System and method for creating and navigating a linear hypermedia resource program

• US 9,990,174 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hypermedia Navigation LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hypermedia Navigation LLC (IPValuation Partners, LLC)
• Inventors: Stuckman, Bruce Edward, Sullivan, Barry James, Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Light, Jordan Howard, Morse, James Richard, Genin, Kent E., Omanson, Richard, Bossemeyer, Jr., Robert Wesley
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat N
• Application Number:
  US15/832,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20180095717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 182 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-219, 709227-229, 709231-232, 709245-246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1432 Metric aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

A method and system for creating and navigating linear hypermedia resource programs are disclosed. The system includes a distributed hypermedia resource network having a plurality of hypermedia resources residing on one or more remote information nodes. A common remote information node is in communication with a subscriber station and the remote information nodes in the distributed network. The common remote information node contains at least one linear hypermedia resource program consisting of pre-selected media elements from one or more hypermedia resources linked with exclusive linear links, each media element in the linear program having only one forward link to the next media element. The method includes the steps of downloading and displaying a media element in the linear program and responding to user commands to download and display the next media element in the linear program.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a linear program of video elements, the method comprising:

receiving, via a server of a World Wide Web including a processor and a memory, search data indicating search criteria associated with video content;

wherein the server of the World Wide Web responds to the search criteria by;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a first video element;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a second video element;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a third video element;

associating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first video element, the second video element and the third video element along with other video elements in a linearly linked fashion to produce the linear program of video elements;

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, first data for display in a map area of a display screen of a client device associated with a user, the first data including a plurality of indicators, each of the plurality of indicators representing a corresponding one of the first video element, the second video element and the third video element; and

transmitting via the server of the World Wide Web and for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, second data including a forward link indicator;

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, third data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection of the forward link indicator;

updating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first data to form updated first data for display in the map area in response to selection of the forward link indicator; and

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, fourth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection by the user of one of the plurality of indicators representing a selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element;

wherein the first video element, the second video element and the third video element are stored on the server of the World Wide Web and wherein the selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element is transmitted, via the server of the World Wide Web, to the client device associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, fifth data for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, the fifth data including a backward link indicator that selects a previous program element of the linear program of video elements.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, sixth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection of the backward link indicator; and

updating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first data for display in the map area in response to selection of the backward link indicator.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, via the server of the World Wide Web and in response to the third data, a next program element of the linear program of video elements, based on the linear program of video elements and further based on the selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element;

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, fifth data for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, the fifth data including the next program element of the linear program of video elements.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the search criteria designates a file information content.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, fifth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a sequential selection by the user of the forward link indicator; and

repeatedly navigating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the linear program of video elements in a forward order in response to the fifth data.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein repeatedly navigating the linear program of video elements in the forward order includes sequentially transmitting, for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, sixth data indicating additional ones of the linear program of video elements in the forward order.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, fifth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a sequential selection by the user of a backward link indicator; and

repeatedly navigating the linear program of video elements in a backward order in response to the fifth data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein repeatedly navigating the linear program of video elements in the backward order includes sequentially transmitting, for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, fifth data successive ones of the linear program of video elements in the backward order.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated first data for display in the map area of the display screen of the client device associated with the user includes an updated plurality of indicators, wherein at least one of the updated plurality of indicators represents one of the other video elements.

11. A method of presenting a linear program of video elements, the method comprising:

receiving, via a server of a World Wide Web including a processor and a memory, search data indicating search criteria associated with video content;

wherein the server of the World Wide Web responds to the search criteria by;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a first video element;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a second video element;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a third video element;

associating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first video element, the second video element and the third video element along with other video elements in a linearly linked fashion to produce the linear program of video elements;

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, first data for display in a map area of a display screen of a client device associated with a user, the first data including a plurality of indicators, each of the plurality of indicators representing a corresponding one of the first video element, the second video element and the third video element; and

transmitting via the server of the World Wide Web and for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, second data including a forward link indicator;

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, third data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection of the forward link indicator;

updating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first data to form updated first data for display in the map area in response to selection of the forward link indicator, wherein the updated first data for display in the map area of the display screen of the client device associated with the user includes an updated plurality of indicators, wherein at least one of the updated plurality of indicators represents one of the other video elements; and

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, fourth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection by the user of one of the plurality of indicators representing a selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element;

wherein the first video element, the second video element and the third video element are stored on the server of the World Wide Web and wherein the selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element is transmitted, via the server of the World Wide Web, to the client device associated with the user.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, fifth data for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, the fifth data including a backward link indicator that selects a previous program element of the linear program of video elements.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, sixth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection of the backward link indicator; and

updating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first data for display in the map area in response to selection of the backward link indicator.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining, via the server of the World Wide Web and in response to the third data, a next program element of the linear program of video elements, based on the linear program of video elements and further based on the selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element;

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, fifth data for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, the fifth data including the next program element of the linear program of video elements.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the search criteria designates a file information content.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, fifth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a sequential selection by the user of the forward link indicator; and

repeatedly navigating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the linear program of video elements in a forward order in response to the fifth data.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein repeatedly navigating the linear program of video elements in the forward order includes sequentially transmitting, for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, sixth data indicating additional ones of the linear program of video elements in the forward order.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving, fifth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a sequential selection by the user of a backward link indicator; and

repeatedly navigating the linear program of video elements in a backward order in response to the fifth data.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein repeatedly navigating the linear program of video elements in the backward order includes sequentially transmitting, for display on the display screen of the client device associated with the user, fifth data successive ones of the linear program of video elements in the backward order.

20. A method of presenting a linear program of video elements, the method comprising:

receiving, via a server of a World Wide Web including a processor and a memory, search data indicating search criteria associated with video content;

wherein the server of the World Wide Web responds to the search criteria by;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a first video element;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a second video element;

selecting, via the server of the World Wide Web, a third video element;

associating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first video element, the second video element and the third video element along with other video elements in a linearly linked fashion to produce the linear program of video elements; and

transmitting, via the server of the World Wide Web, first data for display in a map area of a display screen of a client device associated with a user, the first data including a plurality of indicators, each of the plurality of indicators representing a corresponding one of the first video element, the second video element and the third video element;

updating, via the server of the World Wide Web, the first data to form updated first data for display in the map area, wherein the updated first data for display in the map area of the display screen of the client device associated with the user includes an updated plurality of indicators, wherein at least one of the updated plurality of indicators represents one of the other video elements; and

receiving, via the server of the World Wide Web, fourth data from the client device associated with the user indicating a selection by the user of one of the plurality of indicators representing a selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element;

wherein the first video element, the second video element and the third video element are stored on the server of the World Wide Web and wherein the selected one of, the first video element, the second video element or the third video element is transmitted, via the server of the World Wide Web, to the client device associated with the user.