PLAYLIST OF MULTIPLE OBJECTS ACROSS MULTPLE PROVIDERS

• US 20110320020A1
• Filed: 06/28/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Inventors: Price, Pat William
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system includes a device such as a television or multimedia player that has access to content residing at various storage sites and multimedia content providers. For example, the device has access to locally stored content, remotely stored content, music content that resides at music service providers such as Rhapsody and video content from multiple providers such as YouTube, NetFlix, Amazon, VuDu, etc. The user is provided with tools to create a playlist of content where the content includes, for example, one or more videos from local storage and remote services such as YouTube, NetFlix, Amazon, VuDu, etc.

Claims

1. A system for organizing content in a playlist, the system comprising:

an interface to a network;

content available from one or more access locations, at least one access location remotely connected to the system;

a means for identifying each content; and

a means for associating an access location with each of the content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a wide area network and at least one of the access locations is a content provider, the content provider is accessed through the network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a local area network and at least one of the access locations is a network attached storage device, the network attached storage device is accessed through the network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is a local area network and at least one of the access locations is a storage device of a computer system, the computer system is accessed through the network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the playlist includes identification of content and the system searches across the one or more access locations to find content matching the identification of content.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the identification of content includes a title.

7. A method of organizing content available to a device, the device having a display, the method comprising:

(a) capturing identification of a plurality of content and storing the identification information in a playlist;

(b) setting a current content to a first content of the plurality of content;

(c) searching local storage for the current content;

(d) if the current content is found, associating the location of the current content on the local storage with the identification of the current content in the playlist;

(e) if the current content is not found, searching storage and devices connected locally to the device for the current content and if the current content is found, associating the location of the current content on the storage or device with the identification of the current content in the playlist;

(f) if the current content is not found, searching services connected to the device through a wide-area network for the current content and if the current content is found, associating the service with the identification of the current content in the playlist;

(g) if the current content is not found, marking the playlist as such; and

(h) if there is a next content in the plurality of content, setting the current content to a next content of the plurality of content and repeat steps c-h.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage and devices connected locally to the device includes a network attached storage device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage and devices connected locally to the device includes a computer system having a storage device containing the content.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the storage and devices connected locally to the device includes a storage device interfaced to a port of the device.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of playing the plurality of content, including retrieving each of the plurality of content from an associated content location and reproducing the content.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of reproducing the content includes converting from a digital audio format into an analog audio format.

13. A device comprising:

a processor;

a display operably interfaced to the processor;

an interface to a network;

software running on the processor accepts a plurality of content identifiers; and

software running on the processor finds content related to each of the content identifiers, the software finds at least one of the content on a remote device, the remote device is accessible to the device through the network.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the remote device is a network attached storage device.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the remote device is a storage device of a computer system.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the remote device is a server of a service provider, the service provider providing the content.

17. The device of claim 13, whereas the software running on the processor finds content based on a lowest cost for the content.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the content identifiers include a title.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the device further includes software running on the processor that accesses at least one of the content and displays video from the at least one of the content on the display.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the device further includes software running on the processor that accesses at least one of the content and converts digital audio from the at least one of the content into audible content.