APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USER CONFIGURABLE CONTENT INTERFACE AND CONTINUOUSLY PLAYING PLAYER

• US 20080295022A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The RocBox Network Corporation
• Original Assignee: The RocBox Network Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Philip, Valdes, Israel, Chaney, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/743 a collection of video files or sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

The systems and methods of the present invention provided a web browser based content management application with an integrated user configurable content interface whereby a user can manage a wide variety of content, including multimedia content, using a single window. The user interface includes a “browser window in a browser window” that provides transparent access to a host of underlying applications that are configured to manage the user'"'"'s interaction with a wide variety of content, including multimedia content delivered via the Internet. Additionally, the windowing functionality of the content management application can be set to automatically reconfigure based on the number and type of content being accessed. A continuously playing video player is configured to appear within a first web page when a user browses to the first web page and to render video overlayed on the first web page. The player is configured to play the same video stream continuously while a user browses from the first web page to a second web page.

Claims

1. A method of distributing multimedia content via an integrated user configurable content interface, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of multimedia content via a network;

rendering the plurality of multimedia content within a plurality of corresponding content windows; and

,

deploying the plurality of content windows within a content management application, wherein the content management application provides a user interface that allows a user to manage the plurality of content windows and access the plurality of multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of multimedia content operate simultaneously.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instantiating a new content window in response to an user request of multimedia content; and

,

configuring the new content window and the plurality of content windows, wherein the configuration is automatically performed based upon user preferences, the total number of content windows, and the type of content requested.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repositioning at least one of the plurality of content windows in response to an user request; and

,

reconfiguring the plurality of content windows, wherein the configuration is automatically performed based upon user preferences, the total number of content windows, and the type of content requested.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an internet network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of content windows are browser windows, wherein the content management application is a main browser window, and wherein the user interface comprises of at least one content browser window within the main browser window.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user interface provides for a means of controlling the functionality of the content browser windows.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of the content browser windows is a video player, and wherein the video player maintains a video playback while the user simultaneously interfaces with at least one other content browser window within the main browser window.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

uploading a video via the network upon the user dragging and dropping a thumbnail of the corresponding video into a playlist for the video player; and

,

making the video available for viewing in the video player.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

linking the user to the uploaded video.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

creating a profile of the user, wherein the profile includes links to previously uploaded multimedia content uploaded by the user.

12. A method of distributing multimedia content via an integrated user configurable content interface, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of multimedia content via a network;

rendering the plurality of multimedia content within a plurality of corresponding content windows; and

,

deploying the plurality of content windows within a content management application, wherein the content management application provides a user interface that allows a user to manage the plurality of content windows and access the plurality of multimedia content,

wherein at least two of the plurality of multimedia content operate simultaneously, and

wherein the user interface operates a first multimedia content in a corresponding first content window while the user simultaneously interfaces with at least one other multimedia content within at least one other corresponding content window.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first multimedia content is a video playback, wherein the corresponding first content window is a video player, and wherein the video player maintains the video playback while the user simultaneously interfaces with at least one other multimedia content within at least one other corresponding content window.

14. A system for distributing multimedia content via an integrated user configurable content interface, comprising:

a plurality of multimedia content transmitted via a network;

a user interface accessible to the network that renders the plurality of multimedia content within a plurality of corresponding content windows; and

,

a content management application that deploys the plurality of content windows, wherein the user interface renders the plurality of content windows within the content management application to provide for a browser in browser configuration that allows a user to manage the plurality of content windows and access the plurality of multimedia content.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein at least two of the plurality of multimedia content operate simultaneously.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a new content window instantiated in response to an user request of multimedia content, wherein the content management application configures the new content window and the plurality of content windows, and wherein the configuration is automatically performed based upon user preferences, the total number of content windows, and the type of content requested.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one of the plurality of content windows repositioned in response to an user request, wherein the content management application configures the plurality of content windows, and wherein the configuration is automatically performed based upon user preferences, the total number of content windows, and the type of content requested.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the network is an internet network.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of content windows are browser windows, wherein the content management application is a main browser window, and wherein the user interface comprises of at least one content browser window within the main browser window.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface provides for a means of controlling the functionality of the content browser windows.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the content browser windows is a video player, and wherein the video player maintains a video playback while the user simultaneously interfaces with at least one other content browser window within the main browser window.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a video uploaded via the network upon the user dragging and dropping a thumbnail of the corresponding video into a playlist for the video player, wherein the content management application makes the video available for viewing in the video player.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a profile of the user linked to the uploaded video, wherein the profile includes links to previously uploaded multimedia content uploaded by the user.

24. A system for distributing multimedia content via an integrated user configurable content interface, comprising:

a plurality of multimedia content transmitted via a network;

a user interface accessible to the network that renders the plurality of multimedia content within a plurality of corresponding content windows; and

,

a content management application that deploys the plurality of content windows, wherein the user interface renders the plurality of content windows within the content management application to provide for a browser in browser configuration that allows a user to manage the plurality of content windows and access the plurality of multimedia content,

wherein at least two of the plurality of multimedia content operate simultaneously, and

wherein the user interface operates a first multimedia content in a corresponding first content window while the user simultaneously interfaces with at least one other multimedia content within at least one other corresponding content window.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first multimedia content is a video playback, wherein the corresponding first content window is a video player, and wherein the video player maintains the video playback while the user simultaneously interfaces with at least one other multimedia content within at least one other corresponding content window.

26. A user interface for distributing multimedia content via a continuously playing video player, comprising:

a video player configured to appear within a first web page when a user browses to the first web page and to render video overlayed on the first web page, the player being configured to play the same video stream continuously while a user browses from the first web page to a second web page.