Using multiple media players to insert data items into a media stream of a streaming media

• US 7,711,791 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilbert, Alan, DuVall, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shingles; Kristie D
• Application Number:
  US10/183,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,869 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 455/3.01, 455/414.1, 705/1, 705/14, 705/42
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0263 based upon Internet or website rating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A method, apparatus and article of manufacture for processing a content stream at a client computer, the method comprising displaying a tagged content stream that was received from a media source by using a first media player, wherein the first media player is embedded in a Web page; and, when the first media player receives notification that a tag was found, muting the first media player; and displaying an untagged content stream by using a second media player, wherein the second media player is embedded in the Web page.

Claims

1. A method of processing a content stream at a client computer, comprising:

sending a playback web page to a web browser using a thin client system located on a first server computer;

displaying, on the client computer, the playback web page on which a user selects a tagged content stream and submits registration information using a web browser, wherein said playback web page contains multiple instances of embedded and hidden media players;

receiving registration information from the user;

identifying targeted data items using a spot list and matching the registration information from the user with one or more targeted data items;

storing the registration information in a file;

displaying, on the client computer, the selected tagged content stream received from a media source by using a first media player, wherein the first media player is embedded in the playback web page, where the playback web page is served by the first server computer;

muting the first media player if the first media player receives notification that a tag was found in the content stream;

displaying, on the client computer, an untagged content stream, containing the targeted data items from the spot list, received from an advertisement server by using a second media player, wherein the second media player is embedded in the playback web page, said displaying the untagged content stream from the thin client system located on the first server computer passing control from the first media player to the second media player wherein the tagged content stream and the untagged content stream are received from the media source and the advertisement server by the client computer independent of the first server computer;

muting the second media player if the second media player receives notification that the untagged content stream has ended; and

displaying, on the client computer, the tagged content stream received from the media source by using the first media player,

wherein the user runs the thin client system located on the first server computer from the Internet without downloading software to the client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media source is a radio station and the tagged content stream is an audio stream.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising connecting the client computer to a second server computer;

wherein the untagged content stream is received from the second server computer.

4. A method of processing a content stream at a client computer, comprising:

sending a playback web page to a web browser using a thin client system located on a first server computer;

displaying, on the client computer, the playback web page on which a user selects a tagged content stream and submits registration information using a web browser, wherein said playback web page contains multiple instances of embedded and hidden media players;

receiving registration information from the user;

identifying targeted data items using a spot list and matching the registration information from the user with one or more targeted data items;

storing the registration information in a file;

displaying, on the client computer, the selected tagged content stream received from a media source by using a first media player, wherein the first media player is embedded in the playback web page, where the playback web page is served by the first server computer;

muting the first media player if the first media player receives notification that a tag was found in the content stream;

displaying, on the client computer, an untagged content stream, containing the targeted data items from the spot list, received from an advertisement server by using a second media player, wherein the second media player is embedded in the playback web page, wherein the tagged content stream and the untagged content stream are received from the media source and the advertisement server by the client computer independent of the first server computer;

storing the untagged content stream in a cache that is connected to the client computer and that stores the entire untagged content stream until such time as the untagged content stream is displayed, wherein the displaying the untagged content stream displays the untagged content stream from the cache;

muting the second media player if the second media player receives notification that the untagged content stream has ended; and

displaying, on the client computer, the tagged content stream received from the media source by using the first media player,

wherein the user runs the thin client system located on the first server computer from the Internet without downloading software to the client computer.

5. A method of content stream switching at a client computer, comprising:

collecting registration information from a user at the client computer, wherein the collecting includes;

sending a playback web page to a web browser using a thin client system located on a first server computer;

displaying, on the client computer, the playback web page on which a user selects a tagged content stream and submits registration information using a web browser, wherein said playback web page contains multiple instances of embedded and hidden media players;

receiving registration information from the user;

identifying targeted data items using a spot list and matching the registration information from the user with one or more targeted data items;

storing the registration information in a file;

displaying, on the client computer, the selected tagged content stream received from a media source by using a first media player, wherein the first media player is embedded in the playback web page, where the playback web page is served by the first server computer, and the playback web page is displayed via the web browser which is stored on the client computer;

receiving a targeted untagged content stream including the targeted data items, from an advertisement server, by using a second media player, wherein the targeted untagged content stream is based on the collected registration information, and wherein the second media player is embedded in the playback web page;

muting the first media player if the first media player receives notification that a tag is found in the content stream;

displaying, on the client computer, the targeted untagged content stream by using the second media player, said displaying the targeted untagged content stream being the result of the first server computer passing control from the first media player to the second media player; and

muting the second media player if the second media player receives notification that the untagged content stream has ended; and

displaying, on the client computer, the tagged content stream received from the media source by using the first media players,

wherein the user runs the thin client system located on the first server computer from the Internet without downloading software to the client computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the media source is a radio station and the tagged content stream is a radio stream.

7. The method of claim 5, the untagged content stream is an audio stream containing one or more advertisements.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing the untagged content stream in a cache connected to the client computer by using a third media player, wherein the third media player is embedded in the playback web page and hidden from the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying an untagged content stream received from a server computer by using a second media player comprises displaying an untagged content stream received from the cache by using a second media player.

10. A method of content stream switching at a client computer, comprising:

collecting registration information from a user at the client computer, wherein the collecting includes;

sending a playback web page to a web browser using a thin client system located on a first server computer;

displaying, on the client computer, the playback web page on which a user selects a tagged content stream and submits registration information using a web browser, wherein said playback web page contains multiple instances of embedded and hidden media players;

receiving registration information from the user;

identifying targeted data items using spot list and matching the registration information from the user with one or more targeted data items;

storing the registration information in a file;

receiving a targeted untagged content stream from a server by using a first media player, wherein the targeted untagged content stream is based on the collected registration information and includes the targeted data items, and wherein the first media player is embedded in the playback web page, where the playback web page is served by the first server computer;

storing the targeted untagged content stream in a cache that is connected to the web browser by using the first media player;

displaying, on the client computer, a tagged content stream that was received from a media source by using a second media player, wherein the second media player is embedded in the playback web page, and the playback web page is displayed via a web browser which is stored on the client computer;

muting the second media player if the second media player receives notification that a tag was is found; and

displaying, on the client computer, the targeted untagged content stream that was received from the cache by using a third media player, wherein the third media player is embedded in the playback web page, said displaying the targeted untagged content stream being the result of the first server computer passing control from the second media player to the third media players

wherein the user runs the thin client system located on the first server computer from the Internet without downloading software to the client computer.

11. An apparatus for processing a content stream at a client computer, comprising:

a first server computer;

one or more computer programs including a thin client system, that reside at the first server computer and are executed by the client computer and that;

(a) send a playback web page to a web browser that displays the playback web page on which a user selects a tagged content stream and submits registration information, wherein said playback web page contains multiple instances of embedded and hidden media players;

(b) create a spot list identifying targeted data items by matching the user'"'"'s submitted registration information with one or more targeted data items and stores the registration information in a file;

(c) display, on the client computer, the selected tagged content stream received from a media source by using a first media player, wherein the first media player is embedded in the playback web page, where the playback web page is served by the first server computer;

(d) mute the first media player if the first media player receives notification that a tag was found;

(e) display, on the client computer, an untagged content stream by using a second media player, wherein the second media player is embedded in the playback web page;

(f) mute the second media player if the second media player receives notification that the untagged content stream has ended; and

(g) display, on the client computer, the tagged content stream by using the first media player,

wherein the user runs the one or more computer programs located on the first server computer, including the thin client system, from the Internet without downloading software to the client computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the media source is a radio station and the tagged content stream is an audio stream.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer program, that resides at the server computer and is executed by the client computer that stores the untagged content stream in a cache connected to the client computer by using a third media player, wherein the third media player is embedded in the playback web page.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a computer program that resides at the server computer and is executed by the client computer that provides a user-interface to access the tagged content stream.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user-interface comprises access to a database of radio stations.