Electronic music distribution service system and method using synchronous multimedia integration language format

• US 20010049728A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Dong-seok
• Application Number:
  US09/790,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049728A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

An electronic music distribution (EMD) service system and method using a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format under a network environment, the system including a web server to upload a multimedia file, which is generated using a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format, from the web browser of a user terminal linked to the network, to generate a hyper text markup language (HTML) corresponding to the multimedia file, and to display the HTML file so that a user can access the HTML file through a web browser; a file database to store the uploaded multimedia file and the corresponding HTML file; and a streaming server to search the file database for a multimedia file requested by the web browser linked to the web page and to provide the multimedia file in a streaming service.

Claims

1. An electronic music distribution (EMD) service system in a network environment, the EMD service system comprising:

a web server to upload a multimedia file that is in a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format, from an uploading web browser of a user terminal linked to the network, to generate a hyper text markup language (HTML) file corresponding to the multimedia file, and to display the HTML file so that an accessing user can access the HTML file through an accessing web browser;

a file database to store the uploaded multimedia file and the corresponding HTML file; and

a streaming server to search the file database for the multimedia file requested by the accessing web browser linked to the web page, and to provide the multimedia file in a streaming service.

2. The EMD service system of

claim 1

, wherein said web server comprises:

an uploading unit to upload the multimedia file from the web browser;

an HTML generating unit to generate the HTML file corresponding to the multimedia file;

a file information display unit to display the HTML file, which is organized by each member, in the form of a predetermined web page; and

a user order processing unit to receive an order for the corresponding multimedia file when the accessing user accesses the HTML file on the web page through the accessing web browser.

3. The EMD service system of

claim 1

, further comprising a mail server to send the HTML file corresponding to the multimedia file, which is requested from the accessing web browser linked to the web page, in an E-mail.

4. A multimedia file service method in an electronic music distribution (EMD) service system, the multimedia file service method comprising:

uploading a multimedia file, which was generated in a user terminal in a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format, from an uploading web browser of the user terminal;

generating a hyper text markup language (HTML) file corresponding to the uploaded multimedia file, and storing the HTML file in a file database with other HTML files; and

displaying the HTML file and/or other HTML files stored in the file database in the form of a web page so that a user can access the HTML files through an accessing web browser.

5. The multimedia file service method of

claim 4

, wherein said displaying the HTML files comprises displaying the HTML file, which is generated for each member, on a web page for each member.

6. The multimedia file service method of

claim 4

, wherein said displaying the HTML files comprises displaying a web page, which classifies the HTML files in the form of various lists after collecting the HTML files generated for each member.

7. A streaming service method in an electronic music distribution (EMD) system for a multimedia file generated using a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format, the streaming service method comprising:

displaying file information in the form of a web page, referring to a file database which stores the multimedia file and a corresponding hyper text markup language (HTML) file;

determining whether an accessing user accesses the HTML file on the web page through a web browser and selects a multimedia file to play; and

when the user selects the multimedia file to play, searching the file database and providing the corresponding multimedia file in a streaming service.

8. The streaming service method of

claim 7

, wherein the multimedia file was generated in a user terminal and uploaded through a network.

9. A mail service method in an electronic music distribution (EMD) system for a multimedia file generated using a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format, the mail service method comprising:

displaying file information in the form of a web page, referring to a file database storing the multimedia file and a corresponding hyper text markup language (HTML) file;

determining whether a user accesses the HTML file on the web page through a web browser and selects to send an E-mail including the multimedia file; and

when the user wants to send the E-mail, sending the E-mail to a location designated by the user, after attaching the corresponding HTML file.

10. The mail service method of

claim 9

, wherein the multimedia file is generated in a terminal of the user and uploaded through a network.

11. The mail service method of

claim 9

, wherein after the E-mail is sent, the receiver of the E-mail accesses the attached corresponding HTML file and receives a service for the corresponding multimedia file through a web browser of the receiver.

12. A computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a computer implemented method of creating a digital album on a web server, the method comprising:

displaying a registration web page at the request of a web browser;

uploading an identified multimedia file formatted in a synchronous multimedia integration language (SMIL) format from a user terminal at the request of the web browser accessing the registration web page;

generating a digital album web page that incorporates the identified multimedia file; and

displaying the digital album web page at the request of the same or another web browser.

13. The computer readable medium of

claim 12

, further comprising storing the digital album web page in a database.

14. The computer readable medium of

claim 13

, wherein said generating the digital album comprises generating a hyper text markup language (HTML) file referencing the uploaded multimedia file and/or multimedia files uploaded by a user.

15. The computer readable medium of

claim 14

, wherein the database stores other HTML files referencing the uploaded multimedia files of other users in addition to the HTML file for the user, and where the computer readable medium further comprises generating an index HTML file at the request of the same or another web browser, where the index HTML file classifies the uploaded multimedia file and/or any other multimedia files of the same and/or another user in the form of a list.

16. The computer readable medium of

claim 15

, wherein the index HTML file lists the uploaded multimedia file and/or any other multimedia files according to the users who uploaded the corresponding multimedia file.

17. The computer readable medium of

claim 15

, wherein said uploading further comprises receiving descriptive data for the uploaded multimedia file, and wherein the index HTML file lists the uploaded multimedia file and any other multimedia files according to the descriptive data for the corresponding multimedia file.

18. The computer readable medium of

claim 15

, further comprising:

receiving a request to play a selected multimedia file from the same or another web browser, where the selected multimedia file is incorporated on the displayed digital album web page; and

playing the selected multimedia file using a streaming service.

19. The computer readable medium of

claim 15

, further comprising

receiving a request to send an electronic message referencing a selected multimedia file from the same or another web browser, where the selected multimedia file is incorporated on the displayed digital album web page;

and

sending the electronic message referencing the selected multimedia file using a streaming service.