Network delivery of interactive entertainment synchronized to playback of audio recordings

• US 5,987,525 A
• Filed: 04/15/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: CDDB, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Greenberg, Ann E., Roberts, Dale Tyson
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US08/838,082
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.47, 395/200.78, 395/200.6, 709/248, 709/237, 709/236, 709/232
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Entertainment content complementary to a musical recording is delivered to a user'"'"'s computer by means of a computer network link. The user employs a browser to access the computer network. A plug-in for the browser is able to control an audio CD or other device for playing the musical recording. A script stored on the remote computer accessed over the network is downloaded. The script synchronizes the delivery of the complementary entertainment content with the play of the musical recording.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing delivery of visual content from a first computer to a second computer with playing of a musical recording on the second computer, the first and second computers connected by a computer network and said method comprising:

activating a computer program based on information transferred over the computer network from the first computers;

reporting, via the computer program and the computer network to the first computers, a first position indicator identifying a position on a musical recording currently being played on the second computer, the first position indicator including an identification of a track on the musical recording and a current playback time within the track;

delivering a unit of visual content to the second computer via the computer network, the unit of visual content corresponding to at least one frame of visual information and to the position information;

following receipt of the unit of visual content, determining a second position indicator identifying a second position on the musical recording; and

displaying the unit of visual content if the unit of visual content corresponds approximately to the second position indicator.