Media playing system and process

• US 20040240861A1
• Filed: 05/31/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imaginationdvd Corporation
• Original Assignee: Imaginationdvd Corporation
• Inventors: Yeend, Shane Antony, Pike, Shane Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/125
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method of playing recorded content on a DVD player employs software instructions on a DVD storage medium to control a DVD-Video player to make pseudo-random selections of content items from the DVD storage medium. Each content item may include an individual video sequence or a string of video sequences. Each content item is associated with a respective identification codes, such that each content item is associated with a corresponding identification code that is different from the identification codes of other content items. The DVD player controller is controlled to select, by pseudo-random selection or generation, at least one of the identification codes from the plurality of identification codes. The DVD player controller may be controlled to perform that pseudo-random selection or generation with software stored on (and read from) the DVD storage medium.

Claims

1. A system for playing recorded content on a DVD player having a DVD player controller configured to select from a plurality of content items stored on a DVD storage medium and play selected content items, the system comprising:

a DVD storage medium storing a plurality of content items that may be played in a plurality of possible different sequences; and

program software for controlling the DVD controller to select by pseudo random selection at least one sequence of the stored content items from a plurality of possible different sequences of the stored content items.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the program software is stored on the DVD storage medium, for loading into a DVD player memory.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein each possible different sequence of content items includes every content item in the plurality of content items stored on the storage medium, in a different sequential order than other possible different sequences of content items.

4. A system of claim 1, wherein:

each content item has an associated identification code;

the storage medium further stores a plurality of different sequences of identification codes; and

the program software controls the DVD controller to select by pseudo random selection at least one sequence of identification codes from the plurality of different sequences.

5. A system of claim 4, wherein each different sequence of identification codes includes the identification code of every content item in the plurality of content items stored on the storage medium, in a different sequential order than other different sequences of identification codes

6. A method of playing recorded content on a DVD player having a DVD player controller configured to select from a plurality of content items stored on a DVD storage medium and play selected content items, the method comprising

storing, on a DVD storage medium, a plurality of strings of content items;

associating the plurality of strings of content items with a corresponding plurality of identification codes such that each string of content items is associated with a corresponding identification code that is different from the identification codes of other strings of content items;

controlling DVD player controller to select by pseudo-random selection, at least one of the identification codes from the plurality of identification codes;

storing each selected identification code in DVD player memory; and

playing the string of content items corresponding to each selected identification code.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein playing string of content items comprises:

displaying at least one first video clip or audio clip having at least one question;

displaying at least one second video clip or audio clip having at least one answer corresponding to the at least one question;

providing a period of time between the display of the end of the first video or audio clip and the beginning of the second video or audio clip.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a third video or audio clip is displayed during the period of time between the first and second video or audio clips, the third video or audio comprises content representing time remaining before the beginning of the second video or audio clip.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein an audio music clip is displayed during the period of time between the first and second video or audio clips.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein providing a period of time between the display of the first and second video or audio clips comprises delaying the display of the at least one second video clip or audio clip until receipt of a user command to display the at least one second video clip or audio clip.

11. A method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying a request for user input to continue the game, after displaying at least one second video clip or audio clip.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving user input to continue the game and, in response, controlling DVD controller to select by pseudo-random selection, at least one second identification code from the plurality of identification codes.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising controlling the DVD controller to compare each second selected identification code with each stored first selected identification code and to select a further identification code, if a second selected identification code matches a stored first identification code.

14. A method according to claim 6, wherein controlling DVD player controller to select at least one of the identification codes comprises:

providing a plurality of banks of identification codes, each bank defining a sequence of the plurality of identification codes; and

controlling the DVD player to select, by pseudo-random selection, a bank of identification codes from the plurality of banks.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein each bank in the plurality of banks comprises the same identification codes, but in a different sequential order, as the other banks in the plurality of banks.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein playing the string of content items comprises playing the string of content items associated with the first identification code in the sequence defined by the selected bank.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein playing the string of content items comprises playing a plurality of strings of content items associated with identification codes in the selected bank, in the sequence defined by the selected bank.

18. A system for playing recorded content on a media player having a media player controller configured to select from a plurality of content items stored on a content storage medium and play selected content items, the system comprising:

a content storage medium storing a plurality of content items, each content item having an associated identification code;

the content storage medium further storing a plurality of different sequences of identification codes;

program software for controlling the media controller to select by pseudo random selection, at least one sequence of identification codes from the plurality of different sequences.

19. A method of playing recorded content on a DVD player having a DVD player controller configured to select from a plurality of content items stored on a DVD storage medium and play selected content items, the method comprising:

storing, on a DVD storage medium, a plurality of content items that may be played in a plurality of possible different sequences; and

controlling the DVD controller with program software to select by pseudo random selection at least one sequence of the stored content items from a plurality of possible different sequences of the stored content items.

20. A method of claim 19, further comprising:

associating each content item with an identification code;

storing, on the DVD storage medium, a plurality of different sequences of identification codes; and

controlling the DVD controller with the program software to select by pseudo random selection at least one sequence of identification codes from the plurality of different sequences.

21. A method of claim 19, wherein each different sequence of identification codes includes the identification code of every content item in the plurality of content items stored on the storage medium, in a different sequential order than other different sequences of identification codes.

22. A system for playing recorded content on a DVD player having a DVD player controller configured to select from a plurality of content items stored on a DVD storage medium and play selected content items, the system comprising:

a DVD storage medium storing a plurality of content items that may be played in a plurality of possible different sequences;

program software for controlling the DVD controller to select by pseudo random selection at least one sequence of the stored content items from a plurality of possible different sequences of the stored content items; and

at least one physical object;

wherein the function of the at least one physical object is associated with the selected content items.

23. A system of claim 22, wherein the at least one physical object comprises a deck of cards.

24. A system of claim 23,

wherein the cards in the deck of cards are placed face down;

wherein each content item displays a card face; and

wherein a user turns over a card to try to match the card face displayed by each content item.

25. A system of claim 22, wherein the at least one physical object comprises:

a game board; and

at least one game piece;

26. A system of claim 25, wherein the at least one game piece is moved to locations on the game board based on the selected content items.

27. A system of claim 26,

wherein the game board has a plurality of spaces;

wherein each content item displays a question; and

wherein a user moves the at least one game piece a specified number of spaces on the game board each time the user answers a question correctly.

28. A system of claim 26,

wherein each content item displays a possible stopping position of a spinning pointer;

and

wherein a user moves to a location on the game board based on the position of the pointer.

29. A system of claim 22, wherein the at least one physical object comprises:

a writing pad; and

a writing utensil.

30. A system of claim 29,

wherein each content item displays a picture;

and

wherein a user draws the picture on the writing pad using the writing utensil.

31. A system of claim 22, further comprising:

a container;

wherein the at least one physical object and the DVD storage medium are stored in the container.

32. A method of playing recorded content on a DVD player having a DVD player controller configured to select from a plurality of content items stored on a DVD storage medium and play selected content items, the method comprising:

storing, on a DVD storage medium, a plurality of content items that may be played in a plurality of possible different sequences;

controlling the DVD controller with program software to select by pseudo random selection at least one sequence of the stored content items from a plurality of possible different sequences of the stored content items; and

associating the function of at least one physical object with the selected content items.

33. A method of claim 32, wherein associating the function of at least one physical object with the selected content items comprises:

moving at least one game piece on a game board based on the selected content items.

34. A method of claim 33, wherein moving at least one game piece on a game board based on the selected content items comprises:

answering a question displayed by each content item; and

moving the at least one game piece a specified number of spaces on the game board if the question is answered correctly.

35. A method of claim 32, wherein associating the function of at least one physical object with the selected content items comprises:

selecting a card from a deck of cards based on a card face displayed by each content item.