Audio program player including a dynamic program selection controller

• US 6,199,076 B1
• Filed: 10/02/1996
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Personal Audio, LLC
• Original Assignee: James D Logan and Kerry M Logan Family Trust
• Inventors: Call, Charles G., Logan, James, Goessling, Daniel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US08/724,813
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/513, 434/10, 434/308, 434/318, 434/319, 434/320, 434/185, 434/156, 704/270, 704/278, 345/328-335, 345/356-357
• US Class Current: 715/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• 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: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An audio program and message distribution system in which a host system organizes and transmits program segments to client subscriber locations. The host organizes the program segments by subject matter and creates scheduled programming in accordance with preferences associated with each subscriber. Program segments are associated with descriptive subject matter segments, and the subject matter segments may be used to generate both text and audio cataloging presentations to enable the user to more easily identify and select desirable programming. A playback unit at the subscriber location reproduces the program segments received from the host and includes mechanisms for interactively navigating among the program segments. A usage log is compiled to record the subscriber'"'"'s use of the provided program materials, to return data to the host for billing, to adaptively modify the subscriber'"'"'s preferences based on actual usage, and to send subscriber-generated comments and requests to the host for processing. Voice input and control mechanisms included in the player allow the user to perform hands-free navigation of the program materials and to dictate comments and messages which are returned to the host for retransmission to other subscribers. The program segments sent to each subscriber may include advertising materials which the user can selectively play to obtain credits against the subscriber fee. Parallel audio and text transcript files for at least selected programming enable subject matter searching and synchronization of the audio and text files. Speech synthesis may be used to convert transcript files into audio format. Image files may also be transmitted from the server for synchronized playback with the audio programming.

Claims

1. A player for reproducing selected audio program segments comprising, in combination:

means for storing a plurality of program segments, each of said program segments having a beginning and an end,

means for receiving and storing a file of data establishing a sequence in which said program segments are scheduled to be reproduced by said player,

means for accepting control commands from a user of said player,

means for continuously reproducing said program segments in the order established by said sequence in the absence of a control command,

means for detecting a first command indicative of a request to skip forward, and

means responsive to said first command for discontinuing the reproduction of the currently playing program segment and instead continuing the reproduction at the beginning of a program segment which follows said currently playing program in said sequence.

2. A player as set forth in claim 1 further comprising means for detecting a second command indicative of a request to skip backward, and

means responsive to a single one of said second commands for discontinuing the reproduction of the currently playing program segment and instead continuing the reproduction at the beginning of said currently playing program.

3. A player as set forth in claim 2 further comprising means responsive to the detection of two consecutive ones of said second commands for discontinuing the reproduction of the currently playing program segment and instead continuing the reproduction at the beginning of a program segment which precedes the currently playing program segment.

4. A player as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sequence established by said data forms an endless circular sequence of program segments.

5. A player as set forth in claim 1 including editing means for modifying said data establishing said sequence.

6. A player as set forth in claim 5 wherein said editing means includes means for reordering the sequence established by said data.

7. A player as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for reproducing said program segments includes means for varying the rate at which said program segments are reproduced.

8. A player as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for varying the rate at which said program segments are reproduced includes means for skipping periods of silence between words or other sounds when said program segments are reproduced.

9. A player as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for varying said rate comprises means for designating portions of said program segments as highlight passages and means responsive to a request from aid user for reproducing said highlight passages without reproducing at least some portions of said program segments which are adjacent to said highlight passages.

10. A player as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for reproducing said program segments including means for accepting a bookmarking request from said user, means for storing bookmark data indicating the program segment being reproduced at the time said bookmarking request is accepted.

11. A player as set forth in claim 1 wherein said program segments include descriptive program segments, each given descriptive segment containing information which when reproduced for the listener describes the content of one or more other program segments which immediate follow said given descriptive segment, and

wherein said player further comprises means responsive to said first command and operative when one of said descriptive segments is currently playing for discontinuing the reproduction of said currently playing descriptive segment and instead continuing the reproduction at the beginning of the next descriptive segment in said sequence.

12. A player as set forth in claim 1 wherein said player further comprises:

means for storing data indicative of highlight passages within at least selected ones of said program segments, and

means responsive to a predetermined one of said control commands for reproducing only the highlight passages within said selected program segments.

13. A player as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for accepting control command from a user includes a microphone for accepting voice signals from said user and means for translating said voice signals into said control commands.

14. A programmed digital computer for reproducing audio programs, said computer comprising, in combination:

a mass storage device for storing a plurality of digitally recorded audio program segments, each of said segments having a beginning and an end, and further receiving and storing a file of data establishing a sequence in which said program segments are scheduled to be played,

input means for accepting control commands from a user,

output means for producing audible sounds in response to analog audio signals,

processing means for translating said digitally recorded audio program segments into analog audio signals delivered to said output means for reproducing said recorded program segments in a form audible to said user,

processing means responsive to a first one of said control commands for discontinuing the translation of the currently playing program segment and instead continuing the translation at the beginning of the next program segment in said sequence, and

processing means responsive to a second one of said control command for discontinuing the translation of the currently playing program and instead continuing the translation at the beginning of said currently playing program.

15. A programmed digital computer for reproducing audio programs as set forth in claim 14 further comprising means responsive to two consecutive ones of said second control commands for discontinuing the translation of the currently playing program and instead continuing the translation at the beginning of a program segment which precedes said currently playing program in said sequence.

16. A programmed digital computer for reproducing audio programs as set forth in claim 14 wherein said program segments include descriptive programs segments which describe the content of one or more other program segments which immediately follow said descriptive segment in said sequence and wherein said processing means responsive to said a first one of said control commands continues the translation at the beginning of the next descriptive command when the currently playing program segment is a descriptive segment.

17. A programmed digital computer as set forth in claim 16 wherein said input means comprise a microphone for accepting voice commands spoken by said user.