SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING DATA

• US 20080126387A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blinnikka, Tomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,900,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Against this backdrop systems and methods have been developed for presenting a media stream to user next to text and other content in an interface allowing the user to select part of the content and easily associate it with a specified portion of the media stream. The system includes a graphical user interface that displays and renders a media stream, such as a video stream, to a user in a first display area. Near the first display area is a second display area displaying content, such as text, to be associated with some portion of the media stream. The interface allows a user to select some of the content in the second display area with a pointing device. The selection also identifies a portion of the media stream based on what is being rendered as the selection is made and how the selection is made.

Claims

11. A method for associating text elements to be selectively displayed with different portions of a media stream comprising:

rendering the media stream to a user;

simultaneously displaying one or more text elements to the user in a text display area;

receiving a user input as a portion of the media stream is being rendered, the user input selecting at least one text element in the text display area; and

associating, in response to the user input, the selected at least one text element with the portion of the media stream.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein associating further comprises:

storing metadata associated with the media stream, the metadata based on the user input and the selected at least one text element, the metadata interpretable by a rendering device to cause the selected at least one text element to be displayed when the portion of the media stream is rendered.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the user input includes a start input, a selection input, and an end input.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

upon receipt of the start input, generating a start location of the portion of the media stream.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

upon receipt of the end input, generating an end location of the portion of the media stream.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the start input is generated by a first interaction with a pointing device received during the rendering of the media stream, the start input defining the start location of the portion of the media stream.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the end input is generated by a second interaction with a pointing device, the interaction with a pointing device defining the end location of the portion of the media stream.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the end input is also a subsequent start input for a subsequent portion of the media stream and the end input further selects a different at least one text element.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the start input is generated by a command from the user to begin selection of the at least one text element in the display area;

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the end input is generated by a command from the user to end selection of the at least one text element in the display area;

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the user input is generated via depression of a button on a pointing device, movement of the pointing device controlling movement of a selector over the text display area, and a release of the button.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the text display area is a touch-sensitive display and receiving the user input comprises:

detecting a touch to the touch-sensitive text display area.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein receiving further comprises:

identifying a location of the touch; and

determining that the at least one text element in the text display area is associated with the location.

25. A graphical user interface comprising:

a first media display area rendering a selected media stream over time;

a second media display area rendering one or more data elements to be associated with different portions of the media stream; and

a user-controlled selector allowing a user to select and associate at least one data element in the second display area with a currently displayed portion of the selected media stream in the first media display area.

26. The graphical user interface of claim 25 wherein the second media display area is adjacent to the first media display area.

27. The graphical user interface of claim 25 wherein as each at least one data element is selected in the second media display area, the one or more data elements displayed in the second media display area are changed so that data elements that have not been selected are visible in the second media display area.

28. The graphical user interface of claim 25 further comprising:

a video playback control panel comprising one or more user interface elements controlling the rendering of the selected media stream in the first media display area.

29. The graphical user interface of claim 25 wherein as the first media display area renders a first portion of the selected media stream, the second media display area displays data elements previously associated with the first portion of the selected media stream.

30. The graphical user interface of claim 29 wherein the user may change the data elements previously associated with the first portion of the selected media stream via the user-controlled selector.

31. The graphical user interface of claim 25 wherein the second media display area is a touch-sensitive display.

32. The graphical user interface of claim 31 wherein the user-controlled selector is a touching apparatus detectable by the touch-sensitive display.

33. The graphical user interface of claim 31 wherein the user-controlled selector is a stylus.

34. A computer-readable medium encoding computer-executable instructions for performing a method for associating displayable elements to be selectively and concurrently displayed with different portions of a video stream comprising:

rendering the video stream to a user;

simultaneously displaying one or more displayable elements to the user in a display area;

receiving a user input as a portion of the video stream is being rendered, the user input selecting at least one displayable element in the display area; and

associating, in response to the user input, the selected at least one displayable element with the portion of the video stream.

1. A method for associating text elements with a portion of a video stream comprising:

rendering the video stream to a user in a video display area;

simultaneously displaying one or more text elements to the user in a touch-sensitive text display area;

detecting a first touch at a first location on the touch-sensitive text display area as a portion of the video stream is being rendered,

selecting at least one text element in the text display area based on the first location of the touch; and

associating, in response to the touch, the selected at least one text element with the portion of the video stream.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a start of the portion of the video stream based on when the first touch is initially detected.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

if the first touch is still detected after a predetermined period of time, defining an end of the portion of the video stream based on when the first touch is no longer detected.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

if the first touch is detected for less than the predetermined period of time, defining the end of the portion of the video stream upon detection of a second touch.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

if the first location corresponds to a single text element and if the first touch is detected for less than the predetermined period of time, selecting the single text element.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the single text element is a word and the first location is selected from an area below the word and an area displaying the word.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the single text element is a first row of text and the first location is selected from left of the first row and right of the first row.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting further comprises:

detecting a change of the first touch from the first location to a second location on the touch-sensitive text display area; and

selecting the at least one text element in the text display area based on the first location and the second location.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

redisplaying the one or more text elements in the touch-sensitive text display area based on the second location.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first location is selected from left of the first row and the second location is left of a second row of text below the first row.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein associating further comprises:

storing metadata associated with the video stream, the metadata based on the user input and the selected at least one displayable element, the metadata interpretable by a rendering device to cause the selected at least one displayable element to be displayed when the portion of the video stream is rendered.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the user input includes a start input, a selection input, and an end input.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 further comprising instructions for:

upon receipt of the start input, generating a start location of the portion of the video stream.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 further comprising instructions for:

upon receipt of the end input, generating an end location of the portion of the video stream.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the start input is generated by a first interaction with a pointing device received during the rendering of the video stream, the start input defining the start location of the portion of the video stream.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the end input is generated by a second interaction with a pointing device, the interaction with a pointing device defining the end location of the portion of the video stream.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the end input is also a subsequent start input for a subsequent portion of the video stream and the end input further selects a different at least one displayable element.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the start input is generated by a command from the user to begin selection of the at least one displayable element in the display area;

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42 wherein the end input is generated by a command from the user to end selection of the at least one displayable element in the display area;

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the user input is generated via depression of a button on a pointing device, movement of the pointing device controlling movement of a selector over the display area, and a release of the button.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the display area is a touch-sensitive display and receiving the user input comprises:

detecting a touch to the touch-sensitive display area.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein receiving further comprises:

identifying a location of the touch; and

determining that the at least one displayable element in the display area is associated with the location.

45-1. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein each displayable element is selected from one or more words, one or more lines of words, one or more images, and one or more icons representing audio data.