Transmission of digital audio data

• US 9,203,884 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audio Pod IP, LLC (Audio Pod Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audio Pod Inc.
• Inventors: McCue, John, McCue, Robert, Shostakovsky, Gregory, McCue, Glenn
• Primary Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US14/250,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20140304374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable code for segmenting an audio stream into a plurality of small digital audio files using gaps in the natural language of the audio stream is provided. The small digital audio files are transmitted, loaded, and played in a specific order, such that from the user'"'"'s perspective, the audio stream is reproduced in an apparently seamless manner. This is done without reassembling the audio stream, either in whole or in part. The small digital audio files are created using natural language gaps, and are generally small enough to ensure that a first small digital audio file can be downloaded and played without significant delay, while successive small digital audio files are downloaded to be played in the future. Accordingly, the user receives audio-on-demand in a timely manner.

Claims

1. An electronic device including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code, which when executed by a processor, causes said electronic device to:

access a first bookmark created on and transferred from a second other electronic device, the first bookmark for starting an audio stream at a first bookmarked point in the audio stream, the first bookmark including information to identify the audio stream and information to identify the first bookmarked point in the audio stream;

select a first segment of the audio stream to download from a first network accessible library, the first segment selected in dependence upon the information to identify the first bookmarked point in the audio stream;

download and store the first segment;

render the stored first segment;

download and store a plurality of other segments of the audio stream from one of the first network accessible library and a second other network accessible library, at least one of the segments in the plurality of other segments starting to download while the first segment is being rendered;

render the stored plurality of other segments such that the transition between segments is inaudible;

track a current position in the audio stream as the stored plurality of other segments is being rendered;

create a second bookmark for identifying a second bookmarked point in the audio stream; and

transfer the second bookmark to at least one of the second electronic device and a third other electronic device,

wherein selected segments of the stored plurality of other segments are stored for at least a duration that a locally stored bookmark of the audio stream is retained, the selected segments determined in dependence upon a bookmarked position identified in the locally stored bookmark.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first segment is selected using a descriptor, the descriptor including at least one of a start time, an end time, and a play time of the first segment and each segment in the plurality of other segments.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable code, which when executed by the processor, causes said electronic device to:

render at least one of an advertisement and an illustration related to the audio stream as the plurality of other segments is being rendered, the at least one of the advertisement and the illustration related to the audio stream selected using the descriptor and a time offset corresponding to the current position.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a size of the first segment and of each segment in the plurality of other segments is selected in dependence upon network throughput rates and to allow the first segment and each segment in the plurality of other segments to be downloaded and begin playing in less than about 5 seconds.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the size of the first segment and of each segment in the plurality of other segments is selected in dependence upon a location of natural language gaps in the audio stream, the natural language gaps including gaps between words read from a same chapter.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second bookmark is created in response to at least one of a make bookmark command and a request to stop playback of the audio stream.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the second bookmark is created in dependence upon the current position of the audio stream.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable code, which when executed by the processor, causes said electronic device to:

purge at least some of the stored plurality of other segments via a memory manager, the memory manager for ensuring there is sufficient space available to store the plurality of other segments and for managing stored segments of the audio stream and stored segments of an other audio stream.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the stored first segment and the stored plurality of other segments are rendered with a media player, the media player for loading the first segment and for rendering the first segment from the first bookmarked point, the first bookmark point determined using a time offset into the first segment.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the current position is tracked using time offsets from a beginning of the audio stream.

11. An electronic device having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable code, which when executed by a processor, causes said electronic device to:

identify a first network library in dependence upon a request to render an audio stream from a predetermined point in the audio stream, the first network library connected to the electronic device via a network, the predetermined point in the audio stream offset from a beginning of said audio stream;

select a first segment of the audio stream to download from the first network library, the first segment selected in dependence upon the predetermined position in the audio stream, a size of the first segment selected in dependence upon network throughput rates and to allow the first segment to be downloaded and rendered in less than about 5 seconds;

receive and store the first segment;

render the stored first segment;

download a plurality of other segments of the audio stream from one of the first network library and a second other network library, at least one of the segments in the plurality of other segments starting to download while the first segment is being rendered;

render the plurality of other segments such that the transition between segments is inaudible; and

track a current position in the audio stream as the plurality of other segments is being rendered,

wherein selected segments of the plurality of other segments are retained while a locally stored bookmark of the audio stream is retained.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the computer readable code, which when executed by the processor, causes said electronic device to:

create a bookmark using a time offset into the audio stream and information in a descriptor for identifying the audio stream, the time offset determined using the current position, the descriptor including at least one of a start time, an end time, and a play time of the first segment and each segment in the plurality of other segments; and

transfer the bookmark to another electronic device.

13. The electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the bookmark is created in response to one of a request to make a bookmark and a request to stop playing the audio stream.

14. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the size of the first segment and of each segment in the plurality of other segments is selected in dependence upon a location of natural language gaps in the audio stream, the natural language gaps including gaps between words read from a same chapter.

15. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the first segment is selected using a descriptor, the descriptor including at least one of a start time, an end time, and a play time of the first segment and each segment in the plurality of other segments.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the current position is tracked using time offsets from a beginning of the audio stream.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the computer readable code, which when executed by the processor, causes said electronic device to:

purge at least some of the segments of the plurality of other segments via a memory manager, the memory manager for ensuring there is sufficient space available to store the plurality of other segments and for managing stored segments of the audio stream and stored segments of an other audio stream.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the purged segments are selected in dependence upon at least one of an amount of space available, a time offset corresponding to the current position, and time-offsets provided in bookmarks resident on the electronic device.

19. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable code, which when executed by the processor, causes said electronic device to:

render at least one of an advertisement and an illustration related to the audio stream as the plurality of other segments is being rendered, the at least one of the advertisement and the illustration related to the audio stream selected using the descriptor and a time offset corresponding to the current position.

20. An electronic device including a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code, which when executed by a processor, causes said electronic device to:

select a first segment of an audio stream to render with a media player, the first segment selected using a descriptor, the descriptor including at least one of a start time, an end time, and a play time of the first segment and of a plurality of other segments of the audio stream;

download and store the first segment from a first network library in dependence upon whether the first segment is resident within the electronic device, the first network library connected to the electronic device via a network;

render the first segment of the audio stream;

download and store the plurality of other segments from at least one of the first network library and a second other network library in dependence upon whether the plurality of other segments is resident within the electronic device, the second network library connected to the electronic device via the network;

render the plurality of other segments such that the transition between segments is inaudible;

track a current position in the audio stream as the plurality of other segments is being rendered, the current position determined as a time offset into the audio stream;

render at least one of an advertisement and an illustration related to the audio stream as the plurality of other segments is being rendered, the at least one of the advertisement and the illustration related to the audio stream selected using the descriptor and the time offset into the audio stream; and

manage a purging of the stored plurality of other segments,

wherein managing the purging of the stored plurality of other segments comprises retaining selected segments of the stored plurality of other segments for at least a duration that a bookmark of the audio stream remains stored on the electronic device.