Streaming media search and continuous playback system of media resources located by multiple network addresses

• US 6,389,467 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bluebonnet Internet Media Services, LLC
• Original Assignee: Friskit
• Inventors: Eyal, Aviv
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US09/563,250
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/245, 707/10, 345/327
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A network enabled device receives search criteria and accesses a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses. The memory associates each address with one or more classes of information. Each address in the memory locates a media network resource. A plurality of the addresses are selected using the search criteria. The selected addresses are signaled to the network enabled device. A media playback component on the network enabled device sequentially plays back the media resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses automatically.

Claims

1. A method for playing back media from a network, the method comprising:

receiving a search request from a network enabled device to play back media from multiple sites on the network, the search request specifying one or more search criteria;

accessing a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses, the memory associating substantially each address with one or more classes of information, each address accessing a media resource;

selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory by comparing the one or more search criteria to one or more classes of information associated with the plurality of network addresses;

signaling the selected plurality of addresses to the network enabled device; and

causing the network enabled device to access sites located by at least some of the selected addresses and to play back the media resources provided at the accessed sites, including to sequentially play back the media resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory includes matching the one or more search criteria with a parameter in the one or more classes of information associated with that address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses includes accessing a plurality of links to Internet sites, each link containing no other internal link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory includes selecting a plurality of links in the database using the search criteria, signaling the selected plurality of links to the network enabled device, and programmatically controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and sequentially play back the media resource of each of the plurality of selected links in a designated order.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and sequentially play back the media resource includes sequentially playing back the media resource of each of the plurality of selected links after accessing the respective selected link.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving a search request from a network enabled device includes receiving tho search criteria corresponding to an artist name, and wherein selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory by comparing the one or more search criteria to one or more classes of information associated with the plurality of network addresses includes selecting a plurality of links that are each associated with a class of information containing a parameter corresponding to the artist name.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving a search request from a network enabled device includes receiving the search criteria corresponding to a title of a network media resource, and wherein selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory by comparing the one or more search criteria to one or more classes of information associated with the plurality of network addresses includes selecting a plurality of links that are each associated with a class of information containing a parameter corresponding to the title of the network media resource.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a search request from a network enabled device includes receiving the search criteria corresponding to a musical category, and wherein selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory by comparing the one or more search criteria to one or more classes of information associated with the plurality of network addresses includes selecting a plurality of links that are each associated with a class of information containing a parameter corresponding to the musical category.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein signaling the selected plurality of addresses includes displaying the selected plurality of addresses for a user of the network enabled device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the network enabled device to sequentially play back the media resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically includes causing the network enabled device to automatically play back the media resources provided by the selected addresses in response to signaling the selected addresses to the network enabled device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the network enabled device to play back media resources provided at the accessed sites includes causing the network enabled device to play back audio from the accessed sites.

12. An integrated platform for playing back media from a network, the integrated platform comprising:

a network enabled device that includes a media playback component;

a memory that includes a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on the network;

a network server module that communicates with the network enabled device and with the memory, the network server module being able to receive a search request entered on the network enabled device that specifies one or more criteria, to select a plurality of addresses from the memory based on one or more of information that matches the one or more search criteria, and to cause the media playback component to load the media resource located by at least some of the selected addresses so that the media playback component automatically plays back media resources provided by one or more of the selected addresses; and

whereas the media playback component and the network server module constitute an integrated platform.

13. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the network server module communicates with the network enabled device by signaling the selected address to the network enabled device to cause the media playback component to load the media resource located by the selected address.

14. The integrated platform of claim 13, wherein the network server module communicates with the network enabled device through the network.

15. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the network server module is located at least partially on the network enabled device and communicates with the database through the network.

16. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the memory includes a database that is locatable by the network enabled device on the network.

17. The integrated platform of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

18. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the network includes the internet, the network enabled device includes an Internet enabled device, each of the plurality of addresses includes links to a media web resource, and wherein the network server module signals control information to the Internet enabled device to cause the Internet enabled device to programmatically access each of a plurality of media web resources signaled to the network enabled device.

19. The integrated platform of claim 18, wherein the web server module signals control information to the media playback component and a web browser component of the Internet enabled device, to cause the media playback component of the network enabled device to programmatically load and playback the media web resource while the web browser displays a web page of a web site corresponding to the media web resource being played back.

20. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the media resource is a streaming media file that outputs a combination of at least video or audio once the media resource is loaded by the media playback component.

21. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the network server module comprises a sequence of code that is signaled to the network enabled device from another device on the network, the sequence of code being executable on the network enabled device.

22. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the network enabled device includes the media playback component, and wherein the network server module programmatically controls the media playback component of the network enabled device to playback the media resource.

23. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the network enabled device is a device selected from a group of devices consisting of a personal computer, a handheld computer, a smart network appliance, and a wireless Internet enabled device.

24. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the memory comprises a plurality of links to Internet sites, wherein each link accesses a media resource without requiring another internal link.

25. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein all or a portion of the memory resides on the network enabled device.

26. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein all or a portion of the memory is accessible to the network enabled device over the network.

27. The integrated platform of claim 12, wherein the one or more classes of information for each address in the database include types of metadata selected from the metadata group consisting of genre, title, and data format of the media resource.

28. A computer system for playing back media from a network, the computer system comprising:

a media playback component provided on a network enabled platform;

a database comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on the network, each address accessing a media resource; and

a network server module that is coupleable to the media playback component and the database, the network server module being able to receive a request for media playback from the network enabled device, to select multiple addresses from the database, to signal the selected addresses to the network enabled device, and to control a media playback component on the network enabled device in order to cause the media playback component to sequentially play back the media resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the database comprises a plurality of links to Internet sites, wherein each link accesses a media web resource and contains no other internal link.

30. The computer system of claim 28, wherein all or a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

31. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the network server module resides on the network.

32. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the network server module resides on the network.

33. The computer system of claim 28, wherein at least a portion of the network server module resides on the network enabled platform.

34. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the network server module comprises a sequence of code that is signaled to the network enabled platform from another device on the network, the sequence of coda being executable on the network enabled platform.

35. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the media playback component and a network browser component arm provided on the network enabled platform, the database includes a plurality of links to media web resources, wherein the network server module programmatically controls the media playback component of the Internet enabled device in order to cause the media playback component to sequentially play back the media web resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically.

36. The computer system of claim 28, further comprising a web browser component provided on the network enabled device, and wherein the network server module programmatically controls the web browser component to display a web page associated with the media web resource being played back.

37. The computer system of claim 28, further comprising a play-list module coupleable to the network server module, the play-list module generating a play-list based on one or more criteria designated by a user of the network enabled platform, the play-list including a plurality of addresses that are signaled to the network enabled platform in response to the request for media playback.

38. The computer system of claim 28, wherein the media playback component resides on a network enabled device selected from a group of terminal devices consisting of a personal computer, a handheld computer, a wireless Internet enabled device, and a handheld computer.

39. A method for playing back media on a network enabled device, the method comprising:

receiving a playback request from the network enabled device to play back media that matches one or more search criteria;

accessing a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses, the memory associating each address with one or more classes of information, each address locating a site on the network that provides access to a media resource;

selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory by comparing the one or more search criteria to the one or more classes of information associated with the plurality of network addresses; and

causing media resources, including media resources provided at sites accessed from the selected plurality of addresses, to be played back in a sequence, wherein in response to termination of playback of a given media resource in the sequence, automatically initiating playback of a subsequent media resource in the sequence.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising signaling the selected plurality of addresses to the network enabled device.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein causing media resources to be played back in a sequence includes playing back audio from the accessed media sites.

42. A network enabled device configured to playback media from a network, the network enabled device being coupleable over to a database comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on a network, the network enabled device comprising:

a user-interface to prompt for a request;

a network interface to signal the request to a network server module that is communicatable with the database, and to receive one or more addresses in the database that match the search request; and

a media playback component being configured to be programmatically controllable by the network server module to automatically load the media resource associated with each address signaled to the network enabled device upon accessing the media resource, and to sequentially play back the media resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically.

43. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the user interface is controllable by the network server module after the network server module signals the response, the user-interface providing one or more prompts to enable an end user to control the media played back from the one or more media resources associated with the addresses signaled from the network server module.

44. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the user-interface prompts for a user to signal the network server module to immediately access a next address signaled to the network enabled device from the network server module.

45. The network enabled device of claim 44, wherein the user-interface prompts for the end user to signal the media playback component to repeat playing back a previously played media resource.

46. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the user interface prompts for a specific media resource from the media resources signaled from the network server module for playback, and to pause playback from the media resources signaled from the web server module.

47. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the network access component is a web browser residing on an Internet enabled device.

48. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein all or a portion of the database is accessible to the network enabled device over the network.

49. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein all or a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

50. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the network device is Internet enabled, wherein the network interface signals the request to a web server module that is communicatable with the database to receive one or more links to web sites containing media web resources, the one or more links containing no internal links, and wherein the Internet enabled device further comprises a web browser component, the web browser component being controllable by the web server module to automatically access and display a web page associated with the media web resource being played back by the media playback component.

51. The network enabled device of claim 50, wherein the network interface includes a communication port between the network enabled device and the network.

52. A network enabled device configured to play back media from a network, the network enabled device being coupleable over the network to a database comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on the network, the network enabled device comprising:

a user-interface including a plurality of user-interactive features, a first user-interactive feature in the plurality of user-interactive features prompting to receive a search request for media playback;

a network interface that signals the request to a network server module upon the first user-interactive feature receiving the search request for media playback, the network interface being communicatable with the database to receive one or more addresses in the database that match the search request; and

a media playback component being configured to be programmatically controllable by the network server module to automatically load the media resource associated with each address signaled to the network enabled device upon accessing the media resource, and to sequentially play back the media web resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically the media playback component being controllable in playing back the media resources by one or more control user-interactive features in the plurality of user-interactive features.

53. The network enabled device of claim 52, wherein the first user-interactive feature in the plurality of user-interactive features is selected from a group consisting of selectable icons, text-entry field, and menu items.

54. The network enabled device of claim 53, wherein the control user-interactive features are selected from a group of selectable icons having functions corresponding to skipping to a next address selected to be signaled to the network enabled device, pausing the media resource being played back, repeating the media resource previously played back, and stopping playback from the media playback component.

55. The network enabled device of claim 53, wherein the user-interface includes a plurality of user-interactive features to select a characteristic for the media playback component sequentially playing back the media web resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically.

56. The network enabled device of claim 55, wherein the user-interface features include the plurality of user-interactive features to select a genre, an artist, or a title of a network media resource for playback.

57. The network enabled device of claim 56, wherein the search request is composed by a user selecting one or more of the user-interactive features of the user-interface.

58. A network enabled device comprising:

a media playback component configured to communicate with a network-side module to receive a first plurality of links, each of the first plurality of links locating a media file on a network, the media playback component communicating with the network-side module to sequentially play back the media web resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically; and

a web browser component configured to receive a second plurality of links, each of the second plurality of links hosting a media file located by one of the first plurality of links, the web browser component displaying the web site for each of the second plurality of links that corresponds to the media file being played back by the media playback component.

59. The network enabled device of claim 58, further comprising a user-interface including user-interactive features for controlling the media playback component playing back media files located by the first plurality of links.

60. The network enabled device of claim 59, wherein the user-interface is displayed in a first window, and the web browser component displays the web site for each of the second plurality of links in a second window.

61. The network enabled device of claim 60, wherein the media playback component is configured to sequentially receive the first plurality of links from the network-side module, and the web browser displays the web sites hosting media files for each of the web sites in the sequence.

62. A system for playing back media from a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a search request from a network enabled device to play back media from multiple sites on the network, the search request specifying one or more search criteria;

p1 means for accessing a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses, the memory associating each address with one or more classes of information, each addresses accessing a media resource;

means for selecting a plurality of addresses in the memory using the search criteria;

means for signaling the selected addresses to the network enabled device; and

means for causing the network enabled device to access sites located by at least some of the selected addresses and to play back the media resources provided at the accessed sites, including to sequentially play back the media resources provided by at least some of the selected addresses substantially automatically.

63. A system for playing back media from a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a search request for playback of media from multiple sites, the search request being entered on a network enabled device;

means for accessing a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses, each address accessing a media resource;

means for identifying at least two addresses from the memory;

means for signaling each identified address to the network enabled device; and

means for causing the network enabled device to access and to sequentially play back the media resources or the at least two addresses, so that play back of media resources from one of the at least two addresses automatically follows termination of playback of another of the at least two addresses.

64. A method for playing back media from a network, the method comprising:

receiving a search request for playback of media from multiple sites, the search request being entered on a network enabled device;

accessing a memory that includes a plurality of network addresses, each address accessing a media resource;

identifying at least two addresses from the memory;

signaling each identified address to the network enabled device; and

causing the network enabled device to access and to sequentially play back the media resources of the at least two addresses, so that play back of media resources from one of the at least two addresses automatically follows termination of playback of another of the at least two addresses.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein causing the network enabled device to access the media resources includes signaling a uniform resource locator for each of the at east two addresses to a media playback component to cause the media resources associated with the signaled links to be accessed and played back on the network enabled device.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein receiving a search request for playback of media from multiple sires includes receiving the request for media playback from an Internet enabled device, and wherein the method further comprises signaling the uniform resource locator of the one or more media resources to a web browser component on the Internet enabled device to cause a web page corresponding to that uniform resource locator to be displayed on the Internet enabled device concurrently with the media playback component playing back the media resource accessed by that uniform resource locator.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein receiving a search request for playback of media from multiple sites includes receiving a request for a play-list comprising a plurality of addresses, the play-list arranging the plurality of addresses so that the addresses are loaded by the media playback component in a designated order, wherein identifying at least two addresses in the memory includes identifying the addresses in the play-list;

and wherein causing the network enabled device to access and to sequentially play back the media resources of the signaled addresses includes accessing and playing back each media resource in the play-list sequentially in the designated order.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein receiving a search request for playback of media from multiple sites includes receiving a request for a program comprising multiple play-lists, each play-list being corresponding to a predetermined selection of media resources, wherein identifying at least two addresses includes identifying the addresses in each of the play-lists in the program, and wherein causing the network enabled device to access and automatically playback the media resource of the signaled addresses includes accessing and playing back each media resource in a sequential order designated by the play-lists of the program.