System and method for managing, controlling and/or rendering media in a network

• US 8,224,775 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 2, LLC
• Original Assignee: PacketVideo Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Rick, Wilkens, Dann, Mundy, I. Starlight, Espelien, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, MIRANDA M
• Application Number:
  US12/383,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/620
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

A system and a method manage, control and/or render media in a network. The system utilizes a media management application that manages, controls and/or renders digital media files in the network. A user browses, searches, manages and/or consumes content from multiple storage devices and servers in the network. The user may view a visual representation of active media connections between the available servers and/or the available rendering devices connected to the network.

Claims

1. A method for managing media in a network wherein a terminal, a first rendering device, a second rendering device, a first server and a second server are connected to the network and further wherein the first server stores a first plurality of media files wherein the second server stores a second plurality of media files and further wherein the first server and the second server are different servers wherein the first rendering device and the second rendering device are different rendering devices, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a list of servers that indicates that the first server and the second server are connected to the network wherein the terminal displays the list of servers;

accepting a first user input into the terminal;

displaying a search results that indicate media files of the first plurality of media files and the second plurality of media files that correspond to the first user input wherein the terminal displays the search results;

displaying a list of rendering devices that indicates that the first rendering device and the second rendering device are connected to the network wherein the terminal displays the list of rendering devices;

playing a first media file on the first rendering device and the second rendering device with synchronized playback in response to selection of the first rendering device and the second rendering device from the list of rendering devices wherein the selection of the first rendering device and the second rendering device from the list of rendering devices is made using the terminal, further wherein the first media file is chosen for the synchronized playback using the search results.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

creating a compilation object that has a third plurality of media files in response to a second user input on the terminal which selects the third plurality of media files from the search results wherein the third plurality of media files is transmitted to the first rendering device and the second rendering device in response to the selection of the first rendering device and the second rendering device from the list of rendering devices and further wherein the first rendering device and the second rendering device play the third plurality of media files wherein the third plurality of media files has one or more of the first plurality of media files and one or more of the second plurality of media files and further wherein the compilation object is one of a music playlist and a digital photo slideshow.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

accepting a second user input that identifies selected media files from the search results;

displaying a list of the selected media files in a first order;

displaying the list of selected media files in a second order based on a third user input accepted after displaying the list of the selected media files in the first order wherein the first order and the second order are different orders and further wherein the third user input specifies the second order;

associating the selected media files with the first rendering device based on selection of the first rendering device from the list of rendering devices by a fourth user input; and

playing the selected media files in the second order on the first rendering device in response to the third user input on the terminal which selects the compilation object and the first rendering device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a second media file to the second rendering device in response to selection of the second rendering device from the list of rendering devices wherein the second media file is selected using the search results and further wherein the second plurality of media files includes the second media file wherein the first plurality of media files includes the first media file.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

controlling playback of the first media file by the first rendering device and the second rendering device wherein the playback by the first rendering device and the second rendering device is controlled by the terminal wherein the terminal is a different device than the first rendering device and the second rendering device.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying a playback status that indicates that the first rendering device is playing the first media file wherein the second rendering device plays a second media file and further wherein the playback status indicates that the second rendering device is playing the second media file wherein the terminal displays the playback status and further wherein the terminal is a different device than the first rendering device and the second renderinct device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

displaying icons which represent the search result wherein a second user input accepted by the terminal creates a compilation object that has a third plurality of media files and further wherein the second user input specifies the third plurality of media files by moving at least two of the icons into a predefined area of the user interface wherein the third plurality of media files includes the media files represented by the icons moved into the predefined area of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the terminal is a different device than the first rendering device.

9. A method for managing media in a network wherein a first terminal, a first rendering device, a second rendering device, a first server and a second server are connected to the network and further wherein the first server stores a first plurality of media files wherein the second server stores a second plurality of media files and further wherein the first server and the second server are different servers wherein the first rendering device and the second rendering device are different rendering devices, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a first set of icons which represent available servers connected to the network and accessible through the network wherein the first set of icons includes a first icon which corresponds to the first server and a second icon which corresponds to the second server;

displaying a second set of icons which represent available rendering devices connected to the network wherein the second set of icons includes a third icon which corresponds to the first rendering device and a fourth icon which corresponds to the second rendering device and further wherein the first terminal displays the first set of icons and the second set of icons simultaneously;

selecting a first media file from a search result wherein the search result contains media files from the first plurality of media files and the second plurality of media files, wherein the first media file is one of the first plurality of media files;

selecting a third icon using the first terminal;

transmitting the first media file to the first rendering device wherein the first media file is transmitted in response to selection of the third icon;

playing the first media file on the first rendering device; and

displaying a graphic representation in a first position which extends from a first point adjacent to the first icon to a second point adjacent to the third icon in response to initiation of transmittal of the first media file from the first server to the first rendering device wherein the graphic representation indicates transmission of the first media file from the first server to the first rendering device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

displaying an additional graphic representation which indicates that the third icon and the fourth icon were selected wherein the first rendering device and the second rendering device automatically provide synchronized playback of the first media file in response to user input directing one of the first rendering device and the second rendering device to play the first media file and further wherein the user input is accepted by the terminal after displaying the additional graphic representation.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

modifying the graphic representation to extend from the first point adjacent to the first icon to a third point adjacent to the fourth icon wherein a user input modifies the graphic representation by moving a termination point of the graphic representation from the first point adjacent to the first icon to the third point adjacent to the fourth icon;

stopping transmission of the first media file from the first server to the first rendering device wherein the transmission is stopped in response to the modification of the graphic representation; and

transmitting the first media file from the first server to the second rendering device wherein the first media file is transmitted to the second rendering device in response to the modification of the graphic representation.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the first media file from the first server to the second rendering device; and

displaying the graphic representation in a second position on the first terminal in response to transmittal of the first media file to the second rendering device wherein display of the graphic representation in the second position indicates the transmittal of the first media file from the first server to the second rendering device and further wherein the first position and the second position are different positions.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

associating the fourth icon with the third icon based on user input;

transmitting the first media file from the first server to the second rendering device in response to the association of the fourth icon with the third icon; and

playing the first media file on the second rendering device wherein playback of the first media file on the second rendering device is automatically synchronized with playback of the first media file on the first rendering device.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

creating a second graphic representation associated with the first graphic representation wherein the second graphic representation is created based a first user input which requests duplication of the first graphic representation and further wherein the first graphic representation and the second graphic representation are displayed simultaneously;

connecting the second graphic representation to the fourth icon based on a second user input; and

transmitting the first media file from the first server to the second rendering device in response to connection of the second graphic representation to the fourth icon wherein the first rendering device and the second rendering device provide synchronized playback of the first media file.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

creating a compilation object that has a third plurality of media files in response to user input on the first terminal which selects the third plurality of media files from the search results; and

displaying the compilation object on a second terminal connected to the network wherein the first terminal and the second terminal are different terminals and further wherein the first terminal is allowed to modify the compilation object and further wherein the second terminal is prevented from modifying the compilation object.