Systems and methods for enhancing streaming media

• US 7,617,272 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Loudeye Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bibeault, Susan Elizabeth, Sites, Seth Thomas, Bulson, Jason Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): BAROT, BHARAT
• Application Number:
  US10/252,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709227-228, 709/238, 709/246
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0885 for the transmission of subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Streaming media is delivered in various scenarios that include live/on-demand events, Real/Windows Media platforms, and Netscape/Internet Explorer browsers. Systems and methods for enhancing streaming media delivery in this environment are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer-readable program codes stored therein, the computer-readable program codes comprising:

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to monitor a stream to determine a time position of said stream;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to determine whether said monitored time position matches a time code in an event list;

computer-readable program code for causing the computer to display the event list simultaneously with displaying a window providing the stream and a preview window providing content items for inclusion in the stream at a time position of a corresponding time code in the event list, wherein the time code in the event list is determinable by a viewer simultaneously with the stream before or during a playing of the stream; and

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to execute an action associated with said time code if said monitored time position matches said time code.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said action is a display of a caption.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said action is a display of a slide.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said action is a display of a poll.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein said action is a display of a pop-up window.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein an entry in said event list includes a time code, an identification of a resource, and an instruction for how to handle the event.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein said identification includes a file name and a uniform resource locator.