Streaming media search and playback system

• US 20020116476A1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Friskit
• Original Assignee: Friskit
• Inventors: Aposporos, George, Eyal, Aviv
• Granted Patent: US 6,484,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A method is provided for playing back media from a network. The method includes receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device. The method further includes accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses, where the database associates each address with one or more classes of information. The addresses in the database each access a media network resource. The method further includes selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria, and signaling the selected address to the network enabled device. The method also includes controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and play back the media resource of the selected address.

Claims

1. A method for playing back media from a network, the method comprising:

receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device;

accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses, the database associating each address with one or more classes of information, each address accessing a media resource;

selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria;

signaling the selected address to the network enabled device; and

controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and play back the media resource of the selected address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one address in the database includes matching the search criteria with a parameter in the one or more classes of information associated with that address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses includes accessing a plurality of links to Internet sites, each link containing no other internal link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria includes selecting a plurality of links in the database using the search criteria, signaling the selected plurality of links to the network enabled device, and programmatically controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and sequentially play back the media resource of each of the plurality of selected links in a designated order.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and sequentially play back the media resource includes sequentially playing back the media resource of each of the plurality of selected links after accessing the respective selected link.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device includes receiving the search criteria corresponding to an artist name, and wherein selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria includes selecting a plurality of links that are each associated with a class of information containing a parameter corresponding to the artist name.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device includes receiving the search criteria corresponding to a title of a network media resource, and wherein selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria includes selecting a plurality of links that are each associated with a class of information containing a parameter corresponding to the title of the network media resource.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device includes receiving the search criteria corresponding to a musical category, and wherein selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria includes selecting a plurality of links that are each associated with a class of information containing a parameter corresponding to the musical category.

9. A method for playing back media from a network, the method comprising:

receiving a request for media playback entered on a network enabled device;

accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses, each address accessing a media resource;

identifying at least two addresses from the database;

signaling each identified address to the network enabled device; and

controlling the network enabled device to access and automatically play back the media resources of each of the signaled addresses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the network enabled device to access the media resources of the signaled links includes signaling a uniform resource locator for one or more of the media resources to a media playback component to cause the network media resources of the signaled links to be accessed and played back on the network enabled device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving a request for media playback includes receiving the request for media playback from an Internet enabled device, and wherein the method further comprises signaling the uniform resource locator of the one or more media resources to a web browser component on the Internet enabled device to cause a web page to be displayed on the Internet enabled device while the media playback component plays back the media resource on the network enabled device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a request for media playback from a network enabled device includes receiving a request for a play-list comprising a plurality of addresses, the play-list arranging the plurality of addresses so that the addresses are loaded by the media playback component in a designated order, wherein identifying at least two addresses in the database includes identifying the addresses in the play-list, and wherein controlling the network enabled device to access and automatically play back the media resources of the signaled addresses includes accessing and playing back each media resource in the play-list sequentially in the designated order.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving a request for media playback from a network enabled device includes receiving a request for a program comprising multiple play-lists, each play-list being corresponding to a predetermined selection of media resources, wherein identifying at least two addresses includes identifying the addresses in each of the play-lists in the program, and wherein controlling the network enabled device to access and automatically playback the media resources of the signaled addresses includes accessing and playing back each media resource in a sequential order designated by the play-lists of the program.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the database stores one or more classes of information associated with each address in the plurality of addresses.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the database is locatable by the network enabled device on the network.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

18. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the network server module signals the selected address to the network enabled device to cause the media playback component to load the media resource located by the selected address.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the network server module communicates with the network enabled device through the network.

20. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the network server module is located at least partially on the network enabled device and communicates with the database through the network.

21. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the network server module comprises a sequence of code that is signaled to the network enabled device from another device on the network, the sequence of code being executable on the network enabled device.

22. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the network enabled device comprises the media playback component, and wherein the network server module programmatically controls the media playback component of the network enabled device to playback the media resource.

23. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the network enabled device is a network enabled device selected from a group of devices consisting of a personal computer, a handheld computer, a smart network appliance, and a wireless Internet enabled device.

24. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the database comprises a plurality of links to Internet sites, wherein each link accesses a media resource without requiring another internal link.

25. The computer system of claim 14, wherein all or a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

26. The computer system of claim 14, wherein all or a portion of the database is accessible to the network enabled device over the network.

27. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the one or more classes of information for each address in the database include types of metadata selected from the group consisting of genre, title, and data format of the network resource.

28. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the media resource is a streaming media file that outputs a combination of at least video or audio once the media resource is loaded by the media playback component.

29. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the network includes the Internet, the network enabled device includes an Internet enabled device, each of the plurality of addresses includes links to a media web resource, and wherein the network server module signals control information to the Internet enabled device to cause the Internet enabled device to programmatically access each of a plurality of media web resources signaled to the network enabled device.

30. The computer system of claim 29, wherein the web server module signals control information to the media playback component and a web browser component of the Internet enabled device, to cause the media playback component of the network enabled device to programmatically load and playback the media web resource while the web browser displays a web page of a web site corresponding to the media web resource being played back.

14. A computer system for playing back media from a network, the computer system comprising:

a network enabled device comprising a media playback component;

a database comprises a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on the network;

a network server module that communicates with the network enabled device and with the database, the network server module being able to receive a search request entered on the network enabled device that specifies one or more criterias, to select at least one address from the database that is associated with a class of information that matches the search criteria, and to cause the media playback component to load the media resource located by the selected address.

31. A computer system for playing back media from a network, the computer system comprising:

a network enabled platform comprising a media playback component;

a database comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on the network, each address accessing a media resource; and

a network server module that coupleable to the media playback component and the database, the network server being able to receive a request for media playback from the network enabled device, to select multiple addresses from the database, to signal the multiple addresses to the network enabled device, and to control a media playback component on the network enabled device to use the addresses to automatically access and play back the media resource associated with the addresses.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the network server module resides on the network.

33. The computer system of claim 31, wherein at least a portion of the network server module resides on the network enabled device.

34. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the network server module comprises a sequence of code that is signaled to the network enabled device from another device on the network, the sequence of code being executable on the network enabled device.

35. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the network enabled device is an Internet enabled device comprising the media playback component and a network browser component, the database comprises a plurality of links to media web resources, wherein the network server module programmatically controls the media playback component of the Internet enabled device to access and playback the media web resource of each link signaled to the Internet enabled device.

36. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the network enabled device further comprises a web browser component, and wherein the network server module programmatically controls the web browser component to display a web page associated with the media web resource being played back.

37. The computer system of claim 31, further comprising a play-list module coupleable to the network server module, the play-list module generating a play-list based on one or more criterias designated by a user of the network enabled device, the play-list comprising a plurality of addresses that are signaled to the network enabled device in response to the request for media playback.

38. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the network enabled device is a terminal device selected from a group of devices consisting of a personal computer, a handheld computer, a wireless Internet enabled device, and a handheld computer.

39. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the database comprises a plurality of links to Internet sites, wherein each link accesses a media web resource and contains no other internal link.

40. The computer system of claim 31, wherein all or a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

41. The computer system of claim 31, wherein all or a portion of the database is accessible to the network enabled device over the network.

42. A network enabled device configured to playback media from a network, the network enabled device being coupleable over to a database comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on a network, the network enabled device comprising:

a user-interface to prompt for a search request;

a network interface to signal the request to a network server module that is communicatable with the database, and to receive one or more addresses in the database that match the search request; and

a media playback component being configured to be programmatically controllable by the network server module to automatically load the media resource associated with each address signaled to the network enabled device upon accessing the media resource.

43. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the user interface is controllable by the network server module after the network server module signals the response, the user-interface providing one or more prompts to enable an end user to control the media played back from the one or more media resources associated with the addresses signaled from the network server module.

44. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the user-interface prompts for a user to signal the network server module to immediately access a next address signaled to the network enabled device from the network server module.

45. The network enabled device of claim 44, wherein the user-interface prompts for the end user to signal the media playback component to repeat playing back a previously played media resource.

46. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the user interface prompts for a specific media resource from the media resources signaled from the network server module for playback, and to pause playback from the media resources signaled from the web server module.

47. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the network access component is a web browser residing on an Internet enabled device.

48. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein all or a portion of the database is accessible to the network enabled device over the network.

49. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein all or a portion of the database resides on the network enabled device.

50. The network enabled device of claim 42, wherein the network device is Internet enabled, wherein the network interface signals the request to a web server module that is communicatable with the database to receive one or more links to web sites containing media web resources, the one or more links containing no internal links, and wherein the Internet enabled device further comprises a web browser component, the web browser component being controllable by the web server module to automatically access and display a web page associated with the media web resource being played back by the media playback component.

51. The network enabled device of claim 50, wherein the network interface includes a communication port between the network enabled device and the network.

52. A network enabled device configured to play back media from a network, the network enabled device being coupleable over the network to a database comprising a plurality of addresses, each address locating a media resource on the network, the network enabled device comprising:

a user-interface including a plurality of user-interactive features, a first user-interactive feature in the plurality of user-interactive features prompting to receive a search request for media playback;

a network interface that signals the request to a network server module upon the first user-interactive feature receiving the search request for media playback, the network interface being communicatable with the database to receive one or more addresses in the database that match the search request; and

a media playback component being configured to be programmatically controllable by the network server module to automatically load the media resource associated with each address signaled to the network enabled device upon accessing the media resource, a playback of the media playback component being controllable by one or more control user-interactive features in the plurality of user-interactive features.

53. The network enabled device of claim 52, wherein the first user-interactive feature in the plurality of user-interactive features is selected from a group consisting of selectable icons, text-entry field, and menu items.

54. The network enabled device of claim 53, wherein the control user-interactive features are selected from a group of selectable icons having functions corresponding to skipping to a next address selected to be signaled to the network enabled device, pausing the media resource being played back;

repeating the media resource previously played back, and stopping playback from the media playback component.

55. The network enabled device of claim 53, wherein the user-interface includes a plurality of user-interactive features to select a characteristic of a media playback from the media playback component.

56. The network enabled device of claim 55, wherein the user-interface features include the plurality of user-interactive features to select a genre, an artist, or a title of a network media resource for playback.

57. The network enabled device of claim 56, wherein the search request is composed by selecting one or more of the user-interactive features of the user-interface.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein signaling the second terminal a selectable link includes messaging the second terminal the link to the play-list.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein signaling the second terminal a selectable link includes signaling a message to the second terminal that causes the second terminal to access the play-list once the message is opened.

61. The method of claim 58, wherein signaling the one or more links in the play-list to the second terminal includes signaling each link in the play-list to the first terminal and to the second terminal concurrently.

62. The method of claim 58, further comprising receiving the signal from the first terminal to message the second terminal while the first terminal is playing back media located by a link in the play-list, and causing the media playback component of the second terminal to load the media file being played by the first terminal.

63. The method of claim 58, wherein signaling a link to the second terminal that locates the play-list module includes signaling the link to include arguments that locate the address in the play-list corresponding to the media file being played back on the first terminal.

58. A method for sharing media playback on a first terminal coupled to a network with other terminals coupled to the network, the method comprising:

signaling a link in a play-list to the first terminal, the play-list including one or more links to media files on the network;

receiving a signal from the first terminal to message a second terminal while the first terminal is playing back media from one of the media files;

signaling the second terminal a selectable link to enable the second terminal to receive one or more links in the play-list; and

signaling the one or more links in the play-list to the second terminal upon the selectable link being selected by the second terminal.

64. A system for sharing media playback from a network between a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals including a first terminal and a second terminal, the system comprising:

a play-list component locatable on the network by a selectable link, the play-list component identifying a plurality of links to form a play-list, each link in the play-list locating a media file on the network;

a network server module signaling the plurality of links that form the play-list to the first terminal, the network server module being able to receive a signal to transmit the selectable link to the second terminal to enable the second terminal to locate the play-list module.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein the network server module signals the plurality of links that form the play-list to the second terminal upon the selectable link being transmitted to the second terminal is selected.

66. The system of claim 64, wherein the messaging module transmits the selectable link as a content of a message.

67. The system of claim 64, wherein the play-list module transmits the selectable link with a corresponding message to the second terminal so that the selectable link is selected when the message opened.

68. The system of claim 65, wherein the play-list module identifies the plurality of links to form a plurality of play-lists, and wherein the messaging module transmits the selectable link with identifiers that identify the play-list being signaled to the first terminal.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the messaging module transmits the selectable link with identifiers that identify the media file being played back on the first terminal.

70. The system of claim 69, wherein the network server module identifies the link in the play-list being played back on the first terminal and transmits the identified link with a remainder of the links in the play-list to the second terminal, so that the first terminal and the second terminal simultaneously playback the same media files while the links in the play-list are signaled to each of the first terminal and the second terminal.

71. A network enabled device comprising:

a media playback component configured to communicate with a network-side module to receive a first plurality of links, each of the first plurality of links locating a media file on a network;

a web browser component configured to receive a second plurality of links, each of the second plurality of links hosting a media file located by one of the first plurality of links, the web browser component displaying the web site for each of the second plurality of links that corresponds to the media file being played back by the media playback component.

72. The network enabled device of claim 71, further comprising a user-interface including user-interactive features for controlling media output from media files located by the first plurality of links.

73. The network enabled device of claim 72, wherein the user-interface is displayed in a first window, and the web browser component displays the web site for each of the second plurality of links in a second window.

74. The network enabled device of claim 73, wherein the media playback component is configured to sequentially receive the first plurality of links from the network-side module, and the web browser displays the web sites hosting media files for each of the web sites in the sequence.

75. A system for playing back media from a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a search criteria from a network enabled device;

means for accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses, the database associating each address with one or more classes of information, each address accessing a media resource;

means for selecting at least one address in the database using the search criteria;

means for signaling the selected address to the network enabled device; and

means for controlling the network enabled device so as to automatically access and play back the media resource of the selected address

76. A system for playing back media from a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request for media playback from a network enabled device;

means for accessing a database comprising a plurality of network addresses, each address accessing a media resource;

means for identifying at least two addresses from the database;

means signaling each identified address to the network enabled device; and

means for controlling the network enabled device to access and automatically play back the media resources of each of the signaled addresses.