Distributed media-aggregation systems and methods to operate the same
First Claim
1. In a system having a first media device and a plurality of peer media devices disposed remote from the first media device, the first media device and each of the plurality of peer media devices selectably operable as a storing media device for storing at least a media segment of a piece of media and a client media device for obtaining the at least a media segment of the piece of media stored on at least one of the storing media devices and providing the obtained media segment of the piece of media to a display, a method of generating a media stream, comprising:
- receiving a first media segment at the first media device, operating as the client media device, wherein the first media segment represents a portion of the piece of media, and wherein the piece of media is created by a first content provider;
receiving an input in the first media device, the input selecting a second media segment created by a second content provider different than the first content provider, wherein the second media segment represents an alternative to the portion of the piece of media;
in response to receiving the input, querying a universal directory stored in a volatile memory of the first media device to identify the second media device operating as the storing media device and storing the selected second media segment, wherein the universal directory identifies the piece of media and media segments associated with the piece of media, and a further plurality of pieces of media and further media segments associated with the further plurality of pieces of media;
obtaining the second media segment from the identified second media device; and
substituting the second media segment for the first media segment at the first media device to form a media stream.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Distributed media-aggregation systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises selecting a first media segment at a first media device, wherein the first media segment is provided by a first content provider and the first media device is associated with a subscriber, selecting a second media segment provided by a second content provider; obtaining the second media segment from a second media device, where the second media segment represents an alternative to first media segment and substituting the second media segment at the first media device to form a media stream.
401 Citations
31 Claims
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1. In a system having a first media device and a plurality of peer media devices disposed remote from the first media device, the first media device and each of the plurality of peer media devices selectably operable as a storing media device for storing at least a media segment of a piece of media and a client media device for obtaining the at least a media segment of the piece of media stored on at least one of the storing media devices and providing the obtained media segment of the piece of media to a display, a method of generating a media stream, comprising:
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receiving a first media segment at the first media device, operating as the client media device, wherein the first media segment represents a portion of the piece of media, and wherein the piece of media is created by a first content provider; receiving an input in the first media device, the input selecting a second media segment created by a second content provider different than the first content provider, wherein the second media segment represents an alternative to the portion of the piece of media; in response to receiving the input, querying a universal directory stored in a volatile memory of the first media device to identify the second media device operating as the storing media device and storing the selected second media segment, wherein the universal directory identifies the piece of media and media segments associated with the piece of media, and a further plurality of pieces of media and further media segments associated with the further plurality of pieces of media; obtaining the second media segment from the identified second media device; and substituting the second media segment for the first media segment at the first media device to form a media stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A first media device for use with a system comprised of a plurality of peer media devices disposed remote from the first media device, the first media device and each of the plurality of peer media devices selectably operable as a storing media device for storing at least a media segment of a piece of media and a client device for obtaining the at least a media segment of the piece of media stored on at least one of the storing media devices and providing the obtained media segment of the piece of media to a display, the first media device comprising:
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an input device to receive a selection from a user to playback a selected media segment of the piece of media, wherein the selected media segment represents an alternative to a received portion of the piece of media; a tangible non-volatile memory storing a media directory of plurality of media segments of plurality of pieces of media stored by the first media device; a tangible non-transitory volatile memory storing a universal directory identifying, for each of the plurality of media segments of the plurality of the piece of media, a respective peer media device of the plurality of peer media devices storing the selected media segment; a distributed media module, in response to receiving the selection, for querying the universal directory to identify a second media device of the plurality of peer media devices storing the selected media segment, to obtain from the second media device the selected media segment, and to replace the received portion of the piece of media with the selected media segment at the first media device to form a media stream, and a display module configured to output the media stream to a display device. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a system having a plurality of peer media devices including a first media device and a second media device disposed remote from the first media device, the first media device and the second media device each selectably operable as a storing media device for storing at least a piece of media and a client media device for obtaining the at least a piece of media stored on the other media device and providing the received piece of media to a display, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing machine accessible instructions that, when executed, cause the first device to:
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receive a first media segment at the first media device operating as the client media device, wherein the first media segment represents a portion of a piece of media, and wherein the piece of media is created by a first content provider; receive an input in the first media device, the input selecting a second media segment created by a second content provider different than the first content provider, wherein the second media segment represents an alternative to the portion of the piece of media; in response to receiving the input, querying a universal directory stored at in a volatile memory of the first media device to identify the second media device operating as the storing media device and storing the selected second media segment, wherein the universal directory identifies the piece of media and media segments associated with the piece of media, and a further plurality of pieces of media and further media segments associated with the further plurality of pieces of media; obtain the second media segment from the identified second media device; and substitute the second media segment for the first media segment at the first media device to form a media stream; and output the media stream from the first media device to a display. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification