Incorporating Interactive Media Into a Playlist

• US 20100235743A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Patrick N., O'Rourke, Bret P., Rahman, Shafiq Ur, Mohammed, Sohail Baig, Larkin, Kevin P., Mazhar, Khurshed
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums

Abstract

An exemplary system includes a media control operable to begin playing a media segment automatically after buffering the media segment, and a host application operable to receive a reference to the media segment, initialize the media control with the media segment, and cause the media control to postpone playing of the media segment after the media segment is buffered. An exemplary method includes receiving a playlist referencing a first media segment and a second media segment, the second media segment operable to play automatically without a prompt after being loaded, presenting the first media segment, and prerolling the second media segment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a playlist at a media player, stored in memory and coupled to a processor, the playlist referencing a first media segment and a second media segment, the second media segment comprising an interactive media segment and being operable to play automatically without a prompt after being loaded into an interactive media presentation control, the media player being configured to only present one media segment through a user interface at a time;

presenting the first media segment via the user interface;

prerolling the second media segment, wherein prerolling the second media segment comprises;

loading at least a predetermined minimum portion of the second media segment into a buffer for the interactive media presentation control before the presenting of the first media segment is complete; and

immediately postponing presentation of the second media segment to prevent overlapping playback with the first media segment.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the postponing playback comprises issuing a stop command to a control.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the postponing playback comprises stopping a timer associated with presenting the second media segment.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an event indicating that the presenting of the first media segment is finished.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, further comprising receiving a loading complete event from the interactive media presentation control indicating that the second media segment has been completely loaded.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 5, further comprising immediately presenting the second media segment via the user interface after receiving the event and the loading complete event, the immediately presenting facilitating a seamless transition from the first media segment to the second media segment.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 5, further comprising in response to receiving the loading complete event, prerolling a third media segment.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second media segment is further operable to issue a custom event.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the custom event references a third media segment to be played in response to the custom event.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an end of playback event from the second media segment.

11. A system comprising:

memory and a processor;

a media control module configured to only present one media segment at a time, stored in the memory and executable on the processor, operable to;

parse a playlist of media segments at a host application stored in memory and coupled to a processor comprising a media player having at least one reference to an interactive media segment operable to play continuously and a media presentation control operable to play the interactive media segment;

preroll the interactive media segment in the media presentation control;

immediately stop playback of the interactive media segment;

play the interactive media segment in an interface of the medial player after playback of the preceding media segment is complete or the prerolling is complete; and

receive a media segment event from the media presentation control indicating that the playing of the interactive media segment has finished.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising an events wrapper module, stored in the memory and executable on the processor, operable to receive an end of buffering notification from the media control module and to issue a corresponding end of buffering notification to the host application module.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the referenced media segments comprises mixed media.

14. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the playlist module comprises an event name associated with an event media segment to be played when a referenced media segment issues an event having the event name.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the playing of the media segment is postponed at least in part by stopping a timer that sends timer ticks to the media control for advancing playing of the media segment.

16. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein immediately stopping playback of the interactive media segment comprises immediately stopping playback only when the interactive media segment is not a first media segment in the playlist, the immediately stopping playback for preventing overlapping playback with a preceding media segment.

17. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a playlist module, stored in the memory and executable on the processor, having one or more references to media segments to be played in an order presented.

18. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the playlist comprises an Advanced Stream Redirector (ASX) file.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media, storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on a processor, perform acts comprising:

instantiating an events wrapper associated with a first interactive media segment created using vector-based graphics animation techniques and operable to play continuously;

initializing a control operable to playback both the first interactive media segment and a non-interactive media segment;

hosting the control in a portion of a user interface;

buffering the first interactive media segment prior to completion of playback of a previous media segment, the previous media segment comprising a second interactive media segment or the non-interactive media segment; and

immediately postponing presentation of the first interactive media segment in order to prevent overlapping playback with the previous media segment.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media as recited in claim 19, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving an end of buffering event from the control when the first interactive media has finished buffering; and

playing the first interactive media segment after the previous media segment completes playback and the end of buffering event is received.