Distributed control for a continuous play background music system

• US 8,819,126 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 47 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Krikorian, Thomas M., Mccluskey, Simon J.
• Primary Examiner(s): JACOBS, LASHONDA T
• Application Number:
  US13/709,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20130138779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/231, 709/245, 709/219, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 725/1
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

A system and method executed at a computing device for providing digital content, is provided. The method includes: remotely providing digital media files via a network to a playback device responsively to a computer being remotely located from both the computing device and the playback device; receiving at least one first communication from the computer via the network; and sending at least one second communication to the playback device via the network and based upon the first communication. Playback of ones of the provided digital media files at the playback device is modified responsively to the at least one second communication.

Claims

1. A method executed at a computing device for providing digital content, comprising:

remotely providing digital media files via a network to a playback device responsively to a computer being remotely located from both;

the computing device; and

the playback device;

receiving at least one first communication from the computer via the network; and

sending at least one second communication to the playback device via the network and based upon the first communication;

wherein, playback of ones of the provided digital media files at the playback device is modified responsively to the at least one second communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital media files comprise audio files, video files, and/or image files.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select and arrange custom playlists by selecting a plurality of the digital media files from a master library and allowing sequencing the digital media files and/or randomly playing the digital media files.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select a plurality of predetermined collections of the digital media files, to allocate percentages of time for playing the collections and to create a composite collection that randomly selects the digital media files from the collections based on the allocated percentages.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select at least one of the digital media files within predetermined collections and to adjust a frequency at which the at least one of the digital media files is played in a composite collection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select at least one temporal period to operate the playback device.

7. A computer device for providing digital content, comprising:

means for remotely providing digital media files via a network to a playback device responsively to a computer being remotely located from both;

the computer device; and

the playback device;

means for receiving at least one first communication from the computer via the network; and

means for sending at least one second communication to the playback device via the network and based upon the at least one first communication;

wherein, playback of ones of the provided digital media files at the playback device is modified responsively to the at least one second communication.

8. The computer device of claim 7, wherein the digital media files comprise audio files, video files, and/or image files.

9. The computer device of claim 7, further comprising means for remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select and arrange custom playlists by selecting a plurality of the digital media files from a master library and allowing sequencing the digital media files and/or randomly playing the digital media files.

10. The computer device of claim 7, further comprising means for remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select a plurality of predetermined collections of the digital media files, to allocate percentages of time for playing the collections and to create a composite collection that randomly selects the digital media files from the collections based on the allocated percentages.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select at least one of the digital media files within predetermined collections and to adjust a frequency at which the at least one of the digital media files is played in a composite collection.

12. The computer device of claim 7, further comprising means for remotely serving executable files that allow the computer to select at least one temporal period to operate the playback device.

13. Computer code embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer code comprising:

code configured to remotely provide digital media files via a network to a playback device responsively to a computer being remotely located from both;

the apparatus; and

the playback device;

code configured to receive at least one first communication from the computer via the network; and

code configured to send at least one second communication to the playback device via the network and based upon the at least one first communication;

wherein, playback of ones of the provided digital media files at the playback device is modified responsively to the at least one second communication.

14. The computer code of claim 13, wherein the digital media files comprise audio files, video files, and/or image files.

15. The computer code of claim 13, further comprising code configured to remotely provide executable files that allow the computer to select and arrange custom playlists by selecting a plurality of the digital media files from a master library and allowing sequencing the digital media files and/or randomly playing the digital media files.

16. The computer code of claim 13, further comprising code configured to remotely provide executable files that allow the computer to select a plurality of predetermined collections of the digital media files, to allocate percentages of time for playing the collections and to create a composite collection that randomly selects the digital media files from the collections based on the allocated percentages.

17. The computer code of claim 13, further comprising code configured to remotely provide executable files that allow the computer to select at least one of the digital media files within predetermined collections and to adjust a frequency at which the at least one of the digital media files is played in a composite collection.

18. The computer code of claim 13, further comprising code configured to remotely provide executable files that allow the computer to select at least one temporal period to operate the playback device.