Coordinated multi-media playback

• US 9,154,846 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Limbasia, Sunil
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, MICHAEL HYUN
• Application Number:
  US11/852,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,948 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/81
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2389 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4385 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream decrypting
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A request is received for playback of a package of media files, the package of media files including at least a first set of media files of a first type and a second set of media files of a second type. The first set of media files and the second set of media files are retrieved via a network. The package of media files is provided to a media playback device such that at least some of the first set of media files are played generally simultaneously as at least some of the second set of media files.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a device, a first selection of a first set of media files,

the first set of media files being of a first type;

receiving, by the device, a second selection of a second set of media files;

determining, by the device, that the second set of media files is of a same type as the first type of the first set of media files;

providing, by the device and for display, information indicating that the second set of media files cannot be used based on the second set of media files being of the same type as the first type of the first set of media files;

receiving, by the device, a third selection of a third set of media files,

the third set of media files being of a second type, and

the second type being different from the first type;

receiving, by the device, a request to create a package of media files;

retrieving, by the device, the first set of media files and the third set of media files;

generate, by the device and after receiving the request, the package of media files based on the first set of media files and the third set of media files; and

providing the package of media files to a media playback device for the media playback device to play at least some of the first set of media files while simultaneously playing at least some of the third set of media files.

2. The method of claim 1, where retrieving the first set of media files and the third set of media files includes:

retrieving, via a local area network or a wide area network, the first set of media files and the third set of media files from one or more computing devices.

3. The method of claim 1, where the media playback device is a television.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction regarding playing of the at least some of the first set of media files; and

applying the instruction to playing the at least some of the first set of media files without applying the instruction to the playing of the at least some of the third set of media files.

5. The method of claim 1, where retrieving the first set of media files and the third set of media files includes:

accessing a first computing device to retrieve the first set of media files; and

accessing a second computing device to retrieve the third set of media files.

6. The method of claim 1, where generating the package of media files includes:

generating the package of media files based on the first set of media files, the third set of media files, and metadata of the first set of media files that indicates an association of the first set of media files with the third set of media files.

7. The method of claim 1,

where the first set of media files includes image files or video files, and

where the third set of media files includes audio files.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, before providing the package of media files and to the media playback device, instructions for the media playback device to stop playing other media.

9. The method of claim 4, where the instruction is one of an instruction to shuffle the at least some of the first set of media files or an instruction to repeat one or more media files of the at least some of the first set of media files.

10. A system comprising:

a processor to;

receive a first selection of a first set of media files,

the first set of media files being of a first type,

receive a second selection of a second set of media files,

determine that the second set of media files is of a same type as the first type of the first set of media files,

provide, for display, information indicating that the second set of media files cannot be used based on the second set of media files being of the same type as the first type of the first set of media files,

receive a third selection of a third set of media files,

the third set of media files being of a second type, and

the second type being different from the first type,

retrieve the first set of media files and the third set of media files,

generate a package of media files based on the first set of media files and the third set of media files, and

provide the package of media files to a media playback device for the media playback device to play at least a first media file of the first set of media files while simultaneously playing at least a second media file of the third set of media files.

11. The system of claim 10, where, when retrieving the first set of media files and the third set of media files, the processor is to:

retrieve the first set of media files and the third set of media files via a local area network or a wide area network.

12. The system of claim 10, where the media playback device is a television.

13. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

receive an instruction regarding playing one or more media files of the third set of media files,

the one or more media files of the third set of media files including the second media file; and

apply the instruction regarding playing the one or more media files of the third set of media files without applying the instruction to playing one or more other media files of the first set of media files,

the one or more other media files of the first set of media files including the first media file.

14. The system of claim 10, where, when retrieving the first set of media files and the third set of media files, the processor is to:

access a first computing device to retrieve the first set of media files; and

access a second computing device to retrieve the third set of media files.

15. The system of claim 10, where, when generating the package of media files, the processor is to:

create the package of media files based on the first set of media files, the third set of media files, and metadata of the first set of media files that indicates an association of the first set of media files with the third set of media files.

16. The system of claim 10,

where the first set of media files includes images or video, and

where the third set of media files includes audio.

17. The system of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

provide, before providing the package of media files and to the media playback device, instructions to stop the media playback device from playing other media.

18. The system of claim 13, where the instruction is one of:

an instruction to shuffle the one or more media files of the third set of media files, or

an instruction to repeat one or more particular files of the one or more media files of the third set of media files.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by at least one device, cause the at least one device to;

receive a first selection of a first set of media files,

the first set of media files being of a first type;

receive a second selection a second set of media files,

determine that the second set of media files is of a same type as the first type of the first set of media files,

provide, for display, information indicating that the second set of media files cannot be used based on the second set of media files being of the same type as the first type of the first set of media files,

receive a third selection of a third set of media files,

the third set of media files being of a second type, and

the first type being different from the second type;

receive a request to create a package of media files;

retrieve the first set of media files and the third set of media files;

generate, by the device and after receiving the request, the package of media files based on the first set of media files and the third set of media files; and

provide the package of media files to a media playback device for the media playback device to play one or more first media files of the first set of media files while simultaneously playing one or more second media files of the third set of media files.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, where the one or more instructions to receive the request to create the package of media files include:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the at least one device, cause the at least one device to;

provide, to the media playback device, an interface to be displayed by the media playback device,

receive, via the interface, a fourth selection of a first option to create the package of media files, and

receive, via the interface, a fifth selection of a second option to include the first set of media files in the package of media files.