Video streaming playback system and method

Abstract

To provide an arrangement that enables video hosting website operators and content creators to obtain revenue via a more flexible method. Provided is a video streaming playback system having a tipping module that runs in accordance with streaming playback operation without impeding said free streaming video playback; a reward options control module for a user who is a content creator to set a reward to be offered for the tip; and a minimum tip amount setting module for setting a desired minimum tip amount to enable the reward to be offered. When permission to provide the two or more rewards has been given, the payment processing module verifies whether the tip amount offered by the content consumer is at least the minimum tip amount, and processes tip payment and offering of rewards according to the results of the verification.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A system for providing free digital content streaming playback to a user who is a content consumer, the system comprising:
 a tipping module configured to run in accordance with this streaming playback operation without impeding the free streaming digital content playback;   a reward provision options control module configured for a user who is a content creator to set a reward to be offered for a tip; and   a minimum tip amount setting module configured to set a desired minimum tip amount to enable the reward to be offered; wherein:   when permission to offer two or more rewards for each tip payment for the digital content streaming playback has been given, the tipping module verifies whether the tip payment amount offered by the content consumer for the digital content streaming playback is at least the minimum tip amount, and processes tip payment and offering of rewards according to the results of the verification.   
     
     
         18 . The streaming playback system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the reward provision options control module provides an interface configured to set a reward for the tip.   
     
     
         19 . The streaming playback system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the two or more rewards include, apart from the digital content being played back via streaming, at least information uploaded or inputted by the user who is the content creator.   
     
     
         20 . The streaming playback system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the two or more rewards include, apart from the information uploaded or inputted by the user who is the content creator, at least information provided by the system.   
     
     
         21 . The streaming playback system according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the rewards include at least information generated by the processing of the digital content being played back via streaming by the system.   
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the rewards include at least downloading the digital content being played back via streaming.   
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the rewards include at least downloading an audio file of the digital content being played back via streaming.   
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 the rewards include at least direct messaging to the digital content provider.   
     
     
         25 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the minimum tip amount is set as a shared amount for two or more files of digital content, rather than for each streamed type of digital content.   
     
     
         26 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the minimum tip amount is set for each streamed type of digital content.   
     
     
         27 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the minimum tip amount is set for each type of reward offered.   
     
     
         28 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the minimum tip amount is set as a system default amount.   
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein:
 the tip processing module displays, to a user, detailed information on an offered reward, and   selectively displays a minimum tip amount for the reward to be offered.   
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 20 , wherein:
 in addition to the tipping module, the system comprises an ad display module configured to display a specific ad on the user interface before and/or during playback of the digital content in tandem with a digital content playback operation performed by the digital content playback module; and   the system is configured to launch the tipping module or the ad display module according to default or content-creator-selected settings.   
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein:
 the system is configured to launch either the tipping module or the ad display module, but not both.   
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein digital content is audio. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the digital content is a still image. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the is a text tile.