Communicating video information in a network using universal resource locators

A method of displaying video information that is stored in a video server of a network, the method comprising:

• executing a URL interface software element at the video server;
• creating and storing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, the request including information identifying the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• determining the request using the URL interface software element;
• retrieving the video information from the video server based on the information that identifies the video information;
• and
• communicating the video information from the video server to a requesting client.

A video distribution apparatus, comprising:

• a first URL interface executed by a client;
• a second URL interface executed by a video server having a plurality of stored video programs;
• and
• means distributed among the first URL interface and the second URL interface for creating and storing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, wherein the request includes an identifier of one of the video programs and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with a request for the video information, retrieving that video program from the video server based on the identifier, and transporting the video program from the video server to the client.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for displaying, on a client computer system that is logically coupled to a server computer system, video information stored in the server computer system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• creating and storing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes a request for the video information and including a video source identifier uniquely associated with the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• retrieving the video information from the server computer system based on the video source identifier;
• transporting the video information from the server computer system to the client computer system;
• and
• displaying the video information on the client computer system.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for displaying video information that is stored in a video server of a network, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• executing a URL interface software element at the video server;
• creating and storing a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, the request including information identifying the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• determining the request using the URL interface software element;
• retrieving the video information from the video server based on the information that identifies the video information;
• and
• communicating the video information from the video server to a requesting client.

A method for processing a request for video information stored in a server computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• retrieving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes a request for the video information and including a video source identifier uniquely associated with the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• retrieving the video information from the server computer system based on the video source identifier;
• and
• transmitting the video information from the server computer system to the client computer system.

A method for displaying video information that is stored in a video server of a network, the method comprising:

• generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, the request including information identifying the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• transmitting said URL to the video server;
• and
• retrieving the video information from the video server based on the information that identifies the video information.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for processing a request for video information stored in a server computer system, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• retrieving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes a request for the video information and including a video source identifier uniquely associated with the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• retrieving the video information from the server computer system based on the video source identifier;
• and
• transmitting the video information from the server computer system to the client computer system.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for displaying video information that is stored in a video server of a network, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, the request including information identifying the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• transmitting said URL to the video server;
• and
• retrieving the video information from the video server based on the information that identifies the video information.

An apparatus for processing a request for video information stored in a server computer system, comprising:

• means for retrieving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes a request for the video information and including a video source identifier uniquely associated with the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• means for retrieving the video information from the server computer system based on the video source identifier;
• and
• means for transmitting the video information from the server computer system to the client computer system.

An apparatus for displaying video information that is stored in a video server of a network, comprising:

• means for generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, the request including information identifying the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• means for transmitting said URL to the video server;
• and
• means for retrieving the video information from the video server based on the information that identifies the video information.

An apparatus for processing a request for video information stored in a server computer system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a computer-readable medium accessible to the processor and comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
• retrieving a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes a request for the video information and including a video source identifier uniquely associated with the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• retrieving the video information from the server computer system based on the video source identifier;
• and
• transmitting the video information from the server computer system to the client computer system.

An apparatus for displaying video information that is stored in a video server of a network, comprising:

• a processor;
• a computer-readable medium accessible to the processor and comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:
• generating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that comprises a request for the video information, the request including information identifying the video information and a video protocol identifier that identifies a video protocol associated with the request for the video information;
• transmitting said URL to the video server;
• and
• retrieving the video information from the video server based on the information that identifies the video information.