Method for associating media files with additional content

• US 9,715,338 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acast AB
• Original Assignee: Acast AB
• Inventors: Billgren, Johan, Emtinger, Mikael, Ahlstrand, Lars Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): TANK, ANDREW L
• Application Number:
  US15/090,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20160216881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 715230, 715233, 709213
• 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) receiving, by a client device and from a server, and completely downloading a media file and a timeline file, the timeline file comprising timeline information in the form of instructions to the client device to present content in a predetermined order, said timeline information comprising first and second time points, each time point being relative to when a user, through a user interface provided by the client device, accesses the timeline file, wherein;

the first time point being associated with an instruction to access the media file, the media file being a separate file from the timeline file, the media file being a digital audio file that does not comprise video and, once downloaded, is stored on the client device, and

the second time point being associated with an instruction to access additional content, the additional content being a file with a file size less than 1 MB and stored on a server, the additional content comprising an image,

b) receiving user input, through the user interface provided by the client device, that controls the client device to access the timeline information in the timeline file, the accessing the timeline information starting a timing procedure,

c) the client device automatically and immediately starting playing the media file when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the first time point of the timeline information, downloading of the media file and the timeline file being completed before commencing playback of the media file, and

d) the client device, when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the second time point of the timeline information, automatically performing one of;

i) accessing the additional content on the server and immediately presenting, to the user, the image comprised in the additional content, or

ii) presenting, to the user, an indication that additional content is available, the indication being an audio signal, and not accessing the additional content on the server until the user interacts with the device, and

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.

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

3. The method according to claim 1 where the timeline information is updated with an additional time point associated with an instruction to access respective further additional content after step b) has been performed, the client device presenting the further additional content to the user when the timing reaches the corresponding additional time point.

4. The method according to claim 3 where the timeline information in the client device is updated upon the initiative of the server.

5. The method according to claim 3 where the additional time point associated with further additional material is added to the timeline information by a second user with the use of a second client device.

6. The method according to claim 5 where the addition of an additional time point is carried out by, in a first step, providing, from a second client device to a 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 time point and the further additional content and making updated timeline information available to the first client device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the media file and the timeline file are received over a first communication interface of the client device and the additional content is accessed through a second communication interface of the client device.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the first communications interface of the client device is different than the second communications interface of the client device.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the first communications interface of the client device is the same as the second communications interface of the client device.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the second communications interface of the client device interfaces with a mobile telephone network.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the first communications interface of the client device is a WiFi interface.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein step d) is carried out by carrying out i).

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein step d) is carried out by carrying out ii).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein step d) ii) is carried out by providing the audio signal within 5 seconds of the second time point.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the audio signal is a short tone or a beep.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio file is larger than 2 MB.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio file is larger than 10 MB.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional content has a file size of less than 0.5 MB.

19. A client device comprising a processing unit and a memory unit having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, cause the client device to:

a) receive, from a server, and completely download a media file and a timeline file, the timeline file comprising timeline information in the form of instructions to the client device to present content in a predetermined order, said timeline information comprising first and second time points, each time point being relative to when a user, through a user interface provided by the client device, accesses the timeline file, wherein;

the first time point being associated with an instruction to access the media file, the media file being a separate file from the timeline file, the media file being a digital audio file that does not comprise video and, once downloaded, is stored on the client device, and

the second time point being associated with an instruction to access additional content, the additional content being a file with a file size less than 1 MB and stored on a server, the additional content comprising an image,

b) receive user input, through the user interface provided by the client device, that controls the client device to access the timeline information in the timeline file, the accessing the timeline information starting a timing procedure,

c) automatically and immediately start to play the media file when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the first time point of the timeline information, downloading of the media file and the timeline file being completed before commencing playback of the media file, and

d) when the timing procedure reaches a time corresponding to the second time point of the timeline information, automatically perform one of;

i) access the additional content on the server and immediately present, to the user, the image comprised in the additional content, or

ii) present, to the user, an indication that additional content is available, the indication being an audio signal, and not accessing the additional content on the server until the user interacts with the device, and

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.

20. The client device according to claim 19 wherein the media file and the timeline file are received over a WiFi communications interface of the client device and the additional content is accessed through a mobile telephone network communication interface of the client device.

21. The client device according to claim 19 wherein the media file and the timeline file are received over a first communications interface of the client device and the additional content is accessed through a second communication interface of the client device, and the first communication interface of the client device is different than the second communications interface of the client device.

22. The client device according to claim 19 wherein the media file and the timeline file are received over a first communications interface of the client device and the additional content is accessed through a second communication interface of the client device, and the first communication interface of the client device is the same as the second communications interface of the client device.