Incorporating interactive media into a playlist

• US 8,745,498 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rahman, Shafiq Ur, Mohammed, Sohail Baig, Mazhar, Khurshed, Larkin, Kevin P., Nelson, Patrick N., O'Rourke, Bret P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell, James H
• Application Number:
  US12/788,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/205, 715/234, 715/738, 715716-726, 715/760, 725/34, 725/42, 725/46, 725/93, 725/94, 709/203, 709217-219, 709/223, 709231-232
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums

Abstract

An exemplary system includes a media control operable to begin playing a media segment automatically after buffering the media segment, and a host application operable to receive a reference to the media segment, initialize the media control with the media segment, and cause the media control to postpone playing of the media segment after the media segment is buffered. An exemplary method includes receiving a playlist referencing a first media segment and a second media segment, the second media segment operable to play automatically without a prompt after being loaded, presenting the first media segment, and prerolling the second media segment.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a playlist at a media player, stored in memory and coupled to a processor, the playlist comprising at least;

a first media segment that plays when prompted by the media player after being loaded into an interactive media presentation control; and

a second media segment comprising an interactive media segment that plays automatically without a prompt from the media player after being loaded into the interactive media presentation control,

presenting one media segment at a time through a user interface of the media player;

presenting the first media segment via the user interface;

communicating a preroll command from the media player to an interactive media events wrapper that facilitates communication between the interactive media presentation control and the media player using the playlist; and

in response to receiving the preroll command at the interactive media events wrapper, communicating a load command from the interactive media events wrapper to the interactive media presentation control, the load command instructing the interactive media presentation control to preroll the second media segment, wherein prerolling the second media segment comprises;

loading at least a predetermined minimum portion of the second media segment into a buffer of the interactive media presentation control before the presenting of the first media segment is complete; and

in response to determining that the predetermined minimum portion of the second media segment has been loaded into the buffer, postponing presentation of the second media segment by the interactive media presentation control such that the media player can prompt the second media segment to stop, pause, or play in order to prevent the second media segment from automatically playing before the presenting of the first media segment is complete.

2. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein postponing the presentation of the second media segment comprises issuing a stop command to the interactive media presentation control to prevent the second media segment from automatically playing.

3. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein postponing the presentation of the second media segment comprises stopping a timer associated with presenting the second media segment to prevent the second media segment from automatically playing.

4. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an event indicating that the presenting of the first media segment is complete.

5. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 4, further comprising receiving a loading complete event from the interactive media presentation control indicating that the second media segment has been completely loaded into the buffer.

6. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 5, further comprising immediately presenting the second media segment via the user interface after receiving the event indicating that the presenting of the first media segment is complete and the loading complete event, the immediately presenting facilitating a seamless transition from the first media segment to the second media segment.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

in response to receiving the loading complete event, prerolling a third media segment; and

preventing the third media segment from automatically playing before the presenting of the second media segment is complete.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second media segment is further operable to issue a custom event.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the custom event references a third media segment to be played in response to the custom event.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving an end of playback event from the second media segment.

11. A system comprising:

memory and a processor;

a host application, stored in the memory and executable on the processor, comprising;

a parsing module operable to parse a playlist of media segments, wherein the media segments comprise at least;

an interactive media segment that plays continuously without a prompt from a media player; and

a non-interactive media segment that does not play continuously without a prompt from the media player;

the media player operable to;

play only one media segment from the playlist at a time; and

receive a media segment event indicating that the playing of the interactive media segment has finished, wherein the media presentation control module is operable to;

receive the media segment event from a media presentation control module via an interactive media events wrapper module that facilitates communication between the media presentation control module and the host application using the playlist;

in response to receiving the media segment event from the media presentation control via the interactive media events wrapper module, preroll the interactive media segment;

immediately stop playback of the interactive media segment such that the media player can prompt the interactive media segment to stop, pause, or play in order to prevent the interactive media segment from automatically playing before a preceding media segment is complete; and

an interface of the media player operable to display the interactive media segment after playback of the preceding media segment is complete or the prerolling is complete.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising the interactive media events wrapper module, stored in the memory and executable on the processor, operable to:

receive an end of buffering notification for the interactive media segment from the media presentation control module; and

issue a corresponding end of buffering notification to the host application in response to receiving the end of buffering notification for the interactive media segment from the media presentation control module.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one of the media segments comprises mixed media.

14. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the playlist comprises an event name associated with an event media segment to be played when a referenced media segment issues an event having the event name.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein automatic playback of the interactive media segment is postponed at least in part by stopping a timer that sends timer ticks to the media presentation control module for advancing playing of the interactive media segment.

16. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein immediately stopping playback of the interactive media segment comprises immediately stopping playback only when the interactive media segment is not a first media segment in the playlist.

17. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the playlist comprises an Advanced Stream Redirector (ASX) file.

18. One or more computer-readable hardware devices, storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on a processor, perform acts comprising:

instantiating an events wrapper associated with an interactive media segment created using vector-based graphics animation techniques and operable to play continuously, wherein the events wrapper facilitates communication between an interactive media presentation control and a media player using a playlist;

initializing the interactive media presentation control operable to playback both the interactive media segment and a non-interactive media segment in the playlist;

playing only one media segment from the playlist at a time;

hosting the interactive media presentation control in a portion of a user interface;

communicating a preroll command from the media player to the interactive media events wrapper;

in response to receiving the preroll command at the interactive media events wrapper, communicating a load command from the interactive media events wrapper to the interactive media presentation control, the load command instructing the interactive media presentation control to buffer the interactive media segment prior to completion of playback of the non-interactive media segment; and

immediately postponing presentation of the interactive media segment such that the interactive media presentation control can prompt the interactive media segment to stop, pause, or play in order to prevent overlapping playback with the non-interactive media segment.

19. The one or more computer-readable hardware devices as recited in claim 18, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving an end of buffering event from the interactive media presentation control when the interactive media segment has finished buffering; and

playing the interactive media segment after the non-interactive media segment completes playback and the end of buffering event is received.

20. The one or more computer-readable hardware devices as recited in claim 18, wherein the interactive media segment is designed for continuous play and does not have a definite end.