controller 12 includes facial recognition software, such that when a face is recognised by the software, the stream is tagged, and this tag is presented to an end user 18 of the platform 10. For example, an artist performing in the event 4 is recorded by the streamer 8, and that stream is tagged by the event controller 12 to relate to that recorded artist. An end user 18 is then able to filter the presented events on the platform 10 by artist. The streams may also be tagged to a particular event by the streamers 8 through the streamer interface 14, or by the event controller 12. A digital account is held by each streamer 8 and end user 18. The streaming and / or viewing history of each account is recorded and stored on a database 26, via the streaming interface 14 and the viewing interface 24 accessible by a personal device of the end user. The streaming and / or viewing behaviours for each account can then be predicted by software included in the platform 10, to automate recommendations presented to the accounts on the platform 10. Accounts are awarded for their viewing and / or streaming activity through the allocation of digital tokens by the platform 10. These digital tokens may be equated to monetary rewards for the account holders. Overall performance metrics from the platform 10, such as total views, total streams, stream retention, advertisement frequency, or advertisement engagement are recorded in the database 26 and made accessible to a user, advertiser, venue representative etc through the platform 10. End users 18 are able to interact with a streamer 8 through text messages sent via the viewing interface 24. Streamers 8 are able to view the number of end users 18 viewing their stream, and block particular accounts, through the streaming interface 14. Figure 3 illustrates the streaming process 11 that is in communication with an advertisement platform 30. The advertisement platform 30 is accessible by an advertising party 32 that wishes to make available their advertisements to the end users 18 and / or the streamers 8 of the event 4 via the platform 10. The advertising party 32 inputs the advertisements to be selectively displayed on the streams of selected streamers 8. The advertisements are then overlayed and / or inserted with the streams produced by the streamer 8 and made available to the end users 18. The streams or streamers 8 to be advertised on are selected based on predefined criteria. The criteria may be any of the events 4 that the streamers 8 are capturing and / or the demographic of the users 18 that frequently view or are currently viewing the streamer 8 at that time. Alternatively, the advertisements are overlayed and / or inserted with the streams on the end user 18 side of the platform 10. The end users 18 that are selected to view an advertisement are chosen based on a predefined criteria. The criteria may be any of the age, gender, online viewing habits and / or the like of the end user 18. The network infrastructure usage 34 between the streamers 8 and / or the end users 18 and the platform 10 are input to the advertising platform 30 so that appropriate costs may be determined to the advertising party. End user and / or streamer interactions 36 with a particular advertisement and / or stream are also made available to the advertising platform 30. The advertising platform 30 is then able to divide the value of the advertisement engagement, minus the costs associated with the network infrastructure usage 34, by a predetermined factor between the event media rights holder 38 and the streamers 8. The value of the advertisement engagement is associated a monetary value for the event media rights holder, and is associated with brand rewards 40 to be distributed between the streamers 8. The brand rewards 40 distributed between the streamers 8 is determined by the end user 18 advertisement engagement associated with each particular streamer 8. Figure 4 illustrates the streaming process 11 that is m communication with an advertising platform 30 as previously described. A digital account is held by each streamer 8 and end user 18. The streaming and / or viewing history of each account is recorded and stored on a database 26, via the streaming interface 14 and the viewing interface 24 accessible by a personal device of the end user 18. In addition, viewing data from accounts using virtual private networks (VPNs) may be recorded in association with a third party network provider, to reflect audience viewership originating from VPN sources. The database 26 also receives real time information on the status of the network environment within the streaming process 11 and the users of the advertising platform 30 by the network infrastructure provider 42 in communication with the platform 30. A database controller 44 including an artificial intelligence software programme can control the traffic through the streaming platform 10 and / or the advertising platform 30. For example, the advertisements issued to the end users 18 and / or streamers 8 may be limited by the database controller 44 if the controller determines that there is excessive traffic between the platform 10 and the end user 18 which is indicated by the infrastructure provider 42. The infrastructure provider 42 may include the network connection within the venue 2 in which the event is held. The streaming and / or viewing history of each account may be extracted from the database 26 and analysed to provide audience insight on the streaming and / or viewing behaviours of the streamers 8 and / or end users 18. These behaviours may be provided to advertisers 32, the venue providers 2 and / or the event media rights holders 38. The behaviours may further be provided to a third party source 46. The streams captured by the streamers 8 may be provided as a package to a free ad supported streaming television (FAST) network 48 to be accessible by users of the FAST network 48. Audience insights extracted from the database 26 may also be provided to the FAST network 48. In one example of the implementation of the invention, the system consists of three components: a mobile application for use on devices of persons at an event, a mobile application for use on devices of potential viewers, and a platform, typically webbased for accessing data and managing the system. With respect to the mobile application for use on devices of persons at an event and who wish to stream video and / or audio captured by their device from the event (referred to hereonin as “streamers”), the application provides an interface for creating and managing Eve video streams using features of this application which include geo-fencing so as to: Streamers can set up geo-fenced or restricted areas at which there video streams can be accessed, thereby ensuring that viewers are only able to access the stream when they are within the geofenced or restricted area. The application also provides access to the device's camera, allowing streamers to broadcast live video feeds to viewers. In one embodiment token or other rewards are allocated to the streamers such as for example a token may be provided for each minute that their stream is watched by viewers. The application can also include a logo recognition engine to identify logos or other protected images or words which appear in the live video stream and can assess and determine how many viewers have seen each said logo, image or words so as to allow a database to be generated of the exposure to and potential success of advertising. In one embodiment the application may also provide a means for a contract for the protection of Copyrighted Works to be generated and specify terms of use and automatically calculate and transfer payments to the streamer which typically are representative of the number of views of their generated streams and / or use of specific images etc. . The mobile application for potential viewers of the video / audio generated by the streamers allows the viewers to use their own video / audio device to provide an engaging and gamified experience for exploring different live video streams of one or more events which are available on the said platform. This application can include means to generate rewards, such as tokens for example, for the viewer as a result of their exploring different views of an event and for sharing the streams with others. The application can also include a logo recognition system to allow identification of specific logos, images or words which are viewed by the viewer and this can result in the generation of targeted advertising which is made available to the viewer, most typically via their devices used to access the streams. The recognition system may also be used to blur or replace logos, images or words which are present on the stream. For example, this can allow the replacement of the identified logo, image or word with an age-appropriate logo to protect minors from seeing inappropriate advertising. The web-based platform provides access to data and tools for managing the system and interaction with the system by streamers and viewers. The platform can include a user management tool to allow administrators to manage streamer’s and viewer’s user accounts and access levels and provide data on streamers, viewers, and usage patterns, thereby allowing administrators to optimize and adapt the system in terms of, for example, engagement and revenue. Typically the platform also manages the creation, distribution, and redemption of rewards such as tokens, for both streamers and viewers and manages the contracts for copyrighted works, including specifying terms of use and calculating and transferring any payments which are due to streamers and / or viewers. In one embodiment the platform utilises a combination of cloud-based services and mobile applications which can include Amazon Web Services (AWS) to provide scalable and reliable infrastructure for managing the system, React Native which is used to build the mobile device applications for streamers and viewers, typically using JavaScript and React. In one embodiment the logo recognition engine utilises TensorFlow, an open-source software library for dataflow and differentiable programming across a range of tasks and the electronic or smart contracts used in the system are built using Solidity which is a contract oriented programming language for writing smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain. Typically the system architecture is designed to be scalable and flexible, allowing for easy integration with new technologies and features as they become available. The system is built to ensure the privacy and security of user data, with all data stored in encrypted form and access controlled by strict permissions policies. In one embodiment the interaction between the streamer and the system includes the following steps: Download the streamer application app from a store such as the App Store or Google Play Store onto their device. Open the app and create an account by signing up such as by using email address or social media account. The streamer application automatically detects the location of the streamer device and displays the name of the event or location and once the streamer is ready to interact with the system then, with the camera of the device set up and positioned to capture the event the streamer can open the app and tap on the "VJ Stream" button or display. A preview of the video / audio feed which is to be streamed from the device is shown and, if necessary the streamer can adjust the camera settings as needed to ensure the best quality stream. An option to add commentary may also be provided by taping on the microphone icon to enable audio recording. Auto enables for the sound at event. The streamer can also select the "Stop Stream" button to end the stream and avoid any violations should they believe that any unacceptable information is being streamed and / or when they wish to end the stream broadcast. The platform then allows the sharing of the stream with viewers and also allow interaction with them in real-time, all while capturing the event or location you're at. The geo- location feature ensures that viewers know exactly where the stream is coming from and hence join in on the experience. The interaction between the viewer and the system can include the following steps in accordance with on embodiment: Download the app from a source such as the App Store or Google Play Store. Open the app and create an account and sign up with their email address or social media account. Once logged in, the viewer is presented with a list of current events and streams available to view and the viewer can then browse by event and / or location and / or by streaming source. The viewer can then select an event or location that they are interested in and start streaming. In one embodiment they will earn rewards such as tokens for every minute that they watch. If the viewer wants to switch to a different view of the event or location and others are shown as being available, the viewer can use the app to jump to a new stream and in one embodiment extra rewards may be gained by exploring different views. Similarly the stream can be shared to other persons devices and the viewer can earn extra rewards when they sign up and start watching. The rewards can then be redeemed against a range of options such as VIP access to premium streams, merchandise, and the like. The current invention and system thereby enable targeted advertising and audience engagement, and leverages network statistics, social media profiles, and bandwidth considerations within event venues. The system can therefore be used to intelligently direct advertising content to the most appropriate viewers and / or streamers thereby enhancing the effectiveness of brand promotions based on a wide array of factors including age, gender, social media influence, and personal interests by combining various data sources and analytics tools to maximize engagement and success rates for advertisements and advertisers whilst, at the same time providing access to streams of video and / or audio from an event which would not be generated and / or available from a conventional and restricted list of third party content providers who traditionally are financially liked to the event such as a promoter, artist, or venue organisation. Furthermore the invention allows the collection and analysis of system statistics &mobile network bandwidth utilization of the network environment within a venue or location at which an event is occurring and so analyses bandwidth availability to optimize content delivery without overloading the network. Also, analysis of social media statuses and profiles, allows the targeting of individuals based on their online presence, interests, and influence. Analysis of demographic and behavioural data allows use of age, gender, and other demographic information to tailor the system content and allocation of rewards to match audience profiles and targeted audience sectors more accurately. This analysis also allow the provision of targeted advertising, with advertisements being directed to users most likely to engage with them, increasing the likelihood of successful interactions and the effectiveness of each advertisement is measured in real-time, allowing for dynamic adjustment of strategies. Furthermore, the visibility of one or more brands is enhanced so as to be more effective and targeted which can lead to higher engagement rates with both streamers and viewers rewarded for their engagement, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages further interaction and the generation of a sharing community thus expanding the reach of advertisements organically. The above steps and advantages can also be obtained when combined with a third party network, such as to monitor real-time network status within a venue or location. This includes assessing signal strength, bandwidth availability, and network traffic patterns and dynamically adjusting the delivery of advertising content to ensure optimal streaming quality and user experience, minimizing buffering and lag. The analysis of VPN Data allows an insight into user preferences and online behaviour, even when users are accessing the network through a VPN, whilst ensuring that the use of the VPN data is conducted in strict compliance with privacy regulations, ensuring that user anonymity and data security are maintained. The interaction with a third party network which may be providing streams from the same event or location allows synchronisation between the system of the current invention and the third party system and so allows the alignment of advertising content with the Eve dynamics of the event to create a more engaging and immersive experience for attendee such that the level of customization and prioritization which is achieved ensures that advertisements are not only seen but are also relevant and engaging, leading to higher interaction rates and brand recall.

Claims

1 .A system for providing one or more streams of video and / or audio of a live event, and including a user interaction platform to allow said one or more streams to be available to be selected for viewing and / or listening by end users, the system including:one or more video and / or audio capturing devices used by one or more persons to capture video and / or audio of a live event and create said one or more video and / or audio streams;means for transmitting wirelessly the said one or more streams from said video and / or audio capturing devices to a user interaction platform to which the one or more streams are uploaded and made available;an event controller to provide selective adaptation and control of said video and / or audio streams andone or more video and / or audio display devices which can be used to display selected streams, said video and / or audio display devices including means to allow end user interaction to select said one more streams and receive data for the samewherein the said one or more streams are individually accessible by an end user accessing the platform via their respective video and / or audio display device and selecting to receive the one or more of the streams to be downloaded to their video and / or audio display device to generate a video and / or audio display for the end user of said live event.2.A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of video and / or audio capturing devices are personal mobile devices of persons in attendance at the live event and the streams are uploaded to the platform at a remote locationthrough a streaming interface accessible through the said video and / or audio capturing devices.3.A system according to claim 2 wherein the personal video and / or audio capturing devices are situated within a predefined venue location at which to observe the live event, the predefined venue defined by said event controller.4.A system according to claim 3 wherein the event controller is intermediate the video and / or audio capturing devices and the said streaming interface.5.A system according to claim 4 wherein the event controller monitors the network environment of the predefined venue location to selectively limit the network traffic between the one or more video and / or audio capturing devices and the said platform.6.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the location of video and / or audio capturing devices with respect to the predefined venue location is determined by the event controller using a locating means.7.A system according to claim 6 wherein the geodocating means includes geolocating technology to enable the event controller to determine whether the video and / or audio capturing device is within the predefined venue location or not.

8. A system according to claims 6 or 7 wherein the locating means includes inputting a unique identifier of the live event and / or venue location to the streaming interface for the video and / or audio capturing devices.9.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the event controller is configured to prevent the upload of a video and / or audio stream to the platform if a capturing device is detected as being located outside ofthe predefined venue location and / or is not authorised to upload the stream from their capturing device to the platform.

10. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein locating means of the event controller is configured to determine the location of a capturing device within a predefined zone of the predefined venue location, and, the operation, or non-operation, of the said video and / or audio capturing devices at an instant of time is determined by the event controller with respect to the zone in which the device is identified as being located.11.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the system includes video analysis software to identify one or more predetermined images of the video of the streams.

12. A system according to claim 11 wherein the predetermined images are any, or any combination of, facial recognition software to identify a face of a person, images which may be offensive or unacceptable with respect to user age, religion or another parameter, and / or logos or words linked to specific companies.13.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the system includes a visual overlay means by which to selectively add video to a stream.14.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the one or more streams for each event are labelled by the event controller before being uploaded to the platform, such that the plurality of streams may be presented as a bundle on the platform and linked to the specific event.15.A system according to claim 14 wherein the event bundles and / or one or more streams and / or the video and and / or audio capturing devices identity or users identity are labelled or tagged by the platform, such that multipleevent bundles and / or streams are linked by the platform and presented to an end user on the platform.16.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the one or more video and / or audio streams are accessible on the platform by multiple end users concurrently.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein the number of end users of said one or more streams is recorded by the platform with respect to an instant of time and / or event.

18. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the platform includes a memory database on which said streams are stored and identified and made available on demand to an end user and / or downloaded from the platform.19.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the one or more streams are uploaded to the platform from a capturing device after the event has occurred.20.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the end user and / or persons using the video and / or audio capturing devices are linked to an account by the platform, wherein any or any combination of, the number of views, the number of streams generated, the cumulative stream watch time, the frequency of views and / or the like are attributed to the accounts by the platform.21.A system according to claim 20 wherein the viewing and / or streaming behaviours of the accounts are recorded by the platform such that automated recommendations and / or targeted advertising is generated and directed to specific accounts by the platform.

22. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the number of end users viewing a particular stream that is available to be selected from the platform is visible to the streamer through the streaming interface and / or their video and / or audio capturing device.23.A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the platform includes control means to monitor any or any combination of the signal strength, the bandwidth availability and / or the network traffic patterns of the network environment between the platform and the streaming devices.

24. A method for providing one or more streams of video and / or audio of a live event, said method comprising the steps of:using one or more video and / or audio capturing devices used by one or more persons to capture video and / or audio of a live event and create one or more video and / or audio streams;transmitting wirelessly the said one or more streams from said video and / or audio capturing devices to a user interaction platform to which the one or more streams are uploaded via an event controller to provide selective adaptation and control of said video and / or audio streams;making available said one or more video and / or audio streams for selection by one or more end users,transmitting said selected one or more video and / or audio streams to an end user display device to display said selected streams, said video and / or audio display devices including means to allow independent end user interaction with the platform to select said one more streams and receive data for the same and wherein the said one or more streams are individually accessible by an end user accessing the platform via their respective video and / or audio display device and selecting to receive the one or more of the streams to be downloaded to their video and / or audio display device to generate their selected video and / or audio of the said live event.27

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