Personalized content distribution system
First Claim
1. A host server system for disseminating digital audio recording files via a communications network to an audio player located at each of a plurality of client locations, each of said audio players comprising a client processor, a client data store and a client display unit, said host server system comprising, in combination:
- one or more data storage units for storing;
a plurality of digital audio recording files and attribute data describing each of said digital audio recording files, said attribute data including displayable text data describing the title or content of each of said digital audio recording files and displayable text data describing one or more subject matter categories to which each of said digital audio recording files belongs; and
one or more downloadable utility programs that are executable by said client processor in the audio players at a given client location for performing client functions requested by a person operating said audio player at said given client location, said client functions including;
downloading and displaying one or more catalog listings from said host server system identifying digital audio recording files available from said host server system;
selecting desired digital audio recording files specified by said person from said displayed catalog listings,downloading said desired digital audio recording files via said communications network from said host server system;
storing said desired digital audio recording files in said client data store at said given client location; and
selecting and reproducing one or more of said digital audio recording files in said client data store at said given client location in audible form perceptible to said person; and
one or more communication interfaces for responding to requests received via said communications network from said client locations by performing server functions including;
transferring said one or more downloadable utility programs to said given client location for storage in the client data store at said given client location for subsequent execution by the client processor at said given client location to perform said client functions;
compiling said catalog listings from said attribute data and transferring said catalog listings to said given client location for display on the client display unit at said given client location; and
transferring said desired digital audio recording files to said given client location for reproduction by the audio player at said given client location.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An audio program and message distribution system in which a host system organizes and transmits program segments to client subscriber locations. The host organizes the program segments by subject matter and creates scheduled programming in accordance with preferences associated with each subscriber. Program segments are associated with descriptive subject matter segments, and the subject matter segments may be used to generate both text and audio cataloging presentations to enable the user to more easily identify and select desirable programming. A playback unit at the subscriber location reproduces the program segments received from the host and includes mechanisms for interactively navigating among the program segments. A usage log is compiled to record the subscriber'"'"'s use of the provided program materials, to return data to the host for billing, to adaptively modify the subscriber'"'"'s preferences based on actual usage, and to send subscriber-generated comments and requests to the host for processing. Voice input and control mechanisms included in the player allow the user to perform hands-free navigation of the program materials and to dictate comments and messages which are returned to the host for retransmission to other subscribers. The program segments sent to each subscriber may include advertising materials which the user can selectively play to obtain credits against the subscriber fee. Parallel audio and text transcript files for at least selected programming enable subject matter searching and synchronization of the audio and text files. Speech synthesis may be used to convert transcript files into audio format. Image files may also be transmitted from the server for synchronized playback with the audio programming.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A host server system for disseminating digital audio recording files via a communications network to an audio player located at each of a plurality of client locations, each of said audio players comprising a client processor, a client data store and a client display unit, said host server system comprising, in combination:
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one or more data storage units for storing; a plurality of digital audio recording files and attribute data describing each of said digital audio recording files, said attribute data including displayable text data describing the title or content of each of said digital audio recording files and displayable text data describing one or more subject matter categories to which each of said digital audio recording files belongs; and one or more downloadable utility programs that are executable by said client processor in the audio players at a given client location for performing client functions requested by a person operating said audio player at said given client location, said client functions including; downloading and displaying one or more catalog listings from said host server system identifying digital audio recording files available from said host server system; selecting desired digital audio recording files specified by said person from said displayed catalog listings, downloading said desired digital audio recording files via said communications network from said host server system; storing said desired digital audio recording files in said client data store at said given client location; and selecting and reproducing one or more of said digital audio recording files in said client data store at said given client location in audible form perceptible to said person; and one or more communication interfaces for responding to requests received via said communications network from said client locations by performing server functions including; transferring said one or more downloadable utility programs to said given client location for storage in the client data store at said given client location for subsequent execution by the client processor at said given client location to perform said client functions; compiling said catalog listings from said attribute data and transferring said catalog listings to said given client location for display on the client display unit at said given client location; and transferring said desired digital audio recording files to said given client location for reproduction by the audio player at said given client location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A personalized electronic information delivery system for disseminating selected audio program files to a plurality of audio program players via the Internet, said delivery system comprising:
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one or more file servers for storing a library of available named audio program files, a data communications interface for exchanging data with said audio program players, and a processor for; responding to one or more program requests received from a each given one of audio program players by transferring requested named audio program files specified in said one or more program requests to said given one of said audio program players to enable said given one of said audio program players to reproduce said requested named audio program files, receiving usage data from reporting ones of said audio program players indicating the extent to which specified named audio program files have been reproduced by each of said reporting ones of said audio program players, combining said usage data as received from said reporting ones of said audio program players in create aggregated usage data, and transferring personalized program recommendations to individual ones of said audio program players, said personalized program recommendations identifying more frequently reproduced ones of named audio program files as indicated by said aggregated usage data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification