System and method for dynamic and automatic synchronization and manipulation of real-time and on-line streaming media

• US 8,806,320 B1
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cut2it Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cut2it Incorporated
• Inventors: Abdo, Gaith
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSUI, WILSON W
• Application Number:
  US12/181,314
• Time in Patent Office: 2,206 Days
• Field of Search: 715221-224, 715/230, 715/233, 715/255, 715/277, 715/730, 715/731
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a system that creates a real-time collaboration and synchronization of multiple, disparate media components, and more particularly to a system that creates dynamic relations and includes notations and annotations in text, audio, video, bookmark, and marked area without affecting the integrity of the original media source making it possible to later search any of these components independently using regular text search or further phonetic and image recognition searches.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, via a network, a media selection in connection with a first media associated with a media file;

receiving, via the network, a media selection in connection with a second media associated with a media file;

receiving, via the network, a multi-sync request associated with the media selection for the first media and the media selection for the second media; and

when the multi-sync request is a time-based multi-sync request, then

receive, via the network, a selection of a segment of the first media and a selection of a segment of the second media;

automatically detect whether a duration of the segment of the first media is equal to a duration of the segment of the second media;

when the duration of the segment of the first media is detected as being equal to the duration of the segment of the second media, then automatically enable time-based synching as a default to generate a dynamic media link and multi-sync data based on the selection of the segment of the first media and the selection of the segment of the second media, without affecting an integrity of the first media and an integrity of the second media, the dynamic media link being a hyperlink;

send the multi-sync data such that the multi-sync data is stored in a relational database at a relational database server after the multi-sync data is generated; and

send, via the network, the dynamic media link such that the segment of the first media and the segment of the second media are displayed and synchronously played side-by-side in a user-editable form based on the multi-sync data stored in the relational database, after receiving an indication that the dynamic media link was selected, the user-editable form being received from a media server, the user-editable form allowing a user to edit synchronization points between the first media and the second media.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic media link is a first dynamic media link,

when the multi-sync request is a text-based multi-sync request, then

receive the selection of the segment of the first media, a selection of a text for the segment of the first media, the section of the segment of the second media, and a selection of a text for the segment of the second media;

match a portion of the text for the segment of the first media and a portion of the text for the segment of the second media to produce a synchronized text pair;

generate a second dynamic media link based on the synchronized text pair, without affecting an integrity of the first media and an integrity of the second media; and

send the second dynamic media link such that the synchronized text pair is displayed in a user-editable form when the second dynamic media link is selected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, if a request is received to preview the multi-synced media, sending a signal such that a preview synchronized media screen with both multi-synced media is displayed.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sending the signal such that the preview synchronized media screen with both multi-synced media is displayed includes:

sending a signal such that the preview synchronized media screen with both multi-synced media displayed side by side is displayed; and

if a request to play one of the two multi-synced medias is received, sending a signal such that the two multi-synced medias are playing simultaneously where an audio portion of the requested multi-synced media is played with the two multi-synced medias.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the selection of the first media is a first selection of the first media, the selection of the second media is a first selection of the second media, the dynamic media link is a first dynamic media link, the multi-sync data is first multi-sync data,

if an authorized user request is received to edit the first selection of the first media and the first selection of the second media;

receiving a second selection of the first media and a second selection of the second media;

generating a second dynamic media link and second multi-sync data based on the second selection of the first media and the second selection of the second media, without affecting the integrity of the first media and the integrity of the second media;

storing the second multi-sync data in the relational database after the second multi-sync data is generated; and

sending a signal such that the second segment of the first media and the second selection of the second media are synchronously displayed based on the second multi-sync data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if a user request is received to exit the synchronized media:

saving the multi-synced media, and

sending a signal such that a view multi-synced media screen is displayed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein if a user request is received to cancel the multi-synced media:

canceling the multi-syncing of the two media, and

sending a signal such that the view media screen is displayed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic media link represents an edited version of the synchronization points between the first media and the second media.