System to communicate media

• US 9,621,615 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Affinity Labs of Texas, LLC
• Inventors: White, Russell W., Imes, Kevin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US15/251,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/02 with automatic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 : for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 : for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 : file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 : using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A system for communicating media is disclosed. Such a system may include, for example, a media broken into a plurality of independent segment files that may represent sequential portions of the media. One of the segment files can be encoded to have a format that is different than the encoded format of another one of the segment files. The formats may be chosen to allow outputting of information in the segments at different rates. A list may include network addresses for the segment files, and a content delivery system may be deployed to distribute media content to remotely located requesting devices by sending the segment files in response to requests for the segment files.

Claims

1. A media system, comprising:

an electronic device having a buffering component, a processing system, a transceiver, and a memory system, wherein the electronic device is configured to utilize HTTP to request a streaming delivery of an available media that is segmented into a series of components to facilitate delivery, wherein the series of components includes at least a given segment and an other segment;

a collection of instructions stored in the memory system and operable when executed by the processing system to allow the electronic device;

(1) to utilize HTTP to request the given segment;

(2) to receive information representing the given segment in response;

(3) to utilize HTTP to request the other segment; and

(4) to receive information representing the other segment, wherein the given segment has a given compression format that is different than a compression format of the other segment; and

the buffering component of the electronic device configured to output information in the given segment at a given rate associated with the given compression format and to output information in the other segment at a rate that is different than the given rate.

2. The media system of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing component for the electronic device that at least partially defines an enclosure in which the memory system, the processing system, and the buffering component are secured, wherein the buffering component comprises a buffer configured to output information that facilitates an outputting of a media presentation by the electronic device.

3. The media system of claim 2, wherein the buffer facilitates presentation of a video media on a display, further wherein an amount of buffer fill in the buffer is considered in connection with determining which of an additional ones of the series of components to request.

4. The media system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises an internal rechargeable battery and a non-circular physical interface, wherein the non-circular physical interface includes at least a first contact to allow an external power source to recharge the internal rechargeable battery and a second contact to allow a communication of data.

5. The media system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a display and is selected from a group consisting of a cellular telephone device, a computing device, a home media device, and a personal digital assistant device.

6. The media system of claim 5, further comprising another collection of instructions stored in the memory system and operable when executed to communicate information representing a graphical interface presented on the display to a different electronic device to allow the different electronic device to present the graphical interface on a display associated with the different electronic device.

7. The media system of claim 1, wherein the collection of instructions stored in the memory system is further operable when executed by the processing system to allow the electronic device to send an HTTP request in connection with seeking access to the available media and to receive in response to the HTTP request a file including information about the available media, wherein the file is written in XML, and further wherein the rate and the given rate are measured in bits per second.

8. The media system of claim 1, wherein the collection of instructions are incorporated into a web browser.

9. A media system, comprising:

a media delivery system that includes a processing system, a transceiver, and a memory system, wherein the media delivery system is configured to utilize HTTP to provide a streaming delivery of an available media to a requesting device, wherein the available media is segmented into a series of component parts including at least a given segment and an other segment; and

a collection of instructions stored in the memory system and operable when executed by the processing system to allow the media delivery system;

(1) to receive an HTTP request for the given segment;

(2) to utilize HTTP to send information representing the given segment in response to the HTTP request for the given segment;

(3) to receive an other HTTP request for the other segment; and

(4) to utilize HTTP to send information representing the other segment in response to the other HTTP request for the other segment, wherein the given segment has a given compression format that is different than a compression format of the other segment.

10. The media system of claim 9, further comprising:

an electronic device with a housing component that at least partially defines an enclosure within which the transceiver, the processing system, and the memory system are secured; and

a plurality of storage devices maintaining information representing a plurality of available medias, wherein each of the plurality of available medias represent content selected from a group of recorded musical content, broadcasted musical content, recorded video content, broadcasted video content, on-line radio content, on-line video content, and audio book content.

11. The media system of claim 9, further comprising a file stored in a storage device of the media delivery system, wherein the file is written in XML, includes information about the available media, and is communicated to the requesting device in response to an HTTP request for the available media.

12. The media system of claim 9, further comprising a collection of information representing a personalized webpage for a given user that is stored in a storage device of the media delivery system, further wherein the collection of instructions stored in the memory system are operable when executed by the processing system to allow the media delivery system to utilize a hypertext transfer protocol communication within an authenticated connection.

13. The media system of claim 9, further comprising an application stored in a storage device, wherein the application is written to facilitate an over the air downloading to a wireless handheld device, further wherein the application comprises instructions operable when executed by a processing system on the wireless handheld device to present a graphical user interface for the media delivery system, further wherein the series of component parts are made up of either a collection of media files stored in separate locations or a series of addressable portions of the available media.

14. A media system, comprising:

a media delivery system that includes an electronic device having a processing system, a transceiver, and a memory system, wherein the media delivery system is configured to utilize HTTP to provide a streaming delivery of an available media to a requesting device accessing the electronic device via an information network, wherein the available media is accessible as a series of component parts including at least a given segment and an other segment;

a collection of instructions stored in the memory system and operable when executed by the processing system to allow the electronic device;

(1) to receive an HTTP request for the given segment;

(2) to utilize HTTP to send information representing the given segment in response to the HTTP request for the given segment;

(3) to receive an other HTTP request for the other segment; and

(4) to utilize HTTP to send information representing the other segment in response to the other HTTP request for the other segment, wherein the given segment has a given compression format that is different than a compression format of the other segment;

a website-based graphical user interface for the media delivery system that comprises a personalized webpage for each of a plurality of registered users; and

a messaging system configured to facilitate a communication of a message to a given registered user.

15. The media system of claim 14, further comprising:

the electronic device with a housing component that at least partially defines an enclosure within which the transceiver, the processing system, and the memory system are secured; and

an application stored in a storage device, wherein the application is written to facilitate an over the air downloading to a wireless handheld device, further wherein the application comprises instructions operable when executed by a processing system on the wireless handheld device to present an application-based graphical user interface for the media delivery system.

16. The media system of claim 14, wherein the memory system maintains demographic information about the given registered user, further wherein the message is an advertisement intended for a recipient that fits within a given demographic within which the given registered user fits based at least in part on the maintained demographic information about the given registered user.

17. The media system of claim 14, wherein the personalized webpage for each of the plurality of registered users includes a “

friends”

link that allows the given registered user to create a group of friends that includes a collection of users from the plurality of registered users.

18. The media system of claim 17, wherein the message to the given registered user comprises text sent from at least one of the collection of users included in the group of friends.

19. The media system of claim 14, further comprising:

an application stored in a storage device, wherein the application is written to facilitate an over the air download of the application by a wireless handheld device, further wherein the application comprises instructions operable when executed by a processing system of the wireless handheld device to present an application-based graphical user interface for the media delivery system; and

the media delivery system operable to determine if the given registered user is accessing the media delivery system via the wireless handheld device and the application-based graphical user interface or a computer and the website-based graphical user interface.

20. The media system of claim 14, further comprising the requesting device.