Recording of an audio performance of media in segments over a communication network

• US 20090228279A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ripple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tandem Readers, LLC
• Inventors: Nabkel, Jafar, Steere, Leigh, Kephart, Janet H.
• Application Number:
  US12/147,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228279A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

An audio performance of a media selection is recorded in segments over a communication network. A sender obtains a copy of a media selection that may be divided into media segments for audio recording. The sender can annotate and record a reading of each media segment and any additional commentary. The audio data constituting the “audio performance” is transmitted from a sender telephony device over the communication network to a voice server. The segments of audio data may be collected and arranged in order and assembled with prerecorded segment cues. The audio segments may also be synchronized with digital copies of the media segments. In one implementation, a user, for example, a grandparent, can read a children'"'"'s book into a telephony device, including personal anecdotes, for page-by-page recording over the communication network for storage at a voice server for later fulfillment to a grandchild in conjunction with a copy of the media selection in physical or electronic form.

Claims

1. A method for recording an audio performance of a media selection over a communication network comprising

establishing a communication session with a sender telephony device over the communication network;

providing an interactive interface for instructing the sender to record, edit, and manage an audio performance of a media selection in segments;

receiving audio data from the sender telephony device via the communication network corresponding to audio segments of the audio performance; and

recording the audio data as a grouping of the audio segments in a first data repository to form a recorded audio performance.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving recording instructions as DTMF tones, voice instructions, or both, from the sender telephony device over the communication network;

and

controlling the recording operation, at least in part, by the recording instructions.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing operation further comprises providing audible input instructions to the sender telephony device over the communication network.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising

storing a plurality of media files in a second data repository corresponding to a plurality of media selections;

storing the recorded audio performance as one of a collection of recorded audio performances in the first data repository; and

synchronizing the recorded audio performance with a corresponding one of the media files.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein

each of the media files is formatted in media segments;

and

the synchronizing operation further comprises synchronizing the audio segments with corresponding media segments.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

recording annotation information corresponding to a respective one of the media segments during recording of a corresponding one of the audio segments;

and wherein

the synchronizing operation further comprises synchronizing the annotation information with the respective one of the media segments.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the synchronizing operation further provides for inserting accompaniment cues into the recorded audio performance for indicating a change between media segments.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing audible pre-recorded prompts to the sender telephony device over the communication network that identify a next media segment for the sender to record.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising

copying the recorded audio performance to a storage medium;

and

providing the copy of the recorded audio performance and a copy of a corresponding one of the media files to a recipient.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing operation further comprises transmitting a copy of the recorded audio performance and the corresponding one of the media files to a recipient device over a communication network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein

the storage medium is a removable physical medium;

the copy of the corresponding one of the media files is a tangible copy; and

the providing operation further comprises initiating shipping of the removable physical medium and the tangible copy to the recipient.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein

the copy of the corresponding one of the media files is a tangible copy;

and

the providing operation further comprises

initiating shipping of the tangible copy to the recipient; and

transmitting the copy of the recorded audio performance over a communication network to a recipient device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions further comprise operations to provide audible pre-recorded prompts to the sender telephony device over the communication network that identify a next media segment for the sender to record.

13. A computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions for controlling a server computer to record an audio performance of a media selection over a communication network, wherein the instructions comprise operations to

establish a communication session with a sender telephony device over the communication network;

provide an interactive interface for instructing the sender to record, edit, and manage an audio performance of the media selection in segments;

receive audio data from the sender telephony device via the communication network corresponding to audio segments of the audio performance; and

record the audio data as a grouping of the audio segments in a first data repository to form a recorded audio performance.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise operations to

receive recording instructions as DTMF tones, voice instructions, or both, from the sender telephony device over the communication network;

and

control the recording operation, at least in part, by the recording instructions.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the providing operation further comprises providing audible input instructions to the sender telephony device over the communications network.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise operations to

store a plurality of media files in a second data repository corresponding to a plurality of media selections;

store the recorded audio performance as one of a collection of recorded audio performances in the first data repository; and

synchronize the recorded audio performance with a corresponding one of the media files.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein

each of the media files is formatted in media segments;

and

the synchronizing operation further comprises synchronizing the audio segments with corresponding media segments.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise operations to

record annotation information corresponding to a respective one of the media segments during recording of a corresponding one of the audio segments;

and wherein

the synchronizing operation further comprises synchronizing the annotation information with the respective one of the media segments.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the synchronizing operation further provides for inserting accompaniment cues into the recorded audio performance for indicating a change between media segments.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise operations to

copy the recorded audio performance to a storage medium;

and

provide the copy of the recorded audio performance and a copy of a corresponding one of the media files to a recipient.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions for the providing operation further comprise an operation to

transmit a copy of the recorded audio performance and the corresponding one of the media files to a recipient device over a communication network.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein

the storage medium is a removable physical medium;

the copy of the corresponding one of the media files is a tangible copy; and

the instructions for the providing operation further comprise an operation to initiate shipping of the removable physical medium and the tangible copy to the recipient.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein

the copy of the corresponding one of the media files is a tangible copy;

and

the instructions for the providing operation further comprise operations to

initiate shipping of the tangible copy to the recipient; and

transmit the copy of the recorded audio performance over a communication network to a recipient device.

25. A system for recording an audio performance of a media selection over a communication network comprising

a first data repository for storing a collection of audio performances;

a communication network link to a sender telephony device over a communication network; and

a voice server configured to

provide an interactive interface for instructing the sender to record, edit, and manage an audio performance of a media selection in segments via the communication network link;

receive audio data from a sender telephony device via the communication network corresponding to audio segments of the audio performance; and

record the audio data as a grouping of the audio segments in the first data repository to form a recorded audio performance corresponding to the media selection.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the voice server is further configured to

receive recording instructions as DTMF tones generated by the sender telephony device, voice instructions input in the sender telephony device, or both, over the communication network;

and

control the recording operation, at least in part, by the recording instructions.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the interactive interface further comprises audible input instructions to the sender telephony device over the communication network

28. The system of claim 25 further comprising

a second data repository;

and wherein

the voice server is further configured to

store a plurality of media files in the second data repository corresponding to a plurality of media selections;

store the recorded audio performance as one of the collection of recorded audio performances in the first data repository; and

synchronize the recorded audio performance with a corresponding one of the media files.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein

each of the media files is formatted in media segments;

and

the voice server is further configured to synchronize the recorded audio performance with a corresponding one of the media files by synchronizing the audio segments with corresponding media segments.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the voice server is further configured to

record annotation information corresponding to a respective one of the media segments during recording of a corresponding one of the audio segments;

and

synchronize the annotation information with the respective one of the media segments.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the voice server is further configured to insert accompaniment cues into the recorded audio performance for indicating a change between media segments.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the voice server is further configured to provide audible pre-recorded prompts to the sender telephony device over the communication network that identify a next media segment for the sender to record.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the voice server is further configured to

copy the recorded audio performance to a storage medium;

and

provide the copy of the recorded audio performance and a copy of a corresponding one of the media files to a recipient.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the voice server is further configured to transmit a copy of the recorded audio performance and the corresponding one of the media files to a recipient device over a communication network.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein

the storage medium is a removable physical medium;

the copy of the corresponding one of the media files is a tangible copy; and

the voice server is further configured to initiating ship of the removable physical medium and the tangible copy to the recipient.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein

the copy of the corresponding one of the media files is a tangible copy;

and

the voice server is further configured to

initiate shipping of the tangible copy to the recipient; and

transmit the copy of the recorded audio performance over a communication network to a recipient device.