Desktop Extension for Readily-Sharable and Accessible Media Playlist and Media

• US 20080319856A1
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Media Forum, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Media Forum, Inc. (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lemon, Scott C., Zito, Anthony, Hoff, Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 8,275,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method for distributing and providing access to media and for extending such access to a desktop environment is described. A media player in a webpage or in a desktop environment may reference a centralized location to access a playlist of media files. The playlist itself may reference remotely-located media files that may be streamed to the media player. The media player may be distributed in multiple environments, and updates to the playlist may be automatically distributed to all instances where the playlist is referenced due to the centralized reference in the media player. The embodiments of the media player may also be used in advertising as a mechanism for increasing user contact with an advertising entity and as a mechanism for distributing announcements and information by the advertiser.

Claims

1. A method of accessing media of a user at any instance of a media player regardless of whether the media player is displaying the media of the user comprising:

providing media of a user;

accessing a media player embedded in a webpage and displaying media belonging to someone other than the user;

logging in to the media player at the webpage using identifying information of the user; and

replacing the display of the media belonging to someone other than the user with a display of the media of the user when logging in using the identifying information of the user is successful without otherwise changing the display of the webpage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging out of the media player; and

restoring the display of the media belonging to someone other than the user when logout is complete.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring the media belonging to someone other than the user so that it becomes media of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player and media are hosted on remote servers and wherein the media player is inserted in a webpage by reference to at least one of the remote servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player comprises a playlist of media, and wherein the playlist of media displays a listing of media belonging to someone other than the user prior to the user logs in to the media player and after the user logs out of the media player, and wherein the playlist of media displays a listing of media belonging to the user after the user logs in to the media player but before the user logs out of the media player.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the webpage containing the media player is not changed, outside of the media player, upon login by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media of the user and the media belonging to someone other than the user are remotely hosted.

8. A method of accessing media comprising:

providing a first instance of a media player on a first webpage, the first instance of the media player comprising media of a first user for display through the first instance of the media player;

providing a second instance of a media player on a second webpage, the second instance of the media player comprising media of a second user for display through the second instance of the media player;

accessing the first instance of the media player through the second instance of the media player, wherein the step of accessing the first instance of the media player through the second instance of the media player comprises;

logging in to the second instance of the media player using identifying information associated with the first instance of the media player; and

replacing the media of the second user of the second instance of the media player with the media of the first user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of accessing the first instance of the media player through the second instance of the media player further comprises:

logging out of the second instance of the media player; and

restoring the media of the second user to the second instance of the media player.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the replacing the media of the second user does not affect the second instance of the media player except as it is being viewed by a party logged in to the second instance of the media player using the identifying information associated with the first instance of the media player.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising sharing and distributing the media of the second user by:

permitting a party logging in to the second instance of the media player using identifying information associated with the first instance of the media player to access and copy the media of the second user; and

adding the copied media of the second user to the media of the first user for display on the first instance of the media player.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the webpage containing the second instance of the media player is not changed, outside of the second instance of the media player, upon logging in using the identifying information associated with the first instance of the media player.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the media of the first user is remotely hosted from the first and second instances of the media player and is streamed to the first and second media players for playing on demand.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and second instances of the media player are remotely hosted from the first and second webpages on which they are located, further comprising:

inserting a third instance of a media player in a third webpage, the third instance of the media player being a copy of the first instance of the media player.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of inserting the third instance of the media player in the third webpage comprises:

providing hypertext markup language (HTML) code representing the first instance of the media player at one of;

the first instance of the media player; and

the second instance of the media player when a party is logged in to the second instance of the media player using identifying information associated with the first instance of the media player;

copying the HTML code; and

inserting the HTML code into the webpage of the third instance of the media player.

16. The method of claim 14, whereby if the media of the first user is changed, the third instance of the media player no longer displays the original media of the first user but displays the changed media of the first user.

17. A method of extending the sharing of media items and information shared over global computer networks to a desktop-based environment comprising:

providing a first instance of a media player, wherein the first instance of the media player has an appearance and a playlist controlled by a first party;

enabling a second party to copy the first instance of the media player;

permitting the second party to insert a second instance of the media player at a location accessible by the second party, wherein the second instance of the media player is substantially a copy of the first instance of the media player and has an appearance and a playlist, and wherein the appearance and the playlist of the second instance of the media player correspond to the appearance and the playlist of the first instance of the media player; and

enabling and permitting additional copying and insertion of additional instances of the media player from either of the first instance of the media player and the second instance of the media player.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second instances of the media player comprise media-based advertisements.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first instance of the media player is located in a first webpage accessible over a global computer network, and wherein the second instance of the media player is inserted at a location selected from the group of:

a second webpage accessible over the global computer network; and

a computer desktop of the second party.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the first instance of the media player is located on a first computer desktop, and wherein the second instance of the media player is inserted at a location selected from the group of:

a webpage accessible over the global computer network; and

a second computer desktop.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second instances of the media player comprise media-based advertisements, and wherein providing the first instance of the media player comprises:

providing a banner advertisement on a webpage accessible over a global computer network;

receiving an activating event from the second party at the banner advertisement; and

displaying the first instance of the media player to the second party.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein enabling the second party to copy the first instance of the media player comprises:

receiving a selection from the second party indicating the second party'"'"'s desire to obtain a copy of the first instance of the media player;

receiving a selection of a format for the second instance of the media player from the second party; and

providing the second party with means for copying the first instance of the media player and for inserting the second instance of the media player in the format selected by the second party.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the format selected by the second party is a desktop standalone program, and wherein the means for copying the first instance of the media player and for inserting the second instance of the media player comprises an executable program file.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the format selected by the second party is a desktop widget configured to run on a runtime provided by a third party, and wherein the means for copying the first instance of the media player and for inserting the second instance of the media player comprises a widget file configured to run on the third-party runtime.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the desktop widget is a Flash®

-based widget.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the format selected by the second party is a web-based format, and wherein the means for copying the first instance of the media player and inserting the second instance of the media player comprises HTML code for insertion into a webpage by the second party.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving updates of the playlist of the first instance of the media player from the first party; and

automatically distributing the updates to the playlist and any associated media items to the second instance of the media player.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

deleting one of the instances of the media player; and

permitting the remaining instance of the media player to continue existing regardless of the deletion of the other instance of the media player.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving updates of the appearance of the first instance of the media player from the first party; and

automatically distributing the updates of the appearance to the second instance of the media player.

30. A method of advertising comprising:

providing a first instance of a media-based advertisement on a web page accessible through a global computer network, wherein the first instance of the media-based advertisement is controlled by an advertiser;

enabling a potential customer to copy the first instance of the media-based advertisement and to insert a substantial copy of the first instance of the media-based advertisement as a second instance of the media-based advertisement in a desktop environment of the potential customer;

enabling and permitting additional copying and insertion of additional instances of the media-based advertisement from either of the first instance of the media-based advertisement and the second instance of the media-based advertisement; and

enabling the advertiser to update the first instance, the second instance, and any additional instances of the media-based advertisement.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first instance of the media-based advertisement comprises a banner advertisement, and wherein enabling a potential customer to copy the first instance of the media-based advertisement and to insert a substantial copy of the first instance of the media-based advertisement as a second instance of the media-based advertisement comprises:

receiving a selection from the potential customer indicating the potential customer'"'"'s desire to obtain a copy of the first instance of the media-based advertisement; and

providing the potential customer with means for copying the first instance of the media-based advertisement and for inserting the second instance of the media-based advertisement in the potential customer'"'"'s desktop environment.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the means for copying the first instance of the media-based advertisement and inserting the second instance of the media-based advertisement comprises a standalone executable program file.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the means for copying the first instance of the media-based advertisement and inserting the second instance of the media-based advertisement comprises a widget file configured to run on a third-party runtime.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the desktop widget is one of a Flash®

-based widget and a JavaScript®

-based widget.