Method and system for accessing web pages based on playback of recordings

• US 7,945,645 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Greenberg, Ann E., Roberts, Dale T.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US12/686,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/433 using audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier

Abstract

Entertainment content complementary to a musical recording is delivered to a user'"'"'s computer by a computer network link. The user employs a browser to access the computer network. A plug-in for the browser is able to control an audio CD or other device for playing the musical recording. A script stored on the remote computer accessed over the network is downloaded. The script synchronizes the delivery of the complementary entertainment content with the play of the musical recording.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a unique identifier of a musical recording being played on a device;

communicating the unique identifier of the musical recording via a network to a remote computer that maintains information about musical recordings, the information comprising at least visual content;

receiving from the server a plurality of units of visual content related to the musical recording based on the unique identifier;

identifying a current playback time within a track of the musical recording;

identifying a unit of visual content to be displayed with the playback of the musical recording, the unit of visual content being identified based on the track and the current playback time and being provided by the remote computer; and

displaying the unit of visual content synchronously with the musical recording being played on the device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying each unit of visual content upon receipt of the unit of visual content from the remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading and storing units of visual content from the remote computer via the network prior to displaying the units visual content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the musical recording comprises a plurality of segments, the method further comprising:

identifying a segment corresponding to the track and the current time; and

identifying the unit of visual content corresponding to the segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the current playback time identifies an audio recording play position, the method further comprising:

identifying when the audio play position is in a segment corresponding to a next unit of visual content; and

displaying the next unit of visual content.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising displaying the unit of visual content for the duration of the corresponding segment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is provided in a frame corresponding to the track and the current time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the musical recording comprises segments of audio and the identifying of the unit of visual content includes establishing correspondence between the frames and the segments of audio.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is text.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the text is provided by a link to a URL.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is video content.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is information associated with the musical recording.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content comprises names of songs, photographs, artwork, animations, and/or video clips.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is interactive content.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is provided using a markup language.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the musical recording comprises a plurality of segments, the method further comprising:

identifying a segment corresponding to the track and the current time; and

identifying the unit of visual content corresponding to the segment.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the unit of visual content is provided in a web page.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is provided via a hyperlink.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hyperlink is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of visual content is provided using a series of frames, the method comprising accessing each frame based on the track and the current time.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the unit of visual content is provided using a markup language.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the track comprises obtaining a unique identifier of the musical recording.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the track comprises computing a unique identifier and receiving a URL associated with the unique identifier.

24. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying units of visual content which appear and disappear at particular frames within a time line.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual content is thematically linked to the musical recording.

25. A device comprising:

memory to store instructions; and

at least one processor to execute the instructions which cause the device to;

identify a unique identifier of a musical recording being played on the device;

communicate the unique identifier of the musical recording via a network to a remote computer that maintains information about musical recordings, the information comprising at least visual content;

receive from the server units of visual content related to the musical recording based on the unique identifier;

identify a current playback time within a track of the musical recording;

identify a unit of visual content to be displayed with the playback of the musical recording, the unit of visual content being identified based on the track and the current playback time and being provided by the remote computer; and

display the unit of visual content synchronously with the musical recording being played on the device.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein each unit of visual content is displayed upon receipt of the unit of visual content from the remote computer.

27. The device of claim 25, wherein units of visual content are downloaded from the remote computer via the network and stored on the device prior to displaying the units visual content.

28. The device of claim 25, wherein:

the musical recording comprises a plurality of segments;

a segment corresponding to the track and the current time is identified; and

the unit of visual content corresponding to the segment is identified.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein:

the current playback time identifies an audio recording play position;

a determination is made when the audio play position is in a segment corresponding to a next unit of visual content; and

the next unit of visual content is displayed.

30. The device of claim 25, wherein the unit of visual content is text.