Method and apparatus for organizing and playing data

• US 7,574,448 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2003
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Volk, Andrew R., Jacoby, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Miranda
• Application Number:
  US10/670,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,150 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-102, 707/104.1, 707200-201, 715/500, 715/513, 715/760, 715/733, 709/201, 709217-224, 709/203, 705/1, 705/50, 345/418, 369/30.01, 369/30, 84600-601
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

The present invention provides a general solution to presenting media interface and navigation tools for content provided from a plurality of sources. The invention maintains a user at a single site regardless of the source of the media content. This permits a consistent interface to be presented to the user. Because the user remains at the same site, differences in tiered membership may be tracked so that the user is only presented with content that the user is permitted to view. The invention uses a metadata language to characterize content so that viewer type, membership level, and other information can be maintained and used for an enjoyable viewing experience.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generate an interface at a site on a network for display on a user computer, a plurality of media files provided by a plurality of media file providers being made available to said user computer via said network site using said interface;

define a set of metadata attributes relating to said media files, each of said metadata attributes of the set having a respective predetermined location in said interface regardless of media file or media file provider;

receive said plurality of media files provided by said plurality of media file providers via the network, the received media files for use with said interface;

associate metadata attributes from within said defined set of metadata attributes with said plurality of media files, wherein said plurality of media files is provided by the plurality of media file providers;

compiling a data file that contains one or more unique identifiers which identify one or more media files, the data file being compiled automatically based on criteria chosen by one of a plurality of users;

utilize the metadata attributes to map the plurality of media files to an interface, said interface generated at a site on a network, said media files being made available to a user computer via said network site using said interface; and

map each of said associated metadata attributes to its respective predetermined location in said interface, such that in said interface each of said associated media attributes appears in its respective predetermined same location for all of said media files and media file providers, wherein said metadata attributes comprises a title for the media file and one or more of a description, duration and an expiration of the media file;

determining whether a user-selectable autoplay function is engaged for a given one of said plurality of users;

in a case that the autoplay function is determined to be engaged, determining a sequence in which said user is to experience media content corresponding to one or more media files based on an ordering of said unique identifiers in the data file; and

in a case that the autoplay function is determined to be disengaged, determining the sequence in which said user is to experience media content corresponding to said one or more media files based on input from the user and without regard to the ordering of said unique identifiers in the data file,

wherein said media content is experienced using an interface that comprises;

a channel description portion to display a plurality of channel selections corresponding to the plurality of media files provided by the plurality of media file providers for selection by said user;

a show description portion to display one or more show selections, and in response to user selection one of the channel selections said show description portion displays only those show selections corresponding to the chosen channel selection;

an episode description portion to display one or more episode selections, and in response to user selection one of the one or more show selections said episode description portion displays only those episode selections corresponding to the chosen show selection; and

a viewer to view media file content at the user'"'"'s computer, the media file content corresponding to the channel, show and episode selections made by the user using the interface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the data file is automatically compiled based on some criteria.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the data file is compiled manually.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more media files are provided by more than one source.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining media content other than said media content corresponding to said one or more media files for said user to experience while waiting for said user input.

6. A system comprising:

one or more servers configured to;

generate an interface at a site on a network for display on a user computer, a plurality of media files provided by a plurality of media file providers being made available to said user computer via said network site using said interface;

define a set of metadata attributes relating to said media files, each of said metadata attributes of the set having a respective predetermined location in said interface regardless of media file or media file provider;

receive said plurality of media files provided by said plurality of media file providers via the network, the received media files for use with said interface;

associate metadata attributes from within said defined set of metadata attributes with said plurality of media files, wherein said plurality of media files is provided by the plurality of media file providers;

compile a data file that contains one or more unique identifiers which identify one or more pieces of content, the data file being automatically compiled based on criteria chosen by one of a plurality of users;

utilize the metadata attributes to map the plurality of media files to an interface, said interface generated at a site on a network, said media files being made available to a user computer via said network site using said interface; and

map each of said associated metadata attributes to its respective predetermined location in said interface, such that in said interface each of said associated media attributes appears in its respective predetermined same location for all of said media files and media file providers, wherein said metadata attributes comprises a title for the media file and one or more of a description, duration and an expiration of the media file;

determine whether a user-selectable autoplay function is engaged for a given one of said plurality of users;

in a case that the autoplay function is determined to be engaged, determine a sequence in which said user is to experience media content corresponding to said one or more pieces of content based on an ordering of said unique identifiers in the data file; and

in a case that the autoplay function is determined to be disengaged, determine the sequence in which said user is to experience media content corresponding to said one or more pieces of content based on input from the user and without regard to the ordering of said unique identifiers in the data file,

wherein said media content is experienced using an interface that comprises;

a channel description portion to display a plurality of channel selections corresponding to the plurality of media files provided by the plurality of media file providers for selection by said user;

a show description portion to display one or more show selections, and in response to user selection of one of the channel selections said show description portion displays only those show selections corresponding to the chosen channel selection;

an episode description portion to display one or more episode selections, and in response to user selection of one of the show selections said episode description portion displays only those episode selections corresponding to the chosen show selection; and

a viewer to view media file content at the user'"'"'s computer, the media file content corresponding to the channel, show and episode selections made by the user using the interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the data file is compiled manually.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the one or more media files are provided by more than one source.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said one or more servers are further configured to:

determine media content other than said media content corresponding to said one or more media files for said user to experience while waiting for said user input.

10. A computer program product embodying computer code and comprising a computer-readable storage medium tangibly storing computer code thereon, said computer code to configure one or more processors to:

generate an interface at a site on a network for display on a user computer, a plurality of media files provided by a plurality of media file providers being made available to said user computer via said network site using said interface;

define a set of metadata attributes relating to said media files, each of said metadata attributes of the set having a respective predetermined location in said interface regardless of media file or media file provider;

receive said plurality of media files provided by said plurality of media file providers via the network, the received media files for use with said interface;

associate metadata attributes from within said defined set of metadata attributes with said plurality of media files, wherein said plurality of media files is provided by the plurality of media file providers;

compile a data file that contains one or more unique identifiers which identify one or more pieces of content, the data file being automatically compiled based on criteria chosen by one of a plurality of users;

utilize the metadata attributes to map the plurality of media files to an interface, said interface generated at a site on a network, said media files being made available to a user computer via said network site using said interface; and

map each of said associated metadata attributes to its respective predetermined location in said interface, such that in said interface each of said associated media attributes appears in its respective predetermined same location for all of said media files and media file providers, wherein said metadata attributes comprises a title for the media file and one or more of a description, duration and an expiration of the media file;

determine whether a user-selectable autoplay function is engaged for a given one of said plurality of users;

in a case that the autoplay function is determined to be engaged, determine a sequence in which said user is to experience media content corresponding to said one or more pieces of content based on an ordering of said unique identifiers in the data file; and

in a case that the autoplay function is determined to be disengaged, determine the sequence in which said user is to experience media content corresponding to said one or more pieces of content based on input from the user and without regard to the ordering of said unique identifiers in the data file,

wherein said media content is experienced using an interface that comprises;

a channel description portion to display a plurality of channel selections corresponding to the plurality of media files provided by the plurality of media file providers for selection by said user;

a show description portion to display one or more show selections, and in response to user selection of one of the channel selections said show description portion displays only those show selections corresponding to the chosen channel selection;

an episode description portion to display one or more episode selections, and in response to user selection of one of the show selections said episode description portion displays episode selections corresponding to the chosen show selection; and

a viewer to view media file content at the user computer, the media file content corresponding to the channel, show and episode selections made by the user using the interface.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer code further comprises computer code to configure one or more processors to:

determine media content other than said media content corresponding to said one or more media files for said user to experience while waiting for said user input.

12. A system comprising:

one or more servers configured to;

compile a plurality of media files for use with an interface, said plurality of media files compiled from a plurality of media file providers;

generate an interface at a site on a network for display on a user computer, said interface comprising a region to display media content of the plurality of media files provided by the plurality of media file providers and being made available to said user computer via said network site, a region to display selectable indicia corresponding to one or more playlists, a region to display indicia of each of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists, and a region to display selectable indicia of an autoplay function configured to control an order in which each of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists is to be experienced using said interface, wherein said autoplay function is configured to control whether said order in which each of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists is determined based on contents of said selected one of said playlists or based on user input, and wherein said user input comprises selection of one or more of said indicia of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists;

authenticate said user'"'"'s authorization to access certain media content;

define a set of metadata attributes relating to said media files, each of said metadata attributes of the set having a respective predetermined location in said interface regardless of the media file or media file provider;

receive said plurality of media files provided by said plurality of media file providers via said network, the received media files for use with said interface;

associate metadata attributes from the set of metadata attributes with each of said received media files;

utilize the metadata attributes to map the plurality of media files to an interface, said interface generated at a site on a network, said media files being made available to a user computer via said network site using said interface; and

map each of said associated metadata attributes to its respective predetermined location in said interface, so that in said interface for said user each of said associated metadata attributes appears at its respective predetermined location in said interface for all of said media files and media file providers, wherein said metadata attributes comprises a title for the media file and one or more of a description, duration and an expiration of the media file,

filtering said plurality of media files based on said user'"'"'s authorization to access certain media content such that said user interface includes selectable indicia for only those media files corresponding to said certain media content,

wherein said interface comprises;

a channel description portion to display a plurality of one or more channel selections corresponding to the plurality of media files provided by the plurality of media file providers for selection by said user;

a show description portion to display one or more show selections, and in response to user selection of one of the channel selections said show description portion displays only those show selections corresponding to the chosen channel selection;

an episode description portion to display one or more episode selections, and in response to user selection of one of the show selections said episode description portion displays only those episode selections corresponding to the chosen show selection; and

a viewer to view media file content at the user computer, the media file content corresponding to the channel, show and episode selections made by the user using the interface.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

compiling a plurality of media files for use with an interface, said plurality of media files compiled from a plurality of media file providers;

generating an interface at a site on a network for display on a user computer, said interface comprising a region to display media content of a plurality of media files provided by a plurality of media file providers and being made available to said user computer via said network site, a region to display selectable indicia corresponding to one or more playlists, a region to display indicia of each of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists, and a region to display selectable indicia of an autoplay function configured to control an order in which each of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists is to be experienced using said interface, wherein said autoplay function is configured to control whether said order in which each of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists is determined based on contents of said selected one of said playlists or based on user input, and wherein said user input comprises selection of one or more of said indicia of said plurality of media files identified by a selected one of said playlists; and

authenticating said user'"'"'s authorization to access certain media content;

defining a set of metadata attributes relating to said media files, each of said metadata attributes of the set having a respective predetermined location in said interface regardless of the media file or media file provider;

receiving said plurality of media files provided by said plurality of media file providers via said network, the received media files for use with said interface;

associating metadata attributes from the set of metadata attributes with each of said plurality of media files, wherein the metadata attributes comprises a title for each media file;

utilize the metadata attributes to map the plurality of media files to an interface, said interface generated at a site on a network, said media files being made available to a user computer via said network site using said interface; and

mapping each of said associated metadata attributes to its respective predetermined location in said interface, so that in said interface each of said associated metadata attributes appears at its respective predetermined location in said interface for all of said media files and said media file providers wherein said metadata attributes comprises a title for the media file and one or more of a description, duration and an expiration of the media file; and

filtering said plurality of media files based on said user'"'"'s authorization to access certain media content such that said user interface includes selectable indicia for only those media files corresponding to said certain media content,

wherein said interface comprises;

a channel description portion to display a plurality of channel selections corresponding to the plurality of media files provided by the plurality of media file providers for selection by said user;

a show description portion to display one or more show selections, and in response to user selection of one of the channel selections said show description portion displays only those show selections corresponding to the chosen channel selection;

an episode description portion to display one or more episode selections, and in response to user selection of one of the show selections said episode description portion displays only those episode selections corresponding to the chosen show selection; and

a viewer to view media file content at the user computer, the media file content corresponding to the channel, show and episode selections made by the user using the interface.