Automatic selection, recording and meaningful labeling of clipped tracks from broadcast media without an advance schedule

• US 7,460,762 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2004
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eric Godtland Management, Inc. (d/b/a EGM, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dustin D. Sorenson, Eric J. Godtland
• Inventors: Godtland, Eric J., Sorenson, Dustin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNN, MISHAWN N
• Application Number:
  US10/824,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20050232576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/69, 386/83, 386/95, 386/111, 386/112, 386124-126, 455/132, 455/230, 725/38, 725/39, 725/46, 725/47, 725/55, 725/58, 725/61, 725/153
• US Class Current: 386/278
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal

Abstract

Automatic selection, recording and meaningful labeling of tracks from broadcast media streams is provided. Content information which relates to tracks currently being played and/or to previously played tracks is used to guide selection of tracks to be recorded and to provide meaningful labels for recorded tracks. This content information does not provide an advance schedule of tracks to be played in the future. A segment is temporarily recorded from a selected media stream. The content information relating to tracks in the segment is compared with previous user input (i.e., track preferences) to select tracks within the segment to be recorded. For each selected track, clipping is performed to identify track start and end times. Clipped tracks are recorded onto a suitable long-term recording medium, and labeled with a meaningful label derived from the content information.

Claims

1. A method for automatically selecting, recording and labeling media tracks from a first broadcast media stream, the method comprising:

a) providing user track preferences;

b) receiving content information relating to said first broadcast media stream;

c) intermediate recording a first segment of said first broadcast media stream;

d) automatically selecting zero or more first tracks within said first segment in accordance with said content information and said track preferences;

e) automatically clipping each of said selected first tracks in said first segment by determining track start and end times;

f) automatically final recording each of said clipped first tracks to a recording medium; and

g) automatically labeling each of said final recorded first tracks with a meaningful label derived from said content information;

wherein said content information does not provide a schedule of tracks to be played in the future.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said content information comprises information relating to a track currently playing on said broadcast media stream.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said content information has a maximum time delay between a start time of a broadcast track and a time when information that said broadcast track is currently playing is available in said content information, and further comprising buffering said media stream for a duration greater than said maximum time delay.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said content information comprises information relating to tracks previously played on said broadcast media stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first media stream comprises an audio media stream, a video media stream or an audio-video media stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically organizing said final recorded first tracks according to said meaningful labels.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising constructing a library of said recorded first tracks by repeatedly performing said intermediate recording, said selecting, said clipping, said final recording and said labeling without user input other than said user track preferences.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said first broadcast media stream from a plurality of broadcast media streams according to user stream preferences.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting said first broadcast media stream from a plurality of broadcast media streams according to said user track preferences and said content information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising buffering said first broadcast media stream for a time duration greater than a time required for said selecting said first broadcast media stream from a plurality of broadcast media streams.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate recording is triggered by said content information combined with said user track preferences.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate recording is performed independent of said user track preferences.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

h) intermediate recording a second segment of a second broadcast media stream;

i) automatically selecting zero or more second tracks within said second segment in accordance with said content information and said track preferences;

j) automatically clipping each of said selected second tracks in said second segment by determining track start and end times;

k) automatically final recording each of said clipped second tracks to said recording medium; and

l) automatically labeling each of said final recorded second tracks with a meaningful label derived from said content information;

wherein said first and second recorded segments overlap in time, and wherein said content information also relates to said second broadcast media stream.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said recording medium comprises a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, or a nonvolatile semiconductor memory medium.

15. A processor programmed to implement a method for automatically selecting, recording and labeling media tracks from a broadcast media stream, the method comprising:

a) providing user track preferences;

b) receiving content information relating to said broadcast media stream;

c) intermediate recording a segment of said broadcast media stream;

d) automatically selecting zero or more tracks within said segment in accordance with said content information and said track preferences;

e) automatically clipping each of said selected tracks in said segment by determining track start and end times;

f) automatically final recording each of said clipped first tracks to a recording medium; and

g) automatically labeling each of said final recorded tracks with a meaningful label derived from said content information;

wherein said content information does not provide a schedule of tracks to be played in the future.

16. The processor of claim 15 wherein said content information comprises information relating to a track currently playing on said broadcast media stream.

17. The processor of claim 15, wherein said content information comprises information relating to tracks previously played on said broadcast media stream.

18. The processor of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises automatically organizing said recorded tracks according to said meaningful labels.

19. The processor of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises constructing a library of said recorded tracks by repeatedly performing said intermediate recording, said selecting, said clipping, said final recording and said labeling without user input other than said user track preferences.

20. The processor of claim 15, wherein said intermediate recording is triggered by said content information combined with said user track preferences.

21. The processor of claim 15, wherein said intermediate recording is performed independent of said user track preferences.

22. A set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium for implementing a method for automatically selecting, recording and labeling media tracks from a broadcast media stream, the method comprising:

a) providing user track preferences;

b) receiving content information relating to said broadcast media stream;

c) intermediate recording a segment of said broadcast media stream;

d) automatically selecting zero or more first tracks within said segment in accordance with said content information and said track preferences;

e) automatically clipping each of said selected tracks in said segment by determining track start and end times;

f) automatically final recording each of said clipped first tracks to a recording medium; and

g) automatically labeling each of said final recorded tracks with a meaningful label derived from said content information;

wherein said content information does not provide a schedule of tracks to be played in the future.

23. The set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said content information comprises information relating to a track currently playing on said broadcast media stream.

24. The set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said content information comprises information relating to tracks previously played on said broadcast media stream.

25. The set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said method further comprises automatically organizing said recorded tracks according to said meaningful labels.

26. The set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said method further comprises constructing a library of said recorded tracks by repeatedly performing said intermediate recording, said selecting, said clipping, said final recording and said labeling without user input other than said user track preferences.

27. The set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said intermediate recording is triggered by said content information combined with said user track preferences.

28. The set of computer instructions recorded on a computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein said intermediate recording is performed independent of said user track preferences.