Methods and apparatus for integrating media across a wide area network
First Claim
1. A media system comprising:
- a communication interface coupled to a first digital media server and a second digital media server over a wide area network;
a processing circuit configured to;
retrieve, via the communication interface, group information from a wide area network media service on the wide area network, the group information identifying a number of user devices configured to play media that belong to a particular group and a number of digital media servers that each user device within the respective group has permission to access;
determine from the group information whether the first digital media server and the second digital media server are from a same group in the plurality of groups; and
in response to determining that the first digital media server and the second media server are from the same group;
transmit a first request, to the first digital media server, for information about media items available from the first digital media server;
transmit a second request, to the second digital media server, for information about media items available from the second digital media server;
receive, from the first digital media server, a first list of the media items available from the first digital media server, wherein the first list comprises first metadata describing each of said media items available from the first digital media server and second metadata indicating storage locations of said media items available from the first digital media server;
receive, from the second digital media server, a second list of the media items available from the second digital media server, wherein the second list comprises third metadata describing each of said media items available from the second digital media server and fourth metadata indicating storage locations of said media items available from the second digital media server;
store, in one or more data structures, the first list and the second list;
create a third list of aggregated media available from said first and second digital media servers by extracting, from the one or more data structures, the first metadata and the third metadata;
generate for display the third list;
in response to receiving a user selection of a media item from the third list, search the second and fourth metadata in the one or more data structures to identify a given metadata that is associated with the selected media item;
determine a storage location of the selected media item indicated by the given metadata that is identified from the search of the second and fourth metadata; and
transmit a request for the selected media item to one of the first and second digital media servers based on the determined storage location.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for distributing media includes a wide area network (WAN), a media player coupled to the WAN at a first home, and a media server coupled to the WAN at a second home for providing media. A service is coupled to the WAN for receiving a request for media from the media player and for establishing a connection between the first and second homes over the WAN. Media is streamed across the WAN from the second home to the first home. The system may include a storage device coupled to the media player when media is transferred across the WAN for storage at the storage device. A media device may be coupled to the media player for playing the streamed/transferred media where the media player and the media device may comprise a television, stereo, or computer and the media item may comprise video, photographs, or audio.
19 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A media system comprising:
-
a communication interface coupled to a first digital media server and a second digital media server over a wide area network; a processing circuit configured to; retrieve, via the communication interface, group information from a wide area network media service on the wide area network, the group information identifying a number of user devices configured to play media that belong to a particular group and a number of digital media servers that each user device within the respective group has permission to access; determine from the group information whether the first digital media server and the second digital media server are from a same group in the plurality of groups; and in response to determining that the first digital media server and the second media server are from the same group; transmit a first request, to the first digital media server, for information about media items available from the first digital media server; transmit a second request, to the second digital media server, for information about media items available from the second digital media server; receive, from the first digital media server, a first list of the media items available from the first digital media server, wherein the first list comprises first metadata describing each of said media items available from the first digital media server and second metadata indicating storage locations of said media items available from the first digital media server; receive, from the second digital media server, a second list of the media items available from the second digital media server, wherein the second list comprises third metadata describing each of said media items available from the second digital media server and fourth metadata indicating storage locations of said media items available from the second digital media server; store, in one or more data structures, the first list and the second list; create a third list of aggregated media available from said first and second digital media servers by extracting, from the one or more data structures, the first metadata and the third metadata; generate for display the third list; in response to receiving a user selection of a media item from the third list, search the second and fourth metadata in the one or more data structures to identify a given metadata that is associated with the selected media item; determine a storage location of the selected media item indicated by the given metadata that is identified from the search of the second and fourth metadata; and transmit a request for the selected media item to one of the first and second digital media servers based on the determined storage location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method comprising:
-
retrieving group information from a wide area network media service, the group information identifying a number of user devices configured to play media that belong to a particular group and a number of digital media servers that each user device within the respective group has permission to access; determining from the group information whether a first digital media server and a second digital media server are from a same group in the plurality of groups; and in response to determining that the first digital media server and the second media server are from the same group; transmitting a first request, to the first digital media server over the wide area network, for information about media items available from the first digital media server; transmitting a second request, to the second digital media server over the wide area network, for information about media items available from the second digital media server; receiving, from the first digital media server, a first list of the media items available from the first digital media server, wherein the first list comprises first metadata describing each of said media items available from the first digital media server and second metadata indicating storage locations of said media items available from the first digital media server; receiving, from the second digital media server, a second list of the media items available from the second digital media server, wherein the second list comprises third metadata describing each of said media items available from the second digital media server and fourth metadata indicating storage locations of said media items available from the second digital media server; storing, in one or more data structures, the first list and the second list; creating a third list of aggregated media available from said first and second digital media servers by extracting, from the one or more data structures, the first metadata and the third metadata; generating for display the third list; in response to receiving a user selection of a media item from the third list, searching the second and fourth metadata in the one or more data structures to identify a given metadata that is associated with the selected media item; determining a storage location of the selected media item indicated by the given metadata that is identified from the search of the second and fourth metadata; and transmitting a request for the selected media item to one of the first and second digital media servers based on the determined storage location. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification