Method, system, and article of manufacture for integrating streaming content and a real time interactive dynamic user interface over a network

• US 7,299,289 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Accordent Technologies, Inc. (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Newman, Michael, Gilman, Seth, Lorenz, Michael, Pitts, Jereme
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAIR, DOUGLAS B
• Application Number:
  US09/560,821
• Time in Patent Office: 2,762 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/222, 709218-219, 709/245, 719/311, 719/330, 715/749
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method and system is provided which allows for integrating streaming content and a real time interactive dynamic user interface on a network, such as the Internet. The system includes a web browser for receiving a user interface from a content server. The user interface, among other functions, detects an embedded code in a media file from a streaming content server. Based on the embedded code, the user interface spawns a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) process which retrieves information from a data store. The information in the data store may include rules for altering the displayed user interface. The system and method results in an interactive user interface which may be easily modified by altering the contents of the data store rather than altering and reindexing the media file.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining streaming content from a processing device network, comprising:

requesting an interface program from a first processing device in the processing device network;

downloading the interface program to a second processing device in the processing device network;

displaying a user interface on a display of the second processing device;

requesting by the interface program a streaming media file from a third processing device on the processing device network;

downloading the streaming media file to the second processing device, wherein the streaming media file includes an embedded code;

detecting the embedded code that includes information that represents an address to a remote common gateway interface process;

spawning the remote common gateway interface process that retrieves an object from a data store in response to the information that represents the address to the remote common gateway interface process;

parsing the embedded code into a plurality of code segments by the remote common gateway interface process;

querying a memory location in the data store responsive to a code segment in the plurality of code segments; and

,

responding to the object including rules in the memory location,

wherein the displayed user interface includes at least a first window and a second window,

wherein the embedded code is a metadata time code having a format of the address to the remote common gateway interface process, a variable and a target destination, and

wherein the common gateway interface process uses the variable to provide content to the first window identified by the target destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules include updating the displayed user interface with a high resolution image stored in the data store and providing video responsive to the streaming media file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first processing device and the second processing device are different process devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second processing device is a personal computer having a web browser.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second processing device is a box coupled to a television.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming media file is a advanced streaming format (.ASF) file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming media file is a real network media (.RM) file.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the third processing device is a media server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the downloading step includes buffering a portion of the streaming media file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the responding step includes updating the user interface display.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing an object, image, text and/or multimedia file in the data store while leaving the embedded code unchanged.

12. A system, comprising:

a first processing device having a web browser;

a data store to store an object; and

,

a second processing device coupled to the first processing device to provide the first processing device with (1) a displayed user interface and (2) a streaming media file having an embedded code including a metadata time code having a format of a process identification, a variable and a target destination;

wherein the displayed user interface detects the metadata time code during a streaming media file download to the first processing device and, wherein the displayed user interface spawns a remote common gateway interface process that parses the metadata time code the remote common gateway interface process accesses the object and uses the variable to provide content to a first window identified by the target destination in the displayed user interface while the streaming media file is used to display a video in a second window of the displayed user interface.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second processing devices are computers.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first processing device and the second processing device are coupled to the Internet.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first processing device and the second processing device are coupled to an intranet.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein an object, image, text and/or multimedia file in the data store is changed while leaving the embedded code unchanged.

17. An article of manufacture, including a computer readable memory, comprising:

a first software component to provide a streaming media file to a client;

a second software component to detect an embedded code including a metadata time code having a format of a process identification, a variable and a target destination; and

a remote common gateway interface process identified by the process identification that parses the metadata time code the remote common gateway accesses an object in a data store and uses the variable to provide content to a first window identified by the target destination in a user interface while providing video responsive to the streaming media file in a second window of the user interface.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein an object, image, text and/or multimedia file in the data store is changed while leaving the embedded code unchanged.

19. A method for providing content, comprising:

storing an object in a data store;

downloading a streaming media file having an metadata time code including a process identification to a remote common gateway interface process, a variable and a target destination;

detecting the metadata time code;

parsing the metadata time code;

passing the variable of the embedded code to the remote common gateway interface process;

retrieving the object from the data store;

downloading information, by the remote common gateway interface process using the variable and the object, to provide content to a first window identified by the target destination in a user interface while displaying video in a second window of the user interface in response to the streaming media file.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising changing an object, image, text and/or multimedia file in the data store while leaving the metadata time code unchanged.