Network delivery of interactive entertainment complementing audio recordings

• US 6,154,773 A
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: CDDB, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Roberts, Dale T, Greenberg, Ann E
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/060,876
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/213, 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/231, 709/319, 709/329, 463/40, 348/4, 348/6, 348/8, 348/722
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• 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 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Entertainment content complementary to a musical recording is delivered to a user'"'"'s computer by means of a computer network link. The user employs a browser to access the computer network. A plug-in for the browser is able to control an audio CD or other device for playing the musical recording. A script stored on the remote computer accessed over the network is downloaded. The script synchronizes the delivery of the complementary entertainment content with the play of the musical recording.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing distributed content from a distributed medium with complementary content from a remote device delivered over a network, comprising:

outputting the distributed content at a local electronic device to manifest the distributed content;

transferring complementary content and synchronization information from the remote device to the local device over the network; and

controlling the distributed medium using the synchronization information to synchronize manifestation of the distributed content with the complementary content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transferring distributed medium status information from the distributed medium to the remote device over the network; and

controlling manifestation of the complementary content using distributed medium status information and the synchronization information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed medium includes audio content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed medium includes audio and video content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributed medium includes music.

6. The method of claim 1,

further comprising:

analyzing the distributed medium;

computing an identification code as the identifier of the distributed medium based on the distributed content of the distributed media, and

wherein said transferring of the complementary content and the synchronization information from the remote device is based on the identification code of the distributed medium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a network server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the local electronic device is a first user device and the remote device is a second user device.

9. A device for synchronizing content from a prerecorded medium with complementary content from a remote device delivered over a network, comprising:

a local electronic device having a video display;

a player of prerecorded content connected to or integral with said local electronic device;

a communication unit, coupled to the network and connected to or integral with said local electronic device, to transfer complementary content and synchronization information from the remote device to said local device over the network; and

a control unit, connected to or integral with said communication unit and said local device, to control said player using the synchronization information to synchronize manifestation of the prerecorded content with the complementary content.

10. The device of claim 9,

wherein said communication unit further transfers prerecorded status information from the prerecorded content to the remote device over the network, and

wherein said control unit further controls manifestation of the complementary content based on the synchronization information received in response to the prerecorded status information transferred to the remote device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein said player obtains the prerecorded content from a compact disc.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein said player obtains the prerecorded content from a digital versatile disc.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein said player produces audio content from the prerecorded content.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein said player produces audio and video from the prerecorded content.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein said player produces music from the prerecorded content.

16. The device of claim 9,

further comprising:

means for analyzing the prerecorded content; and

means for computing an identification code based on the prerecorded content, and

wherein said communication unit transfers the complementary content and synchronization information from the remote device based on the identification code.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the remote device is a network server.

18. The device of claim 9, wherein said local electronic device is a first user device and the remote device is a second user device.

19. At least one computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, embodying a method of synchronizing distributed content from a distributed medium with complementary content from a remote device delivered over a network, comprising:

outputting the distributed content at a local electronic device to manifest the distributed content;

transferring complementary content and synchronization information from the remote device to the local device over the network; and

controlling the distributed medium using the synchronization information to synchronize manifestation of the distributed content with the complementary content.

20. At least one computer program as recited in claim 19, further comprising:

transferring distributed medium status information from the distributed medium to the remote device over the network; and

controlling manifestation of the complementary content using distributed medium status information and the synchronization information.

21. At least one computer program as recited in claim 19,

further comprising:

analyzing the distributed medium;

computing an identification code as the identifier of the distributed medium based on the distributed content of the distributed media, and

wherein said transferring of the complementary content and the synchronization information from the remote device is based on the identification code of the distributed medium.