System for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A media player for acquiring and reproducing media program files which represent episodes in a series of episodes as said episodes become available, said media player comprising:
- a digital memory,a communications port coupled to the Internet for transmitting data requests for data identified by specified URLs, for receiving downloaded data identified by said URLs in response to said requests, and for storing said downloaded data in said digital memory,a processor coupled to said digital memory and to said communications port for performing a sequence of timed update operations, each of said update operations comprising;
downloading via the Internet the current version of a compilation file identified by a predetermined URL and storing said current version of said compilation file in said digital memory, said current version of said compilation file containing attribute data describing one or more episodes of a series of episodes, said attribute data for each given one of said episodes including one or more episode URLs identifying one or more corresponding media files representing said given one of said episodes,processing the content of said current version of said compilation file to identify attribute data describing one or more newly available episodes in said series of episodes which were not described by attribute data found in a prior version of said compilation file previously identified by said predetermined URL and previously downloaded by an earlier one of said sequence of timed update operations, anddownloading one or more new media files identified by one or more URLs in the attribute data describing said one or more newly available episodes and storing said one or more new media files in said digital memory, andan output unit for reproducing one or more of the media files representing episodes in said series at the request of the operator of said media player.
1 Assignment
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
An audio program and message distribution system in which a host system organizes and transmits program segments to client subscriber locations. The host organizes the program segments by subject matter and creates scheduled programming in accordance with preferences associated with each subscriber. Program segments are associated with descriptive subject matter segments, and the subject matter segments may be used to generate both text and audio cataloging presentations to enable the user to more easily identify and select desirable programming. A playback unit at the subscriber location reproduces the program segments received from the host and includes mechanisms for interactively navigating among the program segments. A usage log is compiled to record the subscriber'"'"'s use of the provided program materials, to return data to the host for billing, to adaptively modify the subscriber'"'"'s preferences based on actual usage, and to send subscriber-generated comments and requests to the host for processing.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A media player for acquiring and reproducing media program files which represent episodes in a series of episodes as said episodes become available, said media player comprising:
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a digital memory, a communications port coupled to the Internet for transmitting data requests for data identified by specified URLs, for receiving downloaded data identified by said URLs in response to said requests, and for storing said downloaded data in said digital memory, a processor coupled to said digital memory and to said communications port for performing a sequence of timed update operations, each of said update operations comprising; downloading via the Internet the current version of a compilation file identified by a predetermined URL and storing said current version of said compilation file in said digital memory, said current version of said compilation file containing attribute data describing one or more episodes of a series of episodes, said attribute data for each given one of said episodes including one or more episode URLs identifying one or more corresponding media files representing said given one of said episodes, processing the content of said current version of said compilation file to identify attribute data describing one or more newly available episodes in said series of episodes which were not described by attribute data found in a prior version of said compilation file previously identified by said predetermined URL and previously downloaded by an earlier one of said sequence of timed update operations, and downloading one or more new media files identified by one or more URLs in the attribute data describing said one or more newly available episodes and storing said one or more new media files in said digital memory, and an output unit for reproducing one or more of the media files representing episodes in said series at the request of the operator of said media player. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for acquiring and reproducing media files representing episodes in a series of episodes as said episodes become available, said apparatus comprising:
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a digital memory, a communications port coupled to the Internet for transmitting data requests for data identified by specified URLs, for receiving downloaded data identified by said URLs in response to said requests, and for storing said downloaded data in said digital memory, and a processor coupled to said digital memory and to said communications port for executing one or more utility programs for; performing, from time to time, one of a sequence of update operations, each of said update operations comprising; downloading via the Internet the current version of a compilation file identified by a predetermined known URL, and storing attribute data contained in said current version of said compilation file in said digital memory, said attribute data describing one or more episodes in a series of episodes, said attribute data for each given one of said episodes including one or more episode URLs identifying one or more corresponding media files representing said given one of said episodes, accepting a selection of a particular episode described by attribute data stored in said digital memory by the operator of said apparatus, downloading and storing the particular media file identified by an episode URL included in the attribute data for said particular episode if said particular media file is not already stored in said digital memory, and reproducing said particular media file in a form perceptible to said operator. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An audio program player for acquiring and reproducing audio recording files which represent episodes in a group of episodes, said audio player comprising:
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a digital memory, a display screen, one or more manual controls for accepting control commands from the user of said audio program player, an audio output unit coupled to said processor and to a speaker or headset for reproducing selected audio files in audible form for said user, a communications port coupled to the Internet for downloading data files each of which is identified by a URL, and a processor coupled to said digital memory and to said communications port for; A. from time to time, performing an update operation in a series of update operations, each of said update operations comprising; (1) downloading via the Internet the current version of a compilation file identified by a predetermined known URL, and (2) storing said current version of said compilation file in said digital memory, said current version of said compilation file containing attribute data describing one or more episodes in a series of episodes, said attribute data for each given one of said episodes including; (a) displayable text describing said given one of said episodes, and (b) an episode URL which identifies an audio recording file representing said given one of said episodes, B. displaying a menu listing on said display screen, said menu listing comprising displayable text describing each episode in a collection of episodes, C. selecting a particular episode described on said menu listing in response to a selection command accepted from said user, D. if the particular audio recording file representing said particular episode is not already stored in said digital memory, downloading said particular audio recording file identified by the episode URL in the attribute data for said particular episode contained in said current version of said compilation file, and storing said particular audio recording file in said digital memory, and E. employing said audio output unit to reproduce said particular audio recording file. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. Apparatus for disseminating a series of episodes represented by media files via the Internet as said episodes become available, said apparatus comprising:
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one or more data storage servers, one or more communication interfaces connected to the Internet for receiving requests received from remotely located client devices, and for responding to each given one of said requests by downloading a data file identified by a URL specified by said given one of said requests to the requesting client device, one or more processors coupled to said one or more data storage servers and to said one or more communications interfaces for; storing one or more media files representing each episode as said one or more media files become available, each of said one or more media files being stored at a storage location specified by a unique episode URL; from time to time, as new episodes represented in said series of episodes become available, storing an updated version of a compilation file in one of said one or more data storage servers at a storage location identified by a predetermined URL, said updated version of said compilation file containing attribute data describing currently available episodes in said series of episodes, said attribute data for each given one of said currently available episodes including displayable text describing said given one of said currently available episodes and one or more episode URLs specifying the storage locations of one or more corresponding media files representing said given one of said episodes; and employing one of said one or more communication interfaces to; (a) receive a request from a requesting client device for the updated version of said compilation file located at said predetermined URL; (b) download said updated version of said compilation file to said requesting client device; and (c) thereafter receive and respond to a request from said requesting client device for one or more media files identified by one or more corresponding episode URLs included in the attribute data contained in said updated version of said compilation files. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification