Methods and systems for retrieving, organizing, and playing media content

• US 20020138593A1
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Novak, Michael J., Harris, Geoffrey, Olson, Kipley J.
• Application Number:
  US09/817,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20020138593A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation

Abstract

Innovative techniques, systems and methods are described that enable media content to be packaged and delivered, via a network, in a manner that can greatly enhance the user experience. A packaging approach provides a downloadable file that contains different constituent parts that can be processed by a software-implemented media player to provide a user with not only media content, but additional content that adds value to the media content. In addition, in some embodiments, a download approach provides for the downloadable file to be link-accessed by a user, and automatically downloaded, cataloged, and experienced by the user without any more user intervention other than clicking on a particular link that is associated with the downloadable file.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user experience when playing media on a media player comprising:

downloading a file that contains at least one media-specific file configured to provide a user interface, and media content with which the user interface is associated;

playing the media content with a media player; and

automatically displaying the user interface when the media content is played with the media player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically displaying comprises displaying the user interface as part of the media player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said automatically displaying comprises displaying the user interface to comprise the media player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one media-specific file comprises multiple files including a definition file that defines how other associated files are to be used, and art files containing images that are associated with the user interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one media-specific file comprises least one script file for scripting.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one media-specific file comprises least one script file that provides a capability for the user interface to respond to events.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising prior to said playing, using a digital rights management technique to access one or more of the downloaded file, media-specific file, and media content.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

download a file that contains at least one media-specific file configured to provide a user interface, and song files with which the user interface is associated;

play the song files with a media player; and

automatically display the user interface when the song files are played with the media player.

9. A media player comprising software code that is configured to:

download a file that contains at least one media-specific file configured to provide a user interface, and media content with which the user interface is associated;

play the media content; and

automatically display the user interface on at least a portion of a media player user interface when the media content is played with the media player.

10. The media player of claim 9, wherein the software code is configured to automatically display the user interface to comprise the entire media player user interface.

11. The media player of claim 9, wherein the software code is configured to use a digital rights management technique to access one or more of the downloaded file, media-specific file, and media content prior to playing the media content.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising protecting at least one of the media-specific file and the media content file using a digital rights management technique.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said associating comprises establishing a relationship between the one media-specific file and the one media content file using an XML data structure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one media content file comprises at least one song file.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one media content file comprises multiple song files.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said associating comprises packaging the one media-specific file and the one media content file in a single downloadable file.

18. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 12.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said associating comprises establishing a relationship between the one media-specific file and the one media content file using an XML data structure.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the one media content file comprises at least one song file.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the one media content file comprises multiple song files.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said associating comprises packaging the one media-specific file and the one media content file in a single downloadable file.

24. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, implement the method of claim 19.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein when the media content is played by a media player, the visual content is automatically displayed to comprise an entire media player user interface.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said organizing comprises using a hierarchical tag-based structure comprising an XML data structure.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said portion comprises an entire media player user interface.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said automatically displaying comprises automatically flipping from a non-media player user interface to a media player user interface.

12. A method of organizing media content comprising:

providing at least one media-specific file that is configured to provide a user interface on at least a portion of a media player;

providing at least one media content file configured for play on the media player; and

associating the one media-specific file with the one media content file such that any time the one media content file is played on the media player, the one media-specific file is processed to automatically display the user interface on at least a portion of the media player.

19. A method of organizing media content comprising:

providing at least one media-specific file that is configured to provide a media player user interface;

providing at least one media content file configured for play on a media player; and

associating the one media-specific file with the one media content file such that any time the one media content file is played on the media player, the one media-specific file is processed to automatically display the media player user interface.

25. A method of organizing content for a user experience comprising:

providing multiple different files that define different aspects of a media player user interface, at least some files being associated with media content and at least some other files being associated with visual content; and

organizing the files for sending over a network to a client computer, said organizing using a hierarchical tag-based structure to establish a relationship between the files such that when the media content is played by a media player, the visual content is automatically displayed as at least part of the media player user interface.

28. A method of accessing media content comprising:

displaying a link to media content;

responsive to a user clicking on the link, automatically downloading a file that contains at least one media content file and at least one file that is configured to provide at least a portion of a media player user interface that is specific to media content associated with the one media content file;

playing the media content on a media player; and

responsive to said playing, automatically displaying said portion of the media player user interface.

31. One or more computer-readable media having computer readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

display a link to media content;

responsive to a user clicking on the link, automatically download a file that contains at least one media content file and at least one file that is configured to provide at least a portion of a media player user interface that is specific to media content associated with the one media content file;

play the media content on a media player; and

responsive to playing the media content, automatically display said portion of the media player user interface.

32. A media delivery mechanism comprising:

a single file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be played on a media player;

one or more content-specific files that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface associated with content that is played on the media player; and

a relationship between the one or more media content files and the one or more content-specific files such that a content-specific user interface is displayed on a computer when the content associated with the one or more media content files is played on the media player.

33. The media delivery mechanism of claim 32, wherein said relationship is established by a metafile that comprises part of the single file.

34. The media delivery mechanism of claim 33, wherein said metafile comprises an XML data structure that establishes said relationship.

35. The media delivery mechanism of claim 32, wherein the content-specific user interface comprises only a portion of a media player user interface.

36. The media delivery mechanism of claim 32, wherein the content-specific user interface comprises an entire media player user interface.

37. The media delivery mechanism of claim 32, wherein the relationship causes the same content-specific user interface to be displayed for multiple media content files.

38. The media delivery mechanism of claim 32, wherein said one or more media content files comprise song files.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising associating the one or more media-specific files, the one or more media content files, and the one or more metafiles in a single downloadable file.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising protecting one or more of the media-specific files, media content files, metafiles, and single downloadable file using one or more digital rights management technique.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising uploading the single downloadable file to a Web site.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein said one or more metafiles associate said files using an XML data structure.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein said providing of the one or more media-specific files comprises providing one or more media-specific files that are configured to provide an entire media player user interface.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the content-specific user interface comprises only a portion of a media player user interface.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the content-specific user interface comprises an entire media player user interface.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the one or more metafiles comprise at least one XML data structure that establishes said relationship.

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the media content files comprise at least one song file.

39. A method of providing a media delivery mechanism comprising:

providing one or more media-specific files, the files being configured to provide at least a portion of a media player user interface, said portion being associated with specific media that can be played on a media player;

providing one or more media content files associated with media that can be played on a media player embodying the media player user interface, said media content files comprising the specific media with which the media player user interface portion is associated; and

defining one or more metafiles that associate the one or more media-specific files with the one or more media content files, the one or more metafiles being configured for processing such that when the media player plays media associated with a media content file, the media player automatically renders the media player user interface portion.

45. A method of providing media content over a network comprising:

receiving input requesting that a file be sent to a client computer, the file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be played on a media player on the client computer,

one or more media-specific files that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

one or more metafiles that establish a relationship between the one or more media content files and the one or more media specific files such that a content-specific user interface is displayed when the content is played on the media player; and

sending the requested file to the client computer.

50. A server computer comprising:

at least one computer-readable media; and

computer-readable instructions resident on the computer-readable media which, when executed by the server, cause the server to;

maintain multiple files, each file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be played on a media player on the client computer,

one or more media-specific files that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

one or more metafiles that establish a relationship between the one or more media content files and the one or more media specific files such that a content-specific user interface is displayed when the content is played on the media player;

receive input requesting that one or more of the multiple files be sent to a client computer; and

send the one or more requested files to the client computer.

51. A method for playing media content on a media player comprising:

receiving a file with a client computer, the file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be rendered on a media player on the client computer,

at least one media-specific file that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

at least one metafile that establishes a relationship between the media content files and the media-specific files such that a content-specific user interface is provided when the content associated with the content files is played on the media player;

playing content associated with the content files on the media player embodied on the client computer; and

while playing the content on the media player, displaying the content-specific user interface.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the content-specific user interface comprises only a portion of a media player user interface.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the content-specific user interface comprises an entire media player user interface.

54. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method of claim 51.

55. A media player comprising software code that is configured to:

receive a file with a client computer, the file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be rendered on the media player,

at least one media-specific file that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

at least one metafile that establishes a relationship between the media content files and the media-specific files such that a content-specific user interface is provided when the content associated with the content files is played on the media player;

play content associated with the content files; and

while playing the content, display the content-specific user interface.

57. The method of claim 56 further comprising automatically playing audio content on the media player, and while playing said audio content and responsive thereto, automatically displaying the content-specific user interface.

58. The method of claim 56 further comprising automatically playing audio content on the media player, and while playing said audio content and responsive thereto, automatically displaying the content-specific user interface to comprise only a portion of a media player user interface associated with the media player.

59. The method of claim 56 further comprising automatically playing audio content on the media player, and while playing said audio content and responsive thereto, automatically displaying the content-specific user interface to comprise an entire media player user interface associated with the media player.

60. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method of claim 56.

56. A method for processing media content comprising:

receiving a file with a client computer, the file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be rendered on a media player on the client computer,

at least one media-specific file that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

at least one metafile that establishes a relationship between the media content files and the media-specific files such that a content-specific

user interface is provided when the content associated with the content files is played on the media player; and

automatically organizing the received files in one or more directories on a client computer hard drive without any intervention from a user, the files being organized in a manner that permits audio and visual content to be played on a media player without any intervention from the user.

61. A media player comprising software code configured to cause the media player to:

receive a file, the file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be rendered on the media player,

at least one media-specific file that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

at least one metafile that establishes a relationship between the media content files and the media-specific files such that a content-specific user interface is provided when the content associated with the content files is played on the media player; and

automatically organize the received files in one or more directories on a client computer hard drive without any intervention from a user, the files being organized in a manner that permits audio and visual content to be played on the media player without any intervention from the user.

62. The media player of claim 61, wherein the software code further causes the media player to automatically play audio content, and while playing said audio content and responsive thereto, automatically display the content-specific user interface.

63. A method of playing media content comprising:

receiving a file with a client computer, the file comprising;

one or more media content files associated with content that can be played on a media player on the client computer,

at least one media-specific file that can be processed to provide a content-specific user interface, and

at least one metafile that establishes a relationship between the media content files and the media-specific files such that a content-specific user interface is provided when the content associated with the content files is played on the media player; and

automatically playing content associated with the one or more media content files using a media player embodied on the client computer; and

while playing said content, automatically displaying the content-specific user interface.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein said displaying comprises doing so without any intervention from a user.

65. A media player comprising software code which, when executed by a computer, causes the media player to implement the method of claim 63.

66. A method for playing media content comprising:

receiving a user input;

responsive to the user input and without any additional user intervention, automatically;

downloading, on a client computer, multiple files associated with media content;

organizing the multiple files on a hard drive of the client computer;

playing media associated with at least some of the files using a media player embodied on the client computer; and

rendering at least a portion of the media player to include visual content that is specific to the playing media and associated with at least some of the files that were downloaded.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein said rendering comprises rendering the entire media player to include the visual content.

68. A media player comprising software configured to:

receive an input;

responsive to the input and without any user intervention, automatically;

download, on a client computer, multiple files associated with media content;

play media associated with at least some of the files using a media player embodied on the client computer; and

render at least a portion of the media player to include visual content that is specific to the playing media and associated with at least some of the files that were downloaded.