Media playing system and process

• US 7,010,213 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imaginationdvd Corporation
• Original Assignee: Imaginationdvd Corporation
• Inventors: Yeend, Shane Antony, Pike, Shane Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fletcher, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/452,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,011 Days
• Field of Search: 386/35, 386/52, 386/69, 386/83, 386/125, 273/292, 463/48
• US Class Current: 386/343
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method of playing recorded content on a DVD player employs software instructions on a DVD storage medium to control a DVD-Video player to make pseudo-random selections of content items from the DVD storage medium. Each content item may include an individual video sequence or a string of video sequences. Each content item is associated with a respective identification codes, such that each content item is associated with a corresponding identification code that is different from the identification codes of other content items. The DVD player controller is controlled to select, by pseudo-random selection or generation, at least one of the identification codes from the plurality of identification codes. The DVD player controller may be controlled to perform that pseudo-random selection or generation with software stored on (and read from) the DVD storage medium.

Claims

1. A system for playing recorded content on a DVD player, said DVD player having a DVD player controller, the system comprising:

a DVD storage medium storing a plurality of content items, each content item of said plurality of content items associated with a unique identification code of a plurality of identification codes, said DVD storage medium further storing a plurality of lists of identification codes of content items, each list of said plurality of lists including a pseudo random ordering of a plurality of said plurality of identification codes; and

program software stored on a storage medium for controlling the DVD controller to select a list from said plurality of lists, and for controlling the DVD controller to play content items of the plurality of content items in an order in which their associated identification codes appear in the selected list.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the program software is stored on the DVD storage medium, for loading into a DVD player memory.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein each list of said plurality of lists includes every identification code of said plurality of identification codes in a different pseudo random order than all other lists of said plurality of lists.

4. A system of claim 1,

wherein the program software controls the DVD controller to select by pseudo random selection said list from said plurality of lists.

5. A system of claim 4, wherein each list of said plurality of lists includes every identification code of said plurality of identification codes in a different sequential order than all other lists of said plurality of lists.

6. A method of playing recorded content on a DVD player, said DVD player having a DVD controller, the method comprising:

storing, on a DVD storage medium, a plurality of strings of content items that include content for a game;

associating the plurality of strings of content items with a corresponding plurality of identification codes such that each string of content items is associated with a corresponding identification code that is different from the identification codes of all other strings of content items;

controlling said DVD controller to select, by pseudo-random selection, an identification code from the plurality of identification codes;

playing the string of content items corresponding to the selected identification code; and

repeating said controlling and playing steps at least once.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the step of playing the string of content items comprises:

displaying at least one first video clip or audio clip having at least one question;

displaying at least one second video clip or audio clip having at least one answer corresponding to the at least one question; and

providing a period of time between the display of the end of the first video or audio clip and the beginning of the second video or audio clip.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a third video or audio clip is displayed during the period of time between the first and second video or audio clips, and the third video or audio comprises content representing time remaining before the beginning of the second video or audio clip.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein an audio music clip is displayed during the period of time between the first and second video or audio clips.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein providing a period of time between the display of the first and second video or audio clips comprises delaying the display of the at least one second video clip or audio clip until receipt of a user command to display the at least one second video clip or audio clip.

11. A method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying a request for user input to continue the game, after displaying at least one second video clip or audio clip.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising receiving user input to continue the game and, in response, performing the step of repeating the controlling and playing steps;

and

wherein the step of repeating the controlling and playing steps, comprises;

controlling the DVD controller to select, by pseudo-random selection, at least one second identification code from the plurality of identification codes.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

storing the selected identification code in a DVD player memory of the DVD player; and

wherein the step of repeating the controlling and playing steps, further comprises;

controlling the DVD controller to compare the second selected identification code with the stored selected identification code and to select a further identification code, if the second selected identification code matches the stored identification code.

14. A method according to claim 6, wherein the step of controlling the DVD controller to select the identification code comprises:

providing a plurality of banks of identification codes, each bank defining a sequence of the plurality of identification codes;

controlling the DVD controller to select, by pseudo-random selection, a bank of identification codes from the plurality of banks.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein each bank in the plurality of banks comprises the same identification codes, but in a different sequential order, as the other banks in the plurality of banks.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein playing the string of content items comprises playing the string of content items associated with a first identification code in the sequence defined by the selected bank.

17. A method according to claim 14, wherein playing the string of content items comprises playing a plurality of strings of content items associated with identification codes in the selected bank, in the sequence defined by the selected bank.

18. A system for playing recorded content on a media player, said media player having a media player controller, the system comprising:

a content storage medium storing a plurality of content items, each content item of said plurality of content items associated with a unique identification code of a plurality of identification codes, said content storage medium further storing a plurality of lists of identification codes of content items, each list of said plurality of lists including a pseudo random ordering of a plurality of said plurality of identification codes; and

program software stored on a storage medium for controlling the media player controller to select a list from said plurality of lists, and for controlling the media player controller to play content items of the plurality of content items in an order in which their associated identification codes appear in the selected list.

37. A system of claim 18, wherein the program software is stored on the content storage medium.

38. A system of claim 18, wherein the program software controls the media player controller to select by pseudo random selection said list from said plurality of lists.

19. A method of playing recorded content on a DVD player, said DVD player having a DVD controller, the method comprising:

storing, on a DVD storage medium, a plurality of content items, each content item of said plurality of content items associated with a unique identification code of a plurality of identification codes;

storing, on said DVD storage medium, a plurality of lists of identification codes of content items, each list of said plurality of lists including a pseudo random ordering of a plurality of said plurality of identification codes;

controlling the DVD controller with program software to select a list from said plurality of lists; and

controlling the DVD controller with program software to play content items of the plurality of content items in an order in which their associated identification codes appear in the selected list.

20. A method of claim 19, wherein the step of controlling the DVD controller with program software to select a list from said plurality of lists, comprises:

controlling the DVD controller with the program software to select by pseudo random selection said list from said plurality of lists.

21. A method of claim 19, wherein each list of said plurality of lists includes every identification code of said plurality of identification codes in a different pseudo random order than all other lists of said plurality of lists.

22. A system for playing recorded content on a DVD player, said DVD player having a DVD controller, the system comprising:

a DVD storage medium storing a plurality of content items that may be played;

program software stored on a storage medium for controlling the DVD controller to repeatedly select, by pseudo random selection, content items from the plurality of content items; and

at least one physical object;

wherein the function of the at least one physical object is associated with the selected content items.

23. A system of claim 22, wherein the at least one physical object comprises a deck of cards.

24. A system of claim 23,

wherein the cards in the deck of cards are placed face down;

wherein each content item of the selected content items displays a card face; and

wherein a user turns over a card to try to match the card face displayed by each content item.

25. A system of claim 22, wherein the at least one physical object comprises:

a game board; and

at least one game piece.

26. A system of claim 25, wherein the at least one game piece is moved to locations on the game board based on the selected content items.

27. A system of claim 26,

wherein the game board has a plurality of spaces;

wherein each content item of the selected content items displays a question; and

wherein a user moves the at least one game piece a specified number of spaces on the game board each time the user answers a question correctly.

28. A system of claim 26,

wherein each content item of the selected content items displays a possible stopping position of a spinning pointer;

and

wherein a user moves to a location on the game board based on the position of the pointer.

29. A system of claim 22, wherein the at least one physical object comprises:

a writing pad; and

a writing utensil.

30. A system of claim 29,

wherein each content item of the selected content items displays a picture;

and

wherein a user draws the picture on the writing pad using the writing utensil.

31. A system of claim 22, further comprising:

a container;

wherein the at least one physical object and the DVD storage medium are stored in the container.

39. A system of claim 22,

wherein the program software is stored on the DVD storage medium.

32. A method of playing recorded content on a DVD player, said DVD player having a DVD controller, the method comprising:

storing, on a DVD storage medium, a plurality of content items, each content item of said plurality of content items associated with a unique identification code of a plurality of identification codes;

storing, on said DVD storage medium, a plurality of lists of identification codes of content items, each list of said plurality of lists including a pseudo random ordering of a plurality of said plurality of identification codes;

controlling the DVD controller with program software to select a list from said plurality of lists;

controlling the DVD controller with program software to play content items of the plurality of content items in an order in which their associated identification codes appear in the selected list; and

associating the function of at least one physical object with the played content items.

33. A method of claim 32, wherein associating the function of at least one physical object with the played content items comprises:

moving at least one game piece on a game board based on the played content items.

34. A method of claim 33, wherein moving at least one game piece on a game board based on the played content items comprises:

answering a question displayed by each content item of the played content items; and

moving the at least one game piece a specified number of spaces on the game board if the question is answered correctly.

35. A method of claim 32, wherein associating the function of at least one physical object with the played content items comprises:

selecting a card from a deck of cards based on a card face displayed by each content item of the played content items.

36. A method of claim 32, wherein the step of controlling the DVD controller with program software to select a list from said plurality of lists, comprises:

controlling the DVD controller with the program software to select by pseudo random selection said list from said plurality of lists.