MEDIA FILE SYNCHRONIZATION

• US 20100205332A1
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene
• Granted Patent: US 9,077,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4025 where none of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

The description generally relates to a system designed to synchronize the rendering of a media file between a master device and a sister device. The system is designed so that a media file is simultaneously rendered on a master device and a sister device beginning from identical temporal starting points.

Claims

1. A method for media synchronization, comprising:

receiving a data file at a sister device, the sister device comprising a computing device configured to render media files, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file;

storing the data file at the sister device; and

rendering the media file by the sister device automatically beginning at the temporal starting point received in the data file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data file further includes the media file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the media file from a remote network location; and

storing the media file on the sister device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the temporal starting point, the modification of the temporal starting point being accomplished using a sister controller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media file is selected from the group consisting of a text file, a data file, an audio file, a video file, and an audiovisual file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sister device is selected from the group consisting of a home media server, a digital video server, a video receiver, a computer, a cellular telephone, a smart telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital music player, a digital video player, a portable video player, a wireless handheld device, a mobile communication device, a vehicle navigation system, a vehicle media system, a laptop personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, and a mobile computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the steps of receiving, storing, and rendering are performed by a sister media synchronization application having the capability of being updated remotely.

8. A method for media synchronization, comprising:

sensing the presence of a sister device, the sister device comprising a computing device specifically configured to render media files;

creating a data file, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file; and

transmitting the data file to the sister device to enable the sister device to render the media file automatically beginning at the temporal starting point.

9. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for media synchronization, the instructions comprising:

sensing the presence of a sister device, the sister device comprising a computing device specifically configured to render media files;

creating a data file, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file; and

transmitting the data file to the sister device to enable the sister device to render the media file automatically beginning at the temporal starting point.

10. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions for media synchronization, the instructions comprising:

receiving a data file at a sister device, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file;

storing the data file; and

rendering the media file from the temporal starting point.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data file further includes the media file.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving the media file over a network using a middleware server; and

storing the media file on the sister device.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising conditioning the media file to make the media file compatible with the sister device, the conditioning of the media file being accomplished using a logic resident on a middleware server.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising modifying the temporal starting point, the modification of the temporal starting point being accomplished using a sister controller.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

searching for the media file; and

acquiring the media file.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the media file is one or more of a text file, a data file, an audio file, a video file, and/or an audiovisual file.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the sister device is one or more of a home media server, a digital video server, a video receiver, a computer, a cellular telephone, a smart telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a digital music player, a digital video player, a portable video player, a wireless handheld device, a mobile communication device, a vehicle navigation system, a vehicle media system, a laptop personal computer (PC), a notebook PC, and/or a mobile computing device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the steps of receiving, storing, and rendering are performed by a sister media synchronization application having the capability of being updated remotely.

19. A system for media synchronization, comprising:

means for receiving a data file at a sister device, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file;

means for storing the data file; and

means for rendering the media file from the temporal starting point.

20. A system for media synchronization, comprising:

means for sensing the presence of a sister device, the sister device comprising a computing device specifically configured to render media files;

means for creating a data file, the data file including a media code and a time code, the media code identifying a media file, and the time code identifying a temporal starting point within the media file; and

means for transmitting the data file to the sister device to enable the sister device to render the media file automatically beginning at the temporal starting point.