Synchronized Media Playback Using Autonomous Clients Over Standard Internet Protocols

• US 20090106357A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Reazer Investments LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Zivkovic, Aleksandar, Igelman, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

A method of achieving synchronous playback of media content over the internet, such as digital video and audio, when the media content is stored on a host that does not have synchronous broadcasting software installed. Users select media sources that are accessible from one or more content servers and create a broadcast playlist. A database maintains a virtual-time record of the broadcast. A server receives a client request for the broadcast, retrieves the virtual-time record from the database, and delivers it to the client. The client then accesses the remotely-stored media source and plays it in a media player, synchronously with all other clients receiving the broadcast.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of synchronously delivering user-selected media content over the internet to a plurality of clients using a stateless protocol, the method comprising:

providing, over the internet, each client with an autonomous media player;

providing, via a server, synchronization data to each of the autonomous media players; and

accessing, by each of the autonomous media players, media content independently of the server and using the synchronization data in the autonomous media players to cause each of the media players to play the media content synchronously.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the autonomous media player includes embedding the player in a webpage and making the webpage available for download from the server.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein embedding the player in the webpage includes embedding using XML.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the synchronization data includes providing the synchronization data using HTTP.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the synchronization data includes providing the synchronization data using RMTP.

6. A method of synchronously delivering user-selected media content over the internet to a plurality of clients using a stateless protocol, the method comprising:

providing, from a database, synchronization data to a plurality of servers;

providing each client with an autonomous media player;

for each client, providing, via one of the servers, the synchronization data to the autonomous media player; and

using the synchronization data in the autonomous media players to deliver media content synchronously to the clients, wherein the media content is independent of the servers.

7. A method of synchronously delivering user-selected media content over the internet to a plurality of clients using a stateless protocol, the method comprising:

generating synchronization data from user input;

storing the synchronization data in a database;

providing, via the database, the synchronization data to a plurality of servers;

providing each client with an autonomous media player;

for each client, providing, via one of the servers, the synchronization data to the autonomous media player; and

using the synchronization data in the autonomous media players to deliver media content synchronously to the clients, wherein the media content is independent of the servers.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at the servers, votes from the plurality of clients during synchronous playback of the media; and

skipping the rest of the currently playing media if a predetermined percentage of the clients vote to skip.