System and method for creating and posting media lists for purposes of subsequent playback

• US 8,725,832 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Post Media Systems LLC (Equitable IP Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Trio Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Bartholomew, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US13/196,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20110289189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 700/23, 700/88, 700/94, 709200-203, 709217-228, 715/704, 715/712
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

A method and apparatus for creating and posting media is provided. For example, the invention allows a user to quickly create, signal process, encode, and transfer media files to a server for storage, posting, distribution, and retrieval. Thus, media such as audio, video, display, photo, spreadsheet, Web Clips, and HTML pages can be combined into a media file for uploading to a server and accessed from listings posted at web sites. In accordance with embodiments, a user downloads and installs a plug-in at the user'"'"'s client computer. The user then registers and logs onto the server to perform various tasks. For example, the user can create a combined audio and photo media file at the client computer, in accordance with server based control parameters received from the system server. The plug-in then allows the user to perform digital signal processing and encoding of the media file at the client computer. After the file is encoded, it may be uploaded to a server for storage, posting, distribution, and retrieval. A file management system provides copies and listings of the file to other servers and web sites as permitted. Thus, other user having access to the database or web site lists via other client computers may select the file for retrieval. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an information management system provides file and file list rankings based upon selection or click through of files and file listings.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first computer configured to

receive and store media content comprising media data for distribution to at least one second computer remote from said first computer,

create a plurality of dynamic lists, each comprising a plurality of first list items which are arranged in a dynamically modifiable order, said dynamically modifiable order being changeable in response to an addition of a new list item to said plurality of dynamic lists,

add at least one first reference to said media content to a first dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists, and

enable access to said first dynamic list by at least one first user of said second computer in accordance with sharing information provided by a second user of said first computer;

wherein at least one of said plurality of dynamic lists comprises a hierarchy of said plurality of dynamic lists that are interrelated, said hierarchy being navigable by said second user

wherein said second computer is configured to

receive at least one dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists from said first computer,

display said received dynamic list to said first user,

receive a user input selecting a list item of said received dynamic list containing a reference to said media data,

download said media data in response to the reception of said user input; and

wherein said second computer is further configured to

receive a notification that said media data has been changed,

download said media data which has been changed in response to the reception of said notification, and

notify said first user that said media data which has been changed has been downloaded.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said media data comprises at least one of audio data, video data, photographic data, textual data, database data, web content data, and programming code data.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of dynamic lists comprises content obtained by said first computer based on pre-defined criteria.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said pre-defined criteria comprises at least one of a user behavior criteria, a category criteria, and a ranking criteria.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein said pre-defined criteria comprises at least one of a user behavior criteria, a category criteria, and a ranking criteria.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least a second dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists comprises a mediagram.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said first computer is further configured to receive a changed version of said second dynamic list and store said changed version of said second dynamic list in a data store thereof.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first computer is further configured to communicate media data parameters to said second computer, said media data parameters indicating data formats that are supported by said first computer.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first computer is further configured to communicate information to said second computer for enabling said second computer to obtain information specifying at least one media attribute associated with said media data, and obtain information requesting that said media content be shared with at least one other device.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first computer is further configured to

compute popularity data for said media content based on user behavior, and

create a second dynamic list comprising at least one second reference to said media content and a ranking of said media content based on said popularity data.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first computer is further configured to

receive authorization from said first user to reference an import list comprising a plurality of second list items in a second dynamic list, and

generate said second dynamic list containing at least said reference to said import list and being automatically modifiable in response to changes in said import list.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first computer is further configured to add at least one of a plurality of second list items to said second dynamic list.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said reference to said import list is added to said second dynamic list in response to a selection of said reference to said import list by said second user.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first computer is further configured to

generate a distribution list comprising export control data and a reference to at least one dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists that are to be exported to an external device,

export said dynamic list referenced in said distribution list, and

add a reference to said exported dynamic list to a second dynamic list in accordance with said export control data, said second dynamic list being dynamically modifiable in response to changes in said exported dynamic list.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one item of said plurality of first list items comprises a reference to a hierarchical list.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein a reference to said media data is retrievable by traversing said hierarchical list.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first computer is further configured to

generate a second dynamic list comprising a reference to at least a first set of said media data and at least one media attribute associated with said first set of media data, and

communicate said second dynamic list to said second computer.

19. The system according claim 1, wherein said second computer is configured to

receive said media content, and

communicate said media content to at least one third computer, said third computer being a peer-to-peer computer or an offline playback client computer.

17. A system, comprising:

a first computer configured to

receive and store media content comprising media data for distribution to at least one second computer remote from said first computer,

create a plurality of dynamic lists, each comprising a plurality of first list items which are arranged in a dynamically modifiable order, said dynamically modifiable order being changeable in response to an addition of a new list item to said plurality of dynamic lists,

add at least one first reference to said media content to a first dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists, and

enable access to said first dynamic list by at least one first user of said second computer in accordance with sharing information provided by a second user of said first computer;

wherein at least one of said plurality of dynamic lists comprises a hierarchy of said plurality of dynamic lists that are interrelated, said hierarchy being navigable by said second user;

wherein at least a second dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists comprises a mediagram;

wherein said first computer is further configured to receive a changed version of said second dynamic list and store said changed version of said second dynamic list in a data store thereof; and

wherein said changed version of said second dynamic list comprises at least one changed media attribute associated with media data referenced by said second dynamic list.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first computer is further configured to

compute popularity data for said media content based on user behavior, and

create a second dynamic list comprising at least one second reference to said media content and a ranking of said media content based on said popularity data.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first computer is further configured to

receive authorization from said first user to reference an import list comprising a plurality of second list items in a second dynamic list, and

generate said second dynamic list containing at least said reference to said import list and being automatically modifiable in response to changes in said import list.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said first computer is further configured to add at least one of a plurality of second list items to said second dynamic list.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said reference to said import list is added to said second dynamic list in response to a selection of said reference to said import list by said second user.

24. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first computer is further configured to

generate a distribution list comprising export control data and a reference to at least one dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists that are to be exported to an external device,

export said dynamic list referenced in said distribution list, and

add a reference to said exported dynamic list to a second dynamic list in accordance with said export control data, said second dynamic list being dynamically modifiable in response to changes in said exported dynamic list.

25. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least one item of said plurality of first list items comprises a reference to a hierarchical list.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein a reference to said media data is retrievable by traversing said hierarchical list.

27. The system according to claim 17, wherein said second computer is configured to

receive at least one dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists from said first computer,

display said received dynamic list to said first user,

receive a user input selecting a list item of said received dynamic list containing a reference to said media data,

download said media data in response to the reception of said user input.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein said second computer is further configured to

receive a notification that said media data has been changed,

download said media data which has been changed in response to the reception of said notification, and

notify said first user that said media data which has been changed has been downloaded.

29. The system according to claim 17, wherein said media data comprises at least one of audio data, video data, photographic data, textural data, database data, web content data, and programming code data.

30. The system according to claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of dynamic lists comprises content obtained by said first computer based on pre-defined criteria.

31. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first computer is further configured to

generate a second dynamic list comprising a reference to at least a first set of said media data and at least one media attribute associated with said first set of media data, and

communicate said second dynamic list to said second computer.

32. The system according claim 17, wherein said second computer is configured to

receive said media content, and

communicate said media content to at least one third computer, said third computer being a peer-to-peer computer or an offline playback client computer.

33. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first computer is further configured to communicate media data parameters to said second computer, said media data parameters indicating data formats that are supported by said first computer.

34. The system according to claim 17, wherein said first computer is further configured to communicate information to said second computer for enabling said second computer to obtain information specifying at least attribute associated with media data, and obtain information requesting that said media content be shared with at least one other device.

35. A system, comprising:

a first computer configured to

receive first media content comprising at least one of audio data, video data,

photographic data, textual data, database data, web content data, programming code data and at least one reference to second media content,

add first media data to a first ordered list, said first media data comprising at least one reference to said first media content and a first set of media attributes, and

communicate said first ordered list to a second computer;

said second computer configured to

receive said first ordered list from said first computer,

display said first ordered list to a user thereof,

receive a first user input selecting a first list item of said first ordered list comprising a reference to said first media data,

download said first media data and said first media content in response to the reception of said first user input,

obtain a notification that said first media data has been modified,

download said first media data which has been modified in response to said notification,

generate a distribution list providing an underlying control structure for managing access and distribution of said first media data to at least one third computer, and

communicate said reference to said first media data to said third computer; and

said third computer configured to

receive said reference to said first media data,

add to a second ordered list said reference to said first media data,

receive a second user input providing permission to allow access by at least one fourth computer to said first media content referenced by said first media data, and

communicate said reference to said first media data to said fourth computer in response to the reception of said second user input.

36. A system, comprising:

a first computer configured to

receive and store media content comprising media data for distribution to at least one second computer remote from said first computer, wherein said media content comprises at least one of audio data, video data, photographic data, textual data, database data, web content data, programming code data, and at least one reference to second media content,

create a plurality of dynamic lists, each comprising a plurality of first list items which are arranged in a dynamically modifiable order, said dynamically modifiable order being changeable in response to an addition of a new list item to said plurality of dynamic lists,

enable access by at least one second computer to at least one of said plurality of dynamic lists in accordance with system or user determined permissions,

add at least one first reference to said media content to a first dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists,

add at least one reference to said first dynamic list to a second dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists, wherein said first dynamic list and said second dynamic list comprise a hierarchy of interrelated dynamic lists, said hierarchy being navigable by said at least one second user of said second computer,

compute popularity data for said media content based on user behavior,

create a third dynamic list of the plurality of dynamic lists comprising at least one second reference to said media content and a ranking of said media content based on said popularity data, and

add at least one of a plurality of second list items to a fourth dynamic list of the plurality of dynamic lists in response to a selection by said second user of said second computer;

said second computer configured to

receive at least one dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists from said first computer,

display said received dynamic list to said first user,

receive a user input selecting a list item of said received dynamic list containing a reference to said media data,

download said media content in response to the reception of said user input, and

communicate said media content to at least one third computer identified in a distribution list, said third computer being a peer computer or an offline playback client computer.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein said first computer is further configured to

generate a distribution list comprising export control data and a reference to at least one dynamic list of said plurality of dynamic lists that are to be exported to an external device,

export said dynamic list referenced in said distribution list, and

add a reference to said exported dynamic list to a second dynamic list in accordance with said export control data, said second dynamic list being dynamically modifiable in response to changes in said exported dynamic list.

38. The system according to claim 36, wherein said second computer is further configured to

receive a notification that said media content has been changed,

download said media content which has been changed, and

notify said second user of said second computer that said media content has been changed.