Methods, systems and media players for rendering different media types
First Claim
1. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, provide a media player comprising:
- a user interface configured to enable a user to interact with the media player to play different types of media; and
a unified rendering area within the user interface and within which multiple different types of media can be rendered for the user, wherein the media player utilizes an object model that comprises;
a base rendering object that manages and defines the unified rendering area; and
multiple different media type rendering objects which are individually associated with and render different media types, respectively, in the unified rendering area;
wherein the object model has shared attributes that the base rendering object and multiple different media type objects support.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems are described that assist media players in rendering different media types. In some embodiments, a unified rendering area is provided and managed such that multiple different media types are rendered by the media player in the same user interface area. This unified rendering area thus permits different media types to be presented to a user in an integrated and organized manner. An underlying object model promotes the unified rendering area by providing a base rendering object that has properties that are shared among the different media types. Object sub-classes are provided and are each associated with a different media type, and have properties that extend the shared properties of the base rendering object. In addition, an inventive approach to visualizations is presented that provides better synchronization between a visualization and its associated audio stream.
24 Citations
18 Claims
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1. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, provide a media player comprising:
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a user interface configured to enable a user to interact with the media player to play different types of media; and a unified rendering area within the user interface and within which multiple different types of media can be rendered for the user, wherein the media player utilizes an object model that comprises; a base rendering object that manages and defines the unified rendering area; and multiple different media type rendering objects which are individually associated with and render different media types, respectively, in the unified rendering area; wherein the object model has shared attributes that the base rendering object and multiple different media type objects support. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A computer-implemented media rendering method comprising:
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providing a media player user interface; providing a rendering area within the user interface; and rendering different media types within the rendering area, wherein the acts of providing a rendering area and rendering different media types are performed by an object model comprising; a base rendering object that defines the rendering area; and multiple different rendering objects individual ones of which render different media types, wherein the multiple different rendering objects are subclasses of the base rendering object. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. One or more computer-readable media embodying in computer-readable instructions that provide an object model comprising:
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a base rendering object associated with a rendering area in which multiple different media types can be rendered, the rendering area providing at least a portion of a media player application user interface that can be viewed by a user; and multiple different media type rendering objects each of which being associated with a different media type that can be rendered in the rendering area, the different media type rendering objects being configured to render their associated media, wherein the media player application can be unaware of specific media type rendering objects and yet still cause media associated with unknown media type rendering objects to be rendered in the rendering area. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification