Method for associating media files with additional content

• US 9,342,229 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2015
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acast AB
• Original Assignee: Acast AB
• Inventors: Emtinger, Mikael, Ahlstrand, Lars Markus, Billgren, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US14/669,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 715/230, 715/233, 709/213
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/738 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path

Abstract

A method for presenting digitally stored information to a user, including providing, from a server to a client device, timeline information having first and second time points, each time point being relative to when a user accesses the timeline information, the first time point being associated with a digital audio or digital video media file, the second time point being associated with additional content, the additional content being a text or a file comprising video, audio, image, text, a webpage, user comment or user rating in a digital format. Accessing the timeline information causes the client device to start a timing procedure, the client device automatically starting playing the media file when timing reaches the first time point of the timeline information and the client device automatically presenting, to the user, the additional content when the timing reaches the second time point of the timeline information.

Claims

1. A method for presenting digitally stored information to a user, comprising the steps of:

a) providing, from a server to a client device, access to a timeline file comprising timeline information, the timeline information comprising a duration and instructions to the client device to present content in a predetermined order during the duration, the timeline information further comprising first and second time points, each time point being relative to when a user accesses the timeline file through an interface provided by the client device, and wherein the first time point being associated with an instruction to access a media file separate from the timeline file, the media file being a digital audio or digital video file stored on the client device, the second time point being associated with an instruction to access additional content, the additional content being either i) text comprised in the timeline file or ii) a file stored on a server comprising image or text in a digital format, or a webpage,

b) receiving user input, through an interface provided by the client device, that accesses the timeline file, the accessing the timeline file starting a timing procedure that is not measured relative to a starting time or duration of the media file and additional content,

c) the client device automatically starting playing the media file when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the first time point of the timeline information,

d) the client device, when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the second time point of the timeline information, automatically presenting, to the user, the additional content or presenting, to the user, an indication that additional content is available,

wherein steps c) and d) are performed in a chronological order dependent on an order of the first and second time points in the timeline information;

wherein the duration accommodates the combined playing time of the media file and any of the additional content that has a duration;

wherein the time line information is updated with an additional time point associated with an instruction to access further additional content after step b) has been performed and, in response to the update, the client device presenting the further additional content to the user when the timing procedure reaches the additional time point;

wherein the additional time point associated with an instruction to access further additional material is added to the timeline information by a second user with the use of a second client device; and

wherein the addition of the additional time point is carried out by, in a first step, providing, from the second client device to the server, information about a time point relative to a time point in the media file and further additional content, then, in a second step, the server storing the information about the time point and the additional content, then in a third step, the server updating the timeline information with information about the additional time point and the further additional content to make the additional time point and the further additional content available to the client device.

2. The method according to claim 1 where the additional content is an image file stored on a server.

3. The method according to claim 1 where the additional content is a web page stored on a server.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the additional content is presented or indicated to the user while the media file is played.

5. The method according to claim 1 where the additional content is text comprised in the time line information.

6. The method according to claim 1 where the additional content has been generated by a second user using a second client device.

7. The method according to claim 1 where the media file is an audio file.

8. The method according to claim 1 where the timeline information in the client device is updated upon the initiative of the server.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of indicating on a visual timeline on a display of the client device that additional content is available, the visual timeline having a duration matching the duration of the timeline information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the timeline information further comprises a reference to access the media file at a file storage location of the media file.

11. A client device system comprising a processor and a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the client device to:

a) establish an operative connection to a server to access a timeline file comprising timeline information, the timeline information comprising a duration and instructions to the client device to present content in a predetermined order during the duration, the timeline information further comprising first and second time points, each time point being relative to when a user accesses the timeline file through an interface provided by the client device, and wherein the first time point being associated with an instruction to access a media file separate from the timeline file, the media file being a digital audio or digital video file stored on the client device, the second time point being associated with an instruction to access additional content, the additional content being either i) text comprised in the timeline file or ii) a file stored on a server comprising image or text in a digital format, or a webpage,

b) receive user input, through an interface of the client device, that accesses the timeline file, the accessing the timeline file starting a timing procedure that is not measured relative to a starting time or duration of the media file and additional content,

c) automatically start to play the media file when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the first time point of the timeline information,

d) when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the second time point of the timeline information, automatically present, to the user, the additional content or presenting, to the user, an indication that additional content is available,

wherein c) and d) are performed in a chronological order dependent on an order of the first and second time points in the timeline information;

wherein the duration accommodates the combined playing time of the media file and any of the additional content that has a duration;

wherein the time line information is updated with an additional time point associated with an instruction to access further additional content after b) occurs and, in response to the update, the client device presenting the further additional content to the user when the timing procedure reaches the additional time point;

wherein the additional time point associated with an instruction to access further additional material is added to the timeline information by a second user with the use of a second client device; and

wherein the addition of the additional time point is carried out by provision, from the second client device to the server, information about a time point relative to a time point in the media file and further additional content, then the server storing the information about the time point and the additional content, then the server updating the timeline information with information about the additional time point and the further additional content to make the additional time point and the further additional content available to the client device.

12. The client device system according to claim 11, wherein the client device displays a visual timeline on a display of the client device showing that additional content is available, the visual timeline having a duration matching the duration of the timeline information.

13. The client device system according to claim 11, wherein the timeline information further comprises a reference to access the media file at a file storage location of the media file.