Media player with automatic streaming of media files

• US 9,015,334 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harris Technology LLC
• Original Assignee: Harris Technology LLC
• Inventors: Harris, Scott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): FORMAN, JAMES Q
• Application Number:
  US11/775,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,842 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/217, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A media streaming device which automatically senses the proximity of an auxiliary media player such as a digital picture frame or digital audio device, and automatically streams media information from the media streaming device to the auxiliary media player. Permissions can be set so that only some files are sent to the auxiliary media player, based on user specified permissions and/or based on copyright restrictions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing a plurality of media files in a storage unit;

enabling carrying out an action that allows playing the media files;

storing at least one attribute associated with each of the plurality of the media files; and

based on a first of said at least one attributes, selectively determining whether a media file can be sent to an associated media playing device, where said associated media playing device is separate from the storage unit that stores the plurality of media files,

wherein a first value of said first attribute indicates that the media file can be sent to said associated media playing device at any time, and allows the media file to be sent at any time, and a second value of said first attribute indicates a do not send at any time indication, and prevents the media file from being sent to said associated media playing device at any time;

where a first plurality of said files include said first attribute having said first value allowing that first plurality of files to be sent, and a second plurality of said files include said first attribute having said second value preventing that second plurality of files from being sent;

based on a second of said attributes, determining which of said first plurality of files to send at a first time, where said second attribute represents a priority of sending files and where a higher priority file is more likely to be sent than a lower priority file;

automatically determining a connection from said storage unit to said media playing device in response to a wireless connection to said media playing device;

automatically sending a first file to said media playing device when the connection to the media playing device is detected by said automatically determining, said first file being selected as one that has the first value of said first attribute and being selected based on a priority set by said second attribute, and where said automatically sending causes said associated media playing device to play said first file automatically, responsive to receipt, without user interaction being necessary to play the media file; and

storing a third file attribute associated with the file which specifies ownership characteristics of the file, further comprising detecting an owner name of said media playing device and comparing the owner name as detected with authorized owner name in said third file attribute and automatically sending said first file to the media playing device found by said automatically detecting if said comparing determines the owner name of said media playing device matches with said authorized owner name in said third file attribute, and not sending said first file if said owner name of said media playing device does not match with said authorized owner name in said third file attribute.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said wireless connection is a proximity connection.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said media playing device is connected to the Internet, and wherein said automatically sending comprises streaming over an Internet connection.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the media files are at least one of video files, image files, or audio files.

5. A method as in claim 1, further comprising another attribute which is a copyright attribute that determines whether the media file can be sent to another device.

6. A method as in claim 5, wherein said copyright attribute is stored in an encrypted form.

7. A method comprising:

storing a plurality of media files in a media playing unit, where said media playing unit enables selecting a media file for playing, and said media playing unit carries out at least one of providing audio and/or pictures and/or video from the media playing unit to a user;

automatically detecting a wireless connection to an external playing unit within range of said media playing unit, wherein said detecting detects that the external playing unit is one that can play the at least one of audio and/or pictures and/or video;

and

automatically sending a file to the media playing unit found by said automatically detecting based on a priority of sending stored associated with said file, where a higher priority file is more likely to be sent than a lower priority file, said automatically sending causes said external playing unit to play the file representing at least one of audio and/or pictures and/or video responsive to receipt and without user interaction, wherein said storing comprises storing at least one attribute associated with at least a plurality of the files, and said automatically sending is based on a value of said at least one attribute,

based on a first of said at least one attributes, selectively determining whether a media file can be sent to an associated media playing device, where said associated media playing device is separate from the storage unit that stores the plurality of media files;

wherein a first value of said first attribute allows the file to be sent at any time, and a second value of said at least first attribute prevents the file from being sent at any time, and said automatically sending causes said external playing unit to play the at least one of audio and/or pictures and/or video responsive to receipt and without user interaction,

and wherein each of said files also includes a priority attribute, and said automatically sending determines which of said files to send at a given time based on a priority of sending the files and where a higher priority file is more likely to be sent than a lower priority file and

storing another file attribute which specifies ownership characteristics of the file, wherein said selectively determining is based on both said at least one attribute and said another file attribute, and allows the media file to be sent to the media playing unit only when ownership information of the media playing unit is allowed by said ownership information of the file, by detecting owner name of said media playing unit and comparing the owner name as detected with authorized owner name from said another file attribute, and automatically sending the file to the media playing unit found by said automatically detecting if said comparing determines the owner name matches with said authorized owner name, and not sending said file if said owner name does not match with said authorized owner name.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein said external playing unit is connected to the Internet, and said sending said at least one file comprises sending over the internet.

9. A method as in claim 7, wherein said wireless connection is a proximity connection.

10. A method as in claim 7, wherein said at least one attribute includes a copyright attribute that determines whether the file can be sent to another device.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said copyright attribute is stored in an encrypted form.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a media player device, having a storage unit that stores media files, and a player that allows playing the stored media files;

said media player device automatically connecting to a remote file storage device in response to a wireless connection to said remote file storage device and automatically receiving a file from said remote file storage device, where said file has at least one attribute;

based on a first of said at least one attributes, selectively determining whether a media file can be sent to an associated media playing device, where said associated media playing device is separate from the storage unit that stores the plurality of media files;

wherein said receiving receives a first file automatically which has a first value of said first attribute which allows the media file to be sent by said remote file storage device at any time, and not receiving a second file which has a second value of said at least first attribute that prevents the media file from being sent to the media player device at any time;

said media player device automatically playing said first file, responsive to receipt without user interaction necessary to play said first file,

wherein said first file including at least one file with said first value of said at least one attribute and at least one file with said second value of said one attribute,

and wherein each of said files also includes a priority attribute, and said media player device is more likely to receive a higher priority file than a lower priority file,

and wherein said remote file storage device stores another file attribute which specifies ownership characteristics of the media file, and wherein said remote file storage device operates based on both said at least one attribute and said another file attribute, and allows the media file to be sent to the media playing device only when ownership information of the media playing unit is allowed by said ownership information of the file, by detecting an owner name of said media playing unit and comparing the owner name as detected with an authorized owner name from said another file attribute, and automatically sending the file to the media playing unit found by said automatically detecting if said comparing determines the owner name matches with said authorized owner information, and not sending said file if said owner name does not match with said authorized owner name.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said media player device is connected to the Internet, and wherein said first file is automatically sent over the Internet connection.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a media player device, having a storage unit that stores media files, and a player that allows playing stored media files; and

a file sending part, operating to detect an associated media player device that is wirelessly connected with said media player device, wherein said associated media player device is separate from the media player device, to send automatically some, but not all of said media files to said associated media playing device that has been detected to be wirelessly connected,

wherein each of a plurality of said media files include an associated permission attribute, wherein a first value of said attribute causes the media file to be sent to said associated media playing device, and a second value of said at least one attribute prevents the media file from being automatically sent to the associated media playing device, where said associated media playing device is separate from the storage unit that stores the plurality of media files;

wherein a first value of said first attribute indicates that the media file can be sent to said associated media playing device at any time, and allows the media file to be sent at any time, and a second value of said first attribute indicates a do not send at any time indication, and prevents the media file from being sent to said associated media playing device at any time;

and where said media file that is sent to said associated media playing device is automatically played by said associated media playing device without user interaction on said associated media playing device, wherein each of said media files also includes an owner information attribute;

said file sending part detecting an owner name of said associated media playing device and comparing the owner name as detected with authorized owner name information in said owner information attribute and automatically sending said media file to the media playing device found by said automatically detecting if said comparing determines the owner name of said media playing device matches with said authorized owner name information in said owner information attribute, and not sending said media file if said owner name of said media playing device does not match with said authorized owner name information in said owner information attribute, and wherein each of said media files also includes a priority attribute, and said file sending part determines which of said files to send at a given time based on a priority of sending the files and where a higher priority file is more likely to be sent than a lower priority file.